Abstract
Recent advances in multidetector CT (MDCT) technology have revolutionized cardiovascular imaging in children with complex congenital heart disease. Fast scanning times and high-quality evaluation of both complex cardiac and coronary anatomy have enabled computed tomography angiography (CTA) to aid in patient management and treatment planning. For infants with congenital heart disease, an electrocardiogram or ECG-gated cardiac CTA is the modality of choice for imaging the coronary arteries, cardiac morphology, the airway, and extracardiac vascular structures, supplemented by functional analysis of left ventricular ejection fraction and cardiac wall motion. To fully utilize the advantages of cardiac CTA, it is important to consider radiation exposure and to optimize scanning techniques. Currently, there are two accepted cardiac CTA scanning techniques for infants and small children with congenital heart disease: retrospective and prospective ECG-gated scanning.