Calcium Scoring for Coronary Artery Disease
Calcium scoring is a CT procedure that offers a non-invasive way to detect the location and extent of calcified plaque in the coronary arteries. Plaque narrows the arteries and puts patients at risk for a heart attack. It's often recommended for patients with an increased risk for coronary artery disease due to smoking, obesity or high cholesterol, and those experiencing angina or chest pain.
The CT equipment used for the calcium scoring is special X-ray equipment that can obtain image data from different angles around the body. This information is processed through a sophisticated computer to show cross-sections of the arteries. The high-speed, multi-row helical CT equipment at Mission Imaging Center is among the best available, providing outstanding images quickly and with pinpoint accuracy.
During a CT procedure, the patient lies still on a table that can move up and down, and slide in and out of a doughnut-shaped machine. The X-ray imager moves around the patient's body to produce images, making clicking and whirring noises as it moves. Patients are alone in the room during a CT procedure, though the specially trained technologist can see and talk with the them. Sometimes contrast is required to better illuminate the vessels being studied.