Heart CT scan - Results

Alternative Names

CAT scan - heart; Computed axial tomography scan - heart; Computed tomography scan - heart; Calcium scoring; Multi-detector CT scan - heart; Electron beam computed tomography - heart; Agaston score; Coronary calcium scan

Normal Values:

Results are considered normal if the heart and arteries being examined are normal in appearance.

Your doctor can use the results of this test to determine your "calcium score." The score is based on the amount of calcium found in the arteries of your heart.

The test is normal (negative) if your calcium score is 0.This means the chance of having a heart attack over the next 2 to 5 years is very low. If the calcium score is very low, you are unlikely to have coronary artery disease.

What abnormal results mean:

Abnormal results may be due to:

Aneurysm
Congenital heart disease
Coronary artery disease
Heart valvue problems
Inflammation of the covering around the heart (pericarditis)
Narrowing of one or more coronary arteries (coronary artery stenosis)
Tumors of the heart or surrounding areas

Your doctor may also give you a "calcium score" after this test. If your calcium score is high, it means you have calcium buildup in the walls of your coronary arteries. This is a sign of atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. The higher your score, the more severe this condition may be. Talk to your doctor about the results of your heart CT scan and calcium score.

Reviewed last on: 3/6/2011
David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.; Michael A. Chen, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington Medical School, Seattle, Washington.

References

Achenbach S, Daniel WG. Computed tomography of the heart. In: Libby P, Bonow RO, Mann DL, Zipes DP. Braunwald’s Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier;2007:chap 18.

Taylor AJ, Cerqueira M, Hodgson JM, et al. ACCF/SCCT/ACR/AHA/ASE/ASNC/NASCI/SCAI/SCMR 2010 Appropriate Use Criteria for Cardiac Computed Tomography: A Report of the American College of Cardiology Foundation Appropriate Use Criteria Task Force, the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography, the American College of Radiology, the American Heart Association, the American Society of Echocardiography, the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology, the North American Society for Cardiovascular Imaging, the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions, and the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance. Circulation. 2010 Nov 23;122(21):e525-55.

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