P12 Cardiac findings on body CT: a review of 275, 000 CT reports over the past 14 years. (21st September 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Alabed, Samer; Salehi, Mahan; Mohammad, Dalia; Ochieng, Lorraine; Maiter, Ahmed; Dwivedi, Krit; Johns, Chris; Hill, Catherine; Rajaram, Smitha; Tuner, Douglas; Thomas, Steve; Swift, Andy J; Karunasaagarar, Kavita
• Is Part Of: Heart. Volume 108(2022)Supplement 2
• Page Start: A7
• Page End: A7
• Publication Date: 2022-09-21
• Subjects: Heart -- Diseases -- Treatment -- Periodicals; Cardiology -- Periodicals; 616.12
• DOI: 10.1136/heartjnl-2022-BSCI.17
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1355-6037

Abstract

Abstract : Objective: Cardiac pathologies are increasingly identified on general body computed tomography (CT). This trend is driven by advancements in CT techniques improving non-gated image quality combined with the vast increase in CT imaging over recent years. We aimed to assess reported cardiac findings on general body CT. Methods: The reports of all CT scans between January 2008 and December 2021 were obtained from the radiology information system at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals. The radiology reports of any studies that included the thorax and abdomen were analysed for terms that indicate findings relevant to the coronary arteries, heart chambers, valves or pericardium. Cardiac specific CT was excluded. In patients with multiple scans, the reports with the largest number of cardiac findings per patient per year was analysed. Results: A total of 274, 246 body CT reports were analysed, including 90, 882 CTs of the abdomen and 183, 364 CTs including the thorax. Between 2008 and 2021, the rate of abdominal CT scans with reported cardiac findings increased from 5% to 10%, while the rate of positive thorax CT increased from 23% to 38%. Overall, the most commonly reported findings on abdominal CTs were chamber abnormalities such as cardiomegaly (44%) and coronary artery calcifications (39%). Almost 61% of positive thorax CTs mentioned coronary calcification and 56% noted chamber abnormalities. Conclusion: Over the past 14 years, general radiologists have increasingly detected cardiac findings on body CT. More than a third of thorax CTs and one in ten of abdominal CTs showed cardiac findings, highlighting the heart as an important review area on body CT.