CT IN VASCULAR PATHOLOGIES

Since the introduction of helical scanners, CT angiography (CTA) has a chieved an essential role in many vascular applications that were prev iously managed with conventional angiography. The performance of CTA i s based on the accurate selection of collimation width, pitch, reconst ruction spacing and scan delay, which must be modulated on the basis o f the clinical issue. However, the major improvement of CT has been pr ovided by the recent implementation of many post-processing techniques . such as multiplanar reformatting, shaded surface display maximum int ensity projections, 3D perspectives of surface and volume rendering, w hich simulate virtual intravascular endoscopy. The integration of the potentialities of the scanner and of the image process ing techniques permitted improvement of: (a)the evaluation of aneurysms, dissection a nd vascular anomalies involving the thoracic aorta; (b) carotid artery stenosis; (c)aneurysms of abdominal aorta; (d) renal artery stenosis; (e) follow-up of renal artery stenting; and (f) acute or chronic pulm onary embolism. Our experience has shown that the assessment of arteri al pathologies with CTA requires the integration of 3D post-processing techniques in most applications.