Noncardiac findings in cardiac imaging with multidetector computed tomography.

OBJECTIVES We investigated the frequency of the noncardiac findings in cardiac imaging with multidetector computed tomography (MDCT). BACKGROUND Multidetector computed tomography is an accepted new tool to evaluate the heart. In cardiac MDCT scans, organs other than the heart are also irradiated, but usually not assessed. METHODS A total of 503 patients underwent cardiac imaging with 16- or 64-slice MDCT. Cardiologists assessed the heart, while radiologists reviewed the other organs. RESULTS A total of 346 new, noncardiac findings were identified in 292 patients (58.1%). A total of 114 patients (22.7%) had clinically significant findings including 4 cases of malignancy (0.8%). CONCLUSIONS There were a significant number of noncardiac findings in cardiac MDCT. To avoid missing clinically important findings, physicians who analyze cardiac MDCT scan--either radiologists or cardiologists--should carefully evaluate all the organs irradiated in the scan.