Coronary artery bypass graft imaging with 64-slice multislice computed tomography: literature review

Abstract

Recurrent cardiac ischemia after coronary artery bypass graft surgery occurs in a significant proportion of patients, prompting repeat investigations and incurring significant clinical and financial costs. Noninvasive investigations to identify graft occlusion and quantify graft stenosis are desirable due to the complications, cost, and patient inconvenience of invasive coronary angiography. The increasing use of 64-slice multislice computed tomography has led to multiple reports on its accuracy in graft stenosis and occlusion. This review focuses on image acquisition and manipulation techniques, interpretative pitfalls, and the diagnostic performance of 64-slice multislice computed tomography in coronary artery bypass graft imaging across the medical literature.