Cardiac Imaging Modalities and Appropriate Use

Cardiovascular imaging with calcium scoring computed tomography (CT), coronary CT angiography (CCTA), and cardiac MRI (CMR) have advanced rapidly over recent years. These imaging modalities have increased in availability, accessibility, and clinical practicality due to technological advances allowing for significant radiation dose reduction for high-quality CCTA and for rapid and reliable imaging techniques in CMR. Hardware and software developments are continually increasing efficiency and accuracy of postprocessing. In the context of these rapidly developing imaging modalities, it is critical for ordering physicians and providers to be aware of the fundamentals of each modality, imaging challenges and appropriate use criteria.