Aortic valve calcification - EBCT

A study by Messika-Zeitoun et al in a recent issue of Circulation describes the usefulness of measuring aortic valve calcification using EBCT. They have shown that "AVC (aortic valve calcification) is accurately and reproducibly measured by EBCT and shows a strong association and diagnostic value for severe AS. The curvilinear relationship between AVC and AVA(aortic valve area) suggests these measures are complementary, and indeed, AVC provides independent outcome information. Thus, AVC is an important measurement in the evaluation of patients with AS."

Obviously this should also be possible with MDCT. This adds one more indication to the growing list of indications for cardiac non-coronary CT.