Aortic stenosis CT


 * Associate Editor(s)-In-Chief: Priyamvada Singh, MBBS [mailto:psingh@perfuse.org]; Mohammed A. Sbeih, M.D. [mailto:msbeih@perfuse.org]; Assistant Editor-In-Chief: Kristin Feeney, B.S. [mailto:kfeeney@perfuse.org]

Overview
Computed tomography can be helpful as a diagnostic tool in conditions where the echocardiographic findings are inconclusive.

Advantages:

 * Provides additional anatomic details compared to echocardiography.
 * May allow quantitattion of chamber sizes and calcification of the aortic valve.
 * The presence of calcification is a marker of hemodynamic severity, particularly in the younger patient.
 * It is done faster compared to MRI, thus avoiding the need for anesthesia in small children.

Disadvantage:

 * Costly.
 * Radiation can have long terms side-effect on growing children.