The research involved two prospective multi-center 64-slice scanner trials in both the United States and Germany and the finding sets the stage for the possible widespread adoption of such CT examinations, said Dr. Gerald Dodd of the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio.

Researchers found CT angiography highly accurate in detecting blockages of greater than 50 percent, with a sensitivity of 85 percent and a specificity of 90 percent. The non-invasive exam was equal in accuracy to invasive angiography in its ability to identify patients to be referred for angioplasty or bypass surgery.

"Reliable assessment of the presence of coronary blockages and accurate prediction of coronary revascularizations are feasible with 64-slice CT coronary angiography," said Dr. Marc Dewey, a radiologist at Humboldt University in Berlin. "Patients with low to intermediate risk of having coronary blockages are most likely to benefit from coronary CT angiography, since in those patients the necessity of invasive angiography is greatly reduced."

The research was presented in Chicago during the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America.