Which Imaging Modality for Excluding Coronary Artery Disease?

During the past decade, researchers and the radiology community have expended much effort to develop noninvasive coronary imaging modalities such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In a systematic review and meta-analysis, researchers summarized the results of 89 CT and 20 MRI studies in which these tests were compared with conventional coronary angiography for detection of clinically significant coronary artery disease (CAD); patients with at least one stenosis of ≥50% were classified as having positive test results.

Mean sensitivity and specificity were greater for CT (97% and 87%, respectively) than for MRI (87% and 70%, respectively).