CT Angiography

CT angiography at AGEL Ostrava-Vítkovice on the Philips IQon Spectral CT for non-invasive vascular mapping of the carotid arteries, cerebral vessels, aorta, pulmonary vasculature, or peripheral arteries. Spectral iodine mapping enhances vascular detail.

CT angiography (CTA) at AGEL Ostrava-Vítkovice uses precisely timed intravenous contrast injection combined with the Philips IQon Spectral CT to produce detailed three-dimensional maps of the vascular anatomy within the target territory. The IQon's dual-layer spectral detector enhances CTA beyond conventional CT: because iodine spectral data is captured simultaneously with conventional CT data, the radiologist can apply iodine subtraction, virtual non-contrast, and monoenergetic reconstruction tools retrospectively — improving vessel-to-background contrast, reducing beam-hardening artefacts near metallic implants, and enabling more accurate stenosis grading. The Radiology Department at AGEL Ostrava-Vítkovice offers CT angiography across all major vascular territories: carotid arteries and neck vessels (for stroke risk assessment, stenosis grading, and dissection), intracranial cerebral vessels including the circle of Willis and its branches (for aneurysm, AVM, and occlusion), thoracic aorta (dissection, aneurysm, pre-TAVI planning), abdominal aorta and renal arteries (aneurysm, renovascular hypertension, pre-stent-graft planning), pulmonary vasculature for pulmonary embolism CT angiography (CTPA), and peripheral lower limb arteries (peripheral arterial disease staging, run-off assessment). Pulmonary CT angiography (CTPA) is the primary non-invasive investigation for suspected pulmonary embolism: the protocol opacifies the pulmonary arterial tree from the main pulmonary arteries down to the segmental and subsegmental levels, enabling direct visualisation of intraluminal thrombus. Given the hospital's 24/7 acute radiology service, CTPA is available around the clock for emergency presentations. The IQon's monoenergetic virtual reconstruction tool allows the radiologist to choose the optimal energy level retrospectively for each vascular territory — lower keV reconstructions increase iodine conspicuity in vessels, which is particularly useful in peripheral CTA where small vessels require maximum contrast-to-noise, and in CTPA where subsegmental emboli at the edge of detection benefit from enhanced iodine signal. Three-dimensional maximum intensity projection (MIP) and multiplanar reformat (MPR) images are prepared as standard, with volume-rendered reconstructions for surgical planning. The dose reduction achieved by iMR reconstruction (60–80% vs conventional CT) is especially relevant for CTA, where multi-phase or dual-phase acquisitions are sometimes required. AGEL Ostrava-Vítkovice's CTA protocols are adapted to the IQon's spectral capability to minimise scan phases while maximising diagnostic information per acquisition. Czech insurance covered; self-pay patients contact radiology reception directly.