CT Angiography — Vascular

Contrast-enhanced CT angiography of aortic, carotid, or other vascular territories on a 640-slice Canon Aquilion ONE GENESIS scanner at Munich's specialist cardiac centre. One-beat coverage of the entire aorta from root to iliac bifurcation. GOÄ self-pay estimate ~€390.

CT angiography at Osypka Herzzentrum München uses the 640-slice Canon Aquilion ONE GENESIS scanner to produce high-resolution contrast-enhanced vascular maps of the aorta, carotid arteries, and other vascular territories. The 640-detector-row architecture, initially developed for cardiac CT, provides exceptional coverage speed and spatial resolution that translate directly to vascular imaging — the full thoracoabdominal aorta from the aortic root to the iliac bifurcation can be imaged in a single breath-hold acquisition, eliminating the respiratory misregistration that affects multi-phase protocols on conventional scanners. The primary vascular applications at the OHZ include thoracic aortic CT angiography for assessment of aortic root dimensions, ascending and descending aortic aneurysm surveillance, Type A and Type B aortic dissection planning, and post-operative follow-up after valve replacement or aortic repair. Carotid CT angiography provides assessment of cervical internal carotid stenosis, vertebral artery disease, and carotid plaque morphology for stroke risk stratification. Pulmonary CT angiography for pulmonary embolism diagnosis is also available. Because the centre's expertise is primarily cardiac and vascular, the clinical team reviewing CT angiography results has direct interventional and surgical capability for patients found to have significant disease. Intravenous contrast is injected at precisely timed bolus rates to maximise arterial opacification during the scan window. Automated bolus tracking monitors contrast arrival at the target vessel and triggers the scan acquisition at peak enhancement, optimising image quality regardless of individual haemodynamic variation. The 640-slice dataset is reconstructed into axial, coronal, and sagittal multi-planar reformats and three-dimensional volume-rendered maps, allowing systematic assessment of vessel calibre, wall morphology, and luminal irregularities at every anatomical level. Renal function and contrast allergy screening are performed before the examination. Pre-scan laboratory values including serum creatinine and eGFR are required — the OHZ secretary team coordinates this prior to the appointment, and can arrange in-house blood draws on the day for patients without recent results. For patients with borderline renal function, intravenous pre-hydration protocols reduce contrast nephropathy risk. All CT angiography studies are reported by the cardiac imaging specialists PD Dr. Tiemann and Prof. Ley, whose vascular reporting experience matches the scanner's capability. The structured report includes measurements at standard anatomical landmarks, stenosis grading, aneurysm dimensions where relevant, and a clinical recommendation aligned with current ESC vascular guidelines. For aortic cases where intervention is planned, digital images are transferred directly to the surgical team for operative planning.