Substantive incidental cardiac findings revealed by non-cardiac CT examination of the thorax

Limitations inherent in CT imaging of the thorax left the heart as an ill-defined and largely ignored area. The advent of multi-detector CT scanning and shortened imaging times has allowed clear identification of cardiac structures and pathology. Motion-free cardiac images require synchronisation of image acquisition with the cardiac cycle (cardiac ‘gating’ or ‘triggering’). However, significant information can be obtained from careful scrutiny of ungated chest CT images, which may then direct further imaging or investigation. We review 5 cases demonstrating interesting cardiac findings identified on non-cardiac scans.