EBCT Scans ?

[oceanview916]

Next week I'm having an EBCT (electron beam) scan of my heart which I'm looking forward to knowing the results of.

Has anyone here ever had this type of imaging (electron beam) and if so, what was their opinion with the results in revealing conditions that were not previously diagnosed or resulted in a negative, using ECG, blood serology tests?

[stellatj]

i had the test in 2002 my results were terrible only 1 person scored worse then me i scored a 399 out of 400 pretty bad my heart is lined with calcium
my cardio doc wants me to redo the test but i just dont care to see that bad test again.

[Lenin]

oceanview,

Positive Result:
Means you have calcium deposits in the artery wall...then you must be angiographed or have a stress perfusion test.

Negative Result:
No calcium in your artery walls but many plaques are fatty accretions that contain no calcium but are equally or probably MORE dangerous than calcium rich "stable" plaques.
To be sure, you need angiography or stress perfusion testing.

Net Result: No real information from the EBCT scan...just a calcium number.

Do you have any symptoms, or is the test just "routine screening?"

[oceanview916]

Thank you Lenin and stellatj for both your verdicts.

So, all in all EBCT is mainly a calcium/plague calculator with the need for further investigatory tests such as angiography and stress perfusion testing, it costs over here approx. £525, expensive but I will still give it a go as I have been having symptoms for over a year now with chest pain, breathlessness and swelling feet/ankle, abdomen which accumlates during the day. I already had an ECT, treadmill test carried out when I was in the cardiac assessment unit after having had continuous chest pains, which were not conclusive.

Not sure if either of you are UK based (most likely the US) as I wondered if on the EBCT positive/negative results showed sufficient calcium and/or a high level of plagues, that the NHS would investigate further by angiography and stress perfusion test. Should imagine so, even if the results are just numbers, the results could not ignored and there would still be a need for these further investigatory tests you mentioned.

Anyway, I shall bear your answers in mind which are v. helpful.

[oceanview916]

Thank you Lenin and stellatj for both your verdicts.

So, all in all EBCT is mainly a calcium/plague calculator with the need for further investigatory tests such as angiography and stress perfusion testing, it costs over here approx. £525, expensive but I will still give it a go as I have been having symptoms for over a year now with chest pain, breathlessness and swelling feet/ankle, abdomen which accumlates during the day. I already had an ECT, treadmill test carried out when I was in the cardiac assessment unit after having had continuous chest pains, which were not conclusive.

Not sure if either of you are UK based (most likely the US) as I wondered if on the EBCT positive/negative results showed sufficient calcium and/or a high level of plagues, that the NHS would investigate further by angiography and stress perfusion test. Should imagine so, even if the results are just numbers, the results could not ignored and there would still be a need for these further investigatory tests you mentioned.

Anyway, I shall bear your answers in mind which are v. helpful.