Photon-Counting CT in Cardiovascular Imaging: Emerging Technologies and Evolving Clinical Applications

The rapid development of photon-counting detector technology (Photon-Counting CT, PCCT) is redefining the boundaries of cardiovascular imaging. By detecting individual photons and analysing their energy, PCCT systems provide a true leap forward compared with conventional energy-integrating CT, offering higher spatial resolution, reduced noise, improved contrast and material-specific spectral mapping. This opens new perspectives for diagnosis, quantitative assessment and follow-up of cardiovascular diseases.

This Research Topic aims to gather original research, reviews, clinical trials, methods, perspective articles and case reports exploring the potential of PCCT in the cardiovascular arena, from technological innovation to clinical implications. The goal is to highlight not only the diagnostic advances of this technology, but also the practical challenges associated with its implementation in daily practice, including protocol standardisation, workflow integration and clinical validation of outcomes.

The Research Topic welcomes articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
• Technical innovations in PCCT and optimisation of acquisition protocols, with specific relevance to cardiovascular imaging
• Radiation dose optimisation and patient safety in PCCT
• Ultra-high spatial resolution PCCT for the assessment of coronary artery disease
• Advanced spectral imaging for myocardial tissue characterization and plaque composition analysis
• Non-invasive quantification of structural and functional cardiac parameters (volumes, mass, myocardial perfusion, ischaemia assessment) by PCCT
• PCCT for cardiovascular devices
• Comparative studies integrating PCCT with other cardiac imaging modalities
• Clinical validation and translation of PCCT, with focus on outcome correlations, prognostic value, cost-effectiveness and impact on patient management pathways
• Artificial intelligence, reconstruction algorithms and advanced data processing applied to PCCT datasets
• Early clinical experiences and multicentre study evidence supporting PCCT real-world implementation
• Future perspectives, challenges to widespread adoption and opportunities for integration of PCCT into precision cardiovascular medicine

Topic Editor Dr. Antonia Camporeale is a consultant for Amicus. The other Topic Editors report no competing interests related to this Research Topic.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Review
• Systematic Review

Keywords: Photon-counting CT (PCCT), Cardiovascular imaging, Spectral CT, Coronary artery disease, Myocardial tissue characterization, Plaque composition, Ultra-high spatial resolution, Non-invasive quantification, Radiation dose optimisation, Clinical validation

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.