Cardiac tumours
Abstract The differential diagnosis for a cardiac mass is broad, and includes thrombus, normal anatomical variants, metastases, and a variety of primary cardiac tumours. Although cardiac tumours are rare, they…
CARDIOVASCULAR IMAGING
Contractile function and heart failure
Abstract Assessment of contractile function in the context of heart failure is mandatory. Of course, one has to measure the left ventricular ejection (LVEF) for distinguishing heart failure with preserved…
Diseases of the thoracic aorta and pulmonary arteries
Abstract Many acute and chronic clinical entities can affect the great thoracic arteries. As clinical findings are often unreliable, (mostly) noninvasive imaging plays a crucial role both in the initial…
Pericardial diseases
Abstract Echocardiography is the first-line imaging technique for the diagnosis and the follow-up of pericardial disease. However, computed tomography (CT) and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging provide complementary information to…
Imaging guided interventions
Abstract Recently, several minimally invasive approaches for interventional therapy of structural heart diseases have been developed. For example, transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is an alternative therapeutic option for high-risk…
Arrhythmia
Abstract This chapter discusses different imaging techniques that are increasingly being used in patients with arrhythmias and in cardiac electrophysiology, the latter comprising ablation procedures and implantation of devices. Currently,…
Congenital heart disease
Abstract A large range of imaging techniques is now accessible to answer clinical questions raised by CHD patients. This chapter will review the strengths and limitations of each imaging technique…
Myocardial infarction
Abstract This chapter discusses the recent progress in echocardiography, nuclear imaging techniques, CMR, and CT in characterizing patients with acute myocardial infarct. It will expose the pathophysiology of acute infarcts…
Myocardial viability
Abstract The differentiation between infarcted, non-viable myocardium and myocardium that is still viable has been an area of extensive research and debate over several decades. Despite this, controversy still exists…
Myocardial ischemia
Abstract In this chapter on myocardial ischemia, the pathophysiology of insufficient oxygen supply is illustrated by different invasive and non-invasive imaging techniques. Anatomical versus functional methods are discussed. Strengths and…
