1,721,050 research outputs found
Role of cardiac imaging in heart failure
No full textHeart failure is the leading cause of mortality and rehospitalization in Western countries. With the development of new technologies applied to medical diagnostic pathways, cardiovascular imaging has rapidly gained ground. Therefore, the clinical cardiologist has to keep updated on the management of such innovative diagnostic tools which were once the exclusive domain of radiologists. The need to understand a new language is fundamental for the selection of diagnostic and therapeutic strategies in patients with heart failure, which is often the final destination for many cardiovascular diseases. Alongside standard diagnostic techniques such as chest radiography two-dimensional ultrasound and cardiac color Doppler, all of which are indispensable in daily practice, innovative tools have been defining their incremental role in cardiovascular imaging. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), cardiac computed tomography (CT), speckle tracking, 3D echocardiography, new applications in nuclear medicine (SPECT MIBG), and "cardiac hybrid imaging" are emerging for research and are also playing a pivotal role in the clinical scenario. These techniques are useful the for non-invasive acquisition of diagnostic and prognostic information in heart failure. Whether the radiological and economic impact of these new technologies is sustainable is a question the clinical cardiologist will need to answer when considering the cost/benefit of the diagnostic tool selected among these methods
Letter by Aquaro et al Regarding Article, "prognostic value of late gadolinium enhancement cardiovascular magnetic resonance in cardiac amyloidosis"
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Letter by Aquaro et al regarding article, "Intermediate-signal- intensity late gadolinium enhancement predicts ventricular tachyarrhythmias in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy"
No full textLetter by Barison et al regarding article, "treatment of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy/dysplasia: An international task force consensus statement"
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Shortness of breath on exertion: A (Cardiac Magnetic Resonance) picture is worth a thousand words
No full textThis is the case of a 78-year-old male patient that underwent a cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) due to shortness of breath. An unanticipated diagnosis of a giant pseudoaneurysm with a 'guitar-like' appearance was made and patient was sent for urgent ventriculoplasty. CMR offered striking illustrative images allowing for previously unsuspected diagnosis to be made and patient's therapeutic management modified. Moreover, in this case, we emphasize the paramount importance of differentiating between true aneurysms, pseudoaneurysms, clefts, and diverticuli since each pathology has completely different management and prognosis that vary from benign to potentially fatal if not immediately treated
The Role of MRI in Prognostic Stratification of Cardiomyopathies
No full textPurpose of the Review: The aim of this review was to discuss the role of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) for the prognostic stratification of cardiomyopathies, highlighting strengths and limitations. Recent Findings: CMR is considered as a diagnostic pillar in the management of non-ischemic cardiomyopathies. Over the last years, attention has shifted from CMR’s diagnostic capability towards prognostication in the various settings of cardiomyopathies. Summary: CMR is considered the gold standard imaging technique for the evaluation of ventricular volumes and systolic function as well as providing non-invasive virtual-histology by means of specific myocardial tissue characterization pulse sequences. CMR is an additive tool to risk stratifying patients and to identify those that require strict monitoring and more aggressive treatment
Pericardial agenesis as a rather unusual cause of palpitations: We only see what we know
No full textCardiac palpitations secondary to ventricular ectopic beats are a frequent clinical indication for a cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) scan. CMR has already demonstrated its additive diagnostic value in patients with frequent arrhythmias even when echocardiogram appears normal. Hereby, we describe a case of a middle-aged male patient referred to our laboratory because of frequent ventricular ectopic beats and an inconclusive echocardiogram due to an extremely poor acoustic window. A diagnosis of pericardial agenesis (PA) was made explaining patient symptoms and arrhythmias previously detected. Furthermore, at the case report description, PA prevalence, associated cardiac pathologies, and novel CMR diagnostic criteria are being described
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