Review of Ultrasound Enhancing Agents in Echocardiography  for Better Diagnostic Accuracy
AbstractPurpose of ReviewThis abstract aims to examine the advancements in the utilization, indications, and implementation of ultrasound enhancing agents (UEAs) and their potential to enhance cost-effective diagnostics.Recent FindingsThe review highlights significant progress in the application of UEAs, particularly in improving the delineation of endocardial borders, enhancing interpretation of wall motion, and increasing diagnostic accuracy. Moreover, UEAs contribute to streamlining workflows and help avoid more expensive procedures, especially in cases with technically challenging or suboptimal studies.SummaryUEAs have...
Source: Current Cardiovascular Imaging Reports - March 6, 2024 Category: Radiology Source Type: research

Role of Cardiac MRI in Pericardial Diseases
This article focuses on the CMR characteristics of the most encountered pericardial diseases and novel CMR techniques that may play an adjunctive role in the diagnosis, management, prognosis and the assessment of adequacy of response to therapy in patients with acute pericarditis.SummaryCMR has emerged as a powerful tool in the diagnosis of pericardial disease. This is a review of the current and future roles that CMR-based sequences play in not only the diagnosis of pericardial disease, but also in evaluating the need for medical therapy and gauging adequacy of response to therapy in this cohort. (Source: Current Cardiova...
Source: Current Cardiovascular Imaging Reports - February 22, 2024 Category: Radiology Source Type: research

Correction: Post ‑acute Cardiovascular Sequelae of COVID‑19: an Overview of Functional and Imaging Insights
(Source: Current Cardiovascular Imaging Reports)
Source: Current Cardiovascular Imaging Reports - February 5, 2024 Category: Radiology Source Type: research

The Additional Value of T1 Mapping in Cardiac Disease: State of the Art
AbstractPurpose of the ReviewThis paper delves into the emerging realm of T1 mapping, exploring recent innovations and their relevance across several cardiac diseases.Recent FindingsT1 mapping with cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging has emerged as a valuable tool for cardiac disease evaluation, offering diagnostic, therapeutic, and prognostic insights. Tissue characterization using parametric mapping methods holds the promise of identifying and quantifying both focal and diffuse changes in myocardial structure, which cannot be adequately assessed through late gadolinium enhancement (LGE).SummaryCMR imaging, pa...
Source: Current Cardiovascular Imaging Reports - December 22, 2023 Category: Radiology Source Type: research

Post-acute Cardiovascular Sequelae of COVID-19: an Overview of Functional and Imaging Insights
AbstractPurpose of ReviewTo evaluate the potential role of advanced cardiac imaging and cardiopulmonary exercise testing in the diagnosis and evaluation of persistent cardiovascular conditions after SARS-CoV-2 infection.Recent FindingsSARS-COV-2 has shown an overwhelming capacity to attack multiple organs, with the respiratory system being the most frequently involved. However, various cardiovascular complications have been reported during the course of the disease, becoming one of the most important causes of morbidity and mortality. Many articles have addressed the acute cardiovascular complications of SARS-CoV-2; howeve...
Source: Current Cardiovascular Imaging Reports - December 20, 2023 Category: Radiology Source Type: research

Effect of Virtual Aortic Arch Reconstruction After Norwood Procedure on Cardiac Function, Energy Efficiency, and Wall Shear Stress from Multiscale Simulations
AbstractPurpose of ReviewThe current in silico study features a patient who underwent Norwood arch reconstruction to compare hemodynamic and energy-based indices between the image-based pre-operative reconstructed geometry (i.e., Pre-op) and a virtual post-operative reconstruction (i.e., Post-op). We hypothesized that the Post-op geometry would be associated with decreased afterload and increased stroke volume, consequently leading to a decrease in single ventricle workload as well as more favorable hemodynamic indices (i.e., decreased oscillatory shear index (OSI) and increased time-averaged wall shear stress (TAWSS)), pa...
Source: Current Cardiovascular Imaging Reports - November 28, 2023 Category: Radiology Source Type: research

A Brief Overview of Sex Differences in Transcatheter Therapeutics in Valvular Heart Disease
AbstractPurpose of ReviewThe purpose of this paper is to review sex differences in transcatheter interventions, as detected by multimodality imaging, including echocardiography, cardiac computerized tomography, and cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging. We will review differences in anatomy, hemodynamic parameters, vascular complications, and various imaging findings that help us understand the differences in clinical outcomes in women when compared to men.Recent FindingsSeveral studies have been published over the past 5 years exploring the sex differences in transcatheter interventions and outcomes. The majority of t...
Source: Current Cardiovascular Imaging Reports - October 25, 2023 Category: Radiology Source Type: research

Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Assessment of Immunotherapy Cardiotoxicity
AbstractPurpose of ReviewTo review the current and future role of cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) assessment of immunotherapy cardiotoxicity.Recent FindingsIn patients who suffer from immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) myocarditis, pathologic CMR findings, including myocardial edema, reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), late gadolinium enhancement (i.e., fibrosis and/or necrosis), and myocardial strain, are mostly subtle, but fulminant courses have been described. Individual cases of cardiotoxicity in chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy have also already been documented, but there are curren...
Source: Current Cardiovascular Imaging Reports - October 3, 2023 Category: Radiology Source Type: research

68Ga-FAPi: Pathways and Diagnosis in Cardiac Imaging
AbstractPurpose of ReviewMyocardial fibrosis is a response to myocardial injury and plays a pivotal role in ventricular remodeling. Different patterns of fibrosis are associated with different disease states, but the presence and amount of fibrosis provide a different impact on prognosis.Recent FindingsIn the latest years, fibroblast activation protein inhibitor (FAPi) positron emission tomography (PET) gain interest for its potential in detecting myocardial fibrosis, in differentiating between active and chronic disease, and in the assessment of disease progression and response to treatment.SummaryWe aim to highlight the ...
Source: Current Cardiovascular Imaging Reports - September 26, 2023 Category: Radiology Source Type: research

Current Role of Myocardial Viability Imaging Using Positron Emission Tomography in Patients with Chronic Ischemic Heart Failure and Left Ventricular Dysfunction
AbstractPurpose of ReviewIt is currently debated what role cardiac viability imaging plays in clinical practice, as newer randomized studies have refuted the previously reported beneficial effects of non-invasive imaging-guided decision-making for revascularization. This review provides an overview of previous literature and recent findings on the clinical use of viability PET imaging in revascularization decision-making for patients with chronic ischemic heart failure.Recent FindingsRecent studies have concluded that preoperative myocardial viability assessment by PET imaging does not have significant predictive value for...
Source: Current Cardiovascular Imaging Reports - August 30, 2023 Category: Radiology Source Type: research

Selection of Ideal Candidates for Percutaneous Mitral Interventions
AbstractPurpose of ReviewThe purpose of this paper is to review the selection of candidates for percutaneous mitral interventions using multimodality cardiovascular imaging.Recent FindingsTranscatheter mitral valve interventions are increasing in frequency. This has led to a paradigm shift in managing mitral valve disease in patients who are at high surgical risk.SummaryHere, we review different cases of mitral valve pathology with a percutaneous approach of mitral valve intervention. The first case reviews patient selection for transcatheter edge-to-edge repair of the native mitral valve with severe mitral regurgitation. ...
Source: Current Cardiovascular Imaging Reports - July 18, 2023 Category: Radiology Source Type: research

Cardiovascular Imaging During Pregnancy in Women with Congenital and Valvular Heart Disease
AbstractPurpose of ReviewCongenital heart disease is a common cardiovascular pathology encountered in pregnant women. Simultaneously, more women with native valvular disease are diagnosed and managed earlier, thus having the opportunity to pursue childbearing. Imaging the pregnant cardiovascular patient is key to the successful management of both populations. In this review, we highlight the indications, advantages, limitations, and guidelines involved with imaging a pregnant patient with congenital and valvular heart disease.Recent FindingsThe potential clinical benefits of imaging this population must be weighed against ...
Source: Current Cardiovascular Imaging Reports - July 17, 2023 Category: Radiology Source Type: research

New Insights in Strain Mechanics (LA, RA, and RV)
AbstractPurpose of ReviewThe purpose of this paper is to review the current status and literature surrounding left atrial, right atrial, and right ventricular strain.Recent FindingsAdvancements in chamber-specific strain software and taskforce consensus statements have helped overcome the previous limitations of reproducibility and inter-vendor variability. Strain has increasing utility due to its superior diagnostic sensitivity and independent prognostic value over traditional imaging assessments in a range of clinical conditions.SummaryThe use of strain as a reliable and reproducible marker of cardiac function is most wi...
Source: Current Cardiovascular Imaging Reports - June 12, 2023 Category: Radiology Source Type: research

Intracoronary Imaging Assessment of Stent Thrombosis
AbstractPurpose of ReviewThis review focuses on the benefits, limitations, and evidence regarding the use of various intravascular imaging modalities in evaluating the etiology of stent thrombosis (ST).Recent FindingsIntravascular ultrasound and optical coherence tomography can be used clinically to evaluate the etiology of ST including malapposition, underexpansion, stent fracture, and neoatherosclerosis. Near-infrared fluorescence has also been shown to have niche benefits in ST due to abnormal stent endothelization. Additionally, intravascular imaging also helps guide intervention depending on the etiology of stent thro...
Source: Current Cardiovascular Imaging Reports - June 2, 2023 Category: Radiology Source Type: research

Cardiac Perfusion and Innervation Assessment by CZT-SPECT: Have a Look to Simultaneous Dual-isotope Protocol
AbstractPurpose of ReviewThe purpose of this review is to provide a summary on the status of the art of simultaneous perfusion-innervation imaging by CZT-SPECT and to clarify its potential applications in clinical practice.Recent FindingsIntroduction of CZT cameras represented a critical breakthrough in nuclear cardiology. Although it has been demonstrated that cardiac innervation may be easily assessed by CZT-SPECT, as for now, there are only few studies investigating cardiac perfusion and innervation with simultaneous dual-isotope imaging by CZT cameras.SummaryPerfusion and innervation assessment by CZT camera is a feasi...
Source: Current Cardiovascular Imaging Reports - May 23, 2023 Category: Radiology Source Type: research