[Non invasive cardiac imaging: clinical role of newly developed modalities. Part III: non ischemic cardiac diseases]

Rev Med Suisse. 2008 May 28;4(159):1318, 1320-4.
[Article in French]

Abstract

Echocardiography is the preferred initial noninvasive test to assess heart muscle and heart valves. Cardiac MRI has a unique capacity to directly characterise myocardial tissue with specific imaging sequences and late enhancement pattern after gadolinium injection, and has a specific role in the diagnosis of cardiomyopathies. In valvular heart diseases, cardiac MRI precisely measures the severity of aortic or pulmonary regurgitation. In pericardial heart diseases, and specifically when constrictive pericarditis is suspected, cardiac MRI and/or CT are useful to look for pericardial thickening. Cardiac CT and MRI are very rapidly developing techniques in cardiology; the use of these expensive techniques must follow the currently accepted indications in order to be integrated in a rational diagnosis process in clinical practice.

Publication types

  • English Abstract
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Heart Diseases / diagnosis*
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Cine*
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed*