CARDIAC IMAGING

Course overview

AS INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY HAS PROGRESSED THROUGHOUT THE FIELD OF MEDICINE, SO TOO HAS THE ABILITY TO VISUALIZE THE HEART AND ITS VASCULATURE NONINVASIVELY. SEVERAL CARDIAC IMAGING MODALITIES HAVE BECOME ESSENTIAL IN THE PRACTICE OF MODERN CARDIOVASCULAR MEDICINE NOT ONLY IN DIAGNOSIS BUT ALSO IN THE MANAGEMENT OF VARIOUS CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES AS WELL AS IN THE GUIDANCE OF INVASIVE PROCEDURES. THESE MODALITIES INCLUDE ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, MYOCARDIAL PERFUSION IMAGING VIA NUCLEAR SCINTIGRAPHY, MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING (MRI), AND COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY (CT). THE GOLD STANDARD IMAGING MODALITY FOR THE VISUALIZATION OF THE CORONARY ARTERIES REMAINS THE INVASIVE TECHNIQUE OF CORONARY ANGIOGRAPHY VIA CORONARY CATHETERIZATION. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE DIFFERENT METHODS TO IMAGE THE HEART, THEIR ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES.