Cardiac Imaging

While cardiac ultrasound is the widely used imaging modality for heart assessments, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and nuclear imaging are also used and are often complimentary, each offering specific details about the heart other modalities cannot. For this reason the clinical question being asked often determines the imaging test that will be used.

Examples of new cardiac CT technologies at the 2022 SCCT meeting. Top left clockwise, realistic 3D rendering inside the heart, the GE Revolution Apex scanner, Cleerly's AI automated soft plaque assessment, and CT strain imaging from Medis. #SCCT #SCCT2022 #YesCCT #CTA #CCTA, new computed tomography technology

PHOTO GALLERY: Cardiac CT advances at SCCT 2022

View a variety of images from the 2022 Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT) meeting in Las Vegas.

Example of a patient's coronary tree extracted from a cardiac CT scan. CT allows very detailed anatomical imaging and now physiological and plaque information that can be useful in pre-planning interventional procedures. Imaging from the GE Revolution Apex system at SCCT 2022.

VIDEO: CT imaging to plan coronary interventions — Interview with Jonathon Leipsic, MD

Jonathon Leipsic, MD, chairman of the Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, explains how noninvasive computed tomography angiography (CTA) can be used to aid in planning interventional cardiology procedures for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and chronic total occlusions (CTO). 

Ancora Heart AccuCinch Ventricular Restoration System heart failure FDA

Regulatory Roundup: FDA clears AI-powered Apple Watch competitor, grants breakthrough designation to new heart failure device

Ancora Heart received the FDA’s breakthrough device designation for its AccuCinch Ventricular Restoration System, a new minimally invasive transcatheter device designed for the treatment of heart failure.

AI-generated coronary tree from a patient's CT scan showing a color code of areas of interest for plaque burden from the Cleerly software shown at SCCT 2022.

VIDEO: Why plaque composition CT imaging may be the future of cardiology

Former European Society of Cardiology president Prof. Jeroen Bax explains the difficulty in quantifying these plaques manually and how artificial intelligence may change this to allow rapid, detailed quantitative analysis. 

Performing valve-in-valve transcatheter mitral valve replacement (ViV TMVR) with conscious sedation (CS) or monitored anesthesia care (MAC) instead of general anesthesia (GA) is safe and effective, according to new research published in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions.

Using a TAVR-like minimalist approach for valve-in-valve TMVR is safe and effective, Cleveland Clinic study confirms

During valve-in-valve TMVR, patients are treated with conscious sedation or monitored anesthesia care instead of general anesthesia. This new analysis confirms that the change does not impact patient outcomes, but it was linked to a shorter length of stay.

Left, coronary CT angiography of a vessel showing plaque heavy calcium burden. Right, image showing color code of various types of plaque morphology showing the complexity of these lesions. The right image was processed using the FDA cleared, AI-enabled plaque assessment from Elucid.

Cardiac CT soft plaque assessment may offer paradigm shift for coronary disease screening

New artificial intelligence software that can evaluate coronary CT scans to automatically assess soft plaques were by far the biggest technology advance discussed at the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT) 2022 meeting. 

Subclinical leaflet thrombosis after TAVR CT JAMA Cardiology OAC

Subclinical leaflet thrombosis after TAVR: What we know, and still need to learn, about a challenging complication

Treating subclinical leaflet thrombosis after TAVR has been an ongoing challenge for structural heart clinicians, but recent research has gone a long way toward improving our understanding of this important topic. 

Eric Williamson, MD, MSCCT, the 2021-2022 president of the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT) and professor of radiology at Mayo Clinic, shares his key takeaways from the SCCT 2022 conference. #SCCT #SCCT2022 #yesCCT

VIDEO: Top 6 takeaways from the Society of Cardiovascular CT 2022 meeting

Eric Williamson, MD, MSCCT, the 2021-2022 president of the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT) and professor of radiology at Mayo Clinic, shared his key takeaways from the SCCT 2022 conference. 

Around the web

Ron Blankstein, MD, professor of radiology, Harvard Medical School, explains the use of artificial intelligence to detect heart disease in non-cardiac CT exams.

Eleven medical societies have signed on to a consensus statement aimed at standardizing imaging for suspected cardiovascular infections.