Selection of Imaging Tests | ||||
| ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY | NUCLEAR IMAGING | COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY | MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LV size/function | Initial modality of choice Low cost, portable Provides ancillary structural and hemodynamic information | Available from gated SPECT stress imaging | Excellent resolution, but high cost | Excellent resolution, but high cost |
| Valve disease | Initial modality of choice Valve motion, stenosis, regurgitation Doppler hemodynamics | Assesses eligibility for TAVR | Visualize valve motion Delineate abnormal flow | |
| Pericardial disease | Pericardial effusion Doppler in tamponade, constriction | Identifies pericardial thickening | Identifies pericardial thickening, inflammation, fibrosis | |
| Aortic disease | TEE: rapid diagnosis of acute dissection | Image entire aorta Aortic aneurysms Aortic dissection | Image entire aorta Aortic aneurysms | |
| Cardiac masses | TTE-large intracardiac thrombi/masses | Extracardiac masses | Extracardiac masses | |
| TEE-smaller intracardiac masses | Myocardial masses | Myocardial masses | ||
Abbreviations: SPECT, single-photon emission CT; TAVR, transcatheter aortic valve replacement; TEE, transesophageal echocardiography; TTE, transthoracic echocardiogram.