Dear readers,
Congenital Heart Diseases (CHDs) in small children are very challenging conditions both for the survival and future development of the children and for the selection of the most appropriate diagnostic imaging procedure in this fragile patient population. The recent advancements in multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) have made it possible to overcome the risks and restrictions previously related to the use of this technique in children and to obtain relevant advantages in clinical practice.
This month’s Focus on, by Prof. Loewe, depicts the MDCT innovations in this field, specifically illustrating all the challenges (radiation exposure, need for anesthesia, contrast injection) that optimized cardiac CT technology for children is now able to avoid.
Furthermore, the selected scientific literature proposed below offers a wide and comprehensive overview of currently available strategies for an accurate and safe imaging evaluation of CHDs through the adoption of cutting-edge techniques, such as third-generation dual-source dual-energy CT scanners.
The experiences reported in the two clinical cases of this Newsletter also demonstrate the excellent performance of the advanced cardiac CT approach in providing precious pre- and post-surgical information in pediatric CHD patients.
Finally, Prof. Loewe, who attended the last Annual Meeting of the European Society of Cardiovascular Radiology (ESCR) in Belgium, shares with us his sensations and opinions about the most relevant topics addressed during the numerous sessions of this unique event. It has been clearly shown that cardiovascular radiology, supported by the introduction of Artificial Intelligence and new technologies, will constantly keep improving and evolving.
We remind you that suggestions for topics to be covered in future issues of this newsletter are welcomed. Please send your proposals to us at editorial@mdct.net.
From the mdct.net team
