[Dyspnea in left-sided heart disease].

Shortness of breath (dyspnea) is a common symptom in left-sided heart disease but clinically, patient symptoms show a high variability. Echocardiography is the mainstay for evaluating whether left-sided heart disease is the cause of dyspnea. If left-sided heart failure is diagnosed, this symptom complex must then be subjected to further etiological evaluation.

[Hybrid imaging in diagnostics and therapy of chronic myocardial ischemia. Clinical value].

Clinical studies have consistently shown that there is only a very weak correlation between the angiographically determined severity of coronary artery disease (CAD) and disturbance of regional coronary perfusion. On the other hand, the results of randomized trials with a fractional flow reserve (FFR)-guided coronary intervention (DEFER, FAME I, FAME II) showed that it is not the angiographically determined morphological severity of coronary artery disease but the functional severity determined by FFR that is critical for prognosis and the indications for revascularization. A non-invasive method combining the morphological image of the coronary anatomy with functional imaging of myocardial ischemia is therefore particularly desirable.

[Exclusion of coronary artery disease using cardiac CT. What impact do CT results have on patient management?].

Rapid advancement of multidetector head computed tomography (MDCT) during the past 10 years has facilitated noninvasive evaluation of CAD (coronary artery disease). Since the introduction of 320-row technology, examination of the whole heart in a single heart beat with diagnostic quality has become feasible. Direct imaging of vessel morphology, a high sensitivity for CAD above 96%, and low requirements of patient compliance represent advantages over other imaging modalities, such as MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), scintigraphy, and echocardiography.

[MRI in chronic myocarditis].

In most cases inflammatory changes of the myocardium are asymptomatic. If inflammatory changes of the myocardium manifest with clinical symptoms, the condition is termed myocarditis. Myocarditis is regarded as a major cause for sudden death of young adults and accounts for up to 20% of the cases.