[Diagnostic work-up of coronary artery disease: Clinical value of different imaging methods]

This continuing medical education (CME) article describes the different non-invasive imaging methods with the exception of positron emission tomography for ischemia and viability testing. While stress methods, such as myocardial scintigraphy, stress echo or stress magnetic resonance imaging can detect the functional relevance of coronary artery stenosis, multislice computed tomography allows the visualization of the coronary anatomy and potential stenoses. Recently developed hybrid imaging allows the coronary anatomy and simultaneous functional testing of ischemia to be depicted. The different imaging methods for ischemia and viability testing are described.

[Consensus recommendations of the German Radiology Society (DRG), the German Cardiac Society (DGK) and the German Society for Pediatric Cardiology (DGPK) on the use of cardiac imaging with computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging]

Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) have been developed rapidly in the last decade. Technical improvements and broad availability of modern CT and MRI scanners have led to an increasing and regular use of both diagnostic methods in clinical routine. Therefore, this German consensus document has been developed in collaboration by the German Cardiac Society, German Radiology Society, and the German Society for Pediatric Cardiology. It is not oriented on modalities and methods, but rather on disease entities. This consensus document deals with coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathies, arrhythmias, valvular diseases, pericardial diseases and structural changes, as well as with congenital heart defects. For different clinical scenarios both imaging modalities CT and MRI are compared and evaluated in the specific context.