Cardiac Imaging Flashcards
how would stable angina be investigated?
- non-invasive modalities (anatomical)
- invasive modalities (functional)
- coronary angiography
what are the most common cardiac imaging tests?
x ray
electrocardiogram
echocardiogram
cardiac MRI
when is a patient referred for a chest X ray?
- chest pain
- discomfort
- tightness
- breathlessness
what could be seen on a heart failure chest X ray?
-pleural effusion
-cephalization of vessels
-Kerley B lines
-increased cardio thoracic ratio - can see cardiomegaly seen by increased cardiothoracic ratio
- can see signs of oedema - a condition characterised by an excess of watery fluid in cavity
- upper venous diversion depicted by the green arrows
- Important to notice any additional cardiac structures like metallic valves and external wires which are visible in the patient suggesting this patient had previous cardiothoracic surgery
what questions can a echocardiogram answer?
-do the ventricles work
-is there significant heart disease
what indications can be seen on an echocardiograms?
- structural imaging of the left or right ventricle and their cavitiesthis would be to evaluate ventricular hypertrophy, dilation, or wall motion abnormality; to visualise thrombi
- structural imaging of the valvesthis would be to evaluate regurgitations, aortic stenosis and mitral valve prolapse
- structural imaging of the pericardiumthis would be to exclude pericardial effusion
- structural imaging of atria and septa between cardiac chambers
- structural imaging of the greatest vesselsthis would be to see aortic dissection
why do we use many 2D planes on an echocardiogram?
as we are taking an image of a 3-D structure but only from 2 dimensions we must look at this 3-D structure from multiple angles
what planes are used on an echocardiogram?
left parasternal long axis view
short axis view, aortic valve view
apical four chamber view
what are the most noticeable structures on the left parasternal long axis view?
- left atrium
- left ventricle
- aortic arch
- mitral and aortic valves
- sometimes papillary muscles can be seen
how can we get a short axis view?
rotate the probe 90 degrees
what can we see on a short axis view?
- left ventricle
- right ventricle
- anterior and posterior papillary muscles
- anterior wall
what is a short axis view, arortic valve view?
further up from that view get a cross-section with the aortic valve in the middle of the picture and the right ventricle wrapped around it
what can be seen on an apical 4 chamber view?
all four chambers
what can we see on a dilated cardiomyopathy echo (long axis view)?
left ventricle is dilated and not contracting very well
how can you check for left ventricular ejection fraction on a 2D echocardiogram?
- You must look at the heart from two different views
1. 4 chamber
2. 2 chamber - ( use both short and long view ) which both involve 90 degree rotation
- measure the dimensions of the left ventricle in these two views in diastole and systole
what is an echo doppler?
use ultrasound technology to generate colour flow mapping as well as measure the velocity of blood going across valves
what does aortic stenosis look like on a echocardiogram?
- parasternal long axis view
- aortic valve has thickened and white which suggests its calcified doesn’t open well
- aortic valve in the middle