Cardiac Imaging

Question 1

CXR

What would you see which indicates congestive heart failure/left-sided heart failure?

Why does pericardial effusion cause pulmonary oedema?

Answer 1

A - alveolar oedema (bat wing opacities)
B - Kerley B lines.
C - cardiomegaly.
D - dilated upper lobe vessels.
E - pleural effusion.

Due to the back pressure of blood
The heart is unable to pump blood effectively.

Question 2

Echocardiography

What type of imaging is this?

Why is this different from other types and what do you see?

Answer 2

USS

Gives imaging of moving heart

Blood flow through heart

Question 3

Cardiac CT

What it looks at? - 2

What can be used to look at the coronary arteries?

What are you looking for when assessing the coronary arteries?

Answer 3

Cardiac structure and function

Contrast for coronary arteries which could show stenosis

Question 4

Cardiac MRI

Used to look at structure and function!

Answer 4

Cardiac MRI

Used to look at structure and function!

Question 5

Nuclear imaging - what this looks at specifically?

Answer 5

Perfusion of cardiac muscle

Identify living muscle that may benefit from re-vascularization, thereby helping a patient avoid heart transplant.