Invasive and noninvasive cardiovascular imaging in the child and fetus

The imaging technologies available for evaluating congenital cardiac disorders continue to evolve. In noninvasive areas such as color Doppler echocardiography, more sophisticated questions are being asked of the techniques: investigators want not just diagnostic information about the fetus or newborn, but fundamental predictors of prognosis. An improved understanding of the tradeoffs between magnetic resonance imaging and echocardiography for pediatric patients has evolved, and ultrasound technology has invaded invasive areas such as the operating room (with transesophageal echoscopes) and the catheterization laboratory, where it is used to guide therapeutic catheterizations; and angiography. Lastly, the newest technique, intravascular imaging, now appears applicable for pediatric patients and may yield new insights about interventional catheterization procedures, as well as about changes in the circulatory system in preoperative or postoperative congenital heart disease patients.