Recent Advances in Percutaneous Cardioscopy

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Medical Imaging
• Interventional Cardiology

Background:

• Direct visualization of the cardiac interior is crucial for diagnosing heart conditions.
• Current diagnostic methods may have limitations in assessing macroscopic pathology and microcirculation.
• Advanced imaging techniques are needed to improve the evaluation and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the capabilities of percutaneous cardioscopy for cardiac diagnosis and therapy.
• To demonstrate the application of fiberoptic imaging in evaluating myocardial ischemia, myocarditis, and cardiac valves.
• To explore the potential of cardioscope-guided interventions and future therapeutic applications.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing high-resolution fiberoptic imaging for percutaneous cardioscopy.
• Visualizing endocardial surface characteristics, myocardial blood flow, and valve morphology.
• Employing cardioscope-guided endomyocardial biopsy.
• Developing advanced techniques like dye-image and fluorescence cardioscopy for microcirculation assessment.

Main Results:

• Percutaneous cardioscopy allows macroscopic pathological diagnosis based on endocardial color variations.
• The technique effectively evaluates myocardial ischemia severity and myocarditis staging.
• It visualizes myocardial blood flow recovery and assesses cardiac valve changes.
• Cardioscope-guided biopsies enable precise tissue sampling.

Conclusions:

• Percutaneous cardioscopy provides direct visualization for diagnosing and staging heart diseases.
• It facilitates evaluation of myocardial ischemia, myocarditis, and cardiac valves.
• The technology supports cardioscope-guided biopsies and shows promise for future intracardiac therapies.