Multimodal Imaging from Fetal to Adult Life: A Comprehensive Approach to Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS)

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS) is a critical congenital heart disease (CHD) affecting 2-3% of newborns.
• It involves underdevelopment of the left ventricle and associated cardiac structures, leading to reduced systemic blood flow.
• HLHS is typically fatal within days without staged palliative interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive overview of non-invasive imaging in HLHS management.
• To explore the roles of echocardiography, cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR), and cardiac computed tomography angiography (CCTA).
• To highlight contributions to diagnosis, intervention planning, interstage monitoring, and long-term follow-up.

Main Methods:

• Review of current literature on non-invasive imaging modalities for HLHS.
• Analysis of echocardiography, CMR, and CCTA applications in HLHS patient care.
• Discussion of the advantages and limitations of each imaging technique.

Main Results:

• Echocardiography, CMR, and CCTA are crucial for diagnosing HLHS.
• These imaging techniques guide the planning of staged palliative interventions.
• Non-invasive imaging supports interstage monitoring and long-term follow-up of HLHS patients.

Conclusions:

• Non-invasive imaging modalities play a vital role in the comprehensive management of HLHS.
• Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of echocardiography, CMR, and CCTA aids clinical decision-making.
• Current imaging strategies for HLHS are center-dependent due to a lack of universal guidelines.