Contemporary Multimodality Imaging Approach to the Etiologic Workup of Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) requires thorough etiologic work-up and management.
• Guideline-directed medical therapies (GDMT) are standard, but specific treatments targeting underlying pathology can improve outcomes.
• Advances in cardiac imaging offer valuable diagnostic tools for cardiologists.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an overview of multi-modality imaging's role in the etiologic diagnosis of new HFrEF.
• To present a practical algorithm for narrowing the differential diagnosis of HFrEF causes.

Main Methods:

• Review of current literature on multi-modality cardiac imaging in HFrEF.
• Development of a diagnostic algorithm based on imaging utility.

Main Results:

• Multi-modality imaging is crucial for identifying specific causes of HFrEF beyond standard GDMT.
• The proposed algorithm aids in systematically evaluating potential etiologies.
• Understanding imaging utility enhances diagnostic accuracy and patient management.

Conclusions:

• Cardiac imaging is essential for comprehensive HFrEF evaluation.
• A structured approach using imaging can optimize the diagnosis of underlying cardiac pathology.
• This facilitates personalized HFrEF management strategies.