Technical Advances in Cardiovascular Imaging

Cardiovascular imaging technology is continuously evolving and provides an increasing array of tests to evaluate cardiovascular morphology and function. A basic understanding of imaging technology is helpful to select the best modality to answer a specific clinical question. This article provides a brief overview of recent technical developments in computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance (MR), and echocardiography, which have increased our diagnostic understanding and may modulate treatment planning of patients with cardiovascular diseases: electrocardiographically (ECG)-gated CT, 4D-flow magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and three-dimensional (3D) echocardiography.