Preoperative assessment and follow-up of congenital abnormalities of the pulmonary arteries using CT and MRI.
Congenital heart disease (CHD), including complex anomalies of the pulmonary arteries, are now earlier diagnosed and treated. Due to improvements in interventional and surgical therapy, the number of patients with the need for follow-up examinations is increasing. Pre- and postinterventional imaging should be done as gently as possible, avoiding invasive techniques if possible. With the technical improvement of multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), both techniques are increasingly used for noninvasive assessment of the pulmonary vasculature in children with CHD. Knowledge of the most common diseases affecting the pulmonary vasculature and the kind of surgical and interventional procedures is essential for optimal imaging planning. This is especially important because interventions can be positively influenced by high-quality imaging. Therefore, the most common diseases and procedures are described and imaging modality of choice and important image findings are discussed.
Ley
Sebastian
S
Department of Pediatric Radiology, University Children's Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 153, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany. ley@gmx.net
Zaporozhan
Julia
J
Arnold
Raoul
R
Eichhorn
Joachim
J
Schenk
Jens-Peter
JP
Ulmer
Herbert
H
Kreitner
Karl-Friedrich
KF
Kauczor
Hans-Ulrich
HU
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D011300:Preoperative Care; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed