title: Cardiovascular imaging of the pregnant patient.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this review is to describe the selection and methods of imaging of pregnant women with cardiovascular conditions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Common cardiovascular conditions may occur in 1% of all pregnant women. The selection and methods of imaging studies require thoughtful planning. Use of radiation, radiopharmaceuticals, and contrast agents should be minimized. Pulmonary and cardiac CT angiography deliver minimal fetal radiation, and ventilation-perfusion scintigraphy presents relatively low fetal irradiation. Cardiac catheterization, coronary angiography, and electrophysiologic procedures, including complex interventions, also cause relatively low fetal exposure. Even nuclear cardiology procedures are unlikely to exceed negligible-risk (50 mGy cutoff) fetal radiation doses.
authors: Department of Radiology, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, LAC+USC Medical Center, 1200 N State St, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA. Colletti@usc.edu
authors: Patrick M
authors: PM
authors: Colletti
authors: Kai H
authors: KH
authors: Lee
authors: Uri
authors: U
authors: Elkayam
mesh_terms: D000792:Angiography / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*