Multimodality imaging in decompensated heart failure

Abstract

Heart failure (HF) is usually suspected by clinical history, symptoms, physical examination, electrocardiogram findings, and natriuretic peptides’ values. However, echocardiography and other imaging techniques play an essential role in supporting HF diagnosis. Thanks to its non-invasiveness and safety, transthoracic echocardiography is the first-level technique of choice to assess myocardial structure and function, trying to establish the diagnosis of HF with reduced, mildly reduced, and preserved ejection fraction. The role of echocardiography is not limited to diagnosis but it represents a crucial tool in guiding therapeutic decision-making and monitoring response to therapy. Over the last decades, several technological advancements were made in the imaging field, aiming at better understanding the morphofunctional abnormalities occurring in cardiovascular diseases. The purpose of this review article is to summarize the incremental role of imaging techniques (in particular cardiac magnetic resonance and myocardial scintigraphy) in HF, highlighting their essential applications to HF diagnosis and management.