Table 1.

Advantages and disadvantages of cardiovascular imaging modalities in pediatric cardiomyopathy based on the previous sections.

	Advantages	Limitations
Echocardiography	Low cost Widely available Radiation free Excellent temporal resolution (evaluation of dynamic gradients or degree of associated valvular abnormalities) Diastolic function assessment Increased accuracy when using advanced echocardiographic techniques (strain, 3D-Echo)	High operator dependence Limited image quality in patients with poor acoustic windows Limited ability to discriminate between phenocopies
Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance	Radiation free Gold standard for volumetric assessment (particularly for the right ventricle) Tissue characterization and fibrosis quantification	Longer acquisition time and cooperation required for breath-holding sequences Not widely available Higher cost compared to echocardiography Limitations in patients with non-conditional devices Potential risk of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis in patients with eGFR < 30 mL/min/1.73 m2 when using GBCAs (but less than 0.07% when using group II GBCAs)
Nuclear Imaging	Good spatial resolution Assessment of cardiac metabolism/inflammation Assessment of cardiac viability/perfusion	Exposure to radiation Management of radioactive tracers Possible overestimation of parameters deriving from gated SPECT
Computed Tomography	High spatial resolution Complementary assessment of coronary anatomy Assessment of volumes and function when other modalities are unconclusive or contraindicated	Exposure to ionizing radiation Potential risk of CIN with the use of iodinated contrast agent