Table 3.
Advantages and limitations of imaging techniques
| Echocardiography | CMR | CT | Nuclear | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advantages | Large availability | Assessment of structure and function | If inadequate echocardiographic images and contraindications for CMR | For research purposes |
| New techniques (strain) | Assess myocardial fibro-fatty replacement | |||
| Limitations | Need of specific expertise | Radiation | Limited documentation | |
| Need of specific expertise | Frequent ectopic beats interfere with acquisition | Limited documentation | ||
| Complex anatomy of the RV | Complex anatomy of the RV | Complex anatomy of the RV | ||
| Load dependency of the RV | Load dependency of the RV | Load dependency of the RV | ||
| Quantitative evaluation difficult | Limited availability | |||
| Limited value at the early stage | Difficult at the early stage | |||
| Risk of under diagnosis | Risk of over diagnosis |
CMR, cardiac magnetic resonance; CT, computed tomography; RV, right ventricle.