The Year in Hungarian Cardiology 2022: Cardiac Imaging

Abstract

In 2022, the Hungarian Cardiovascular Imaging community contributed to several scientifi c papers that were published in international journals. Clinical research activities employed novel echocardiographic methods including two- and three-dimensional, strain and tissue Doppler imaging of all cardiac chambers. These echocardiographic modalities were applied in diff erent patient populations such as patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) or post-SARS-CoV-2 aff ected individuals, athletes, patients with systemic autoimmune diseases, cardiomyopathies, hematologic diseases, metabolic diseases, congenital heart disease or valvular interventions. Beyond resting echocardiography, original research results revealed important information in the fi eld of exercise stress echocardiography as well. Hungarian studies using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging evaluated patients with diff erent pathologies such as cardiac amyloidosis, cardiomyopathies, myocarditis due to SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations, and athletes in post-SARS-CoV-2 states. Hungarian research activities in the fi eld of cardiac computed tomographic imaging covered the evaluation of moderate coronary lesions, correlates of myocardial ischemia, coronary plaques, coronary calcium, recurrence of atrial fi brillation after radiofrequency ablation and morphological changes after valvular interventions. Novel technologies have been applied in cardiac computed tomographic imaging by Hungarian researchers, with higher spatial resolution and enhanced spectral capabilities in coronary artery assessment.