In this Issue: April 2013

Advanced cardiac imaging, including both cardiac computed tomography (CCT) and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), is a rapidly growing field both in cardiology and in radiology. Over the past 10 years there has been a growth of over 300% in peer reviewed articles covering the areas of advanced cardiac imaging and we are now seeing the development of cardiac imaging subspecialty training programs.

This issue of the Journal of the American Osteopathic College of Radiology focuses on the areas of both CCT and CMR. Through the collaboration of our local Departments of Radiology and Cardiology we have been able to build a very successful cardiac imaging program for which our patients and referring physicians have benefitted greatly. Our cardiac imaging program is now an integral part of our radiology residency and cardiology fellowship curriculum. This would not be possible without the alliance of both departments working side-by-side and is reflected in the quality of articles submitted into this edition of the journal.

The review articles cover differing aspects of cardiac imaging. These include an overview of differing published radiation doses as they pertain to cardiac imaging, the clinical application of CCT in the perioperative evaluation of cardiac risk in patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery, and an evaluation of myocardial perfusion imaging by CMR. These described novel applications of both CCT and CMR cover upcoming areas of rapid utilization within the United States and provide the reader with a better understanding of where cardiac imaging is headed over the next few years.

The case specific articles describe some of the unusual findings that can present with even the most benign patient history. Metastatic carcinoid tumor, coronary fistulas, vascular rings and patterns of myocardial delayed enhancement on CMR are presented in differing formats in this edition. Each of these cases provide an interesting discussion which brings to light some of the complexities of imaging the heart and vascular system.

I would like to thank William O'Brien, D.O., Gerald York, M.D. and the AOCR for the chance to be a guest editor for this cardiac imaging issue. It is an honor as a cardiologist to be able to present our work to the AOCR community. All of our authors drew on experience gained while practicing at the San Antonio Military Medical Center. The challenge of balancing academic projects with the demands of military medicine cannot be understated but it is something that each and every one of the authors has risen to meet. With their efforts we have compiled a collection of articles that will leave the reader asking for more and hopefully be a starting point for other imaging programs to focus their efforts into the growing realm of cardiac imaging.

The views expressed in this material are those of the author, and do not reflect the official policy or position of the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense, or the Department of the Army or Air Force.