The attack of atrial fibrillation experienced by President Bush of the United States attracted more attention from the general public to atrial fibrillation than ever before. Also, there is a growing body of knowledge of the pathophysiologic mechanism, the pathology and epidemiology, and especially of the thrombo-embolic complications of this arrhythmia, which is responsible for a renewed interest of the clinician in this very common human arrhythmia. These new perspectives on atrial fibrillation were presented during a conference on Atrial Fibrillation, a Treatable Disease?', organized on...

In this fourth book in the series on quantitative coronary arteriography (QCA) with the earlier three volumes published in 1986, 1988 and 1991, the latest developments in this exciting field are covered. Both the methodolog- ical and clinical application aspects of these advances are presented in a comprehensive manner in a total of 37 chapters by world renowned experts. The book is subdivided into a total of eight parts, beginning with the more methodological issues, such as QCA and other modalities (3 chapters), cine- film versus digital arteriography (3 chapters), quality control in QCA (4...

The most salient feature of the infor last four chapters of the book evaluate the mation provided by nuclear medicine is its information from an analytical and pathophysiological and functional charac statistical point of view. This approach is ter. For adequate experimental or clinical required for correct decision-making. interpretation, such information should This book is therefore the result of necessarily be interpreted alongside the accumulated experience in nuclear cardiology views of the clinical cardiologist, who is with the invaluable cooperation of medical able to apply it to the...

Since the introduction of myocardial perfusion imaging and radionuclide angiography in the mid-seventies, cardiovascular nuclear medicine has undergone an explosive growth. The use of nuclear cardiology techniques has become one of the cornerstones of the noninvasive assessment of coronary artery disease. In the past 15 years major steps have been made from visual analysis to quantitative analysis, from planar imaging to tomographic imaging, from detection of disease to prognosis, and from separate evaluations of perfusion, metabolism, and function to an integrated assessment of myocardial...

An international meeting of experts on Cardiovascular Imaging by Ultrasound was held in Aachen from 26-27 April, 1991. It provided new and interesting insights into what has already been achieved in ultrasound-based cardiovascular diagnosis and therapy and what will be introduced in clinical practice in the near future. Since the introduction of ultrasound in clinical practice in 1984 there has been no other physical principle that has added and will continue to add so much to clinical diagnosis and therapy. Echocardiography, once established as a non-invasive diagnostic...

primary goal of all forms of therapy is not just prolonging life, but improving the quality of life, has forced analysis of what constitutes quality of life, a concept whose structure pervades all walks of life and eludes definition. Global well being, happiness, morale, vitality, fullness of social life, and satisfaction must be integrated and assessed for the effects of the disease and the therapy, in the context of specific personality traits, attitudes to life, family situation, and socio-economic and political freedom. A growing inter- est in research on this subject has led to a clearer...

From the Foreword by Eric J. Topol In the past five years, interventional cardiology has entered a new era of evaluating percutaneous transcatheter technologies to treat coronary artery disease and prevent restenosis. Cardiologists attempting to follow this new and exciting field may easily be confused by the growth and expansion of new devices, the technical details relevant to each device and enthusiastic claims of success. This monograph is a comprehensive and objective assessment of restenosis from the perspective of these new technologies including stenting, atherectomy,...

In recent years there have been major advances in the fields of cardiovascular nuclear medicine and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. In nuclear cardiology more adequate tomographic systems have been designed for routine cardiac use, as well as new or improved quantitative analytic software packages both for planar and tomographic studies implemented on modern state-of-the-art workstations. In addition, artificial intelligence techniques are being applied to these images in attempts to interpret the nuclear studies in a more objective and reproducible manner. Various new radiotracers have...

It is with pleasure that I write this foreword for the book "Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Coronary Artery Disease," edited by Dr. van der Wall and Dr. de Roos. I am pleased for two reasons. Firstly, as chairman of the Scientific Board of the Interuniversity Cardiology Institute of the Netherlands (ICIN), because ever since the technique became available for use in medicine and biology our Institute has tried and succeeded to promote the introduction and dev- opment of magnetic resonance imaging in cardiology in the Netherlands. ICIN was the first cardiological institute on the European...