Dear Practitioner,

We are pleased to share with you the official highlights from EuroEcho-Imaging 2014, held in Vienna, Austria, from December 3 to 6, 2014.

A number of interesting clinical trial highlights was presented, including a single-center study that real-time, 3D transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) performed better than 2D TEE for diagnosing and treating mitral periprosthetic leaks, with more accurate and reliable measurements of chamber size and function and greater ability to define valvular and congenital abnormalities. Another study found that a 12-week program of intense interval aerobic exercise may significantly improve several parameters of aortic and diastolic function in patients with chronic heart failure. A small study using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging found that the extent of myocardial infarction measured early after an STEMI did not predict presence of contractile reserve and recovery of function at 6 months.

In our special update articles, there are insights on key issues in assessing myocardial function, innovations in employing imaging in the setting of atrial fibrillation, and an in-depth review of cardiac-oncology, including the scope of the issue and recommendations for monitoring cardiotoxicity and when to use magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography. The feature article summarizes the Edler Lecture, which focused on how imaging has changed the practice of cardiology, including disease diagnosis and monitoring.

We hope that you find the articles and practical perspectives that are contained in the pages of this issue helpful in integrating this new information into your clinical practice. For more information, please visit www.mdconferencexpress.com.