Focus on Diagnosis and Prognosis to Guide Timing of Intervention in Valvular Heart Disease

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The present article reviews the role of multimodality imaging to improve risk stratification and timing of intervention in patients with valvular heart disease (VHD), and summarizes the latest developments in transcatheter valve interventions. RECENT FINDINGS: Growing evidence suggests that intervention at an earlier stage may improve outcomes of patients with significant VHD. Multimodality imaging, including strain imaging and tissue characterization with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, has the ability to identify early markers of myocardial damage and can help to optimize the timing of intervention. Transcatheter interventions play an increasing role in the treatment of patients who remain at high surgical risk or present at a late stage of their disease. SUMMARY: Multimodality imaging identifies markers of cardiac damage at an early stage in the development of VHD. Together with technological innovations in the field of percutaneous valvular devices, these developments have the potential to improve current management and outcomes of patients with significant VHD.