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. 2025 Sep 20.
doi: 10.1007/s00246-025-04027-9. Online ahead of print.

Pediatric Cross-Sectional Cardiac Imaging in Europe: Current Status, Disparities, and Potential Solutions: A Survey from the Association for European Pediatric and Congenital Cardiology (AEPC) Imaging Working Group

Tristan Ramcharan  1   2 , Arno Roest  3 , Inga Voges  4   5 , Massimiliano Cantinotti  6 , Heynric Grotenhuis  7 , Almudena Ortiz Garrido  8 , Giulia Pasqualin  9 , Giovanni Di Salvo  10 , Sylvia Krupickova  11   12 , György Róth  13 , Antonis Jossif  14 , Thomas Salaets  15 , Henrik Brun  16   17 , Brian Grant  18 , Carl Glessgen  19 , Andreas Petropoulos  20   21 , Gabriela Doros  22 , Helen Pärna  23 , Karel Koubsky  24   25 , Peter Olejnik  26 , Inguna Lubaua  27 , Ulrike Herberg  28 , Lars Idorn  29 , Anna Sabaté Rotés  30 , Diala Khraiche  31 , Rui Anjos  32   33 , Tara Bharucha  34 , Beatrice Bonello  35 , Jan Marek  35 , Emanuela Valsangiacomo  36 , Franz Gerald Greil  37 , Owen Miller  38 , Francesca Raimondi  39 , Colin J McMahon  40   41
Affiliations

Pediatric Cross-Sectional Cardiac Imaging in Europe: Current Status, Disparities, and Potential Solutions: A Survey from the Association for European Pediatric and Congenital Cardiology (AEPC) Imaging Working Group

Tristan Ramcharan et al. Pediatr Cardiol. .

Abstract

Cross-sectional cardiac imaging including cardiac computed tomography (CCT) and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) allows three-dimensional imaging of intracardiac and extracardiac structures. This study was undertaken to better understand current European practice of pediatric cardiology cross-sectional imaging, in addition to how training is undertaken in different centers. A structured detailed 64-question survey focusing on cross-sectional imaging was circulated to all Imaging Working Group members of the 95 AEPC affiliated centers. Consultants from 42 centers (44%) from 25 different European countries completed the survey, between 7th July 2024 and 28th October 2024. Ninety percent of centers have been performing pediatric CCT for > 10 years, with median 135 scans/year. Comparatively, 84% of centers have been performing CMR for > 10 years, with a median 200 scans/year. CCT was performed by a pediatric radiologist, whereas CMR was more often performed by a pediatric cardiologist, but frequently both modalities were undertaken by a combination of pediatric cardiologists and radiologists. Less than two-third of centers surveyed train fellows in CMR or CCT. Many fellows travel abroad to obtain specialist training. Just over half of the centers surveyed have institutional guidelines for pediatric CCT/CMR, with the majority agreeing that provision of European (AEPC-led) guidelines for pediatric CCT/CMR would be helpful. Across Europe there is significant variation in how CCT/CMR is performed and how pediatric cardiologists are trained in cross-sectional imaging. This survey highlights the current state of cross-sectional imaging in Europe, challenges faced, but also explores potential solutions to standardize European cross-sectional imaging.

Keywords: Cardiac CT; Cardiac MRI; Congenital heart disease; Cross-sectional imaging; Pediatric cardiology; Training.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Conflict of interest: The authors declare no competing interests.

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