Ventricular Mechanics in Congenital Heart Disease and Pediatric Cardiology

Recent advances in cardiovascular imaging, with the development of novel techniques, are increasing our understanding of ventricular mechanics and cardiac function. Congenital heart defects are a subgroup of cardiovascular disease, where knowledge of cardiac and ventricular biomechanics is particularly challenging. In this peculiar group of abnormalities, ventricles are often exposed to unnatural pressure and volume loading conditions. Insights regarding cardiac output controller in this particular setting may be particularly interesting and useful for outcome prediction. Advanced computer modelling and simulations can contribute to enrich the medical knowledge about such conditions.

Conditions such as those where the right ventricle sustains the systemic circulation or the unique physiology of patients with univentricular hearts challenge the standard principles of cardiac biomechanics and further strengthen the case for in-depth knowledge of ventricular mechanics in congenital heart disease. In addition, the use of established parameters for the assessment of ventricular function in children is still debated. Range values and data from large cohort are lacking in children, even in those without congenital heart disease. The multidisciplinary approach which brings together cardiovascular imaging and numerical tools can contribute to fill such gap of knowledge.

Full assessment of ventricular mechanics in this setting would improve congenital heart disease care, as well as potentially indicate relevant parameters for risk stratification in these patients, especially in children. The aim of the special issue is to merge expertise from different areas in pediatric cardiology and biomedical engineering, including advanced cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging, cardiac CT, echocardiography, invasive catheter measurements, 3D modelling and computational fluid dynamics, to investigate in depth all the facets of this crucial topic.