This special issue of Exploration of Cardiology will focus on “Multimodality Imaging in Ischemic Heart Disease”. Ischemic heart disease is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in adult patients in Western countries. The last decades have seen major improvements in the treatment of acute coronary syndromes, mainly regarding myocardial revascularization procedures and antiplatelet therapies. On the other hand, the development of intravascular imaging, as well as the evolution of nuclear medicine techniques, has significantly contributed to a better understanding of the pathophysiology of atherosclerotic lesions and acute coronary syndromes, allowing researchers to characterize plaque morphology and assess the role of vascular and systemic inflammation.

Similarly, the evolution of imaging techniques through a widespread application of advanced echocardiography, coronary computed tomography, and cardiac magnetic resonance with tissue characterization and assessment of myocardial blood flow significantly modifies the approach to chronic coronary syndromes and post-ischemic myocardial remodeling.

Multimodality imaging has therefore become central in the assessment of patients with acute and chronic ischemic heart disease, representing a cornerstone of diagnosis, prognostic stratification, and treatment monitoring.

The aim of this Special Issue is to provide the readers with a comprehensive overview of state-of-the-art knowledge about multimodality imaging in ischemic heart disease, including intravascular imaging and invasive and non-invasive assessment of myocardial ischemia and myocardial remodeling. 

Keywords: Ischemic heart disease, multimodality imaging, stress imaging, intracoronary imaging, echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance, computed tomography