The following are key points to remember about the multisociety 2020 Appropriate Use Criteria for Multimodality Imaging During the Follow-Up Care of Patients With Congenital Heart Disease:

1. In applying these criteria, it is important to use them in the setting of an individual patient’s situation. A “Rarely Appropriate” rating does not mean “inappropriate” or “never appropriate.” Similarly, an “Appropriate” rating does not mean the test should or must be used in all clinical situations.
2. A “May Be Appropriate” rating suggests that imaging studies in this category may be used depending on individual patient circumstances.
3. This document is unique in that it addresses all commonly used imaging modalities for congenital heart disease, as opposed to focusing on one specific modality.
4. Imaging studies generally receive "Appropriate" ratings in the setting of a change in clinical status or new or concerning symptoms.
5. The transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) was generally rated as "Appropriate" for the routine surveillance for patients with congenital heart disease. Frequency of follow-up imaging is based on the nature and complexity of heart disease and a patient’s clinical status.
6. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging was generally rated as “Appropriate” for periodic surveillance of patients with complex heart disease. CMR can be particularly helpful when the right ventricle is the ventricle of interest, including patients with systemic right ventricle and tetralogy of Fallot, and Ebstein anomaly.
7. Cardiovascular computed tomography (CCT) was rated most highly for the assessment of coronary or complex vascular anatomy. Specific indications for CT include congenital coronary anomalies and the assessment of coronary arteries in patients after the arterial switch procedure. CCT also has a role in the assessment of patients where CMR imaging may be suboptimal (e.g., metallic artifact) or for patients unable to undergo CMR for various reasons.
8. Stress imaging was generally rated “Appropriate” and “May Be Appropriate” in the detection of ischemia in patients with coronary anomalies and transposition of the great arteries.

Clinical Topics: Congenital Heart Disease and Pediatric Cardiology, Invasive Cardiovascular Angiography and Intervention, Noninvasive Imaging, Congenital Heart Disease, CHD and Pediatrics and Imaging, CHD and Pediatrics and Interventions, Interventions and Imaging, Interventions and Structural Heart Disease, Computed Tomography, Echocardiography/Ultrasound, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Nuclear Imaging

Keywords: Cardiac Imaging Techniques, Diagnostic Imaging, Ebstein Anomaly, Echocardiography, Exercise Test, Fluoroscopy, Heart Defects, Congenital, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Multidetector Computed Tomography, Multimodal Imaging, Tetralogy of Fallot, Tomography, Tomography, X-Ray Computed, Transposition of Great Vessels

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