The ESC Textbook of Cardiovascular Development

A rapid inspection of the table of contents shows that we have grouped relevant cardiovascular developmental topics in five different sections, which move progressively from basic research to clinical relevance, concluding with a glance at the near future of this fast-moving field. All of these sections deal with concepts that are critical to understanding from where and how cardiac chambers (atria and ventricles), valves (atrioventricular and arterial), great vessels (aortic and pulmonary trunks), cardiac conduction system (nodes, bundles, and Purkinje fibres), and coronary blood vessels form. Throughout the book there is continuous reference to experimental animal models for developmental processes, including the mouse, chick, and zebrafish, often involving the application of state of the art technological innovations. This has allowed us to illustrate the more likely origins of specific forms of congenital heart disease, and to elaborate on the developmental substrate of certain forms of adult cardiovascular disease.