Reduced response to regadenoson with increased weight: An artificial intelligence-based quantitative myocardial perfusion study.

Background: There is conflicting evidence regarding the response to a fixed dose of regadenoson in patients with high body weight. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of regadenoson in patients with varying body weights using novel quantitative cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) perfusion parameters in addition to standard clinical markers.

Methods: Consecutive patients with typical angina and/or risk factors for coronary artery disease (N = 217) underwent regadenoson stress CMR perfusion imaging using a dual-sequence quantitative protocol with perfusion parameters generated from an artificial intelligence (AI)-based algorithm.

Impact of tafamidis on myocardial function and CMR tissue characteristics in transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy.

Aims: Tafamidis improves clinical outcomes in transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM), yet how tafamidis affects cardiac structure and function remains poorly described. This study prospectively analysed the effect of tafamidis on 12-month longitudinal changes in cardiac structure and function by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) compared with the natural course of disease in an untreated historic control cohort.

Methods And Results: ATTR-CM patients underwent CMR at tafamidis initiation and at 12 months.

Prognostic Value of [Tc]Tc-DPD Quantitative SPECT/CT in Patients with Suspected and Confirmed Amyloid Transthyretin-Related Cardiomyopathy and Preserved Left Ventricular Function.

Quantitative Tc-3,3-diphosphono-1,2-propanodicarboxylic acid ([Tc]Tc-DPD) SPECT may be used for risk-stratifying patients with amyloid transthyretin-related cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM). We aimed to analyze the predictive value of quantitative [Tc]Tc-DPD SPECT/CT in suspected and confirmed ATTR-CM according to different disease stages. The study enrolled consecutive patients with suspected ATTR-CM who were referred to a single tertiary center and underwent quantitative [Tc]Tc-DPD SPECT/CT allowing SUV and SUV analysis.

Artificial intelligence to improve ischemia prediction in Rubidium Positron Emission Tomography-a validation study.

Background: Patients are referred to functional coronary artery disease (CAD) testing based on their pre-test probability (PTP) to search for myocardial ischemia. The recommended prediction tools incorporate three variables (symptoms, age, sex) and are easy to use, but have a limited diagnostic accuracy. Hence, a substantial proportion of non-invasive functional tests reveal no myocardial ischemia, leading to unnecessary radiation exposure and costs.

Risk stratification using coronary artery calcium scoring based on low tube voltage computed tomography.

To determine if coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring using computed tomography at 80 kilovolt-peak (kVp) and 70-kVp and tube voltage-adapted scoring-thresholds allow for accurate risk stratification as compared to the standard 120-kVp protocol. We prospectively included 170 patients who underwent standard CAC scanning at 120-kVp and 200 milliamperes and additional scans with 80-kVp and 70-kVp tube voltage with adapted tube current to normalize image noise across scans. Novel kVp-adapted thresholds were applied to calculate CAC scores from the low-kVp scans and were compared to those from standard 120-kVp scans by assessing risk reclassification rates and agreement using Kendall's rank correlation coefficients (Τ) for risk categories bounded by 0, 1, 100, and 400.

Long-term impact of myocardial inflammation on quantitative myocardial perfusion-a descriptive PET/MR myocarditis study.

Purpose: Whether myocardial inflammation causes long-term sequelae potentially affecting myocardial blood flow (MBF) is unknown. We aimed to assess the effect of myocardial inflammation on quantitative MBF parameters, as assessed by 13N-ammonia positron emission tomography myocardial perfusion imaging (PET-MPI) late after myocarditis.

Methods: Fifty patients with a history of myocarditis underwent cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging at diagnosis and PET/MR imaging at follow-up at least 6 months later.

Left ventricular function and volumes from gated [N]-ammonia positron emission tomography myocardial perfusion imaging: A prospective head-to-head comparison against CMR using a hybrid PET/MR device.

Background: Positron emission tomography (PET) myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) can be used to evaluate left ventricular (LV) volumes and function. We performed a head-to-head comparison of LV function and volumes obtained simultaneously using [N]-ammonia-PET and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), with the latter serving as the reference standard.

Methods And Results: In this prospective study, 51 patients underwent [N]-ammonia-PET MPI and CMR using a hybrid PET/MR device.

Gut microbiota-dependent metabolite trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) and cardiovascular risk in patients with suspected functionally relevant coronary artery disease (fCAD).

Background: Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) has been associated with cardiovascular outcomes. However, the diagnostic value of TMAO and its precursors have not been assessed for functionally relevant coronary artery disease (fCAD) and its prognostic potential in this setting needs to be evaluated.

Methods: Among 1726 patients with suspected fCAD serum TMAO, and its precursors betaine, choline and carnitine, were quantified using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.

Performance of the ESC 0/2h-algorithm using high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I in the early diagnosis of myocardial infarction.

The 2020 guidelines of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) recommend a novel ESC 0/2h-algorithm as the preferred alternative to the ESC 0/1h-algorithm in the early triage for rule-out and/or rule-in of Non-ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). The aim was to prospectively validate the performance of the ESC 0/2h-algorithm using the high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) assay (ARCHITECT) in an international, multicenter diagnostic study enrolling patients presenting with acute chest discomfort to the emergency department.

NBAS deficiency due to biallelic c.2809C > G variant presenting with recurrent acute liver failure with severe hyperammonemia, acquired microcephaly and progressive brain atrophy.

Biallelic pathogenic variants in the neuroblastoma amplified sequence (NBAS) gene were firstly (2015) identified as a cause of fever-triggered recurrent acute liver failure (RALF). Since then, some patients with NBAS deficiency presenting with neurologic features, including a motor delay, intellectual disability, muscular hypotonia and a mild brain atrophy, have been reported. Here, we describe a case of pediatric patient diagnosed with NBAS deficiency due to a homozygous c.

Symmetrical Fibrous Hyperplasia of the Palate.

Bilateral symmetrical fibrous palate hyperplasia is not a common case in the literature. The cause of this pathological change is not completely known. The development of hyperplasia may also be associated with a genetic mutation in the gingival soft tissue or gingival injury.

Prognostic value of regional myocardial flow reserve derived from N-ammonia positron emission tomography in patients with suspected coronary artery disease.

Purpose: To assess the prognostic value of regional quantitative myocardial flow measures as assessed by N-ammonia positron emission tomography (PET) myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) in patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methods: We retrospectively included 150 consecutive patients with suspected CAD who underwent clinically indicated 13 N-ammonia PET-MPI and who did not undergo revascularization within 90 days of PET-MPI. The presence or absence of a decreased global myocardial flow reserve (i.

External Validation and Extension of a Clinical Score for the Discrimination of Type 2 Myocardial Infarction.

Background: The early non-invasive discrimination of Type 2 versus Type 1 Myocardial Infarction (T2MI, T1MI) is a major unmet clinical need. We aimed to externally validate a recently derived clinical score (Neumann) combing female sex, no radiating chest pain, and high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) concentration ≤40.8 ng/L.

Coronary artery lumen volume index as a marker of flow-limiting atherosclerosis-validation against N-ammonia positron emission tomography.

Objectives: Coronary artery volume indexed to left myocardial mass (CAVi), derived from coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA), has been proposed as an indicator of diffuse atherosclerosis. We investigated the association of CAVi with quantitative flow parameters and its ability to predict ischemia as derived from N-ammonia positron emission tomography myocardial perfusion imaging (PET-MPI).

Methods: Sixty patients who underwent hybrid CCTA/PET-MPI due to suspected CAD were retrospectively included.

Splenic switch-off as a predictor for coronary adenosine response: validation against 13N-ammonia during co-injection myocardial perfusion imaging on a hybrid PET/CMR scanner.

Background: Inadequate coronary adenosine response is a potential cause for false negative ischemia testing. Recently, the splenic switch-off (SSO) sign has been identified as a promising tool to ascertain the efficacy of adenosine during vasodilator stress cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR). We assessed the value of SSO to predict adenosine response, defined as an increase in myocardial blood flow (MBF) during quantitative stress myocardial perfusion 13 N-ammonia positron emission tomography (PET).

Splenic switch-off as a novel marker for adenosine response in nitrogen-13 ammonia PET myocardial perfusion imaging: Cross-validation against CMR using a hybrid PET/MR device.

Background: No methodology is available to distinguish truly reduced myocardial flow reserve (MFR) in positron emission tomography myocardial perfusion imaging (PET MPI) from seemingly impaired MFR due to inadequate adenosine response. The adenosine-induced splenic switch-off (SSO) sign has been proposed as a potential marker for adequate adenosine response in cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). We assessed the feasibility of detecting SSO in nitrogen-13 ammonia PET MPI using SSO in CMR as the standard of reference.

Myocardial creep-induced misalignment artifacts in PET/MR myocardial perfusion imaging.

Purpose: Misalignment between positron emission tomography (PET) datasets and attenuation correction (AC) maps is a potential source of artifacts in myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI). We assessed the impact of adenosine on the alignment of AC maps derived from magnetic resonance (MR) and PET datasets during MPI on a hybrid PET/MR scanner.

Methods: Twenty-eight volunteers underwent adenosine stress and rest 13N-ammonia MPI on a PET/MR.

Diagnosis of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) Is Independently Associated with Cardiovascular Risk in a Large Austrian Screening Cohort.

Background: Many patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) simultaneously suffer from cardiovascular (CV) disease and often carry multiple CV risk factors. Several CV risk factors are known to drive the progression of fibrosis in patients with NAFLD.

Objectives: To investigate whether an established CV risk score, the Framingham risk score (FRS), is associated with the diagnosis of NAFLD and the degree of fibrosis in an Austrian screening cohort for colorectal cancer.

Validation of deep-learning image reconstruction for coronary computed tomography angiography: Impact on noise, image quality and diagnostic accuracy.

Background: Advances in image reconstruction are necessary to decrease radiation exposure from coronary CT angiography (CCTA) further, but iterative reconstruction has been shown to degrade image quality at high levels. Deep-learning image reconstruction (DLIR) offers unique opportunities to overcome these limitations. The present study compared the impact of DLIR and adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction-Veo (ASiR-V) on quantitative and qualitative image parameters and the diagnostic accuracy of CCTA using invasive coronary angiography (ICA) as the standard of reference.

Health-related quality of life in pre-adolescent liver transplant recipients with biliary atresia: A cross-sectional study.

Objective: Pediatric recipients of liver transplantation (LT) often report lower Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) than healthy controls when assessed on generic HRQOL measurement tools. The recent addition of the Pediatric Liver Transplant Quality of Life (PeLTQL), a novel disease-specific HRQOL instrument for pediatric LT recipients, into the clinical armamentarium of tools now routinely available to clinical care teams, provides the unique opportunity to identify disease-related challenges in children who have undergone this life-saving intervention. This study assesses HRQOL in pre-adolescent aged patients with a primary diagnosis of biliary atresia (BA) who underwent LT as an infant, using both generic and disease-specific HRQOL instruments validated for children.

The frequency of mitochondrial polymerase gamma related disorders in a large Polish population cohort.

Diseases related to DNA polymerase gamma dysfunction comprise of heterogeneous clinical presentations with variable severity and age of onset. Molecular screening for the common POLG variants: p.Ala467Thr, p.