Pre-symptomatic scintigraphic and genetic cascade screening in cardiac transthyretin amyloidosis.

Purpose: While early diagnosis is crucial, as new treatments can significantly slow the progression of the disease, there is growing evidence on the application of novel imaging techniques for detecting transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR) in pre-symptomatic stages. This study aimed to evaluate the utility of pre-symptomatic scintigraphic imaging cascade screening for early detection of ATTR.

Methods: During the period from 2020 to 2024, we conducted a prospective study that enrolled 100 consecutive adults.

Transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy in patients with unexplained increased left ventricular wall thickness.

Amyloid cardiomyopathy (CA) was previously considered a rare disease; however, rapid advancements in imaging modalities have led to an increased frequency of its diagnosis. The aim of this prospective study was to assess the prevalence and clinical phenotype of transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR) cardiomyopathy in patients exhibiting unexplained increased left ventricular (LV) wall thickness. From 2020 to 2022, we enrolled 100 consecutive adults with unexplained increased LV wall thickness in the study.

To what extent does prior antimicrobial therapy affect the diagnostic performance of radiolabeled leukocyte scintigraphy in infective endocarditis?

Aims: This prospective, single-center study sought to assess to what extent there is interference between the hybrid technique of single-photon emission tomography-computed tomography with technetium99m-hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime-labeled leukocytes (99mTc-HMPAO-SPECT/CT) and antimicrobial therapy in patients with infective endocarditis (IE).

Methods And Results: During the years 2015-2019, we enrolled 205 consecutive adults with suspected IE, all underwent 99mTc-HMPAO-SPECT/CT. The study population was divided into those who had received antimicrobial therapy up to 30 days prior to 99mTc-HMPAO-SPECT/CT (group 1, n = 96) and those who had not (group 2, n = 109).

A simple method to describe the COVID-19 trajectory and dynamics in any country based on Johnson cumulative density function fitting.

A simple method is utilised to study and compare COVID-19 infection dynamics between countries based on curve fitting to publicly shared data of confirmed COVID-19 infections. The method was tested using data from 80 countries from 6 continents. We found that Johnson cumulative density functions (CDFs) were extremely well fitted to the data (R > 0.

The Prognostic Value of mTc-HMPAO-Labeled Leucocyte SPECT/CT in Cardiac Device-Related Infective Endocarditis.

Objectives: This was a prospective, single-center study designed to assess the prognostic value of the hybrid technique of single photon emission tomography and computed tomography with the application of technetiumm-hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime-labelled autologous leukocytes (mTc-HMPAO-SPECT/CT) in patients with cardiac device-related infective endocarditis (CDRIE).

Background: CDRIE entails the risk of complications and an increase in mortality rates, both in-hospital and long-term. The prognostic value of mTc-HMPAO-SPECT/CT in the course of CDRIE has not been evaluated so far.