Compressed SENSE accelerated 3D single-breath-hold late gadolinium enhancement cardiovascular magnetic resonance with isotropic resolution: clinical evaluation.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical application of Compressed SENSE accelerated single-breath-hold LGE with 3D isotropic resolution compared to conventional LGE imaging acquired in multiple breath-holds.

Material & Methods: This was a retrospective, single-center study including 105 examinations of 101 patients (48.2 ± 16.

Reduction of contrast medium for transcatheter aortic valve replacement planning using a spectral detector CT: a prospective clinical trial.

Introduction: This study investigated the use of dual-energy spectral detector computed tomography (CT) and virtual monoenergetic imaging (VMI) reconstructions in pre-interventional transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) planning. We aimed to determine the minimum required contrast medium (CM) amount to maintain diagnostic CT imaging quality for TAVR planning.

Methods: In this prospective clinical trial, TAVR candidates received a standardized dual-layer spectral detector CT protocol.

German Radiological Society and the Professional Association of German Radiologists Position Paper on Coronary computed tomography: Clinical Evidence and Quality of Patient Care in Chronic Coronary Syndrome.

This position paper is a joint statement of the German Radiological Society (DRG) and the Professional Association of German Radiologists (BDR), which reflects the current state of knowledge about coronary computed tomography. It is based on preclinical and clinical studies that have investigated the clinical relevance as well as the technical requirements and fundamentals of cardiac computed tomography. CITATION FORMAT: · Langenbach MC, Sandstede J, Sieren M et al.

Clinical application of free-breathing 3D whole heart late gadolinium enhancement cardiovascular magnetic resonance with high isotropic spatial resolution using Compressed SENSE.

Background: Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) represents the gold standard for assessment of myocardial viability. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical potential of Compressed SENSE (factor 5) accelerated free-breathing three-dimensional (3D) whole heart LGE with high isotropic spatial resolution (1.4 mm acquired voxel size) compared to standard breath-hold LGE imaging.

Comparison of a novel Compressed SENSE accelerated 3D modified relaxation-enhanced angiography without contrast and triggering with CE-MRA in imaging of the thoracic aorta.

To compare a novel Compressed SENSE accelerated ECG- and respiratory-triggered flow-independent 3D isotropic Relaxation-Enhanced Angiography without Contrast and Triggering (modified REACT) with standard non-ECG-triggered 3D contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (CE-MRA) for imaging of the thoracic aorta in patients with connective tissue diseases (CTD) or other aortic diseases using manual and semiautomatic measurement approaches. This retrospective, single-center analysis of 30 patients (June-December 2018) was conducted by two radiologists, who independently measured aortic diameters on modified REACT and CE-MRA using manual (Multiplanar-Reconstruction) and semiautomatic (Advanced Vessel Analysis) measurement tools on seven levels (inner edge): Aortic annulus and sinus, sinotubular junction, mid- and high-ascending aorta, aortic isthmus, and descending aorta. Bland-Altman analysis was conducted to evaluate differences between the mean values of aortic width and ICCs were calculated to assess interobserver agreement.

Correction to: Imaging of the pulmonary vasculature in congenital heart disease without gadolinium contrast: Intraindividual comparison of a novel Compressed SENSE accelerated 3D modified REACT with 4D contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography.

The original publication of this article [1], contained graphical errors in Figs. 1 and 2. This does not impact the display of the mean differences of the Bland-Altman plots.

Imaging of the pulmonary vasculature in congenital heart disease without gadolinium contrast: Intraindividual comparison of a novel Compressed SENSE accelerated 3D modified REACT with 4D contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography.

Background: Patients with Congenital heart disease (CHD) require repetitive imaging of the pulmonary vasculature throughout their life. In this study, we compared a novel Compressed SENSE accelerated (factor 9) electrocardiogram (ECG)- and respiratory-triggered 3D modified Relaxation-Enhanced Angiography without Contrast and Triggering (modified REACT-non-contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (modified REACT-non-CE-MRA)) with standard non-ECG-triggered time-resolved 4D CE-MRA for imaging of the pulmonary arteries and veins in patients with CHD.

Methods: This retrospective analysis of 25 patients (June 2018-April 2019) with known or suspected CHD was independently conducted by two radiologists executing measurements on modified REACT-non-CE-MRA and 4D CE-MRA on seven dedicated points (inner edge): Main pulmonary artery (MPA), right and left pulmonary artery, right superior and inferior pulmonary vein, left superior (LSPV) and inferior pulmonary vein.

Safety and Feasibility of Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain at 1.5 Tesla in Patients with Temporary Transmyocardial Pacing Leads.

Background: Temporary transmyocardial pacing leads (TTPLs) represent an absolute contraindication to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and feasibility of MRI at 1.5 Tesla (T) using a transmit/receive (T/R) head coil in patients with TTPL.

Cerebral white matter lesion burden is associated with the degree of aortic valve calcification and predicts peri-procedural cerebrovascular events in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI).

Objectives: To investigate the impact of aortic valve calcification and brain morphology on acute peri-procedural cerebrovascular events (CVEs) in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI).

Background: Aortic valve calcification and stenosis can be assessed with echocardiography. Cerebral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) depicts and quantifies morphological signs of hypoperfusion and vascular embolism, which is of special interest in patients with severe aortic stenosis.

Feature-tracking myocardial strain analysis in acute myocarditis: diagnostic value and association with myocardial oedema.

Objectives: To investigate the diagnostic value of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) feature-tracking (FT) myocardial strain analysis in patients with suspected acute myocarditis and its association with myocardial oedema.

Methods: Forty-eight patients with suspected acute myocarditis and 35 control subjects underwent CMR. FT CMR analysis of systolic longitudinal (LS), circumferential (CS) and radial strain (RS) was performed.

Efficacy and Clinical Utility of a High-Attenuation Object Artifact Reduction Algorithm in Flat-Detector Image Reconstruction Compared With Standard Image Reconstruction.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness and clinical utility of a metal artifact reduction (MAR) image reconstruction algorithm for the reduction of high-attenuation object (HAO)-related image artifacts.

Methods: Images were quantitatively evaluated for image noise (noiseSD and noiserange) and qualitatively for artifact severity, gray-white-matter delineation, and diagnostic confidence with conventional reconstruction and after applying a MAR algorithm.

Results: Metal artifact reduction reduces noiseSD and noiserange (median [interquartile range]) at the level of HAO in 1-cm distance compared with conventional reconstruction (noiseSD: 60.

Left Ventricular Myocardial Fibrosis, Atrophy, and Impaired Contractility in Patients With Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension and a Preserved Left Ventricular Function: A Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Study.

Purpose: Using a cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) approach we investigated left ventricular (LV) myocardial changes associated with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) by strain analysis and mapping techniques.

Materials And Methods: Seventeen patients with PAH (9 men; mean age, 64.2±13.

Comprehensive Cardiac Magnetic Resonance for Short-Term Follow-Up in Acute Myocarditis.

Background: Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) can detect inflammatory myocardial alterations in patients suspected of having acute myocarditis. There is limited information regarding the degree of normalization of CMR parameters during the course of the disease and the time window during which quantitative CMR should be most reasonably implemented for diagnostic work-up.

Methods And Results: Twenty-four patients with suspected acute myocarditis and 45 control subjects underwent CMR.

Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Reveals Signs of Subclinical Myocardial Inflammation in Asymptomatic HIV-Infected Patients.

Background: People living with chronic HIV infection are at an increased risk for cardiovascular disease. With this study, we aimed to determine the extent of cardiovascular involvement in asymptomatic HIV-infected patients by a comprehensive cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) approach.

Methods And Results: Asymptomatic patients with chronic HIV infection undergoing combination antiretroviral therapy (n=28) and control subjects (n=22) underwent CMR.

Incremental value of quantitative CMR including parametric mapping for the diagnosis of acute myocarditis.

Aim: Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) can visualize inflammatory tissue changes in acute myocarditis. Several quantitative image-derived parameters have been described to enhance the diagnostic value of CMR, but no direct comparison of these techniques is available.

Methods And Results: A total of 34 patients with suspected acute myocarditis and 50 control subjects underwent CMR.

3D-Dixon MRI based volumetry of peri- and epicardial fat.

There is growing evidence that pericardial and epicardial fat volume (PFV, EFV) are associated with cardiovascular risk. We evaluated a novel method for accurate measurement of PFV and EFV using a 3D-Dixon based cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) approach. An electrocardiography triggered and respiratory navigator gated 3D-gradient echo pulse sequence was used for cardiac Dixon imaging.

Effect of Peripheral Artery Sympathetic Denervation on Muscle Microperfusion and Macroperfusion in an Animal Peripheral Artery Disease Model Using Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound and Doppler Flow Measurement.

Purpose: To determine the effects of catheter-based peripheral sympathetic denervation (CPSD) on peripheral artery sympathetic tone and peripheral microperfusion (PMP).

Materials And Methods: The effects of bilateral CPSD in common iliac arteries on PMP of the biceps femoris were determined in pigs using contrast-enhanced ultrasound, and mean transit time (mTT) and wash-in rate (WiR) were calculated during steady-state infusion of INN-sulfur-hexafluoride. Measurements were performed bilaterally at rest and during infusion of adenosine 70 μg/kg/min after unilateral moderate left external iliac artery stenosis.

Gradient Spin Echo (GraSE) imaging for fast myocardial T2 mapping.

Background: Quantitative Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (CMR) techniques have gained high interest in CMR research. Myocardial T2 mapping is thought to be helpful in diagnosis of acute myocardial conditions associated with myocardial edema. In this study we aimed to establish a technique for myocardial T2 mapping based on gradient-spin-echo (GraSE) imaging.

Caffeine and taurine containing energy drink increases left ventricular contractility in healthy volunteers.

To investigate the impact of a caffeine and taurine containing energy drink (ED) on myocardial contractility in healthy volunteers using cardiac MR and cardiac MR based strain analysis. 32 healthy volunteers (mean age 28 years) were investigated before and 1 h after consumption of a caffeine and taurine containing ED. For assessment of global cardiac functional parameters balanced SSFP-Cine imaging was performed, whereas CSPAMM tagging was used to evaluate global and regional myocardial strain.

Acute myocarditis: multiparametric cardiac MR imaging.

Purpose: To evaluate the diagnostic value of cardiac magnetic resonance (MR) imaging at 3 T in patients suspected of having acute myocarditis by using a multiparametric cardiac MR imaging approach including T1 relaxation time as an additional tool for tissue characterization.

Materials And Methods: Ethics commission approval was obtained for this prospective study, and written informed consent was obtained from all subjects. Twenty four patients with acute myocarditis (mean age ± standard deviation, 34.

Pulmonary sarcoidosis shortly after spinal tuberculosis infection: a diagnostic challenge.

Tuberculosis and sarcoidosis share similar histopathological findings. An aetiological connection between these diseases has been discussed. We report a case of pulmonary sarcoidosis, which occurred shortly after an isoniazid (INH)-resistant spinal tuberculosis was diagnosed which was suspected to be a miliary tuberculosis.

Assessment of peripheral skeletal muscle microperfusion in a porcine model of peripheral arterial stenosis by steady-state contrast-enhanced ultrasound and Doppler flow measurement.

Objective: Noninvasive measurement of peripheral muscle microperfusion could potentially improve diagnosis, management, and treatment of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and thus improve patient care. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) as a noninvasive diagnostic tool allows quantification of muscle perfusion. Increasing data on bolus technique CEUS reflecting microperfusion are becoming available, but only limited data on steady-state CEUS for assessment of muscle microperfusion are available.