Feasibility of Wave Intensity Analysis from 4D Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging Data.

Congenital heart defects (CHD) introduce haemodynamic changes; e.g., bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) presents a turbulent helical flow, which activates aortic pathological processes.

Sex differences in patients with acute coronary syndromes and non-obstructive coronary arteries: Presentation and outcome.

Background: A substantial number of patients present with a suspected ACS and non-obstructive coronary arteries; sex differences in these patients are not well understood. This study aims to evaluate the impact of sex on clinical presentation and outcome in patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and non-obstructive coronary arteries with a final diagnosis confirmed by cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR).

Methods: Consecutive patients with ACS and non-obstructive coronary arteries (n = 719) with an unclear cause from a single tertiary centre who were referred for CMR were included.

Prospective multiparametric CMR characterization and MicroRNA profiling of anthracycline cardiotoxicity: A pilot translational study.

Background: Anthracycline cardiotoxicity is a significant clinical challenge. Biomarkers to improve risk stratification and identify early cardiac injury are required.

Objectives: The purpose of this pilot study was to prospectively characterize anthracycline cardiotoxicity using cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR), echocardiography and MicroRNAs (MiRNAs), and identify baseline predictors of LVEF recovery.

Peak Troponin and CMR to Guide Management in Suspected ACS and Nonobstructive Coronary Arteries.

Background: Patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and nonobstructive coronary arteries are a diagnostic dilemma. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) has an overall diagnostic yield of ∼75%; however, in ∼25% of patients, CMR does not identify any myocardial injury. Identifying the underlying diagnosis has important clinical implications for patients' management and outcome.

Imaging Findings of COVID-19-Related Cardiovascular Complications.

Other than respiratory disease, patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) commonly have cardiovascular manifestations, which are recognized as significant risk factors for increased mortality. COVID-19 patients may present with a wide spectrum of clinical presentations ranging from asymptomatic heart disease detected incidentally by cardiac investigations (troponin, BNP, and imaging) to cardiogenic shock and sudden cardiac death. In this broad clinical course, advanced imaging plays an important role in the diagnosis of different patterns of myocardial injury, risk stratification of COVID-19 patients, and in detecting potential cardiac side effects of the current treatments and vaccines against the severe acute respiratory syndrome.

Stone Heart.

We describe a rare case of infiltrative cardiomyopathy characterized by multiple low-signal myocardial lesions consistent with nodular calcifications. A retrospectively detailed clinical history and the use of multimodality imaging enabled us to identify the final diagnosis. ().

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance characterisation of anthracycline cardiotoxicity in adults with normal left ventricular ejection fraction.

Background: Anthracycline therapy may lead to changes in cardiac structure and function not detectable by solely evaluating left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF).

Objectives: We hypothesized that cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) would identify structural and functional myocardial abnormalities in anthracycline-treated cancer survivors with normal LVEF, compared to a matched control population.

Methods: Forty-five cancer survivors (56 ± 16 yrs.

Standard and emerging CMR methods for mitral regurgitation quantification.

Background: There are several methods to quantify mitral regurgitation (MR) by cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR). The interoperability of these methods and their reproducibility remains undetermined.

Objective: To determine the agreement and reproducibility of different MR quantification methods by CMR across all aetiologies.

Long-term outcome of myocardial scarring and deformation with cardiovascular magnetic resonance in out of hospital cardiac arrest survivors.

Aims: Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is increasingly recognized as a diagnostic and prognostic tool in out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) survivors. After assessing CMR findings early after ventricular fibrillation (VF) OHCA, we sought to explore the long-term outcome of myocardial scarring and deformation.

Methods And Results: We included 121 consecutive VF OHCA survivors (82% male, median 62 years) undergoing CMR within 2 weeks from cardiac arrest.

Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance of Myocardial Fibrosis, Edema, and Infiltrates in Heart Failure.

Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging is a unique imaging modality, which provides accurate noninvasive tissue characterization. Various CMR sequences can be utilized to identify and quantify patterns of myocardial edema, fibrosis, and infiltrates, which are important determinants for diagnosis and prognostication of heart failure. This article describes available methods of tissue characterization imaging applied in CMR.

Are all left bundle branch blocks the same? Myocardial mechanical implications by cardiovascular magnetic resonance.

Aims: Left bundle branch block (LBBB) is usually associated with structural myocardial diseases progressively leading to left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. We sought to determine the mechanical implications of LBBB (as defined based on Strauss' criteria) by Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (CMR).

Method And Results: We included consecutive patients referred to CMR to assess the structural cause of LBBB.

Left thoracotomy approach for off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting surgery: 15 years of experience in 2500 consecutive patients.

Objectives: Our goal was to describe the experience at 2 centres with off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting using a left thoracotomy.

Methods: From January 2002 to December 2017, a total of 2528 consecutive patients (578 women, mean age 62.3 ± 9.

Long term cardiovascular magnetic resonance phenotyping of anthracycline cardiomyopathy.

Background: Anthracycline cardiomyopathy contributes to the morbidity and mortality of cancer survivors but long-term data are lacking. This study sought to describe the phenotype of long-term anthracycline cardiomyopathy, the prevalence of myocardial fibrosis and its association with cardiac remodeling, systolic function and clinical outcomes.

Methods And Results: We undertook contrast-enhanced CMR in 81 cancer survivors at median 5 years after anthracycline (mean dose 279 SD 89 mg/m).

Prognostic Role of CMR and Conventional Risk Factors in Myocardial Infarction With Nonobstructed Coronary Arteries.

Objectives: This study sought to assess the prognostic impact of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) and conventional risk factors in patients with myocardial infarction with nonobstructed coronaries (MINOCA).

Background: Myocardial infarction with nonobstructed coronary arteries (MINOCA) represents a diagnostic dilemma, and the prognostic markers have not been clarified.

Methods: A total of 388 consecutive patients with MINOCA undergoing CMR assessment were identified retrospectively from a registry database and prospectively followed for a primary clinical endpoint of all-cause mortality.

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) mimics: the knot unravelled by cardiovascular MRI.

Aim: To assess the role of cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) in patients referred for suspected arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC), its ability to identify ARVC mimics, and subsequent clinical impact.

Materials And Methods: The CMRI registry of the year 2014 was analysed to identify all consecutive patients referred for suspected ARVC. A comprehensive CMRI protocol that included anatomy, bi-ventricular function modules, and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) was performed in all patients.

Native T1 mapping to detect extent of acute and chronic myocardial infarction: comparison with late gadolinium enhancement technique.

Investigate whether native-T1 mapping can assess the transmural extent of myocardial infarction (TEI) thereby differentiating viable from non-viable myocardium without the use of gadolinium-contrast in both acute and chronic myocardial infarction (aMI and cMI). Sixty patients (30 cMI > 1 year and 30 aMI day 2 STEMI) and 20 healthy-controls underwent 1.5 T CMR to assess left ventricular function (cine), native-T1 mapping (MOLLI sequence 5(3)3, motion-corrected) and the presence and TEI from late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) images.

[When and how to investigate myocardial viability in clinical practice].

The assessment of myocardial viability is a crucial step in the work-up of patients with coronary artery disease and left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction. Myocardial revascularization should be considered in patients with viable myocardium and LV systolic dysfunction, since this could improve LV function and outcomes.Noninvasive imaging plays a key role in the study of viability and different modalities are currently available, including cardiac magnetic resonance, stress echocardiography and nuclear imaging.

Diagnostic yield of cardiovascular magnetic resonance in young-middle aged patients with high-grade atrio-ventricular block.

Background: Atrio-ventricular block (AVB) is a rare finding in young or middle-aged adults, often leading to pacemaker implantation (PM) without further investigation. We sought to assess the diagnostic role of cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in young and middle-aged adults with high-grade AVB.

Methods: We consecutively enrolled young-middle aged (18-65years) patients with high grade AVB referred to CMR after standard clinical assessment (history, electrocardiogram and cardiac rhythm monitoring) prior to PM implantation.

Out of hospital cardiac arrest survivors with inconclusive coronary angiogram: Impact of cardiovascular magnetic resonance on clinical management and decision-making.

Background: Non-traumatic out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is the leading cause of death worldwide, mainly due to acute coronary syndromes. Urgent coronary angiography with view to revascularisation is recommended in patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome. Diagnosis and management of patients with inconclusive coronary angiogram (unobstructed coronaries or unidentified culprit lesion) is challenging.

Characterization of compact-toroid injection during formation, translation, and field penetration.

We have developed a compact toroid (CT) injector system for particle refueling of the advanced beam-driven C-2U field-reversed configuration (FRC) plasma. The CT injector is a magnetized coaxial plasma gun (MCPG), and the produced CT must cross the perpendicular magnetic field surrounding the FRC for the refueling of C-2U. To simulate this environment, an experimental test stand has been constructed.

Absolute calibration of neutron detectors on the C-2U advanced beam-driven FRC.

In the C-2U fusion energy experiment, high power neutral beam injection creates a large fast ion population that sustains a field-reversed configuration (FRC) plasma. The diagnosis of the fast ion pressure in these high-performance plasmas is therefore critical, and the measurement of the flux of neutrons from the deuterium-deuterium (D-D) fusion reaction is well suited to the task. Here we describe the absolute, in situ calibration of scintillation neutron detectors via two independent methods: firing deuterium beams into a high density gas target and calibration with a 2 × 10 n/s AmBe source.