Simultaneous Mapping of T and T Using Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting in a Cohort of Healthy Subjects at 1.5T.

Background: Cardiac MR fingerprinting (cMRF) is a novel technique for simultaneous T and T mapping.

Purpose: To compare T /T measurements, repeatability, and map quality between cMRF and standard mapping techniques in healthy subjects.

Study Type: Prospective.

Starfish in the heart: Congenital anomaly of the papillary muscles.

Most common congenital anatomical abnormalities of the subvalvular apparatus (papillary muscles and chordae tendineae) are parachute or parachute like mitral valve. This is more commonly reported among the pediatric population as they develop heart failure symptoms shortly after birth. Reports of adult cases are rare and incidental.

A rare diaphragmatic ureteral herniation case report: endoscopic and open reconstructive management.

Background: Ureteral herniations are a rare occurrence, generally found incidentally on cross sectional imaging or during surgical intervention for unrelated processes. Several locations of ureteral herniations can occur including the inguinal, femoral, sciatic, obturator, and thoracic regions. While few reports of ureteral hernias are reported in the literature overall, the vast majority of those reported are inguinoscrotal herniations found during evaluation and treatment of inguinal hernias.

Rare Leiomyoma of the Tunica Dartos: A Case Report with Clinical Relevance for Malignant Transformation and HLRCC.

Background. Genital leiomyomas fall under the broader category of cutaneous leiomyomas, which are rare smooth muscle neoplasms accounting for 5% of all leiomyomas. Genital leiomyomas arising from the dartos muscle are exceedingly rare with fewer than 30 cases reported in the literature.

Seminal Vesicle Leiomyoma Mimicking Extra-prostatic Extension of Prostatic Adenocarcinoma.

Leiomyomas are common smooth muscle neoplasms; however, leiomyomas of the seminal vesicles are extremely rare. We report a case of seminal vesicle leiomyoma in a 55-year-old African American male who underwent robot assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP) for Gleason 8 (4 + 4) adenocarcinoma. An incidental nodule arising from the left seminal vesicle was discovered during surgery, complicating the surgical dissection and suggesting extra-prostatic extension.

Left-sided cardiac chamber evaluation using single-phase mid-diastolic coronary computed tomography angiography: derivation of normal values and comparison with conventional end-diastolic and end-systolic phases.

Objectives: With increasing use of prospective scanning techniques for cardiac computed tomography (CT), meaningful evaluation of chamber volumes is no longer possible due to lack of normal values. We aimed to define normal values for mid-diastolic (MD) chamber volumes and to determine their significance in comparison to maximum volumes.

Methods: Normal ranges at MD for left ventricular (LV) volume and mass and left atrial (LA) volume were determined from 101 normal controls.

Assessment of left sided filling dynamics in diastolic dysfunction using cardiac computed tomography.

Background: Left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction (DD) often accompanies coronary artery disease but is difficult to assess since it involves a complex interaction between LV filling and left atrial (LA) emptying.

Objective: To characterize simultaneous changes in LA and LV volumes using cardiac computed tomography (CT) in a group of patients with various grades of DD based on echocardiography.

Methods: We identified 35 patients with DD by echocardiography, who had also undergone cardiac CT, and 35 age-matched normal controls.

Multimodality imaging of aortic dimensions: comparison of transthoracic echocardiography with multidetector row computed tomography.

Background: With recent advances in multimodality cardiac imaging, a number of methods exist for the noninvasive assessment of aortic disease. Although multidetector row computed tomography (MDCT) remains the gold standard for aortic measurements, there are a number of limitations including radiation and contrast-induced nephropathy. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is an alternative to MDCT for providing accurate anatomic assessment of aortic root and ascending aorta dimensions.

Obstructive sleep apnea: effects of continuous positive airway pressure on cardiac remodeling as assessed by cardiac biomarkers, echocardiography, and cardiac MRI.

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Although previous echocardiographic studies have demonstrated short-term improvement in cardiovascular remodeling in patients with OSA receiving continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, a long-term study incorporating cardiac biomarkers, echocardiography, and cardiac MRI (CMR) has not been performed to date.

Methods: A prospective study of 47 patients with OSA was performed between 2007 and 2010.

The utility of cardiac biomarkers, tissue velocity and strain imaging, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in predicting early left ventricular dysfunction in patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor II-positive breast cancer treated with adjuvant trastuzumab therapy.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether cardiac biomarkers, tissue velocity (TVI) and strain imaging, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging can predict early left ventricular (LV) dysfunction in human epidermal growth factor receptor II-positive breast cancer patients treated with trastuzumab in the adjuvant setting.

Background: Early indexes of LV systolic dysfunction with noninvasive cardiac imaging would be useful for addressing the cardiac safety profile of trastuzumab, potentially avoiding the detrimental effects of heart failure.

Methods: We used cardiac biomarkers, TVI and strain imaging, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging to detect pre-clinical changes in LV systolic function, before conventional changes in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in human epidermal growth factor receptor II-positive breast cancer patients treated with trastuzumab in the adjuvant setting.

The cardioprotective role of probucol against anthracycline and trastuzumab-mediated cardiotoxicity.

Objective: Although the combination of doxorubicin (Dox) and trastuzumab (Trz) reduces breast cancer progression and recurrence, it is limited by significant cardiotoxic side effects. Little is known about the utility of antioxidants in the prevention of this drug-induced cardiomyopathy. The aim of the study was to determine whether the antioxidant probucol (Prob) would be useful in attenuating Dox and Trz-mediated cardiotoxicity.

The role of three-dimensional echocardiography in the assessment of right ventricular dysfunction after a half marathon: comparison with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging.

Background: Although marathon running is associated with transient right ventricular (RV) systolic dysfunction as detected by two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography, quantitative assessment of the right ventricle is difficult because of its complex geometry. Little is known about the use of real-time three-dimensional echocardiography (RT3DE) in the detection of cardiac dysfunction after a half marathon. The aim of this study was to assess the extent of RV dysfunction after the completion of a half marathon using cardiac biomarkers, RT3DE, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR).

An unusual presentation of left ventricular free wall rupture.

Left ventricular free wall rupture (LVFWR) is one of the most lethal complications following myocardial infarction. It accounts for approximately 12% to 21% of all in-hospital deaths following myocardial infarction. The majority of patients die shortly after LVFWR from instantaneous pericardial tamponade and hemodynamic collapse.

The art of healing broken hearts in breast cancer patients: Trastuzumab and heart failure.

Breast cancer, a leading cause of increased morbidity and mortality among women, overexpresses the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 in approximately 20% to 30% of cases. Trastuzumab (Trz), a monoclonal antibody against the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, improves survival in breast cancer patients in both the adjuvant and metastatic settings. Despite the therapeutic benefits of Trz, there is an increased incidence of cardiotoxicity, particularly when administered following anthracycline-based chemotherapy.

Myocardial siderosis due to hemochromatosis in an individual with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

A patient with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and transfusion-dependent sideroblastic anemia, who presented with decompensated heart failure, is described. The present case demonstrates the usefulness of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging as a noninvasive imaging modality to assess the etiology of new systolic dysfunction in the setting of HCM. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging is able to differentiate between the dilated 'burned-out' phase of HCM and a concomitant dilated cardiomyopathy secondary to myocarditis or hemosiderosis.

Relation of biomarkers and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging after marathon running.

Although previous studies including endurance athletes after marathon running have demonstrated biochemical evidence of cardiac injury and have correlated these findings with echocardiographic evidence of cardiac dysfunction, particularly of the right ventricle, a study of marathon athletes incorporating biomarkers, echocardiography, and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging has not been performed to date. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the cardiac changes associated with participation in a marathon using serial cardiac biomarkers, echocardiography, and CMR imaging. Fourteen participants (mean age 33 +/- 6 years, 8 men) completed the full marathon.

Tricuspid valvular papillary muscle rupture with intractable hypoxia: a rare complication post MI.

Acute inferior ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) alone contributes to approximately 10% of in-hospital mortality due to ischemic heart disease. Right ventricular involvement occurs in 50% of patients who present with inferior STEMIs, increasing in-hospital mortality to 31%. In the setting of concomitant severe tricuspid regurgitation, acute rupture of the papillary muscles within the right ventricle should be considered in the differential diagnosis.

Utility of tissue Doppler and strain rate imaging in the early detection of trastuzumab and anthracycline mediated cardiomyopathy.

Background: Trastuzumab provides considerable therapeutic benefits in the adjuvant setting of breast cancer. However, its use is limited by an elevated incidence of cardiotoxicity when used in combination with doxorubicin. Although Myocet (liposomal encapsulated doxorubicin) is less cardiotoxic, its cardiac safety profile with trastuzumab is not well known.

Pseudo cardiac tamponade in the setting of excess pericardial fat.

Cardiac tamponade is the phenomenon of hemodynamic compromise caused by a pericardial effusion. Following a myocardial infarction, the most common causes of pericardial fluid include early pericarditis, Dressler's syndrome, and hemopericardium secondary to a free wall rupture. On transthoracic echocardiography, pericardial fluid appears as an echo-free space in between the visceral and parietal layers of the pericardium.

Trastuzumab mediated cardiotoxicity in the setting of adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer: a retrospective study.

Background The incidence and management of trastuzumab-mediated cardiotoxicity outside of clinical trials has not been well described. Objective and methods The aim of the study was to retrospectively evaluate the incidence of cardiac dysfunction, characterize its natural history, and identify the degree of reversibility using cardiac MRI, in a population of HER-2 positive breast cancer patients receiving trastuzumab in the adjuvant setting. Results Out of 152 patients (mean age 52 +/- 10 years), 36 (24%) developed trastuzumab mediated cardiomyopathy, the majority asymptomatic.

Determination of a minimal deletion interval on chromosome band 8p21 in sporadic prostate cancer.

Loss of the short arm of chromosome 8 is a common event in prostatic neoplasms. Previous studies indicate that there may be up to three separate tumor suppressor genes on chromosome arm 8p, based on patterns of allelic loss. The responsible gene or genes have yet to be identified.