Correction: Gamma Knife radiosurgery for vestibular schwannomas: Evaluation of planning using the sphericity degree of the target volume.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Gamma Knife radiosurgery for vestibular schwannomas: Evaluation of planning using the sphericity degree of the target volume.

Introduction: This study explores the possibility of a relationship between the sphericity degree of a target volume with the dose distribution. This relationship is evaluated based on the ratio isodose volume / target volume (IV/TV) and the metrics coverage, i.e.

On the search of arterial geometry heritability.

Background: Geometrical risk factors for CAD have been previously proposed before. To date, however, the effect of those factors is not conclusive, and remains as an open research field. Here, we hypothesize that some of these factors have a genetic component explaining inter-individual variability.

Dipyridamole stress myocardial perfusion by computed tomography in patients with left bundle branch block.

Background: Functional tests have limited accuracy for identifying myocardial ischemia in patients with left bundle branch block (LBBB).

Objective: To assess the diagnostic accuracy of dipyridamole-stress myocardial computed tomography perfusion (CTP) by 320-detector CT in patients with LBBB using invasive quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) (stenosis ≥ 70%) as reference; to investigate the advantage of adding CTP to coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) and compare the results with those of single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) myocardial perfusion scintigraphy.

Methods: Thirty patients with LBBB who had undergone SPECT for the investigation of coronary artery disease were referred for stress tomography.

Rare Association: Chagas' Disease and Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.

A woman (49 years) with Chagas' disease showed: ECG, right bundle-branch block and left anterior-superior fascicular block; V1 has unusual R > R', and elevated ST segment from V2 to V6 . Additional imaging revealed concomitant HCM and Chagas, which is uncommon. Overlapping of ECG findings can be explained by this rare association of diseases.

Hypotheses, rationale, design, and methods for prognostic evaluation of cardiac biomarker elevation after percutaneous and surgical revascularization in the absence of manifest myocardial infarction. A comparative analysis of biomarkers and cardiac magnetic resonance. The MASS-V Trial.

Background: Although the release of cardiac biomarkers after percutaneous (PCI) or surgical revascularization (CABG) is common, its prognostic significance is not known. Questions remain about the mechanisms and degree of correlation between the release, the volume of myocardial tissue loss, and the long-term significance. Delayed-enhancement of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) consistently quantifies areas of irreversible myocardial injury.

Dynamic myocardial perfusion imaging by dual-source computed tomography.

We report a dual-source computed tomography study of dynamic and quantitative myocardial perfusion in a 44-year-old patient with previous documented coronary artery disease. Quantitatively, the tomography showed myocardial perfusion deficit in the territories with significant coronary stenosis, confirmed by computed tomography angiography and conventional angiography. Dual-source computed tomography allowed dynamic perfusion and anatomic evaluation in a single study during the follow-up of this patient.

Late gadolinium enhancement magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis and prognosis of endomyocardial fibrosis patients.

Background: Endocardial fibrous tissue (FT) deposition is a hallmark of endomyocardial fibrosis (EMF). Echocardiography is a first-line and the standard technique for the diagnosis of this disease. Although late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) allows FT characterization, its role in the diagnosis and prognosis of EMF has not been investigated.

Coronary calcium score as predictor of stenosis and events in pretransplant renal chronic failure.

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the major cause of death among chronic renal failure (CRF) patients. Traditional, non-invasive exams to detect CAD and to predict events have shown insufficient results in this group. CT Scan evaluation of Coronary Calcium Score (CCS) has proven to be of prognostic value for the population reporting no renal condition.

Late enhancement and myocardial perfusion in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (comparison between groups).

Background: The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an effective method to study hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).

Objective: To evaluate, using MRI, the parameters of systolic function, perfusion and myocardial viability in patients with HCM, comparing the groups with and without obstruction of the left ventricular outflow tract.

Methods: Twenty-one patients with a diagnosis of HCM underwent the assessment of myocardial function, viability and perfusion under stress and at rest through MRI.

Relation between visceral fat and coronary artery disease evaluated by multidetector computed tomography.

Visceral abdominal fat has been associated to cardiovascular risk factors and coronary artery disease (CAD). Computed tomography (CT) coronary angiography is an emerging technology allowing detection of both obstructive and nonobstructive CAD adding information to clinical risk stratification. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between CAD and adiposity measurements assessed clinically and by CT.

Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging identifies focal regions of intramyocardial fibrosis in patients with severe aortic valve disease: Correlation with quantitative histopathology.

Background: Chronic aortic valve disease (AVD) is characterized by progressive accumulation of interstitial myocardial fibrosis (MF). However, assessment of MF accumulation has only been possible through histologic analyses of endomyocardial biopsies. We sought to evaluate contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (ce-MRI) as a noninvasive method to identify the presence of increased MF in patients with severe AVD.

Magnetic resonance vs technetium-99m pyrophosphate scintigraphy in the detection of perioperative myocardial necrosis.

Background: Perioperative myocardial infarction (POMI) is a complication of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with a potential prognostic impact. Technetium-99m pyrophosphate myocardial scintigraphy (MS) is used in the diagnosis of POMI; however it shows a limited sensitivity for subendocardial lesions. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI), in turn, has a high accuracy in the detection of myocardial necrosis.

CT angiography in highly calcified arteries: 2D manual vs. modified automated 3D approach to identify coronary stenoses.

Background: Two-dimensional axial and manually-oriented reformatted images are traditionally used to analyze coronary data provided by multidetector-row computed tomography angiography (MDCTA). While apparently more accurate in evaluating calcified vessels, 2D methods are time-consuming compared with automated 3D approaches. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of a modified automated 3D approach (using manual vessel isolation and different window and level settings) in a population with high calcium scores who underwent coronary half-millimeter 16-detector-row CT angiography (16 x 0.

[Symptomatic severe chronic aortic valve disease: a comparative study of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and echocardiography].

Objective: To show the real value of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) in the evaluation of patients with symptomatic chronic aortic valve disease.

Methods: Seventy patients--35 with aortic stenosis (AoS) and 35 with aortic regurgitation (AoR) with surgical indication, who underwent preoperative echocardiogram (ECHO) and CMRI to assess ventricular function, volumes, and left ventricular mass index using cine magnetic resonance imaging, were studied.

Results: No statistically significant difference was observed between the AoS and AoR groups when ECHO and CMRI variables were compared.

Myocardial delayed enhancement by magnetic resonance imaging in patients with Chagas' disease: a marker of disease severity.

Objectives: We sought to investigate whether myocardial delayed enhancement (MDE) by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) could quantify myocardial fibrosis (MF) in patients with Chagas' heart disease (CHD), thus defining the severity of the disease.

Background: Myocardial fibrosis secondary to ischemic disease can be imaged using MDE. Advanced CHD is characterized by progressive MF.

Assessment of the ventricular function of patients with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by using magnetic resonance imaging.

Objective: To assess the mechanisms that may be involved in the evolution of right and left ventricular dysfunction in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Methods: Magnetic resonance imaging was used in 11 control patients (group C) and 27 patients with COPD, who were divided into 2 groups, COPDc and COPDs, according to the presence or absence of right ventricular dysfunction, respectively. Doppler echocardiography was used for assessing the degree of pulmonary hypertension.

Evolutional aspects of children and adolescents with surgically corrected aortic coarctation: clinical, echocardiographic, and magnetic resonance image analysis of 113 patients.

Objective: The goals of this study were to determine the prevalence of hypertension and recoarctation in operated children and teenagers and to integrate clinical and imaging technique data.

Methods: One hundred thirteen infants and children (ages 14 years or less) were retrospectively divided into 3 groups according to the age at operation and the surgical technique: 79 underwent resection with end-to-end anastomosis; 14 had patch enlargement; 13 had subclavian flap aortoplasty; and 7 had other techniques performed. The mean age at operation was 3.