Vascular Endothelial Dysfunction and Immunothrombosis in the Pathogenesis of Atrial Fibrillation.

Atrial Fibrillation (AF) induces proinflammatory processes which incite vascular endothelial activation and dysfunction. This study seeks to examine the potential relationship between various endothelial, inflammatory, thrombotic, and renin-angiotensin-system (RAS) biomarkers in AF patients.Blood samples were from AF patients (n = 110) prospectively enrolled in this study prior to their first AF ablation.

Prognostic value of left atrial size and function by cardiac magnetic resonance in non-ischemic cardiomyopathy.

To evaluate left atrial (LA) function and strain parameters by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) in patients with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM) and evaluate the association of these parameters with long-term clinical outcomes. We retrospectively included 92 patients with NICM and 50 subjects with no significant cardiovascular disease (control group). We calculated LA volumes using the Simpson area-length method to derive LA ejection fraction and expansion index.

Prognostic value of left atrial strain in aortic stenosis: A systematic review.

Purpose: Aortic stenosis (AS) is a common valvular heart disease with high morbidity and mortality. Recently, the association between peak atrial longitudinal strain (PALS) and AS clinical outcomes has been identified. This systematic review evaluates the prognostic value of PALS for adverse events in AS.

Low Contrast and Low kV CTA Before Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: A Systematic Review.

Background: Minimizing contrast dose and radiation exposure while maintaining image quality during computed tomography angiography (CTA) for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is desirable, but not well established. This systematic review compares image quality for low contrast and low kV CTA versus conventional CTA in patients with aortic stenosis undergoing TAVR planning.

Methods: We performed a systematic literature review to identify clinical studies comparing imaging strategies for patients with aortic stenosis undergoing TAVR planning.

Interrelationship Between Inflammatory Biomarkers and Collagen Remodeling Proteins in Atrial Fibrillation.

Introduction: Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is the most prevalent cardiac arrhythmia worldwide. Inflammation and structural remodeling of the left atrium are thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of AF. This study explores collagen remodeling and inflammatory biomarkers in AF patients compared to healthy controls to discern their role in AF.

Association of left atrial size and function by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging with long term outcomes in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Left atrial (LA) function and strain are being investigated as markers of disease progression in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). To assess LA function and strain by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with HCM and evaluate the association of these parameters with long-term clinical outcomes. We retrospectively evaluated 50 HCM patients and 50 patients with no significant cardiovascular disease (control) who underwent clinically indicated cardiac MRI.

Collagen Remodeling and Fatty Acid Regulation Biomarkers in Understanding the Molecular Pathogenesis of Atrial Fibrillation.

Introduction: Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrythmia in the world. Structural remodeling and fatty acid metabolism dysregulation are believed to play a role in the development of AF. This study explored different biomarkers in the blood of AF patients and a control population to determine if there was a significant difference between the two groups.

Comparison of LGE quantitation methods in cardiac sarcoidosis to predict clinical outcomes.

We sought to investigate the optimal method of quantifying late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) in cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We retrospectively studied 53 patients with CS. LGE quantitation was performed using (a) semi-automated segmentation using Signal Threshold versus Reference Mean (STRM) cutoffs of > 2, > 3 and > 5 standard deviations (SD); (b) full-width-half-max (FWHM) method and (c) manual segmentation (MS) of affected myocardial segments.

Impact of late gadolinium enhancement extent, location, and pattern on ventricular tachycardia and major adverse cardiac events in patients with ischemic vs. non-ischemic cardiomyopathy.

Background: Left ventricular late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) has been associated with increased risk for life-threatening ventricular tachyarrhythmias. The differences in association between LGE characteristics and prognosis in patients with ischemic (ICM) vs. non-ischemic (NICM) cardiomyopathy is incompletely understood.

Association of Left Atrial Hemodynamics by Magnetic Resonance Imaging With Long-Term Outcomes in Patients With Cardiac Amyloidosis.

Background: Left atrial (LA) function and strain patterns by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have been investigated as markers of several cardiovascular pathologies, including cardiac amyloidosis (CA). However, associations with clinical outcomes have not been investigated.

Purpose: To compare LA function and strain by MRI in CA patients to a matched cohort of patients without cardiovascular disease (CVD) and evaluate the association with long-term clinical outcomes in CA patients.

Association of left atrial strain by cardiovascular magnetic resonance with recurrence of atrial fibrillation following catheter ablation.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a progressive condition, which is characterized by inflammation/fibrosis of left atrial (LA) wall, an increase in the LA size/volumes, and decrease in LA function. We sought to investigate the relationship of anatomical and functional parameters obtained by cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR), with AF recurrence in paroxysmal AF (pAF) patients after catheter ablation.

Methods: We studied 80 consecutive pAF patients referred for ablation, between January 2014 and December 2019, who underwent pre- and post-ablation CMR while in sinus rhythm.

Comparison of left atrial strain by feature-tracking cardiac magnetic resonance with speckle-tracking transthoracic echocardiography.

Left atrial (LA) strain is a novel non-invasive parameter for assessing LA hemodynamics and function. We sought to compare the intermodality differences between transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) derived LA strain, as well as reproducibility of strain measurements. We evaluated 70 subjects (mean age 42.

ACR Appropriateness Criteria® Blunt Chest Trauma-Suspected Cardiac Injury.

Blunt cardiac injuries range from myocardial concussion (commotio cordis) leading to fatal ventricular arrhythmias to myocardial contusion, cardiac chamber rupture, septal rupture, pericardial rupture, and valvular injuries. Blunt injuries account for one-fourth of the traumatic deaths in the United States. Chest radiography, transthoracic echocardiography, CT chest with and without contrast, and CT angiography are usually appropriate as the initial examination in patients with suspected blunt cardiac injury who are both hemodynamically stable and unstable.

Clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with severe left ventricular dysfunction undergoing cardiac MRI viability assessment prior to revascularization.

Coronary artery bypass grafting improves survival in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy, however, these patients are at high risk for morbidity and mortality. The role of viability testing to guide revascularization in these patients is unclear. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) has not been studied adequately in this population despite being considered a reference standard for infarct imaging.

Left atrial volume assessment in atrial fibrillation using multimodality imaging: a comparison of echocardiography, invasive three-dimensional CARTO and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging.

Left atrial size in atrial fibrillation is a strong predictor of successful ablation and cardiovascular events. Cardiac magnetic resonance multislice method (CMR-MSM) is the current gold standard for left atrial volume (LAV) assessment but is time consuming. We investigated whether LAV with more rapid area-length method by echocardiography (Echo-AL) or cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR-AL) and invasive measurement by 3D-CARTO mapping during ablation correlate with the CMR-MSM.

Clinical significance of right ventricular dysfunction in left ventricular non-compaction cardiomyopathy.

Left ventricular non-compaction (LVNC) is described as the persistence of trabeculated myocardium in the left ventricle (LV) and is optimally assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). Right ventricular (RV) involvement in LVNC remains poorly studied. Consecutive patients (N = 14) diagnosed with LVNC by CMR were studied.

A novel virtual reality environment for preoperative planning and simulation of image guided intracardiac surgeries with robotic manipulators.

The evolution of image-guided and robot-assisted procedures can be beneficial to intracardiac interventions. This paper proposes a novel approach and a virtual reality system for preoperative planning and intraoperative guidance of cardiac procedures, and for investigating the kinematics and control of a virtual robotic manipulator, based on MRI CINE images. The system incorporates dedicated software modules for processing MR images, generating dynamic trajectories in the continuously changing environment of a beating heart, controlling a specific generic virtual manipulator along those trajectories, and a virtual reality interface that fuses all those information.

Variability of carotid artery measurements on 3-Tesla MRI and its impact on sample size calculation for clinical research.

Carotid MRI measurements are increasingly being employed in research studies for atherosclerosis imaging. The majority of carotid imaging studies use 1.5 T MRI.

Investigation of emission-transmission misalignment artifacts on rubidium-82 cardiac PET with adenosine pharmacologic stress.

Purpose: This study was undertaken to determine if artifacts from misalignment of cardiac emission to transmission data is present in adenosine stress studies and if the artifact could be reproduced by intentional misalignment in normal exams.

Procedures: Seventy consecutive 82Rb myocardial perfusion studies were reviewed. Utilizing a quality control program, misalignment was assessed.

Current and upcoming roles of CT and MRI in clinical cardiac imagery.

Cardiovascular CT and MRI are rapidly emerging technologies that can potentially change the current paradigm of cardiovascular imaging. Cardiac CT is primarily focused on imaging of coronary arteries for the assessment of vessel wall plaque and lumen stenosis. Additional information about ventricular and valvular function can also be obtained from the same three-dimensional image dataset.

Role of cardiac computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging in the evaluation of acute chest pain in the emergency department.

Evaluation of patients presenting with chest pain to the emergency department remains a challenging task because of a variety of etiologies that range from benign to potentially fatal. Although majority of patients do not have myocardial ischemia as the cause of their presentation, the clinical work up can be time consuming, costly and inconclusive. Recent technical advances in cardiac computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging have led to better diagnostic accuracy in evaluating patients with chest pain.

Visualization techniques in computed tomographic coronary angiography.

Cardiac computed tomography (CT) scans can produce enormous datasets (>3,000 images), making traditional axial image interpretation un-workable. Previously existing and new techniques including multiplanar reformats, volume rendering, maximum intensity projections, curved multiplanar reformats, and "4D" (time-resolved) methods have all been used to increase diagnostic accuracy and reduce interpretation times. The methods and applications of these techniques to cardiac anatomy will be reviewed and discussed with an eye toward practical film interpretation.

Long-term safety of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging performed in the first few days after bare-metal stent implantation.

Purpose: To investigate the long-term safety of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) performed one to seven days after coronary artery stent (bare metal) implantation.

Materials And Methods: We analyzed 119 consecutive patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) who underwent emergency coronary stent implantation with a bare-metal stent. CMR using a 1.

Prognosis of negative adenosine stress magnetic resonance in patients presenting to an emergency department with chest pain.

Objectives: This study was designed to determine the diagnostic value of adenosine cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) in troponin-negative patients with chest pain.

Background: We hypothesized that adenosine CMR could determine which troponin-negative patients with chest pain in an emergency department have coronary artery disease (CAD) or future adverse cardiac events.

Methods: Adenosine stress CMR was performed on 135 patients who presented to the emergency department with chest pain and had acute myocardial infarction (MI) excluded by troponin-I.