Diagnosis of left atrial appendage thrombus in patients with atrial fibrillation: delayed contrast-enhanced cardiac CT.

Objectives: The current reference standard for diagnosing LAA thrombi is transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), a semi-invasive technique. We aimed to devise an optimal protocol for cardiac computed tomography (CCT) in diagnosing left atrial appendage (LAA) thrombus in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), using TEE as reference standard.

Methods: Two hundred sixty consecutive patients referred for radiofrequency ablation for AF were prospectively enrolled.

Diagnostic Value of Global Cardiac Strain in Patients With Myocarditis.

Background: Cardiac strain represents an imaging biomarker of contractile dysfunction.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the diagnostic value of cardiac strain obtained by feature-tracking cardiac magnetic resonance (MR) in acute myocarditis.

Materials And Methods: Cardiac MR examinations of 46 patients with myocarditis and preserved ejection fraction at acute phase and follow-up were analyzed along with cardiac MR of 46 healthy age- and sex-matched controls.

Correction to: Point estimate and reference normality interval of MRI-derived myocardial extracellular volume in healthy subjects: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The original version of this article, published on 02 May 2019, unfortunately contained a mistake. The following correction has therefore been made in the original: The presentation of Fig. 2 was incorrect.

Point estimate and reference normality interval of MRI-derived myocardial extracellular volume in healthy subjects: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives: To estimate the MRI-derived myocardial extracellular volume (ECV) in healthy subjects together with reference normality interval.

Methods: The study was registered on PROSPERO and reported according to PRISMA. In October 2017, a systematic search (MEDLINE/EMBASE) was performed for articles reporting MRI-derived ECV in healthy subjects.

Pulmonary Insufficiency: Advantage of Pulmonary Regurgitation Volume Versus Pulmonary Regurgitation Fraction in a Congenital Heart Disease Mixed Population.

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare the use of pulmonary regurgitation volume (PRV) or indexed PRV (PRVi) with that of pulmonary regurgitation fraction (PRF) in the assessment of patients with pulmonary regurgitation (PR) undergoing cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging.

Materials And Methods: CMR of 176 patients with PR were retrospectively evaluated. Their right ventricular diastolic (end-diastolic volume index [EDVi]) and systolic (end-systolic volume index) volume indexes, stroke volume, and ejection fraction were obtained from cine CMR sequences, whereas phase-contrast flow sequences were analyzed to obtain PRV, PRVi, and PRF.

High-quality low-dose cardiovascular computed tomography (CCT) in pediatric patients using a 64-slice scanner.

Background Cardiovascular computed tomography (CCT) technology is rapidly advancing allowing to perform good quality examinations with a radiation dose as low as 1.2 mSv. However, latest generation scanners are not available in all centers.

An eight-year prospective controlled study about the safety and diagnostic value of cardiac and non-cardiac 1.5-T MRI in patients with a conventional pacemaker or a conventional implantable cardioverter defibrillator.

Objectives: To investigate safety and diagnostic value of 1.5-T MRI in carriers of conventional pacemaker (cPM) or conventional implantable defibrillator (cICD).

Methods: We prospectively compared cPM/cICD-carriers undergoing MRI (study group, SG), excluding those device-dependent or implanted <6 weeks before enrolment or prior to 01/01/2000, with cPM/cICD-carriers undergoing chest x-ray, CT or follow-up (reference group, RG).

Detection of incidental cardiac findings in noncardiac chest computed tomography.

The aim of the study was to estimate the rate of incidental cardiac findings (ICF) in patients undergoing noncardiac chest CT.An experienced radiologist retrospectively reviewed 237 consecutive patients (147 males and 90 females with median age of 69 years) undergoing a noncardiac chest CT. ICF at targeted review were compared to those mentioned in original reports (χ test).

Technical Feasibility of a Combined Noncontrast Magnetic Resonance Protocol for Preoperative Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Evaluation.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate the technical feasibility of a noncontrast magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) protocol using investigational prototype self-navigated 3D (SN3D) radial whole-heart and quiescent-interval single-shot (QISS) pulse sequences regarding their potential in planning transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

Materials And Methods: Five patients (76±7 y) with severe aortic valve stenosis and prior computed tomographic angiography (CTA) for TAVR planning and 10 healthy volunteers (28±6 y) underwent noncontrast MRA on a 1.5 T system.

Novel cardiac magnetic resonance biomarkers: native T1 and extracellular volume myocardial mapping.

Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) is a non-invasive diagnostic tool playing a key role in the assessment of cardiac morphology and function as well as in tissue characterization. Late gadolinium enhancement is a fundamental CMR technique for detecting focal or regional abnormalities such as scar tissue, replacement fibrosis, or inflammation using qualitative, semi-quantitative, or quantitative methods, but not allowing for evaluating the whole myocardium in the presence of diffuse disease. The novel T1 mapping approach permits a quantitative assessment of the entire myocardium providing a voxel-by-voxel map of native T1 relaxation time, obtained before the intravenous administration of gadolinium-based contrast material.

Fractional flow reserve based on computed tomography: an overview.

Computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) is a technique proved to provide high sensitivity and negative predictive value for the identification of anatomically significant coronary artery disease (CAD) when compared with invasive X-ray coronary angiography. While the CTCA limitation of a ionizing radiation dose delivered to patients is substantially overcome by recent technical innovations, a relevant limitation remains the only anatomical assessment of coronary stenoses in the absence of evaluation of their functional haemodynamic significance. This limitation is highly important for those stenosis graded as intermediate at the anatomical assessment.

Biventricular Heart Remodeling After Percutaneous or Surgical Pulmonary Valve Implantation: Evaluation by Cardiac Magnetic Resonance.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation (PPVI) and surgical pulmonary valve replacement (SPVR) on biventricular and pulmonary valve function using cardiac magnetic resonance.

Materials And Methods: Thirty-five patients aged 20±8 years (mean±SD) underwent PPVI, whereas 16 patients aged 30±11 years underwent SPVR. Cardiac magnetic resonance examinations were performed before and after the procedures with an average follow-up interval of 10 months.

Intra- and inter-reader reproducibility of blood flow measurements on the ascending aorta and pulmonary artery using cardiac magnetic resonance.

The aim of our study was to estimate the intra- and inter-reader reproducibility of blood flow measurements in the ascending aorta and main pulmonary artery using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) and a semi-automated segmentation method. The ethics committee approved this retrospective study. A total of 50 consecutive patients (35 males and 15 females; mean age±standard deviation 27±13 years) affected by congenital heart disease were reviewed.

Virtual unenhanced imaging of the liver with third-generation dual-source dual-energy CT and advanced modeled iterative reconstruction.

Objectives: To compare image quality and diagnostic accuracy for the detection of liver lesions of virtual unenhanced (VU) images based on third-generation dual-source dual- energy computed tomography (DECT) compared to conventional unenhanced (CU) images.

Methods: Thirty patients underwent triphasic abdominal CT consisting of single-energy CU (120kV, 147 ref.mAs) and dual-energy CT arterial and portal-venous phase acquisitions (100/Sn150kV, 180/90 ref.

Semiautomated Global Quantification of Left Ventricular Myocardial Perfusion at Stress Dynamic CT:: Diagnostic Accuracy for Detection of Territorial Myocardial Perfusion Deficits Compared to Visual Assessment.

Rationale And Objectives: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of semiautomated global quantification of left ventricular myocardial perfusion derived from stress dynamic computed tomography myocardial perfusion imaging (CTMPI) for detection of territorial perfusion deficits (PD).

Materials And Methods: Dynamic CTMPI datasets of 71 patients were analyzed using semiautomated volume-based software to calculate global myocardial blood flow (MBF), myocardial blood volume, and volume transfer constant. Optimal cutoff values to assess the diagnostic accuracy of these parameters for detection of one- to three-vessel territories with PD in comparison to visual analysis were calculated.

Approaches to ultra-low radiation dose coronary artery calcium scoring based on 3rd generation dual-source CT: A phantom study.

Objectives: To investigate to what extent 3rd generation dual-source computed tomography (DSCT) can reduce radiation dose in coronary artery calcium scoring.

Methods: Image acquisition was performed using a stationary calcification phantom. Prospectively electrocardiogram (ECG)-triggered 120 kV sequential, and 120 and Sn100 kV ultra-high pitch (UHP) acquisitions were performed with different tube currents (80, 60, 40, 20 mA).

Impact of an advanced image-based monoenergetic reconstruction algorithm on coronary stent visualization using third generation dual-source dual-energy CT: a phantom study.

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of an advanced monoenergetic (ME) reconstruction algorithm on CT coronary stent imaging in a phantom model.

Materials And Methods: Three stents with lumen diameters of 2.25, 3.

Clinical feasibility of a myocardial signal intensity threshold-based semi-automated cardiac magnetic resonance segmentation method.

Objectives: To assess the accuracy and efficiency of a threshold-based, semi-automated cardiac MRI segmentation algorithm in comparison with conventional contour-based segmentation and aortic flow measurements.

Methods: Short-axis cine images of 148 patients (55 ± 18 years, 81 men) were used to evaluate left ventricular (LV) volumes and mass (LVM) using conventional and threshold-based segmentations. Phase-contrast images were used to independently measure stroke volume (SV).

Myocardial Late Gadolinium Enhancement: Accuracy of T1 Mapping-based Synthetic Inversion-Recovery Imaging.

Purpose: To compare the accuracy of detection and quantification of myocardial late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) with a synthetic inversion-recovery (IR) approach with that of conventional IR techniques.

Materials And Methods: This prospective study was approved by the institutional review board and compliant with HIPAA. All patients gave written informed consent.

Absolute Versus Relative Myocardial Blood Flow by Dynamic CT Myocardial Perfusion Imaging in Patients With Anatomic Coronary Artery Disease.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate differences in the diagnostic accuracy of absolute and relative territorial myocardial blood flow (MBF) derived from stress dynamic CT myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) for the detection of significant coronary artery stenosis.

Materials And Methods: Dynamic CT MPI and coronary CT angiography (CTA) datasets from a multicenter registry of 137 patients (mean age, 60.9 ± 8.

Four-year cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) follow-up of patients treated with percutaneous pulmonary valve stent implantation.

Objectives: To investigate follow-up after percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation (PPVI).

Methods: Forty patients with pulmonary conduit dysfunction (males/females 24/16; 21 ± 08 years; 12 tetralogy of Fallot, 11 aortic valve disease, 17 other congenital heart disease) were planned for CMR before PPVI and repeated 7 times up to 48 months. CMR prospective results regarded: pressure gradient (PG) and regurgitation fraction (RF); end-diastolic volume, end-systolic volume, and stroke volume indexed to body surface area (EDVI, ESVI, and SVI); ejection fraction (EF) of right and left ventricles (RV, LV).

Technical prerequisites and imaging protocols for dynamic and dual energy myocardial perfusion imaging.

Coronary CT angiography (CCTA) is an established imaging technique used for the non-invasive morphological assessment of coronary artery disease. As in invasive coronary angiography, CCTA anatomical assessment of coronary stenosis does not adequately predict hemodynamic relevance. However, recent technical improvements provide the possibility of CT myocardial perfusion imaging (CTMPI).

Technical feasibility of real-time elastography to assess the peri-oral region in patients affected by systemic sclerosis.

Purpose: To evaluate the technical feasibility of real-time elastography (RTE) to assess the stiffness of the skin of the peri-oral region in patients affected by systemic sclerosis (SSc).

Methods: Six female patients affected by SSc (median age = 52 years) presenting with microstomia and six healthy controls matched for age and sex underwent RTE evaluation of the peri-oral region. Two operators with different experience evaluated the stiffness of the peri-oral region placing the probe in four different positions: parasagittal left (PL), parasagittal right (PR), upper axial (UA), lower axial (LA).

Long-term degradation of poly-lactic co-glycolide/β-tricalcium phosphate biocomposite anchors in arthroscopic bankart repair: a prospective study.

Purpose: To evaluate, using magnetic resonance (MR), the biological efficacy of anchors made of 30% β-tricalcium phosphate and 70% poly-lactic co-glycolide (PLGA) used for the repair of Bankart lesions after shoulder instability.

Methods: Twenty consecutive patients who were candidates for surgical treatment for unidirectional, post-traumatic shoulder instability were treated arthroscopically with anchors made of 70% PLGA plus 30% β-tricalcium phosphate preloaded with OrthoCord suture (DePuy Mitek, Raynham, MA). Fifteen of them were evaluated by MR at least 16 months after the intervention.