Cardio-hepatic risk assessment by CMR imaging in liver transplant candidates.

Background: The preoperative workup of orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) patients is practically complex given the need for multiple imaging modalities. We recently demonstrated in our proof-of-concept study the value of a one-stop-shop approach using cardiovascular MRI (CMR) to address this complex problem. However, this approach requires further validation in a larger cohort, as detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) as well as cardiovascular risk assessment is critically important in these patients.

A Benign Cardiac Growth but Not So Indolent.

Cardiac lipomatous hypertrophy is a rare benign condition that usually involves the interatrial septum. Due to its benign nature it rarely requires intervention. Its presence outside the interatrial septum is reported infrequently.

Evaluation of cardiac valvular regurgitant lesions by cardiac MRI sequences: comparison of a four-valve semi-quantitative versus quantitative approach.

Background And Aim Of The Study: Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging generally allows a more accurate and valid quantification of cardiac function, mass and regurgitant volumes than echocardiography. Although recent technological advancements in CMR have made the evaluation of cardiac valves more reliable, no studies have yet been conducted to compare semi-quantitative grading (SQG) using CMR steady-state free precession (SSFP) sequences with quantitative grading (QG) based on stroke volumes and phase-velocity mapping (PVM). It is proposed that the SQG of cardiac valvular regurgitations based on CMR SSFP sequences is feasible, and highly correlative with standard CMR QG methods.

Exploratory use of cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging in liver transplantation: a one-stop shop for preoperative cardiohepatic evaluation.

Background: Preoperative cardiovascular risk stratification in orthotopic liver transplantation candidates has proven challenging due to limitations of current noninvasive modalities. Additionally, the preoperative workup is logistically cumbersome and expensive given the need for separate cardiac, vascular, and abdominal imaging. We evaluated the feasibility of a "one-stop shop" in a magnetic resonance suite, performing assessment of cardiac structure, function, and viability, along with simultaneous evaluation of thoracoabdominal vasculature and liver anatomy.

Mitral regurgitation recovery and atrial reverse remodeling following pulmonary vein isolation procedure in patients with atrial fibrillation: a clinical observation proof-of-concept cardiac MRI study.

Background: Reverse remodeling of the left atrium (LA) following successful pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) has been well documented. However, mitral regurgitation (MR) recovery after successful PVI has never been demonstrated systematically. The objective of our study was to retrospectively analyze the effectiveness of PVI in patients with AF on recovery of MR using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging.

Contrast-enhanced CMR is equally effective as TEE in the evaluation of left atrial appendage thrombus in patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing pulmonary vein isolation procedure.

Background: Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) routinely undergo transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) for the evaluation of the left atrial appendage (LAA) to rule out thrombus prior to undergoing pulmonary vein isolation (PVI). Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) is now increasingly used for the evaluation of patients with AF to define pulmonary vein (PV) anatomy prior to PVI.

Objective: To hypothesize that a retrospective comparison of 2-dimensional/3-dimensional (2D/3D) contrast-enhanced CMR sequences with TEE for the evaluation of LAA thrombus in patients with AF selected for PVI will demonstrate equivalence.

Simultaneous hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and muscular ventricular septal defect in an adult patient.

Background: The incidence of muscular ventricular septal defect (VSD) in children is rare, but its prevalence among hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) patients is surprisingly high.

Methods: We present a 24-year-old female with HCM associated with muscular VSD without significant symptoms or hemodynamic implications.

Conclusion: Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging plays an important role in anatomic and functional noninvasive evaluation of these patients.