Cardiac magnetic resonance in patients with Takotsubo syndrome: Clinical correlates of T2 mapping.

Background: Extensive myocardial edema is a key feature of acute takotsubo syndrome (TTS) and it can be quantitatively assessed by T2 mapping cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging. Clinical correlates of myocardial edema in TTS are not well characterized.

Methods: Sixty patients with acute TTS underwent CMR with T2 mapping within one week of hospitalization.

Clinical parameters of death and heart failure hospitalization in biventricular systolic dysfunction assessed via cardiac magnetic resonance.

Aims: While factors associated with adverse events are well elucidated in setting of isolated left ventricular dysfunction, clinical and imaging-based prognosticators of adverse outcomes are lacking in context of biventricular dysfunction. The purpose of this study was to establish role of clinical variables in prognosis of biventricular heart failure (HF), as assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging.

Methods: Study cohort consisted of 840 patients enrolled in DERIVATE registry with coexisting CMR-derived right ventricular (RV) and left ventricular (LV) dysfunction, as defined by RV and LV ejection fractions ≤45 % and ≤ 50 %, respectively.

Lateral hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: A case report.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common genetic cardiovascular disorder, more often presenting with asymmetrical septal hypertrophy. Here we report the case of a patient, affected by arterial hypertension, presenting to the emergency department with chest pain, electrocardiographic changes and troponin rise. Further diagnostic work-up ruled out ischemic heart disease and lead to the diagnosis of a rare HCM phenotype affecting the lateral wall of the left ventricle.

Cardiac Magnetic Resonance for Prophylactic Implantable-Cardioverter Defibrillator Therapy in Ischemic Cardiomyopathy: The DERIVATE-ICM International Registry.

Background: Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy is the most effective prophylactic strategy against sudden cardiac death (SCD) in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) and left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤35% as detected by transthoracic echocardiograpgy (TTE). This approach has been recently questioned because of the low rate of ICD interventions in patients who received implantation and the not-negligible percentage of patients who experienced SCD despite not fulfilling criteria for implantation.

Objectives: The DERIVATE-ICM registry (CarDiac MagnEtic Resonance for Primary Prevention Implantable CardioVerter DebrillAtor ThErapy; NCT03352648) is an international, multicenter, and multivendor study to assess the net reclassification improvement (NRI) for the indication of ICD implantation by the use of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) as compared to TTE in patients with ICM.

AI Cardiac MRI Scar Analysis Aids Prediction of Major Arrhythmic Events in the Multicenter DERIVATE Registry.

Background Scar burden with late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) cardiac MRI (CMR) predicts arrhythmic events in patients with postinfarction in single-center studies. However, LGE analysis requires experienced human observers, is time consuming, and introduces variability. Purpose To test whether postinfarct scar with LGE CMR can be quantified fully automatically by machines and to compare the ability of LGE CMR scar analyzed by humans and machines to predict arrhythmic events.

Myocardial oedema contributes to interstitial expansion and associates with mechanical and electrocardiographic changes in takotsubo syndrome: a CMR T1 and T2 mapping study.

Aims: myocardial oedema is largely represented in takotsubo syndrome (TTS) and may contribute to alter the myocardium morphology and function. The aim of the study is to describe relationships between oedema, mechanical, and electrical abnormalities in TTS.

Methods And Results: the study included n = 32 hospitalized TTS patients and n = 23 controls.

Characterization of COVID-19-Related Lung Involvement in Patients Undergoing Magnetic Resonance T1 and T2 Mapping Imaging: A Pilot Study.

Tissue characterization by mapping techniques is a recent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tool that could aid the tissue characterization of lung parenchyma in coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). The aim of the present study was to compare lung MRI findings, including T1 and T2 mapping, in a group of n = 11 patients with COVID-19 pneumonia who underwent a scheduled cardiac MRI, and a cohort of healthy controls. MRI scout images were used to identify affected and remote lung regions within the patients’ cohort and appropriate regions of interest (ROIs) were drawn accordingly.

Cardiac magnetic resonance for prophylactic implantable-cardioverter defibrillator therapy international study: prognostic value of cardiac magnetic resonance-derived right ventricular parameters substudy.

Aims: Right ventricular systolic dysfunction (RVSD) is an important determinant of outcomes in heart failure (HF) cohorts. While the quantitative assessment of RV function is challenging using 2D-echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) is the gold standard with its high spatial resolution and precise anatomical definition. We sought to investigate the prognostic value of CMR-derived RV systolic function in a large cohort of HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).

Semiquantitative Chest CT Severity Score Predicts Failure of Noninvasive Positive-Pressure Ventilation in Patients Hospitalized for COVID-19 Pneumonia.

Objective: Noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation (NPPV) emerged as an efficient tool for treatment of COVID-19 pneumonia. The factors influencing NPPV failure still are elusive. The aim of the study was to investigate the relationships between semiquantitative chest computed tomography (CT) scoring and NPPV failure and mortality in patients with COVID-19.

Lung Ultrasound in COVID-19: Clinical Correlates and Comparison with Chest Computed Tomography.

Lung ultrasound (LUS) and chest computed tomography (chest CT) are largely employed to evaluate coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia. We investigated semi-quantitative LUS and CT scoring in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. LUS and chest CT were performed within 24 h upon admission.

CarDiac magnEtic Resonance for prophylactic Implantable-cardioVerter defibrillAtor ThErapy in Non-Ischaemic dilated CardioMyopathy: an international Registry.

Aims: The aim of this registry was to evaluate the additional prognostic value of a composite cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR)-based risk score over standard-of-care (SOC) evaluation in a large cohort of consecutive unselected non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy (NICM) patients.

Methods And Results: In the DERIVATE registry (www.clinicaltrials.

Cardiac magnetic resonance in patients with acute cardiac injury and unobstructed coronary arteries.

Aim: To define the role of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) by analyzing a particular group of patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and normal coronary angiogram.

Methods: From January 2009 to December 2015, we examined 220 patients with clinical suspicion of ACS, Troponin elevation [the threshold used to define a positive Troponin T test (TnT) was 0.1 ng/mL] and no significant coronary disease at angiography (the patients were considered to have significant angiographic disease only a 50% stenosis was detected in any of their coronary arteries).

Patterns of late gadolinium enhancement in Duchenne muscular dystrophy carriers.

Background: This study was designed to assess whether cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) in Duchenne muscular dystrophy carriers (DMDc) may index any cell milieu elements of LV dysfunction and whether this cardiac phenotype may be related to genotype. The null hypothesis was that myocardial fibrosis, assessed by late gadolinium enhancement (LGE), might be similarly accounted for in DMDc and gender and age-matched controls.

Methods: Thirty DMDc patients had CMR and genotyping with 37 gender and age-matched controls.

Italian registry of cardiac magnetic resonance.

Objectives: Forty sites were involved in this multicenter and multivendor registry, which sought to evaluate indications, spectrum of protocols, impact on clinical decision making and safety profile of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR).

Materials And Methods: Data were prospectively collected on a 6-month period and included 3376 patients (47.2 ± 19 years; range 1-92 years).

Late enhancement detected by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in acute myocarditis mimicking acute myocardial infarction: location patterns and lack of correlation with systolic function.

Objective: Clinical recognition of acute myocarditis is difficult. Late enhancement (LE) detected by magnetic resonance imaging appears to be a valuable tool for evaluating and monitoring inflammatory myocardial diseases. However, patterns of myocardial enhancement and its correlation with systolic function are not yet well defined.