Characteristics of altered biventricular hemodynamics after arterial switch operation for patients with d-transposition of the great arteries with preserved ejection fraction: a four-dimensional (4D) flow cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) study.

Background: The long-term monitoring of biventricular function is essential to identify potential functional decline in patients following the arterial switch operation (ASO). The underlying pathophysiological mechanisms responsible for altered biventricular hemodynamics in ASO patients are not yet well understood. This study sought to: (I) compare the biventricular kinetic energy (KE) and vorticity of ASO patients and age- and sex-matched controls; (II) investigate the associations of four-dimensional (4D) flow biventricular hemodynamics parameters and neo-aortic root dilation, supravalvular pulmonary stenosis, and pulmonary artery transvalvular pressure difference.

Abnormal T Cells Function Associated With Intraspinal Cold Abscess Caused by Macrolide-resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae in a Patient With X-linked Agammaglobulinemia.

Intraspinal cold abscesses caused by macrolide-resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae in patients with X-linked agammaglobulinemia have not yet been described to our knowledge. Here we describe a patient with X-linked agammaglobulinemia who developed an intraspinal cold abscess caused by macrolide-resistant M. pneumoniae .

Plasma EBV quantification is associated with the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade and disease monitoring in patients with primary pulmonary lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma.

Objectives: Primary pulmonary lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (PLELC) is a subtype of lung carcinoma associated with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). The clinical predictive biomarkers of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) in PLELC require further investigation.

Methods: We prospectively analysed EBV levels in the blood and immune tumor biomarkers of 31 patients with ICB-treated PLELC.

Contemporary multimodality non-invasive cardiac imaging protocols for tetralogy of Fallot.

Tetralogy of Fallot is the most prevalent cyanotic congenital heart disease, requiring lifelong multimodality non-invasive cardiac imaging, such as echocardiography, cardiothoracic computed tomography, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. As imaging techniques continuously evolve and are gradually integrated into clinical practice, there is a critical need to update multimodality imaging protocols. Over the last two decades, cardiothoracic computed tomography imaging techniques have advanced remarkably, significantly enhancing its role in evaluating patients with tetralogy of Fallot.

PD-1/PD-L1 combined with LAG3 is associated with clinical activity of immune checkpoint inhibitors in metastatic primary pulmonary lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma.

Primary pulmonary lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (PLELC) is an Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-related, rare subtype of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) show durable responses in advanced NSCLC. However, their effects and predictive biomarkers in PLELC remain poorly understood.

Vortex formation time as an index of left ventricular filling efficiency: comparison between children volunteers and patients with tetralogy of Fallot.

Background: Vortex formation time (VFT) had been considered a useful marker for assessing diastolic performance. the VFT assessment of diastolic function using four-dimensional (4D) flow cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) has not been used in repair of tetralogy of Fallot (rTOF) patient. The aims of this study were as follows: (I) establish reference ranges for VFT measurements in healthy children and adolescents using 4D flow CMR imaging; and (II) analyze VFT parameters to assess diastole dysfunction in rTOF patients group.

Cardiac Computed Tomography-Derived Left Atrial Strain and Volume in Pediatric Patients With Congenital Heart Disease: A Comparative Analysis With Transthoracic Echocardiography.

Purpose: This study aimed at exploring the feasibility and reproducibility of CCT for the measurement of Left Atrial (LA) strain and volume compared with transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) in pediatric patients with congenital heart disease (CHD).

Materials And Methods: The present study included 43 postoperative patients with CHD (7.39 ± 3.

Feasibility of Cardiac Computed Tomography for the Evaluation of Ventricular Function in Postoperative Children With Congenital Heart Disease: Comparison With Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Objective: We explored the feasibility of cardiac computed tomography (CCT) to evaluate postoperative ventricular function in children with congenital heart disease (CHD) and evaluated the accuracy and reproducibility of CCT using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) as a reference.

Methods: Thirty-two postoperative children with CHD (20 boys and 12 girls) who underwent CMR and CCT were enrolled. Left and right ventricular ejection fraction, end-diastolic volume, end-systolic volume, stroke volume, and cardiac index were measured using cardiac function analysis software.

High SHP2 expression determines the efficacy of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in advanced KRAS mutant non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: Src homology region 2 domain-containing phosphatase 2 (SHP2) is a novel target for Kirsten rat sarcoma oncogene (KRAS) mutant cancer. We retrospectively studied the significance of SHP2 in KRAS mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with immunotherapy and its relationship with tumor microenvironment (TME).

Methods: Sixty-one advanced KRAS mutant NSCLC patients who underwent immunotherapy were enrolled.

Feasibility of Three-Dimensional Balanced Steady-State Free Precession Cine Magnetic Resonance Imaging Combined with an Image Denoising Technique to Evaluate Cardiac Function in Children with Repaired Tetralogy of Fallot.

Objective: To investigate the feasibility of cine three-dimensional (3D) balanced steady-state free precession (b-SSFP) imaging combined with a non-local means (NLM) algorithm for image denoising in evaluating cardiac function in children with repaired tetralogy of Fallot (rTOF).

Materials And Methods: Thirty-five patients with rTOF (mean age, 12 years; range, 7-18 years) were enrolled to undergo cardiac cine image acquisition, including two-dimensional (2D) b-SSFP, 3D b-SSFP, and 3D b-SSFP combined with NLM. End-diastolic volume (EDV), end-systolic volume (ESV), stroke volume (SV), and ejection fraction (EF) of the two ventricles were measured and indexed by body surface index.

Pediatric Cardiothoracic CT Guideline Provided by the Asian Society of Cardiovascular Imaging Congenital Heart Disease Study Group: Part 2. Contemporary Clinical Applications.

The use of pediatric cardiothoracic CT for congenital heart disease (CHD) was traditionally limited to the morphologic evaluation of the extracardiac thoracic vessels, lungs, and airways. Currently, the applications of CT have increased, owing to technological advancements in hardware and software as well as several dose-reduction measures. In the previously published part 1 of the guideline by the Asian Society of Cardiovascular Imaging Congenital Heart Disease Study Group, we reviewed the prerequisite technical knowledge for clinical applications in a user-friendly and vendor-specific manner.

Feasibility of using a non-sedation protocol for evaluation of neonatal congenital heart disease by using a 16-cm wide-detector computed tomography with a low radiation dose: preliminary experience from a single pediatric medical center.

The aim of this study is to explore the feasibility of using a non-sedation protocol for the evaluation of neonatal congenital heart disease by using 16-cm wide-detector CT with a low radiation dose. Thirty-four neonates (group 1) were enrolled to undergo cardiac CT without sedation between August 2018 and March 2019. The control group (group 2) comprising 20 inpatient neonates was sedated.

Systemic ventricular strain and torsion are predictive of elevated serum NT-proBNP in Fontan patients: a magnetic resonance study.

Background: This study aimed to investigate the associations between cardiac strain, cardiac torsion, ventricular volumes, and ventricular ejection fraction, with N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels in Fontan patients who were age- and gender-matched with healthy control subjects.

Methods: Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) studies performed in 22 (15 male, 7 female) patients with single-ventricle physiology (all morphological left ventricles) palliated with Fontan and 17 (10 male, 7 female) age- and gender-matched healthy children volunteers were retrospectively analyzed. Serum NT-proBNP levels were obtained in Fontan subjects.

Right and left ventricular interactions, strain, and remodeling in repaired pulmonary stenosis patients with preserved right ventricular ejection fraction: A cardiac magnetic resonance study.

Background: Right ventricular dilation and dysfunction is a common long-term complication in patients with repaired pulmonary stenosis (rPS). Additionally, abnormal right and left ventricular interactions have been reported in right-sided heart defect after intervention, including in pulmonary stenosis.

Purpose: To analyze ventricular strain, remodeling, and left and right ventricular interactions in rPS patients with preserved right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) compared with healthy children using cardiac magnetic resonance.

Diagnostic accuracy of multi-slice computed tomography in children with Abernethy malformation.

Background: Abernethy malformation is a rare congenital abnormality. Imaging examination is an important method for the diagnosis. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate manifestations of multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) in Abernethy malformation and its diagnostic accuracy.

Assessment of right ventricular systolic function in children with repaired tetralogy of Fallot by multiple-view from single acoustic window with speckle tracking echocardiography.

Background: Challenges remain in quantitative evaluation of right ventricular (RV) function by echocardiography. Multiple-view assessment is believed to provide a more comprehensive quantification of RV function than conventional single-view analysis. Peak systolic longitudinal RV strain (RVLS) measured by speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) has clinical and prognostic value.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Three-dimensional Turbo Field Echo Magnetic Resonance Imaging Sequence in Pediatric Tracheobronchial Anomalies with Congenital Heart Disease.

Tracheobronchial anomalies are common in congenital heart disease (CHD), including tracheobronchial stenosis, tracheal bronchus, cardiac bronchus, and bronchial isomerism, which can cause varying degrees of respiratory illness. It is necessary to assess tracheobronchial anomalies and make a preoperative airway evaluation. Multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are the most effective noninvasive modalities for the diagnosis of CHD and the associated tracheobronchial anomalies.

Prenatal and Postnatal Diagnosis of Rhabdomyomas and Tuberous Sclerosis Complex by Ultrafast and Standard MRI.

Objective: To examine the features of cardiac rhabdomyomas and tuberous sclerosis in fetuses and infants using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and to determine whether MRI is an effective tool to facilitate early detection of tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC).

Methods: Fifteen patients with TSC were evaluated by ultrafast or standard MRI between June 2005 and September 2016. Fifteen patients were divided into two groups.

Multislice Computed Tomography Assessment of Tracheobronchial Patterns in Partial Anomalous Left Pulmonary Artery.

Objective: The aim of this study was to present relationship between partial anomalous left pulmonary artery (PALPA) and the tracheobronchial tree and patterns of the tracheobronchial tree assessed by multislice computed tomography (MSCT).

Methods: Nine patients were assessed by MSCT. The relationships between the tracheobronchial tree and PALPA and different tracheobronchial patterns, location of tracheobronchial stenosis, severity of stenosis, and associated cardiac defects were evaluated.

A prospective evaluation of contrast and radiation dose and image quality in cardiac CT in children with complex congenital heart disease using low-concentration iodinated contrast agent and low tube voltage and current.

Objective: To the assess image quality, contrast dose and radiation dose in cardiac CT in children with congenital heart disease (CHD) using low-concentration iodinated contrast agent and low tube voltage and current in comparison with standard dose protocol.

Methods: 110 patients with CHD were randomized to 1 of the 2 scan protocols: Group A (n = 45) with 120 mA tube current and contrast agent of 270 mgI/ml in concentration (Visipaque; GE Healthcare Ireland, Co., Cork, UK); and Group B (n = 65) with the conventional 160 mA and 370 mgI/ml concentration contrast (Iopamiro; Shanghai Bracco Sine Pharmaceutical Corp Ltd, Shanghai, China).

Renal tumor in developing countries: 142 cases from a single institution at Shanghai, China.

Background: The clinical management of children with renal tumors including Wilms' tumor, clear cell sarcoma, rhabdoid tumor and other renal tumors in our center was designed according to the National Wilms' Tumor Study Group protocols.

Methods: A total of 142 consecutive patients who had been diagnosed as having renal tumors at Shanghai Children's Medical Center were reviewed retrospectively in the period of December 1998 and September 2012. Diagnosis and treatment were decided by a multidisciplinary team including oncologists, surgeons, pathologists and sub-specialized radiologists.

Feasibility of three-dimensional ultrashort echo time magnetic resonance imaging at 1.5 T for the diagnosis of skull fractures.

Objectives: To investigate the feasibility of ultrashort echo time (UTE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the diagnosis of skull fractures.

Methods: The skull fracture models of ten Bama pigs and 364 patients with craniocerebral trauma were subjected to computed tomography (CT), UTE and conventional MRI sequences. The accuracy of UTE imaging in skull fracture diagnosis was analysed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, McNemar's test and Kappa values.