Correlation and predictive value of aortic root calcification markers with coronary artery calcification and obstructive coronary artery disease.

Objective: To evaluate the correlation between aortic root calcification (ARC) markers and coronary artery calcification (CAC) derived from coronary artery calcium scoring (CACS) and their ability to predict obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 189 patients (47% male, age 60.3 ± 11.

Influence of acquired obesity on coronary vessel wall late gadolinium enhancement in discordant monozygote twins.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of BMI on late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) of the coronary artery wall in identical monozygous twins discordant for BMI. Coronary LGE represents a useful parameter for the detection and quantification of atherosclerotic coronary vessel wall disease.

Methods: Thirteen monozygote female twin pairs (n = 26) with significantly different BMIs (>1.

Prognostic implications of coronary CT angiography-derived quantitative markers for the prediction of major adverse cardiac events.

Objective: To evaluate quantitative markers derived from coronary CT angiography (coronary CTA) for the prediction of major adverse cardiac events (MACE).

Materials And Methods: Pooled data from two centers in the US and Europe were retrospectively analyzed. Forty-six patients (65.

Dynamic CT myocardial perfusion imaging.

Non-invasive cardiac imaging has rapidly evolved during the last decade due to advancements in CT based technologies. Coronary CT angiography has been shown to reliably assess coronary anatomy and detect high risk coronary artery disease. However, this technique is limited to anatomical assessment, thus non-invasive techniques for functional assessment of the heart are necessary.

Coronary CT angiography-derived quantitative markers for predicting in-stent restenosis.

Objective: To evaluate quantitative markers derived from coronary CT angiography (coronary CTA) performed prior to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with stent placement for predicting in-stent restenosis (ISR) as defined by quantitative coronary angiography (QCA).

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the data of 74 patients (60 ± 12 years, 72% male) who had undergone dual-source coronary CTA within 3 months prior to a PCI procedure that included stent placement. Quantitative markers of the target vessel were derived from coronary CTA: Total plaque volume (TPV), calcified and non-calcified plaque volumes (CPV and NCPV), plaque burden (PB in %), remodeling index (RI), and lesion length (LL).

Myocardial perfusion imaging with dual energy CT.

Dual-energy CT (DECT) enables simultaneous use of two different tube voltages, thus different x-ray absorption characteristics are acquired in the same anatomic location with two different X-ray spectra. The various DECT techniques allow material decomposition and mapping of the iodine distribution within the myocardium. Static dual-energy myocardial perfusion imaging (sCTMPI) using pharmacological stress agents demonstrate myocardial ischemia by single snapshot images of myocardial iodine distribution.

Sex-related outcome of atrial fibrillation ablation: Insights from the German Ablation Registry.

Background: Stratification of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) according to mechanistic and prognostic criteria may optimize the effectiveness and safety of catheter ablation. In women, AF is associated with more severe symptoms and worse prognosis.

Objective: We sought to assess sex-related differences in catheter ablation procedures and outcome in a large cohort of patients with AF.

Dynamic CT myocardial perfusion imaging identifies early perfusion abnormalities in diabetes and hypertension: Insights from a multicenter registry.

Background: To identify patients with early signs of myocardial perfusion reduction, a reference base for perfusion measures is needed.

Objective: To analyze perfusion parameters derived from dynamic computed tomography perfusion imaging (CTPI) in patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD), and relationship with risk factors.

Methods: In this multicenter study, coronary CT angiography (cCTA) and dynamic CTPI were performed by second-generation dual-source CT in patients suspected of CAD.

Molecular Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance: Current Status and Future Prospects.

In the Western world and developing countries, the number one causes of mortality and morbidity result from cardiovascular diseases. Cardiovascular diseases represent a wide range of pathologies, including myocardial infarction, peripheral vascular disease, and cerebrovascular disease, which are all linked by a common cause - atherosclerosis. Currently, the diagnosis of atherosclerosis is in most cases established at the end stage of the disease, when patients are administered to the emergency room due to a myocardial infarction or stroke.

Coronary CT angiography derived morphological and functional quantitative plaque markers correlated with invasive fractional flow reserve for detecting hemodynamically significant stenosis.

Objective: Compare morphological and functional coronary plaque markers derived from coronary CT angiography (CCTA) for their ability to detect lesion-specific ischemia.

Materials And Methods: Data of patients who had undergone both dual-source CCTA and invasive fractional flow reserve (FFR) measurement within 3 months were retrospectively analyzed. Various quantitative stenosis markers were derived from CCTA: Corrected coronary opacification (CCO), transluminal attenuation gradient (TAG), remodeling index (RI), computational FFR (cFFR), lesion length (LL), vessel volume (VV), total plaque volume (TPV), and calcified and non-calcified plaque volume (CPV and NCPV).

Cryoballoon ablation for persistent atrial fibrillation - Large single-center experience.

Background: Different catheter ablation (CA) strategies have been established in the treatment of persistent atrial fibrillation (persAF). Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) only might be an option for the initial ablation procedure. There is a paucity of outcome data on second-generation cryoballoon (CBG2) PVI in persAF.

Catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation in patients with concomitant sinus bradycardia-Insights from the German Ablation Registry.

Aims: This investigation addresses procedural characteristics of catheter ablation in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and sinus bradycardia.

Methods: From the prospective, multi-center German Ablation Registry 1073 patients with sinus rhythm at the time of AF ablation were divided into two groups according to heart rate at start of procedure (A, <60 beats per minute (bpm), n=197; B, 60-99bpm, n=876).

Results: Acute procedural success was high (≥98%) and similar between groups.

Computed Tomography-Derived Parameters of Myocardial Morphology and Function in Black and White Patients With Acute Chest Pain.

Blacks have higher mortality and hospitalization rates because of congestive heart failure compared with white counterparts. Differences in cardiac structure and function may contribute to the racial disparity in cardiovascular outcomes. Our aim was to compare computed tomography (CT)-derived cardiac measurements between black patients with acute chest pain and age- and gender-matched white patients.

Outcome of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation ablation with the cryoballoon using two different application times: the 4- versus 3-min protocol.

Purpose: The second-generation cryoballoon (CBG2) is highly effective for pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF). One-year outcome data are consistent among different research groups. First results suggest that a shortened application time might be equally effective.

First-line catheter ablation of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation: outcome of radiofrequency vs. cryoballoon pulmonary vein isolation.

Aims: First-line ablation prior to antiarrhythmic drug (AAD) therapy is an option for symptomatic paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF); however, the optimal ablation technique, radiofrequency (RF), or cryoballoon (CB) has to be determined.

Methods And Results: The FREEZE Cohort Study compares RF and CB ablation. Treatment-naïve patients were documented in the FREEZEplus Registry.

Diagnosis of Calcific Tendonitis of the Rotator Cuff by Using Susceptibility-weighted MR Imaging.

Purpose: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) and standard shoulder joint magnetic resonance (MR) sequences in comparison to that of conventional radiography for the identification of calcifications in the rotator cuff in patients with calcific tendonitis.

Materials And Methods: The institutional review board approved this prospective study. Written informed consent was obtained from all subjects.

Molecular magnetic resonance imaging of atherosclerotic vessel wall disease.

Unlabelled: Molecular imaging aims to improve the identification and characterization of pathological processes in vivo by visualizing the underlying biological mechanisms. Molecular imaging techniques are increasingly used to assess vascular inflammation, remodeling, cell migration, angioneogenesis and apoptosis. In cardiovascular diseases, molecular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offers new insights into the in vivo biology of pathological vessel wall processes of the coronary and carotid arteries and the aorta.

Molecular imaging in cardiovascular diseases.

Unlabelled: Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in industrialized and developing countries. In clinical practice, the in-vivo identification of atherosclerotic lesions, which can lead to complications such as heart attack or stroke, remains difficult. Imaging techniques provide the reference standard for the detection of clinically significant atherosclerotic changes in the coronary and carotid arteries.

CT Evaluation of Small-Diameter Coronary Artery Stents: Effect of an Integrated Circuit Detector with Iterative Reconstruction.

Purpose: To use suitable objective methods of analysis to assess the influence of the combination of an integrated-circuit computed tomographic (CT) detector and iterative reconstruction (IR) algorithms on the visualization of small (≤3-mm) coronary artery stents.

Materials And Methods: By using a moving heart phantom, 18 data sets obtained from three coronary artery stents with small diameters were investigated. A second-generation dual-source CT system equipped with an integrated-circuit detector was used.

Coronary computed tomography angiography based assessment of endothelial shear stress and its association with atherosclerotic plaque distribution in-vivo.

Purpose: The relationship between low endothelial shear stress (ESS) and coronary atherosclerosis is well established. ESS assessment so far depended on invasive procedures. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the relationship between ESS and coronary atherosclerosis by using non-invasive coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) for computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations.

Molecular imaging in cardiovascular diseases.

Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in industrialized and developing countries. In clinical practice, the in-vivo identification of atherosclerotic lesions, which can lead to complications such as heart attack or stroke, remains difficult. Imaging techniques provide the reference standard for the detection of clinically significant atherosclerotic changes in the coronary and carotid arteries.

Differences of two cryoballoon generations: insights from the prospective multicentre, multinational FREEZE Cohort Substudy.

Aims: Cryoballoon (CB) ablation with the second-generation cryoballoon (CBG2) seems to be more effective than its predecessor [first-generation cryoballoon (CBG1)], but phrenic nerve palsies were observed more frequently. The aim of this study was to compare the safety and efficacy of CBG1 and CBG2 in a substudy of the prospective multicentre, multinational FREEZE Cohort Study.

Methods And Results: Periprocedural data were analysed, and a total of 532 patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) were examined (n = 224 for CBG1 and n = 308 for CBG2).

In vivo assessment of aortic aneurysm wall integrity using elastin-specific molecular magnetic resonance imaging.

Background: The incidence of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) has increased during the last decades. However, there is still controversy about the management of medium-sized AAAs. Therefore, novel biomarkers, besides aneurysmal diameter, are needed to assess aortic wall integrity and risk of rupture.