Coronary artery calcium scoring with photon-counting CT: first in vivo human experience.

To evaluate the performance of photon-counting detector (PCD) computed tomography (CT) for coronary artery calcium (CAC) score imaging at standard and reduced radiation doses compared to conventional energy-integrating detector (EID) CT. A dedicated cardiac CT phantom, ten ex vivo human hearts, and ten asymptomatic volunteers underwent matched EID and PCD CT scans at different dose settings without ECG gating. CAC score, contrast, and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were calculated in the cardiac CT phantom.

Quarter-millimeter spectral coronary stent imaging with photon-counting CT: Initial experience.

Purpose: To evaluate the performance and clinical feasibility of 0.25 mm resolution mode of a dual-energy photon-counting detector (PCD) computed tomography (CT) system for coronary stent imaging and to compare the results to state-of-the-art dual-energy energy-integrating detector (EID) CT.

Materials And Methods: Coronary stents with different diameters (2.

Optimized energy of spectral coronary CT angiography for coronary plaque detection and quantification.

Background: To optimize spectral coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) for quantification of coronary artery plaque components.

Materials And Methods: Fifty-one subjects were prospectively enrolled (88.2% male) (NCT02740699).

Three-Dimensional Volumetric Assessment of Diastolic Function by Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).

Background:: Cardiac Magnetic Resonance is in need of a simple and robust method for diastolic function assessment that can be done with routine protocol sequences.

Objective:: To develop and validate a three-dimensional (3D) model-based volumetric assessment of diastolic function using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging and compare the results obtained with the model with those obtained by echocardiography.

Methods:: The study participants provided written informed consent and were included if having undergone both echocardiography and cine steady-state free precession (SSFP) CMR on the same day.

Automatic high-resolution infarct detection using volumetric multiphase dual-energy CT.

Objectives: Late contrast enhancement CT (LCE-CT) visualizes the presence of myocardial infarcts. Differentiation of the contrast-enhanced infarct from blood pool is challenging. We developed a novel method using data from first pass CT angiography (CTA) imaging to enable automatic infarct detection.

Optimized energy of spectral CT for infarct imaging: Experimental validation with human validation.

Objectives: Late contrast enhancement visualizes myocardial infarction, but the contrast to noise ratio (CNR) is low using conventional CT. The aim of this study was to determine if spectral CT can improve imaging of myocardial infarction.

Materials And Methods: A canine model of myocardial infarction was produced in 8 animals (90-min occlusion, reperfusion).

Part 1 - Coronary angiography with gadofosveset trisodium: a prospective feasibility study evaluating injection techniques for steady-state imaging.

Background: The purpose of this study was to define an optimal injection protocol for 5-10 min duration navigator-based coronary MR angiography using an intravascular gadolinium-based contrast agent (GBCA), which is better suited for steady-state coronary MR angiography than conventional GBCAs.

Methods: Using projections from pharmacokinetic models of the intravascular concentration of gadofosveset, a dual-injection protocol was formulated and tested on 14 healthy human subjects. Modified Look-Locker inversion recovery (MOLLI) sequences were used for T1 mapping at 3 Tesla to evaluate the concentration of tracer in the aorta over the scanning interval.

Right ventricular strain by MR quantitatively identifies regional dysfunction in patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy.

Background: Analysis of regional wall motion of the right ventricle (RV) is primarily qualitative with large interobserver variation in clinical practice. Thus, the purpose of this study was to use feature tracking to analyze regional wall motion abnormalities in patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC).

Methods: We enrolled 110 subjects (39 overt ARVC [mutation+/phenotype+] (35.

Beyond Coronary Stenosis: Coronary Computed Tomographic Angiography for the Assessment of Atherosclerotic Plaque Burden.

Coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) is emerging as a key non-invasive method for assessing cardiovascular risk by measurement of coronary stenosis and coronary artery calcium (CAC). New advancements in CCTA technology have led to the ability to directly identify and quantify the so-called "vulnerable" plaques that have features of positive remodeling and low density components. In addition, CCTA presents a new opportunity for noninvasive measurement of total coronary plaque burden that has not previously been available.

Gadolinium-enhanced cardiovascular magnetic resonance: administered dose in relationship to United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines.

Purpose: Myocardial late gadolinium enhancement was originally validated using higher than label-recommended doses of gadolinium chelate. The objective of this study was to evaluate available evidence for various gadolinium dosing regimens used for CMR. The relationship of gadolinium dose warnings (due to nephrogenic systemic fibrosis) announced in 2008 to gadolinium dosing regimens was also examined.

Myocardial T1 mapping with MRI: comparison of look-locker and MOLLI sequences.

Purpose: To evaluate the relationship between "Look-Locker" (LL) and modified Look-Locker Inversion recovery (MOLLI) approaches for T1 mapping of the myocardium.

Materials And Methods: A total of 168 myocardial T1 maps using MOLLI and 165 maps using LL were obtained in human subjects at 1.5 Tesla.