Variations in threshold values for border zone and dense scar produce significant changes in scar parameters obtained by ADAS-3D.

Background: ADAS-3D software elaborates cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) images to obtain a quantitative evaluation of dense scar and border zone (BZ), including BZ channels, which can be useful for ventricular tachycardia ablation and risk stratification. However, most prior reports with ADAS-3D used flexible thresholds (60% ± 5% and 40% ± 5% of maximum pixel signal intensity) to define dense scar and BZ. The impact of such variations of the threshold values on the measurements obtained with ADAS-3D is unknown.

Impact of Cardiac Magnetic Resonance to Arrhythmic Risk Stratification in Nonischemic Cardiomyopathy.

Left ventricular ejection fraction-based arrhythmic risk stratification in nonischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM) is insufficient and has led to the failure of primary prevention implantable cardioverter defibrillator trials, mainly due to the inability of selecting patients at high risk for sudden cardiac death (SCD). Cardiac magnetic resonance offers unique opportunities for tissue characterization and has gained a central role in arrhythmic risk stratification in NICM. The presence of myocardial scar, denoted by late gadolinium enhancement, is a significant, independent, and strong predictor of ventricular arrhythmias and SCD with high negative predictive value.

Ventricular Arrhythmias and Sudden Death in Nonischemic Dilated Cardiomyopathy: Matter of Sex or Scar?

Background: To evaluate the association between sex and ventricular arrhythmias (VA) or sudden death (SD) in nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy, including analysis of potential confounders.

Methods And Results: Retrospective cohort study of consecutive patients with DCM referred for cardiac magnetic resonance at 2 tertiary hospitals. The primary combined end point encompassed sustained VA, appropriate implantable cardioverter defibrillator therapies, resuscitated cardiac arrest, and SD.

Improved prediction of electrical storm in patients with prior myocardial infarction and implantable cardioverter defibrillator.

Aims: To evaluate predictors of electrical storm (ES), including chronic total occlusion in an infarct-related coronary artery (infarct-related artery CTO, IRACTO), in a cohort of patients with prior myocardial infarction (MI) and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICD).

Methods: Multicenter observational cohort study including 643 consecutive patients with prior MI and a first ICD implanted between 2005 and 2018 at three tertiary hospitals. All the patients included in the study had undergone a diagnostic coronary angiography before ICD implantation.

Improved Risk Stratification for Ventricular Arrhythmias and Sudden Death in Patients With Nonischemic Dilated Cardiomyopathy.

Background: Risk stratification for ventricular arrhythmias (VA) and sudden death in nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) remains suboptimal.

Objectives: The goal of this study was to provide an improved risk stratification algorithm for VA and sudden death in DCM.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of consecutive patients with DCM who underwent cardiac magnetic resonance with late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) at 2 tertiary referral centers.