A comparative study on the quality of in vivo labeled red blood cell radionuclide ventriculography images employing different freeze-dried reagents.

Radionuclide ventriculography or Multi Gated Acquisition (MUGA) employing [ 99m Tc]Technetium red blood cell (RBC) labeling is considered the gold standard for cardiotoxicity assessments in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. This in-vivo RBC labeling technique involves the reduction of [ 99m Tc]Technetium by the stannous chloride present in freeze-dried reagent kits, with the pyrophosphate kit (PYP) being the most employed for this purpose. The literature, however, describes diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) as an alternative to PYP, although a lack of comparative data from MUGA images between both reagents is noted. A retrospective cross-sectional observational study was conducted at the Brazilian National Cancer Institute Nuclear Medicine Service concerning 80 randomized MUGA images, 20 obtained employing DTPA between 2020 and 2023 and 60 obtained employing PYP between 2017 and 2020, applying the mean count per pixel (ct/pixel) and heart background (C/F) ratios as quality image indicators. Although the heart ct/pixel ratio was statistically lower in the DTPA images compared with PYP ( P  = 0.02), the C/F ratio was statistically similar when comparing both radiopharmaceuticals ( P  = 0.697). A semi-quantitative analysis of MUGA images obtained with DTPA and PYP indicates similar image quality, supporting the use of DTPA as an alternative to PYP without compromising diagnostic interpretations.

Beta-blockers and mechanical dyssynchrony in heart failure assessed by radionuclide ventriculography.

BACKGROUND: Radionuclide ventriculography (RNVG) can be used to quantify mechanical dyssynchrony and may be a valuable adjunct in the assessment of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). The study aims to investigate the effect of beta-blockers on mechanical dyssynchrony using novel RNVG phase parameters. METHODS: A retrospective study was carried out in a group of 98 patients with HFrEF. LVEF and dyssynchrony were assessed pre and post beta-blockade. Dyssynchrony was assessed using synchrony, entropy, phase standard deviation, approximate entropy, and sample entropy from planar RNVG phase images. Subgroups split by ischemic etiology were also investigated. RESULTS: An improvement in dyssynchrony and LVEF was measured six months post beta-blockade for both ischemic and non-ischemic groups. CONCLUSIONS: A significant improvement in dyssynchrony and LVEF was measured post beta-blockade using novel measures of dyssynchrony.

Radionuclide ventriculography phase analysis for risk stratification of patients undergoing cardiotoxic cancer therapy.

BACKGROUND: Accurate diagnostic tools to identify patients at risk of cancer therapy-related cardiac dysfunction (CTRCD) are critical. For patients undergoing cardiotoxic cancer therapy, ejection fraction assessment using radionuclide ventriculography (RNVG) is commonly used for serial assessment of left ventricular (LV) function. METHODS: In this retrospective study, approximate entropy (ApEn), synchrony, entropy, and standard deviation from the phase histogram (phase SD) were investigated as potential early markers of LV dysfunction to predict CTRCD. These phase parameters were calculated from the baseline RNVG phase image for 177 breast cancer patients before commencing cardiotoxic therapy. RESULTS: Of the 177 patients, 11 had a decline in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of over 10% to an LVEF below 50% after treatment had commenced. This patient group had a significantly higher ApEn at baseline to those who maintained a normal LVEF throughout treatment. Of the parameters investigated, ApEn was superior for predicting the risk of CTRCD. Combining ApEn with the baseline LVEF further improved the discrimination between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that RNVG phase analysis using approximate entropy may aid in the detection of sub-clinical LV contraction abnormalities, not detectable by baseline LVEF measurement, predicting a subsequent decline in LVEF.

Usefulness of right ventriculography compared with computed tomography for ruling out the possibility of lead perforation before lead extraction.

PURPOSE: High-risk patients can be identified by preprocedural computed tomography (CT) before lead extraction. However, CT evaluation may be difficult especially for lead tip identification due to artifacts in the leads. Selective right ventriculography (RVG) may enable preprocedural evaluation of lead perforation. We investigated the efficacy of RVG for identifying right ventricular (RV) lead perforation compared with CT in patients who underwent lead extraction. METHODS: Ninety-five consecutive patients who were examined by thin-section non-ECG-gated multidetector CT and RVG before lead extraction were investigated retrospectively. Newly recognized pericardial effusion after lead extraction was used as a reference standard for lead perforation. We analyzed the prevalence of RV lead perforation diagnosed by each method. The difference in the detection rates of lead perforation by RVG and CT was evaluated. RESULTS: Of the 115 RV leads in the 95 patients, lead perforation was diagnosed for 35 leads using CT, but the leads for 29 (83%) of those 35 leads diagnosed as lead perforation by CT were shown to be within the right ventricle by RVG. Three patients with 5 leads could not be evaluated by CT due to motion artifacts. The diagnostic accuracies of RVG and CT were significantly different (p < 0.001). There was no complication of pericardial effusion caused by RV lead extraction. CONCLUSION: RVG for identification of RV lead perforation leads to fewer false-positives compared to non-ECG-gated CT. However, even in cases in which lead perforation is diagnosed, most leads may be safely extracted by transvenous lead extraction.

Takotsubo syndrome associated with autoimmune limbic encephalitis: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Central nervous system diseases are common triggers of Takotsubo syndrome. We herein report a rare case of Takotsubo syndrome associated with autoimmune limbic encephalitis. CASE PRESENTATION: A 68-year-old Japanese woman presented to our emergency room with disturbed consciousness. At admission, she showed hypoxemia. Left ventriculography showed akinesia in the middle part of the left ventricle and hyperkinesia in the apical and basal parts of the left ventricle, and the diagnosis of midventricular Takotsubo syndrome was established. However, after an improvement in disturbed consciousness and Takotsubo syndrome symptoms, her brother noticed something wrong with her behavior during his visit to the hospital. Subsequently, we consulted the neurology department 1 week after admission. Her brother revealed a history of abnormal behavior by the patient (such as mistaken entry in the wrong apartment in her building or in another person's car) a few days prior to the onset of disturbed consciousness, suggesting disorientation of place. Brain magnetic resonance imaging showed an increased signal in the medial aspect of the temporal lobes, which was most clearly observed on the fluid-attenuated inversion recovery sequence; additionally, a cerebrospinal fluid analysis revealed mild lymphocytic pleocytosis. Finally, we established a diagnosis of midventricular Takotsubo syndrome associated with autoimmune limbic encephalitis. CONCLUSIONS: It is presumed that the dysfunction of limbic system due to autonomic limbic encephalopathy is associated with exaggerated sympathetic stimulation. This likely resulted in Takotsubo syndrome in our patient.

Ventricular arrhythmias in Takotsubo Syndrome: incidence, predictors and clinical outcomes.

AIMS: To investigate predictors of the occurrence of subacute ventricular arrhythmias (VAs), defined as any VAs presenting after 48 h from admission in patients with Takotsubo Syndrome (TTS), and to evaluate the related in-hospital mortality. METHODS: This is a retrospective single-center study enrolling patients admitted between 2012 and 2017 with TTS according to International Takotsubo diagnostic criteria. Data collection included ECG on admission and at 48 h, telemetry monitoring and transthoracic echocardiogram. RESULTS: We enrolled 93 patients; during in-hospital stay (mean 14 ±â€Š16 days) subacute VAs occurred in 25% of patients (VAs group). Life-threatening VAs occurred in 6% of patients (3 sustained ventricular tachycardia, 1 torsade de pointes, 1 ventricular fibrillation) and not life-threatening VAs in 19% (6 non-sustained ventricular tachycardia and 12 premature ventricular contractions > 2000 in 24 h). Mortality was higher in the VAs than in the non-VAs group (P = 0.03), without differences in terms of life-threatening and not life-threatening subacute VAs (P = 0.65) and VAs on admission (P = 0.25). Logistic regression identified the following independent predictors of subacute VAs occurrence: VAs on admission {odds ratio [OR] 22.5 (3.9-131.8), P = 0.001]}, New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III-IV on admission [OR 6.7 (1.3- 34.0), P = 0.021] and QTc at 48 h [OR 1.01 (1.00-1.03), P = 0.046]. CONCLUSION: TTS patients with VAs and NYHA class III-IV on admission and higher QTc at 48 h are at increased risk of subacute VAs occurrence, associated with higher in-hospital mortality. Awareness of this potential complication is critical for proper patients management.

New Hybrid Method for Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction Assessment from Radionuclide Ventriculography Images.

BACKGROUND: In this paper, we propose a new efficient method of radionuclide ventriculography image segmentation to estimate the left ventricular ejection fraction. This parameter is an important prognostic factor for diagnosing abnormal cardiac function. METHODS: The proposed method combines the Chan-Vese and the mathematical morphology algorithms. It was applied to diastolic and systolic images obtained from the Nuclear Medicine Department of Salah AZAIEZ Institute. In order to validate our proposed method, we compare the obtained results to those of two methods present in the literature. The first one is based on mathematical morphology, while the second one uses the basic Chan-Vese algorithm. To evaluate the quality of segmentation, we compute accuracy, positive predictive value and area under the ROC curve. We also compare the left ventricle ejection fraction estimated by our method to that of the reference given by the software of the gamma-camera and validated by the expert, using Pearson's correlation coefficient, ANOVA test and linear regression. RESULTS: Static results show that the proposed method is very efficient for the detection of the left ventricle. The accuracy was 98.60%, higher than that of the other two methods (95.52% and 98.50%). CONCLUSION: Likewise, the positive predictive value was the highest (86.40% vs. 83.63% 71.82%). The area under the ROC curve was also the most important (0.998% vs. 0.926% 0.919%). On the other hand, Pearson's correlation coefficient was the highest (99% vs. 98% 37%). The correlation was significantly positive (p<0.001).

Value of circulating miRNA-21 in the diagnosis of subclinical diabetic cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a type of cardiac dysfunction that affects approximately 12% of diabetic patients, ultimately leading to heart failure or even death. However, there is currently no efficient or specific biomarker for DCM diagnosis. METHODS: A total of 266 subjects with type II diabetes (T2DM) were enrolled in this study and were divided into the T2DM with cardiac dysfunction (DCM) group and T2DM without cardiac dysfunction (non-DCM) group. The diagnostic efficacy of miR-21 was determined and compared with that of serum hemoglobin A1c% (HbA1c%). Db/db mice and H9c2 cells stimulated with high glucose (HG)/high fatty acid (PA) were used as in vivo and in vitro models of DCM, respectively. RESULTS: Through echocardiography and gated-myocardial perfusion imaging (gated-MPI), 49 patients were selected to be enrolled in the DCM group, with 49 matched controls in the non-DCM group. The circulating miR-21 levels were significantly decreased in the DCM group compared to the non-DCM group (P < 0.001). The diagnostic efficiency of miR-21 (area under the curve AUC = 0.899) was higher than that of other parameters, including HbA1c%. Moreover, when miR-21 was combined with the duration of diabetes, HbA1c%, and lipid profiles, the AUC was the highest (AUC = 0.939) and had the highest diagnostic efficiency. Furthermore, overexpression of miR-21 improved the impaired mitochondrial biogenesis and decreased the cardiomyocyte apoptosis induced by HG/PA, while inhibition of miR-21 exerted the opposite effects. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings identify circulating miR-21 as a novel biomarker in the diagnosis of DCM and provide an underlying mechanism for miRNA-based therapy for the treatment of DCM. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University and has been registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR1900027080).

Left Ventricular Noncompaction: A Rare Cause of Effort Angina Unveiled During Left Heart Catheterization.

Effort angina is an under-appreciated presentation of left ventricular non-compaction that frequently leads to a late diagnosis. Cardiac ventriculography can assist in this diagnosis.

Mid-Ventricular Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy with Hawk's Beak Appearance: A Case Report.

BACKGROUND Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is a myocardial infarction-like clinical entity commonly occurring after a stressful incident, leading to reversible systolic dysfunction. It involves several subtypes, most often associated with a good prognosis; however, a late diagnosis can contribute to a poor cardiovascular outcome. CASE REPORT We report an unusual case of mid-ventricular takotsubo cardiomyopathy in a 76-year-old woman who presented with recent-onset shortness of breath and compressive chest pain, typically characterized by a hawk's beak shape on left ventriculogram, highlighting the importance of this helpful descriptive but little-known fluoroscopic sign. The final diagnosis was made using transthoracic echocardiography, contrast-enhanced pulmonary angiography, coronary angiography, and left ventriculography. She was successfully treated by beta-blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, with a good clinical outcome evaluated at 3-month follow-up after hospital discharge. CONCLUSIONS Ventriculography is an important tool for use in making the differential diagnosis in patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome without obstructive coronary artery disease. The hawk's beak shape is an early fluoroscopic diagnostic marker characterizing the mid-ventricular subtype of takotsubo.

Transcatheter Closure of Perimembranous Ventricular Septal Defect with Aneurysm: Radiologic Characteristic and Interventional Strategy.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to explore the radiologic characteristics and interventional strategies for perimembranous ventricular septal defect (pmVSD) with aneurysm. METHODS: 257 patients who underwent transcatheter closure of pmVSD with aneurysm were included in our study. We retrospectively reviewed the left ventricular opening of the aneurysm (a), diameter of the midsegment of the aneurysm (b), and diameter of the right ventricular opening of the aneurysm (c). If there were multiple defects within the aneurysm, the largest defect was denoted as c 1 and so forth. We developed a novel VSD classification method in which pmVSD with aneurysm was classified into three types (A, B, and C). When a >b ≥ c, it was classified as type A, when b > a ≥ c, it was type B, and when c > a ≥ b, it was type C; c/c 1 described the relationship among defects. RESULTS: All of the 257 cases of pmVSD with aneurysm were defined using left ventriculography: type A, 60, type B, 58, and type C, 139. Transcatheter closure was attempted in 244 patients and succeeded in 227 cases (success rate was 93.0%; 227/244). Forty symmetric VSD occluders and 13 asymmetric VSD occluders were used for type A aneurysm occlusion; 31 symmetric VSD occluders, 19 asymmetric VSD occluders, and one Amplatzer duct occluder II (ADOII) were used for type B; 59 VSD symmetric occluders, 59 asymmetric VSD occluders, three eccentric VSD occluders, and two ADOII were used for type C. Within 24 hours after procedure, 2.2% patients had postprocedural residual shunt, and 2.2% experienced malignant arrhythmia (including type II second-degree AVB, cAVB, and CLBBB). Two hundred and twelve patients completed follow-up (93%, 212/227). No new severe complications were reported during follow-up, except in one patient who underwent surgery (removal of the device, VSD repair, and tricuspid valvuloplasty) due to severe postprocedural tricuspid regurgitation. CONCLUSIONS: It is safe and effective to apply this method for the classification of pmVSD with aneurysm and its interventional strategy.

Intraventricular Thrombus Formation and Embolism in Takotsubo Syndrome: Insights From the International Takotsubo Registry.

OBJECTIVE: Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is characterized by acute left ventricular dysfunction, which can contribute to intraventricular thrombus and embolism. Still, prevalence and clinical impact of thrombus formation and embolic events on outcome of TTS patients remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate clinical features and outcomes of patients with and without intraventricular thrombus or embolism. Additionally, factors associated with thrombus formation or embolism, as well as predictors for mortality, were identified. Approach and Results: TTS patients enrolled in the International Takotsubo Registry at 28 centers in Australia, Europe, and the United States were dichotomized according to the occurrence/absence of intraventricular thrombus or embolism. Patients with intraventricular thrombus or embolism were defined as the ThrombEmb group. Of 1676 TTS patients, 56 (3.3%) patients developed intraventricular thrombus and/or embolism following TTS diagnosis (median time interval, 2.0 days [range, 0-38 days]). Patients in the ThrombEmb group had a different clinical profile including lower left ventricular ejection fraction, higher prevalence of the apical type, elevated levels of troponin and inflammatory markers, and higher prevalence of vascular disease. In a Firth bias-reduced penalized-likelihood logistic regression model apical type, left ventricular ejection fraction ≤30%, previous vascular disease, and a white blood cell count on admission >10×103 cells/µL emerged as independent predictors for thrombus formation or embolism. CONCLUSIONS: Intraventricular thrombus or embolism occur in 3.3% of patients in the acute phase of TTS. A simple risk score including clinical parameters associated with intraventricular thrombus formation or embolism identifies patients at increased risk. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01947621.

Association between plasma B-type natriuretic peptide and anaemia in heart failure with or without ischaemic heart disease: a retrospective study.

OBJECTIVES: Anaemia is a risk of worsening heart failure. However, anaemia sometimes remains undetected because the superficial cardiac function does not precisely reflect the adverse impact of anaemia. Plasma B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) could be helpful in these cases. However, the direct anaemic effects on BNP remain unknown. Herein, we compared the direct effect of anaemia on BNP and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) using an advanced statistical procedure. DESIGN: A retrospective study. SETTING: Secondary care (cardiology), single-centre study. PARTICIPANTS: The study consisted of 3756 inpatients, including 684 without ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and 3072 with IHD. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Relationship between plasma BNP levels and LVEF values. RESULTS: A path model was constructed to simultaneously examine the adverse impact of anaemia on LVEF and plasma BNP, allowing for renal function. The path model revealed that LVEF increased in response to low haemoglobin (Hb), and the phenomenon was prominent in non-IHD (standardised regression coefficients (St.ß): -0.264, p<0.001) rather than in IHD (St.ß: 0.015, p=0.531). However, the response of BNP was commonly observed in both groups (non-IHD St.ß: -0.238, IHD St.ß: -0.398, p<0.001, respectively). Additionally, this study showed a direct link between low estimated glomerular filtration rate and high BNP independently of LVEF. Incrementally, Bayesian structural equation modelling in covariance structure analysis clearly supported this result. The scatter plots and simple regression analysis revealed that an adequate blood supply was approximately Hb 110 g/L and over in the non-IHD patients, whereas blood was not supplied in sufficient quantities even by Hb 130 g/L in patients with IHD. CONCLUSION: The current study demonstrated that anaemia was a substantial risk for worsening cardiac overload as estimated by plasma BNP. The anaemic response of LVEF likely changed depending on underlying cardiac disorders (IHD or not). However, the response of BNP was robustly observed.

Multiple congenital ventricular diverticula causing heart failure.

This paper reports a case of multiple congenital ventricular diverticula, a rare anomaly that is associated with heart failure.