Image Quality of Cardiac Silicon Photomultiplier PET/CT Using an Infant Phantom of Extremely Low Birth Weight.

The lack of pediatrics-specific equipment for nuclear medicine imaging has resulted in insufficient diagnostic information for newborns, especially low-birth-weight infants. Although PET offers high spatial resolution and low radiation exposure, its use in newborns is limited. This study investigated the feasibility of cardiac PET imaging using the latest silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) PET technology in infants of extremely low birth weight (ELBW) using a phantom model. Methods: The study used a phantom model representing a 500-g ELBW infant with brain, cardiac, liver, and lung tissues. The cardiac tissue included a 3-mm-thick defect mimicking myocardial infarction. Organ tracer concentrations were calculated assuming 18F-FDG myocardial viability scans and 18F-flurpiridaz myocardial perfusion scans and were added to the phantom organs. Imaging was performed using an SiPM PET/CT scanner with a 5-min acquisition. The data acquired in list mode were reconstructed using 3-dimensional ordered-subsets expectation maximization with varying iterations. Image evaluation was based on the depiction of the myocardial defect compared with normal myocardial accumulation. Results: Increasing the number of iterations improved the contrast of the myocardial defect for both tracers, with 18F-flurpiridaz showing higher contrast than 18F-FDG. However, even at 50 iterations, both tracers overestimated the defect accumulation. A bull's-eye image can display the flow metabolism mismatch using images from both tracers. Conclusion: SiPM PET enabled cardiac PET imaging in a 500-g ELBW phantom with a 1-g heart. However, there were limitations in adequately depicting these defects. Considering the image quality and defect contrast,18F-flurpiridaz appears more desirable than 18F-FDG if only one of the two can be used.

Effect of Luseogliflozin on Myocardial Flow Reserve in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (LUCENT-J Study).

INTRODUCTION: In patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D), treatment with sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors has been shown to reduce hospital admission rates for heart failure (HF). However, the multiple mechanisms hypothesized and investigated to explain the cardioprotection of SGLT2 inhibitors are not fully understood. OBJECTIVES: The effect of luseogliflozin on myocardial flow reserve (MFR) in patients with T2D (LUCENT-J) study aims to examine the effects of SGLT2 inhibitors on myocardial perfusion. METHODS: The LUCENT-J study is a prospective, single-center, randomized, two-arm, parallel-group, open-label (i.e., the radiology readers are blinded), active-controlled study. A cohort of 40 patients with T2D with no or stable (with no history of myocardial infarction and with or without previous percutaneous coronary intervention) coronary artery disease will be included. Patients will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to luseogliflozin or control and treated for 24 weeks. The primary outcome is the change in MFR, as measured by 13N-ammonia positron emission tomography/computed tomography, from baseline to 24 weeks after treatment initiation. PLANNED OUTCOMES: The LUCENT-J study will elucidate the mechanisms of cardioprotection by SGLT2 inhibitors in patients with T2D. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Japan Registry of Clinical Trials (JRCTs051220016).

Transthyretin derived amyloid deposits in the atrium and the aortic valve: insights from multimodality evaluations and mid-term follow up.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have reported atrial involvement and coexistence of aortic stenosis in transthyretin (ATTR) cardiac amyloidosis (CA). However, pathological reports of extraventricular ATTR amyloid deposits in atrial structures or heart valves are limited, and the clinical implications of ATTR amyloid deposits outside the ventricles are not fully elucidated. CASE PRESENTATION: We report 3 cases of extraventricular ATTR amyloid deposits confirmed in surgically resected aortic valves and left atrial structures, all of which were unlikely to have significant ATTR amyloidosis infiltrating the ventricles as determined by multimodality evaluation including 99mtechnetium-pyrophosphate scintigraphy, cardiac magnetic resonance, endomyocardial biopsy and their mid-term clinical course up to 5 years. These findings suggested that these were extraventricular ATTR amyloid deposits localized in the aortic valve and the left atrium. CONCLUSIONS: While long-term observation is required to fully clarify whether these extraventricular ATTR amyloid deposits are truly localized outside the ventricles or are early stages of ATTR-CA infiltrating the ventricles, our 3 cases with multimodality evaluations and mid-term follow up suggest the existence of extraventricular ATTR amyloid deposits localized in the aortic valve and left atrial structures.

Lung-to-heart ratio analysis using virtual planar images obtained from myocardial perfusion SPECT data: A phantom and clinical studies.

BACKGROUNDS: The lung-to-heart ratio (L/H ratio) in myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS) is a useful marker that complements the sensitivity of ischemia detection. However, it requires planar imaging acquired following a separate protocol in addition to single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). We developed a novel method for constructing virtual planar image (VPI) from SPECT data. METHODS: Myocardial phantoms using Tl-201 were built with different amounts of radioactivity in the lungs. SPECT data and conventional planar images of these phantoms were collected with an Anger-type gamma camera. VPIs were constructed by adding all coronal images reconstructed from SPECT data. The clinical utility of VPIs obtained from 52 patients who underwent MPS with Tc-99m sestamibi was evaluated. RESULTS: The radioactivity linearity of VPIs was satisfactory, with a correlation coefficient of r ≥ .99 between the measured amounts of radioactivity and image counts. The L/H ratios obtained from VPI analysis were strongly correlated with those of conventional planar images with a correlation coefficient of r ≥ .99 in the phantom study and r = .929 in clinical application. CONCLUSION: The accuracy of VPI-based L/H ratio analysis was comparable to that of conventional planar image-based analysis. VPIs could be used as an alternative method of obtaining planar images in clinical settings.

Optimization of null point in Look-Locker images for myocardial late gadolinium enhancement imaging using deep learning and a smartphone.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the optimal inversion time (TI) from Look-Locker scout images using a convolutional neural network (CNN) and to investigate the feasibility of correcting TI using a smartphone. METHODS: In this retrospective study, TI-scout images were extracted using a Look-Locker approach from 1113 consecutive cardiac MR examinations performed between 2017 and 2020 with myocardial late gadolinium enhancement. Reference TI null points were independently determined visually by an experienced radiologist and an experienced cardiologist, and quantitatively measured. A CNN was developed to evaluate deviation of TI from the null point and then implemented in PC and smartphone applications. Images on 4 K or 3-megapixel monitors were captured by a smartphone, and CNN performance on each monitor was determined. Optimal, undercorrection, and overcorrection rates using deep learning on the PC and smartphone were calculated. For patient analysis, TI category differences in pre- and post-correction were evaluated using the TI null point used in late gadolinium enhancement imaging. RESULTS: For PC, 96.4% (772/749) of images were classified as optimal, with under- and overcorrection rates of 1.2% (9/749) and 2.4% (18/749), respectively. For 4 K images, 93.5% (700/749) of images were classified as optimal, with under- and overcorrection rates of 3.9% (29/749) and 2.7% (20/749), respectively. For 3-megapixel images, 89.6% (671/749) of images were classified as optimal, with under- and overcorrection rates of 3.3% (25/749) and 7.0% (53/749), respectively. On patient-based evaluations, subjects classified as within optimal range increased from 72.0% (77/107) to 91.6% (98/107) using the CNN. CONCLUSIONS: Optimizing TI on Look-Locker images was feasible using deep learning and a smartphone. KEY POINTS: • A deep learning model corrected TI-scout images to within optimal null point for LGE imaging. • By capturing the TI-scout image on the monitor with a smartphone, the deviation of the TI from the null point can be immediately determined. • Using this model, TI null points can be set to the same degree as that by an experienced radiological technologist.

Multimodality assessments of wild-type transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis with no ventricular hypertrophy.

While patients with transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR-CA) typically present with concentric or asymmetric hypertrophy, a small percentage of ATTR-CA is known to present with 'atypical' cardiac morphologies such as eccentric hypertrophy or even no hypertrophy. However, detailed report of multimodality assessments of ATTR-CA with no ventricular hypertrophy is lacking. Herein, we report detailed multimodality assessments of an 81-year-old Japanese woman with heart failure and history of carpal tunnel syndrome and lumbar canal stenosis, presenting no ventricular hypertrophy and negative 99m technetium-pyrophosphate scintigraphy, who was eventually diagnosed as having wild-type ATTR-CA. Our case highlights the role of multimodality assessments for early diagnosis of ATTR-CA in patients with atypical cardiac morphologies and also emphasizes the limitations of bone scintigraphy and the importance of considering ATTR-CA in patients with non-cardiac manifestations of ATTR amyloidosis.

Clinical Outcomes of Radiologic Relapse in Patients With Cardiac Sarcoidosis Under Immunosuppressive Therapies.

Although nuclear imaging can detect cardiac involvement of cardiac sarcoidosis (CS), including subclinical states, little is known about the prevalence and outcomes of radiologic relapse under prednisolone (PSL) therapy. This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics and outcomes in patients with radiologic relapse. A total of 80 consecutive patients with CS whose disease activity on nuclear imaging decreased at least once after initiation of immunosuppressive therapy were identified through a retrospective chart review. Radiologic relapse of CS was diagnosed using 18F-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography or gallium-67 scintigraphy. Composite adverse events were defined as at least 1 of the following: all-cause death, hospitalization for heart failure, or lethal arrhythmia. During the follow-up period (median 2.9 years), radiologic relapse was observed in 31 patients (38.8% of overall patients) at 30 months (median) after immunosuppressive therapy initiation. After radiologic relapse was detected, all patients were treated with intensified immunosuppressive therapies (increasing PSL, n = 26 [83.9%], adding other immunosuppressive therapies to PSL, n = 5 [16.1%]). There were no differences in occurrences of composite adverse events in patients with and patients without radiologic relapse. Radiologic relapse under immunosuppressive therapy was observed in many patients with CS, but it was not associated with clinical outcomes under intensified immunosuppressive therapy.

Patient positioning during pediatric cardiothoracic computed tomography using a high-resilience pad system and pre-scan measurement of chest thickness.

Patient positioning at the isocenter of the CT gantry is important for optimizing image quality and radiation dose, but accurate positioning is challenging in pediatric patients. We evaluated whether the high-resilience pad and pre-scan measurement of chest thickness allow accurate positioning in pediatric patients with congenital heart disease. Sixty-seven patients aged 7 years or younger who underwent cardiothoracic CT were enrolled. The ideal table height, defined as the position at which the scanner's and patient's isocenters coincided, was determined by radiographers either manually (manual group) or based on the pad's and chest's thickness (calculated group). The distance between the two isocenters and image quality were evaluated. The calculated group demonstrated smaller isocenter distance and standard deviation (distance: 0.2 ± 5.8 mm vs. - 8.3 ± 11.6 mm, p < 0.01; absolute value: 4.1 [1.9-8.0] mm vs. 12.3 [5.1-16.3] mm, p < 0.01), and higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and dose-normalized SNR (SNRD) in the descending aorta than the manual group (SNR: 39.8 [31.0-53.7] vs. 31.9 [28.9-36.6], p = 0.048, SNRD: 39.8 [31.0-53.7] vs. 31.9 [28.9-36.6], p = 0.04). The system allowed for more accurate positioning in pediatric cardiothoracic CT, yielding higher image quality.

Extrapulmonary sarcoidosis involving only the heart and guts: a case report.

Background: The respiratory tract is the most commonly affected organ system in sarcoidosis. Purely extrapulmonary sarcoidosis is rare. There have been no reports of extrapulmonary sarcoidosis with lesions only in the heart and guts. Case summary: A 19-year-old male was admitted for chest symptoms accompanied by remarkably elevated troponin T and creatinine kinase levels. Electrocardiogram (ECG) showed sinus rhythm with a right bundle branch block, broad ST segment elevation, and abnormal Q waves. Endoscopic biopsy revealed granuloma formation in the transverse colon. Based on multimodal imaging, we made a clinical diagnosis of extrapulmonary sarcoidosis involving only the heart and guts. One year of immunosuppressive therapy with prednisolone resolved the inflammation in the guts but not in the heart. He experienced runs of sustained ventricular tachycardia with loss of consciousness and was admitted to our hospital again. The addition of methotrexate markedly reduced cardiac accumulation of fluorodeoxyglucose. No life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias have been recorded afterwards. Discussion: This unusual case of cardiac sarcoidosis not only involved rare lesions only in the heart and guts but also presented with ST elevation on ECG. This case suggests that the gastrointestinal tract is a site of effective antigen capture outside of the respiratory tract that can affect the heart.

Crizotinib for ROS1-rearranged lung cancer and pulmonary tumor thrombotic microangiopathy under venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Pulmonary tumor thrombotic microangiopathy (PTTM) is a rapidly progressive subtype of pulmonary hypertension (PH) associated with impaired right ventricular adaptation and very poor prognosis in cancer, and its rapid progression makes antemortem diagnosis and treatment extremely difficult. We describe the case of a 35-year-old woman who developed severe PH with subsequent circulatory collapse. The patient was clinically diagnosed with PTTM induced by lung adenocarcinoma harboring the c-ros oncogene 1 (ROS1) rearrangement within 1-2 weeks, while hemodynamics were stabilized by rescue venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support. Crizotinib, an oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor targeting anaplastic lymphoma kinase, MET, and ROS1 kinase domains dramatically resolved PH, resulting in more than 3 years of survival. Targeted gene-tailored therapy with mechanical support can improve survival in PTTM.

Image Quality of Submillimeter High-Spatial-Resolution 2D Late Gadolinium-enhanced Images in Cardiac MRI: A Feasibility Study.

Purpose: To evaluate the image quality of high-spatial-resolution two-dimensional (2D) late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) cardiac MRI compared with conventional normal-resolution LGE MRI. Materials and Methods: This prospective study included participants suspected of having cardiomyopathy who underwent cardiac MRI between March 2021 and December 2021. Normal-resolution and high-resolution 2D LGE sequences (inversion recovery [IR] and phase-sensitive inversion recovery [PSIR]) were performed at 3 T. Resolution was compared between normal-resolution and high-resolution images obtained in a quality assurance phantom. In vivo image quality and resolution were evaluated qualitatively using a five-point scoring system. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used for LGE detection performance. Border sharpness was assessed with profile curve measurement. The contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) between hyperenhancement and remote myocardium and LGE detection performance were calculated using normal-resolution IR images as the reference. Results: In total, 120 participants were evaluated (mean age, 56 years ± 17 [SD]; 72 men). Features smaller than 1 mm were detectable only on high-resolution images of the phantom. In vivo, the image resolution score with high-resolution LGE was 4.14-4.24, which was higher than the normal-resolution LGE reference score of 2.99 (P < .05). Border sharpness was higher in high-resolution images (P < .001). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed no evidence of a difference in LGE detection between normal-resolution and high-resolution images. There was also no evidence of a change in CNR of LGE in IR and PSIR magnitude compared with reference images. Conclusion: Comparison of image quality in 2D high-resolution and normal-resolution LGE cardiac MRI demonstrated the highest resolution for high-resolution IR and high-resolution PSIR magnitude sequences.Keywords: Cartilage Imaging, MRI, Cardiac, Heart, Imaging Sequences, Comparative Studies Supplemental material is available for this article. © RSNA, 2022.

Unusual Overlapping Cardiac Sarcoidosis and Long-QT Type 3 Induced Ventricular Fibrillation.

A 54-year-old woman had been resuscitated after ventricular fibrillation and her electrocardiogram showed a QT prolongation (QTc=510 ms), and genetic screening revealed a missense variant, R1644C, in the SCN5A gene. She was therefore diagnosed with congenital long-QT syndrome (LQTS) type 3. However, the patient had left ventricular dysfunction, and based on the findings of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography and pathological examinations, she was diagnosed with cardiac sarcoidosis. Although both are rare diseases, their overlapping presence in this case may have led to an increased cardiovascular risk compared with either alone. Thus, not only genetic but comprehensive clinical examinations are important for making a correct diagnosis.

Prognostic impact of multiple fragmented QRS on cardiac events in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.

AIMS: To evaluate the prognostic impact of fragmented QRS (fQRS) on idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). METHODS AND RESULTS: We conducted a prospective observational study of 290 consecutive patients with DCM (left ventricular ejection fraction ≤ 40%) and narrow QRS who underwent cardiac magnetic resonance. We defined fQRS as the presence of various RSR' patterns in ≥2 contiguous leads representing the anterior (V1-V5), inferior (II, III, and aVF), or lateral (I, aVL, and V6) myocardial segments. Multiple fQRS was defined as the presence of fQRS in ≥2 myocardial segments. Patients were divided into three groups: no fQRS, single fQRS, or multiple fQRS. The primary endpoint was a composite of hard cardiac events consisting of heart failure death, sudden cardiac death (SCD), or aborted SCD. The secondary endpoints were all-cause death and arrhythmic event. During a median follow-up of 3.8 years (interquartile range, 1.8-6.2), 31 (11%) patients experienced hard cardiac events. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the rates of hard cardiac events and all-cause death were similar in the single-fQRS and no-fQRS groups and higher in the multiple-fQRS group (P = 0.004 and P = 0.017, respectively). Multivariable Cox regression identified that multiple fQRS is a significant predictor of hard cardiac events (hazard ratio, 2.23; 95% confidence interval, 1.07-4.62; P = 0.032). The multiple-fQRS group had the highest prevalence of a diffuse late gadolinium enhancement pattern (no fQRS, 21%; single fQRS, 22%; multiple fQRS, 39%; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Multiple fQRS, but not single fQRS, is associated with future hard cardiac events in patients with DCM.

Prognosis and Clinical Characteristics of Dilated Cardiomyopathy With Family History via Pedigree Analysis.

BACKGROUND: The clinical characteristics and prognostic outcomes of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) with a familial history (FHx) via pedigree analysis are unclear.Methods and Results:We conducted a prospective observational study of 514 consecutive Japanese patients with DCM. FHx was defined as the presence of DCM in ≥1 family member within 2-degrees relative based on pedigree analysis. The primary endpoint was a composite of major cardiac events (sudden cardiac death and pump failure death). The prevalence of FHx was 7.4% (n=38). During a median follow-up of 3.6 years, 77 (15%) patients experienced a major cardiac event. Multivariable Cox regression analysis identified FHx as independently associated with major cardiac events (hazard ratio [HR] 4.32; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.04-9.19; P<0.001) compared with conventional risk factors such as age, QRS duration, and left ventricular volume. In the propensity score-matched cohort (n=38 each), the FHx group had a significantly higher incidence of major cardiac events (HR, 4.48; 95% CI, 1.25-16.13; P=0.022). In addition, the FHx group had a higher prevalence of a diffuse late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) pattern than the no-FHx group (32% vs. 17%, P=0.022). CONCLUSIONS: DCM patients with FHx had a worse prognosis, which was associated with a higher prevalence of a diffuse LGE pattern, than patients without FHx.

Assessing the Clinical Value of Myocardial Perfusion SPECT in Cardiac Sarcoidosis with Diffuse Myocardial 18F-FDG Uptake.

Background: Myocardial 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) uptake is a sign of active inflammation in patients with cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) under the correct circumstance. However, even under the proper preparation, diffuse myocardial 18F-FDG uptake is frequently observed in the failing heart and misleads the CS disease activity. The aim of this study was to establish the diagnostic value of resting myocardial perfusion single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) for assessing CS disease activity in patients with diffuse myocardial 18F-FDG uptake. Methods: We examined 39 patients with either histologically or clinically proven CS. All patients underwent 18F-FDG positron emission tomography (PET) and resting 99mTc-SPECT. The presence of perfusion-metabolic mismatch was evaluated with generating polar maps of 18F-FDG PET and 99mTc-SPECT images. Results: Increased myocardial 18F-FDG uptake was observed in 33 (85%) of 39 patients. Focal 18F-FDG uptake was detected in 16 patients and diffuse 18F-FDG uptake was seen in 17 patients. Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels were significantly higher in patients with diffuse 18F-FDG uptake than those with focal 18F-FDG uptake (p=0.002). With comparing polar maps of 18F-FDG PET and 99mTc-SPECT images, 8 of 16 patients with diffuse 18F-FDG uptake and myocardial perfusion defects demonstrated perfusion-metabolic mismatch which represented active inflammatory lesions in CS. Conclusions: Simultaneous evaluation of myocardial 18F-FDG PET and 99mTc-SPECT by polar map analysis provides more relevant information for assessing disease activity in CS than 18F-FDG PET images alone. Perfusion-metabolic mismatch might indicate latent active inflammation in CS patients with diffuse myocardial 18F-FDG uptake, who had advanced heart failure.

Role of Gallium-SPECT-CT in the Management of Patients With Ventricular Assist Device-Specific Percutaneous Driveline Infection.

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous driveline infection is a major complication of left ventricular assist device (LVAD). This study evaluated the role of gallium-67 single-photon emission computed tomography (Ga-SPECT)-CT in LVAD-specific percutaneous driveline infection. METHODS: Thirty-six patients with implantable continuous-flow LVAD, who underwent Ga-SPECT-CT to evaluate percutaneous driveline infections, were enrolled and divided into uptake and no-uptake groups based on tracer concentration uptake on Ga-SPECT-CT. Primary outcomes were surgical intervention and readmission for driveline infection. RESULTS: Twenty-two patients had uptake on Ga-SPECT-CT. No significant differences were noted in patient characteristics, wound appearance, or laboratory results. The prevalence of positive skin culture at the driveline exit site (DLES), and usage and duration of antibiotics did not differ. However, the uptake group had higher 1-year event rates (surgical intervention: 39% vs 0%, P = .019; readmission: 74% vs 6.9%, P = .0016). In addition to positive skin culture at DLES and short duration of antibiotic therapy, uptake on Ga-SPECT-CT was a risk factor for surgical intervention (odds ratio 9.00; P = .018) and readmission (odds ratio 7.86; P = .0051). CONCLUSIONS: Ga-SPECT-CT could be one of the clinical modalities for guiding the treatment of driveline infection in patients with a LVAD.

Clinical impact of native T1 mapping for detecting myocardial impairment in takotsubo cardiomyopathy.

AIMS: To investigate the clinical impact of T1 mapping for detecting myocardial impairment in takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC) over time. METHODS AND RESULTS: In 23 patients with the apical ballooning type of TTC, the following 3T magnetic resonance (MR) examinations were performed at baseline and 3 months after TTC onset: T2-weighted imaging, T2 mapping, native T1 mapping, extracellular volume fraction (ECV), and late gadolinium enhancement. Eight healthy controls underwent the same MR examinations. Serial echocardiography was performed daily for ≥7 days and monthly until 3 months after onset. The median time from onset to MR examination was 7 days. During the acute phase, patients had, relative to controls, higher native T1 (1438 ± 162 vs. 1251 ± 90 ms, P < 0.001), ECV (35 ± 5% vs. 29 ± 4%, P < 0.001), and T2 (90 ± 34 vs. 68 ± 12 ms, P < 0.001) for the entire heart. Per-region analysis showed that higher native T1 and T2 in the basal region were correlated with lower left ventricular ejection fraction (r = -0.599, P = 0.004 and r = -0.598, P = 0.003, respectively). Receiver operator characteristic analysis showed that the area under the curve for native T1 (0.96) was significantly larger than that for T2 (0.86; P = 0.005) but similar to that for ECV (0.92; P = 0.104). At 3-month follow-up, native T1, ECV, and T2 in the apical region remained significantly elevated in all patients with TTC. The number of left ventricular (LV) segments with elevated native T1 (cut-off value 1339 ms) was significantly correlated with prolonged LV wall motion recovery time (r = 0.494, P = 0.027). CONCLUSION: Characterization of myocardium with native T1 mapping is a promising method for predicting LV wall motion restoration in TTC.

Mortality and Sudden Cardiac Death Risk Stratification Using the Noninvasive Combination of Wide QRS Duration and Late Gadolinium Enhancement in Idiopathic Dilated Cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate whether the combination of QRS duration ≥120 ms (wide QRS duration [wQRS]) and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) is a precise prognostic indicator for dilated cardiomyopathy. METHODS AND RESULTS: We investigated the association between the combination of LGE plus wQRS and the primary end point (all-cause death) and a composite of sudden cardiac death (SCD) or aborted SCD in 531 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. We also analyzed the association between the combination of LGE and wQRS and these end points among patients with a class I indication for implantable cardioverter defibrillator implantation. We divided study patients into 3 groups according to LGE status and QRS duration: 2 negative indices (LGE negative and narrow QRS), 1 positive index (LGE positive or wQRS), or 2 positive indices (LGE positive and wQRS), and followed them for 3.8 years. Multivariable Cox regression analysis identified 2 positive indices as a significant predictor of all-cause death (hazard ratio, 4.29 [1.19-15.47]; P=0.026). Among 317 patients with a class I indication for implantable cardioverter defibrillator, the 5-year event rate of SCD or aborted SCD was the lowest in the 2 negative indices group (1.4%). With propensity score-matching cohorts, the 2 negative indices group had a significantly lower event rate of SCD or aborted SCD than the other 2 groups (hazard ratio, 0.12 [0.01-0.97]; P=0.046). CONCLUSIONS: The combination of LGE and wQRS provides additional prognostic stratification compared with LGE status alone and might improve the appropriate use of implantable cardioverter defibrillator therapy in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy.