Myocardial Injury by COVID-19 Infection Assessed by Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging　- A Prospective Multicenter Study.

BACKGROUND: This prospective multicenter study assessed the prevalence of myocardial injury in patients with COVID-19 using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR).Methods and Results: We prospectively screened 505 patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 disease from 7 hospitals in Japan. Of these patients, 31 (mean [±SD] age 63.5±10.4 years, 23 [74%] male) suspected of myocardial injury, based on elevated serum troponin or B-type natriuretic peptide concentrations either upon admission or 3 months after discharge, underwent CMR 3 months after discharge. The primary endpoint was the presence of myocardial injury, defined by any of the following: (1) contrast enhancement in the left or right ventricle myocardium on late gadolinium enhancement CMR; (2) left or right ventricular dysfunction (defined as <50% and <45%, respectively); and (3) pericardial thickening on contrast enhancement. The mean (±SD) duration between diagnosis and CMR was 117±16 days. The primary endpoint was observed in 13 of 31 individuals (42%), with 8 (26%) satisfying the modified Lake Louise Criteria for the diagnosis of acute myocarditis. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed a high incidence of myocardial injury identified by CMR in patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 and abnormal findings for cardiac biomarkers.

Evaluation of PET/CT imaging with [89Zr]Zr-DFO-girentuximab: a phase 1 clinical study in Japanese patients with renal cell carcinoma (Zirdac-JP).

BACKGROUND: PET/CT imaging with Zirconium-89 labeled [89Zr]Zr-DFO-girentuximab, which targets tumor antigen CAIX, may aid in the differentiation and characterization of clear cell renal cell carcinomas (RCC) and other renal and extrarenal lesions, and has been studied in European and American cohorts. We report results from a phase I study that evaluated the safety profile, biodistribution, and dosimetry of [89Zr]Zr-DFO-girentuximab in Japanese patients with suspected RCC. METHODS: Eligible adult patients received 37 MBq (± 10%; 10 mg mass dose) of intravenous [89Zr]Zr-DFO-girentuximab. Safety and tolerability profile was assessed based on adverse events, concomitant medications, physical examination, vital signs, hematology, serum chemistry, urinalysis, human anti-chimeric antibody measurement, and 12-lead electrocardiograms at predefined intervals. Biodistribution and normal organ and tumor dosimetry were evaluated with PET/CT images acquired at 0.5, 4, 24, 72 h and Day 5 ± 2 d after administration. RESULTS: [89Zr]Zr-DFO-girentuximab was administered in six patients as per protocol. No treatment-emergent adverse events were reported. Dosimetry analysis showed that radioactivity was widely distributed in the body, and that the absorbed dose in healthy organs was highest in the liver (mean ± standard deviation) (1.365 ± 0.245 mGy/MBq), kidney (1.126 ± 0.190 mGy/MBq), heart wall (1.096 ± 0.232 mGy/MBq), and spleen (1.072 ± 0.466 mGy/MBq). The mean effective dose, adjusted by the radioactive dose administered, was 0.470 mSv/MBq. The radiation dose was highly accumulated in the targeted tumor, while any abnormal accumulation in other organs was not reported. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that [89Zr]Zr-DFO-girentuximab administered to Japanese patients with suspected RCC has a favorable safety profile and is well tolerated and has a similar dosimetry profile to previously studied populations.

Right ventricular myocardial fibrosis evaluated by extracellular volume fraction by magnetic resonance imaging in patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot: a meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this meta-analysis was to assess the clinical utility of anomalous discoveries on cardiac magnetic resonance, particularly the right ventricular extracellular volume (RV-ECV), among individuals who underwent surgical repair for Tetralogy of Fallot (rTOF). METHODS: We conducted a systematic search of electronic databases including PubMed, Web of Science Core Collection, Cochrane advanced search, and EMBASE. Our analysis involved a comparison of ECV levels between rTOF patients and controls, as well as an evaluation of the predictive value of ECV for future adverse events. RESULTS: We identified 16 eligible studies that encompassed 856 rTOF patients and 283 controls. Our meta-analysis showed a significant increase in LV-ECV among rTOF patients compared to control subjects (MD = 2.63, 95%CI: 1.35 to 3.90, p < 0.0001, I2 = 86%, p for heterogeneity < 0.00001). Moreover, RV-ECV was found to be substantially higher in patients compared to LV-ECV. Our meta-analysis also revealed a significant association between RV-ECV and adverse events (HR = 1.15, 95% CI: 1.04 to 1.27, p = 0.005, I2 = 0%, p for heterogeneity = 0.62), while LV-ECV did not show any significant association with adverse events (HR = 1.12, 95% CI: 0.92 to 1.36, p = 0.16, I2 = 0%, p for heterogeneity = 0.46). CONCLUSION: The results of this meta-analysis on RV-ECV confirmed the presence of RV fibrosis as one of the prognostic factors in rTOF patients.

Microvascular dysfunction in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Although microvascular dysfunction (MVD) is considered an essential pathophysiology in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), the frequency and prognostic impact of MVD are not fully understood. This meta-analysis evaluated the frequency of MVD in patients with HFpEF and its utility in risk stratification. MATERIALS AND METHODS: On May 26, 2022, a literature search was performed on PubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane library, and Embase using the search terms such as "Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction," "HFpEF," "microvascular dysfunction," and "MVD." The prevalence of MVD in patients with HFpEF was calculated using the general inverse variance method. A comprehensive literature review was conducted to examine the association between MVD and prognosis in patients with HFpEF. RESULTS: Data pertaining to a total of 941 patients diagnosed with HFpEF were extracted from the collective pool of 9 studies. The results of the meta-analysis revealed that the frequency of MVD among patients with HFpEF was found to be 55.5% (95% CI: 34.8%-76.2%), with a substantial degree of heterogeneity (I2 = 98%, p for heterogeneity <.001). Among the five studies that provided data on the association between MVD and prognosis, a significant statistical association was observed in four of them. CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis revealed that approximately 50% of patients diagnosed with HFpEF exhibited MVD. Moreover, the presence of MVD demonstrated significant prognostic implications in multiple studies conducted on patients with HFpEF. These findings strongly suggest that MVD plays a crucial role in the underlying pathophysiology of patients with HFpEF.

Coronary flow reserve evaluated by phase-contrast cine cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging of coronary sinus: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Phase-contrast cine cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) of the coronary sinus has emerged as a non-invasive method for measuring coronary sinus blood flow and coronary flow reserve (CFR). However, its clinical utility has not yet been established. Here we performed a meta-analysis to clarify the clinical value of CMR-derived CFR in various cardiovascular diseases. METHODS: An electronic database search was performed of PubMed, Web of Science Core Collection, Cochrane Advanced Search, and EMBASE. We compared the CMR-derived CFR of various cardiovascular diseases (stable coronary artery disease [CAD], hypertrophic cardiomyopathy [HCM], dilated cardiomyopathy [DCM]) and control subjects. We assessed the prognostic value of CMR-derived CFR for predicting major adverse cardiac events (MACE) in patients with stable CAD. RESULTS: A total of 47 eligible studies were identified. The pooled CFR from our meta-analysis was 3.48 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.98-3.98) in control subjects, 2.50 (95% CI, 2.38-2.61) in stable CAD, 2.01 (95% CI, 1.70-2.32) in cardiomyopathies (HCM and DCM). The meta-analysis showed that CFR was significantly reduced in stable CAD (mean difference [MD] = -1.48; 95% CI, -1.78 to -1.17; p < 0.001; I2 = 0%; p for heterogeneity = 0.33), HCM (MD = -1.20; 95% CI, -1.63 to -0.77; p < 0.001; I2 = 0%; p for heterogeneity = 0.49), and DCM (MD = -1.53; 95% CI, -1.93 to -1.13; p < 0.001; I2 = 0%; p for heterogeneity = 0.45). CMR-derived CFR was an independent predictor of MACE for patients with stable CAD (hazard ratio = 0.52 per unit increase; 95% CI, 0.37-0.73; p < 0.001; I2 = 84%, p for heterogeneity < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: CMR-derived CFR was significantly decreased in cardiovascular diseases, and a decreased CFR was associated with a higher occurrence of MACE in patients with stable CAD. These results suggest that CMR-derived CFR has potential for the pathological evaluation of stable CAD, cardiomyopathy, and risk stratification in CAD.

Diagnostic accuracy of whole heart coronary magnetic resonance angiography: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this meta-analysis was to comprehensively investigate the diagnostic ability of 1.5 T and 3.0 T whole heart coronary angiography (WHCA) to detect significant coronary artery disease (CAD) on X-ray coronary angiography. METHODS: A literature search of electronic databases, including PubMed, Web of Science Core Collection, Cochrane advanced search, and EMBASE, was performed to retrieve and integrate articles showing significant CAD detectability of 1.5 and 3.0 T WHCA. RESULTS: Data from 1899 patients from 34 studies were included in the meta-analysis. 1.5 T WHCA had a summary area under ROC of 0.88 in the patient-based analysis, 0.90 in the vessel-based analysis, and 0.92 in the segment-based analysis. These values for 3.0 T WHCA were 0.94, 0.95, 0.96, respectively. Contrast-enhanced 3.0 T WHCA had significantly higher specificity than non-contrast-enhanced 1.5 T WHCA on a patient-based analysis (0.87, 95% CI 0.80-0.92 vs. 0.74, 95% CI 0.64-0.82, P = 0.02). There were no differences in diagnostic performance on a patient-based analysis by use of vasodilators, beta-blockers or between Asian and Western countries. CONCLUSIONS: The diagnostic performance of WHCA was deemed satisfactory, with contrast-enhanced 3.0 T WHCA exhibiting higher specificity compared to non-contrast-enhanced 1.5 T WHCA in a patient-based analysis. There were no significant differences in diagnostic performance on a patient-based analysis in terms of vasodilator or beta-blocker use, nor between Asian and Western countries. However, further large-scale multicentre studies are crucial for the widespread global adoption of WHCA.

M-PAST score is better than MAST score for the diagnosis of active fibrotic nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.

BACKGROUND: Clinical trials enroll patients with active fibrotic nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) (nonalcoholic fatty liver disease [NAFLD] activity score ≥ 4) and significant fibrosis (F ≥ 2); however, screening failure rates are high following biopsy. We developed new scores to identify active fibrotic NASH using FibroScan and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). METHODS: We undertook prospective primary (n = 176), retrospective validation (n = 169), and University of California San Diego (UCSD; n = 234) studies of liver biopsy-proven NAFLD. Liver stiffness measurement (LSM) using FibroScan or magnetic resonance elastography (MRE), controlled attenuation parameter (CAP), or proton density fat fraction (PDFF), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were combined to develop a two-step strategy-FibroScan-based LSM followed by CAP with AST (F-CAST) and MRE-based LSM followed by PDFF with AST (M-PAST)-and compared with FibroScan-AST (FAST) and MRI-AST (MAST) for diagnosing active fibrotic NASH. Each model was categorized using rule-in and rule-out criteria. RESULTS: Areas under receiver operating characteristic curves (AUROCs) of F-CAST (0.826) and M-PAST (0.832) were significantly higher than those of FAST (0.744, p = 0.004) and MAST (0.710, p < 0.001). Following the rule-in criteria, positive predictive values of F-CAST (81.8%) and M-PAST (81.8%) were higher than those of FAST (73.5%) and MAST (70.0%). Following the rule-out criteria, negative predictive values of F-CAST (90.5%) and M-PAST (90.9%) were higher than those of FAST (84.0%) and MAST (73.9%). In the validation and UCSD cohorts, AUROCs did not differ significantly between F-CAST and FAST, but M-PAST had a higher diagnostic performance than MAST. CONCLUSIONS: The two-step strategy, especially M-PAST, showed reliability of rule-in/-out for active fibrotic NASH, with better predictive performance compared with MAST. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (number, UMIN000012757).

Machine learning to predict left ventricular reverse remodeling by guideline-directed medical therapy by utilizing texture feature of extracellular volume fraction in patients with non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy.

Extracellular volume fraction (ECV) by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) allows for the non-invasive quantification of diffuse myocardial fibrosis. Texture analysis and machine learning are now gathering attention in the medical field to exploit the ability of diagnostic imaging for various diseases. This study aimed to investigate the predictive value of texture analysis of ECV and machine learning for predicting response to guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) for patients with non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NIDCM). A total of one-hundred and fourteen NIDCM patients [age: 63 ± 12 years, 91 (81%) males] were retrospectively analyzed. We performed texture analysis of ECV mapping of LV myocardium using dedicated software. We calculated nine histogram-based features (mean, standard deviation, maximum, minimum, etc.) and five gray-level co-occurrence matrices. Five machine learning techniques and the fivefold cross-validation method were used to develop prediction models for LVRR by GDMT based on 14 texture parameters on ECV mapping. We defined the LVRR as follows: LVEF increased ≥ 10% points and decreased LVEDV ≥ 10% on echocardiography after GDMT > 12 months. Fifty (44%) patients were classified as non-responders. The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve for predicting non-responder was 0.82 for eXtreme Gradient Boosting, 0.85 for support vector machine, 0.76 for multi-layer perception, 0.81 for Naïve Bayes, 0.77 for logistic regression, respectively. Mean ECV value was the most critical factor among texture features for differentiating NIDCM patients with LVRR and those without (0.28 ± 0.03 vs. 0.36 ± 0.06, p < 0.001). Machine learning analysis using the support vector machine may be helpful in detecting high-risk NIDCM patients resistant to GDMT. Mean ECV is the most crucial feature among texture features.

Contrast defect of left atrial appendage on computed tomography is associated with higher risk of recurrence after catheter ablation in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

The previous study has shown that the contrast defect of the left atrial appendage (LAA) on contrast-enhanced cardiac computed tomography (CT) is associated with a higher rate of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). This study aimed to investigate the association between LAA CT contrast defect and the risk of arrhythmia recurrence after catheter ablation (CA) in patients with paroxysmal AF. A total of 283 paroxysmal AF patients [age: 67 ± 10 years, 185 (65%) males] who underwent cardiac CT before CA were retrospectively analyzed. The presence or absence of LAA CT contrast defect was visually assessed using early phase CT images. Recurrence was an episode of atrial arrhythmia beyond the first 90 days post-ablation. LAA flow velocity was measured using transesophageal echocardiography in 246 paroxysmal AF patients. Sixty-eight (24%) patients had an LAA CT contrast defect. LAA flow velocity was significantly reduced in patients with LAA CT defect compared to those without (56.8 ± 28.7 cm/s vs. 41.1 ± 19.1 cm/s, p < 0.001). During a median follow-up period of 858 days, arrhythmia recurrence was identified in 85 (30%) patients. On a Kaplan Meier curve, patients with LAA CT contrast defect had significantly higher recurrence rates than those without (p = 0.043). On a multivariable Cox regression analysis, LAA CT contrast defect was a significant and independent predictor after adjustment of age, sex and left atrial volume index (hazard ratio: 1.79, 95% confidence interval: 1.03-3.07, p = 0.036). LAA CT contrast defect was associated with decreased LAA flow velocity and a higher rate of arrhythmia recurrence after CA, suggesting its usefulness as a non-invasive predictor for high-risk AF patients resistant to CA therapy.

Direct Comparison of US and MR Elastography for Staging Liver Fibrosis in Patients With Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: As alternatives to the expensive liver biopsy for assessing liver fibrosis stage in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), we directly compared the diagnostic abilities of magnetic resonance elastography (MRE), vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE), and two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2D-SWE). METHODS: Overall, 231 patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD were included. Intra- and inter-observer reproducibility was analyzed using intraclass correlation coefficient in a sub-group of 70 participants, in whom liver stiffness measurement (LSM) was performed by an elastography expert and an ultrasound expert who was an elastography trainee on the same day. RESULTS: Valid LSMs were obtained for 227, 220, 204, and 201 patients using MRE, VCTE, 2D-SWE, and all three modalities combined, respectively. Although the area under the curve did not differ between the modalities for detecting stage ≥1, ≥2, and ≥3 liver fibrosis, it was higher for MRE than VCTE and 2D-SWE for stage 4. Sex was a significant predictor of discordance between VCTE and liver fibrosis stage. Skin-capsule distance and the ratio of the interquartile range of liver stiffness to the median were significantly associated with discordance between 2D-SWE and liver fibrosis stage. However, no factors were associated with discordance between MRE and liver fibrosis stage. Intra- and inter-observer reproducibility in detecting liver fibrosis was higher for MRE than VCTE and 2D-SWE. CONCLUSIONS: MRE, VCTE, and 2D-SWE demonstrated excellent diagnostic accuracy in detecting liver fibrosis in patients with NAFLD. MRE demonstrated the highest diagnostic accuracy for stage 4 detection and intra- and inter-observer reproducibility. UMIN Clinical Trials Registry No. UMIN000031491.

MRI-Based Quantitative R2* Mapping at 3 Tesla Reflects Hepatic Iron Overload and Pathogenesis in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Patients.

BACKGROUND: The role of hepatic iron overload (HIO) in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) pathogenesis has not been fully elucidated. PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the effect of HIO and examine the diagnostic usefulness of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based R2* quantification in evaluating hepatic iron content (HIC) and pathological findings in NAFLD. STUDY TYPE: Prospective and retrospective. POPULATION: A prospective study of 168 patients (age, 57.2 ± 15.0; male/female, 80/88) and a retrospective validation study of 202 patients (age, 57.0 ± 14.4; male/female, 113/89) with liver-biopsy-confirmed NAFLD were performed. FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: 3 T; chemical-shift encoded multi-echo gradient echo. ASSESSMENT: Using liver tissues obtained by liver biopsy, HIC was prospectively evaluated in 168 patients by atomic absorption spectrometry. Diagnostic accuracies of HIC and R2* for grading hepatic inflammation plus ballooning (HIB) as an indicator of NAFLD activity were assessed. STATISTICAL TESTS: Student's t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Scheffe's multiple testing correction for univariate comparisons; multivariate logistic analysis. P-value less than 0.05 is statistically significant. RESULTS: HIC was significantly correlated with HIB grades (r = 0.407). R2* was significantly correlated with HIC (r = 0.557) and HIB grades (r = 0.569). R2* mapped an area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC; 0.774) for HIC ≥808 ng/mL (median value) with cutoff value of 62.5 s-1 . In addition, R2* mapped AUROC of HIB for grades ≥3 was 0.799 with cutoff value of 58.5 s-1 . When R2* was <62.5 s-1 , R2* correlated weakly with HIC (r = 0.372) as it was affected by fat deposition and did not correlate with HIB grades (P = 0.052). Conversely, when R2* was ≥62.5 s-1 , a significant correlation of R2* with HIC (r = 0.556) and with HIB grades was observed (P < 0.0001) with being less affected by fat deposition. DATA CONCLUSION: R2* ≥ 62.5 s-1 is a promising modality for non-invasive diagnosis of clinically important high grades (≥3) of HIB associated with increased HIC. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 1 TECHNICAL EFFICACY STAGE: 2.

Native T1 heterogeneity for predicting reverse remodeling in patients with non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy.

A recent study has shown that the heterogeneity of native T1 mapping may be a new prognostic factor for patients with non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NIDCM). This study aimed to investigate the predictive value of native T1 heterogeneity of the left ventricular (LV) myocardium, as assessed by pixel-wise histogram analysis, for predicting left ventricular reverse remodeling (LVRR) by medical therapy in patients with NIDCM. A total of one hundred and thirteen NIDCM patients (mean age: 63 ± 12 years; 91 males and 22 females; mean LV ejection fraction (EF): 37 ± 10%) were retrospectively analyzed. T1 mapping images were acquired using a modified look-locker inversion recovery (MOLLI) sequence. We performed histogram analysis of native T1 mapping of LV myocardium, mean (T1-mean) and standard deviation (T1-STD) of native T1 time from each pixel were calculated. Extracellular volume fraction (ECV) was also evaluated. LVRR was defined as LVEF increased ≥ 10% points and decrease in LV end-diastolic volume ≥ 10% at 12 months from initiation of medical therapy. Cutoff value of T1-mean and T1-STD was set as median value of each parameter. Sixty (53%) NIDCM patients reached LVRR. Area under the receiver-operating characteristics curve for predicting LVRR was 0.763 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.679-0.847) for %LGE, 0.757 (95% CI 0.663-0.850) for T1-mean, 0.724 (95% CI 0.625-0.823) for T1-STD, 0.800 (95% CI 0.717-0.882) for ECV, respectively. Proportion of LVRR was significantly lower in NIDCM patients with high T1-mean and high T1-STD (12%) compared to NIDCM with high T1-mean and low T1-STD (65%) (p < 0.001). Adding T1-STD to T1-mean improved AUC from 0.757 to 0.806, comparable to AUC of ECV. Combination of T1-mean and T1-STD, a parameter of heterogeneity of native T1 of the LV myocardium, may be a useful for prediction of LVRR by medical therapy without use of gadolinium contrast for patients with NIDCM.

Cardiac involvement in coronavirus disease 2019 assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging: a meta-analysis.

In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we sought to evaluate the prevalence of cardiac involvement in patients with COVID-19 using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. A literature review was performed to investigate the left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) ejection fraction (EF), the prevalence of LV late gadolinium enhancement (LGE), pericardial enhancement, abnormality on T1 mapping, and T2 mapping/T2-weighted imaging (T2WI), and myocarditis (defined by modified Lake Louis criteria). Pooled mean differences (MD) between COVID-19 patients and controls for LVEF and RVEF were estimated using random-effects models. We included data from 10.462 patients with COVID-19, comprising 1.010 non-athletes and 9.452 athletes from 29 eligible studies. The meta-analysis showed a significant difference between COVID-19 patients and controls in terms of LVEF [MD = - 2.84, 95% confidence interval (CI) - 5.11 to - 0.56, p < 0.001] and RVEF (MD = - 2.69%, 95% CI - 4.41 to - 1.27, p < 0.001). However, in athletes, no significant difference was identified in LVEF (MD = - 0.74%, 95% CI - 2.41 to - 0.93, p = 0.39) or RVEF (MD = - 1.88%, 95% CI - 5.21 to 1.46, p = 0.27). In non-athletes, the prevalence of LV LGE abnormalities, pericardial enhancement, T1 mapping, T2 mapping/T2WI, myocarditis were 27.5% (95%CI 17.4-37.6%), 11.9% (95%CI 4.1-19.6%), 39.5% (95%CI 16.2-62.8%), 38.1% (95%CI 19.0-57.1%) and 17.6% (95%CI 6.3-28.9%), respectively. In athletes, these values were 10.8% (95%CI 2.3-19.4%), 35.4% (95%CI - 3.2 to 73.9%), 5.7% (95%CI - 2.9 to 14.2%), 1.9% (95%CI 1.1-2.7%), 0.9% (0.3-1.6%), respectively. Both LVEF and RVEF were significantly impaired in COVID-19 patients compared to controls, but not in athletes. In addition, the prevalence of myocardial involvement is not negligible in patients with COVID-19.

The use of viabahn VBX stent-grafts for the treatment of extrahepatic portal vein hemorrhage.

Percutaneous transhepatic stent-graft placement usually requires more than a 12 F sheath, which has a higher potential risk of peritoneal hemorrhage. A case of postoperative portal vein hemorrhage after pancreaticoduodenectomy treated using a Viabahn VBX balloon expanding stent-graft is described in this report. The stent-graft was delivered using an 8 F sheath through a transhepatic approach and deployed from the superior mesenteric vein to the main portal vein. Hemostasis was achieved and graft patency was confirmed one year after the procedure.

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance assessment of coronary flow reserve improves risk stratification in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

BACKGROUND: Coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) has been proposed as a novel mechanism for the pathophysiology of heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Recent studies have suggested the potential utility of coronary flow reserve (CFR) as a marker of CMD in patients with HFpEF. Phase contrast (PC) cine cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) of the coronary sinus has emerged as a non-invasive method to quantify CFR. We aimed to investigate the prognostic value of CMR-derived CFR in patients with HFpEF. METHODS: Data from 163 HFpEF patients (73 ± 9 years; 86 [53%] female) were retrospectively analyzed. Coronary sinus blood flow was measured in all patients, and myocardial blood flow was calculated as coronary sinus blood flow divided by left ventricular mass. CFR was calculated as the myocardial blood flow during adenosine triphosphate infusion divided by that at rest. Adverse events were defined as all-cause death and hospitalization due to HF exacerbation. Event-free survival stratified according to CFR < 2.0 was estimated with Kaplan-Meier survival methods and Log-rank test. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 4.1 years, 26 patients (16%) experienced adverse events. CMR-derived CFR was significantly lower in HFpEF with adverse events compared with those without (1.93 ± 0.38 vs. 2.67 ± 0.52, p < 0.001). On a Kaplan Meier curve, the rates of adverse events were significantly higher in HFpEF patients with CFR < 2.0 compared with HFpEF with CFR ≥ 2.0 (p < 0.001). The area under the curve of CFR for predicting adverse events was significantly higher than that of LGE (0.881 vs. 0.768, p = 0.037) and GLS (0.881 vs. 0.747, p = 0.036). CONCLUSIONS: CFR assessed using coronary sinus PC cine CMR may be useful as a non-invasive prognostic marker for HFpEF patients.

Prognostic value of resting coronary sinus flow determined by phase-contrast cine cardiovascular magnetic resonance in patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND: Phase-contrast cine cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) of the coronary sinus has emerged as a non-invasive method to measure coronary sinus blood flow (CSBF) and coronary flow reserve (CFR). We aimed to compare the prognostic value of resting CSBF and CFR for predicting major adverse cardiac events (MACE) in patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) who underwent vasodilator stress CMR. METHODS: We studied 693 patients with known CAD and 519 patients with suspected CAD admitted to our hospital between 2009 and 2019. The CFR was calculated as the CSBF during adenosine triphosphate infusion divided by CSBF at rest. MACE was defined as composite of cardiovascular death, acute coronary syndrome, heart failure hospitalization, and sustained ventricular tachyarrhythmia. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 4.6 years, 92 patients (8%) experienced MACE. The resting CSBF was significantly higher in patients with MACE than in patients without MACE (114.7 ± 44.9 mL/min vs. 84.7 ± 30.9 mL/min, p < 0.001 for known CAD; 122.2 ± 33.3 mL/min vs. 86.6 ± 36.7 mL/min, p < 0.001 for suspected CAD). The resting CSBF remained a significant predictor for MACE after adjusting clinical and CMR variables (hazard ratio [HR] of resting CSBF higher than the median: 3.18, p = 0.0083 for known CAD; HR: 23.3, p < 0.001 for suspected CAD). The area under the curve for predicting MACE was 0.73 for resting CSBF, 0.72 for CFR (p = 0.78) in patients with known CAD, and 0.82 for resting CSBF, 0.83 (p = 0.58) for CFR in patients with suspected CAD. CONCLUSIONS: The resting CSBF may be a useful non-invasive method for the risk stratification of patients with known or suspected CAD without any radiation exposure, contrast media, or pharmacological vasodilator agents.

Impaired coronary flow reserve evaluated by phase-contrast cine magnetic resonance imaging in patients with atrial fibrillations.

Myocardial perfusion and perfusion reserve are diminished in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Phase-contrast (PC) cine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the coronary sinus serves as a non-invasive means of quantifying coronary flow reserve (CFR) without any radioactive tracer. The present study aimed to evaluate the utility of PC cine MRI of the coronary sinus for assessing decreased CFR in patients with AF. We studied 362 patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) [age 72 ± 9 years; 267 (74%) male; 90 (25%) had AF] and 20 age- and gender-matched control subjects [age 72 ± 9 years, 14 (70%) male]. Using a 1.5-T MR scanner and cardiac coils, blood flow of the coronary sinus (CBF) was quantified by PC cine MRI. CFR was calculated as CBF during adenosine triphosphate infusion divided by CBF at rest. CFR was significantly lower in patients with AF than in those without AF among all patients (n = 362) (2.45 ± 0.42 vs. 2.71 ± 0.58, p < 0.001), in patients with known CAD (n = 155) (2.40 ± 0.46 vs. 2.72 ± 0.58, p = 0.002), and in those with suspected CAD (n = 207) (2.49 ± 0.40 vs. 2.72 ± 0.59, p = 0.007). Significant differences in CFR were found between controls and patients without AF (3.12 ± 0.52 vs. 2.71 ± 0.58, p < 0.001). AF was independently associated with CFR in both known CAD patients [ß = - 0.248, 95% confidence interval (CI): - 0.561 to - 0.119, p = 0.003) and suspected CAD patients (ß = - 0.154, 95% CI - 0.353 to - 0.034, p = 0.018). The presence of AF was related to impaired CFR in both known and suspected CAD patients. PC cine MRI of the coronary sinus can be useful for detecting impaired CFR in patients with AF.

Coronary artery disease and heart failure in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and prognostic value of coronary artery disease (CAD) and heart failure (HF) in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Thirteen hundred and fifty-eight patients with interstitial lung disease [851 (62%) males, mean age: 68 ± 10 years] were retrospectively analyzed. CAD was defined as (1) the presence of a clinical diagnosis of angina pectoris, (2) clinical diagnosis of a myocardial infarction, and (3) coronary angiography showing ≥ 1 vessel with a stenosis of > 75%. The definition of HF was made according to the modified Framingham criteria. Compared to the non-IPF group (n = 790), the IPF group (n = 568) had a significantly higher prevalence of CAD (9.3% vs. 4.4%, p < 0.001) and HF (8.2% vs. 3.7%, p < 0.001). During a median follow-up of 1.6 years, 152 deaths were identified. The patients with HF had a significantly worse prognosis than those without HF both in the non-IPF group and IPF group (both p < 0.05). However, the prognosis did not significantly differ between the patients with CAD and those without CAD both in the non-IPF group and IPF group. The presence of HF was an independent predictor of death in the IPF [hazard ratio (HR) 3.67, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.57-8.56, p = 0.0025] and non-IPF (HR 5.07, 95% CI 1.44-17.86, p = 0.011) patients. The prevalence of CAD and HF was significantly higher in IPF than non-IPF patients. In addition, the presence of HF was a significant prognostic factor for both IPF and non-IPF patients. These results indicated that the importance of HF as a comorbidity for patients with ILD.

Effects of Deep Learning Reconstruction Technique in High-Resolution Non-contrast Magnetic Resonance Coronary Angiography at a 3-Tesla Machine.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of deep learning reconstruction (DLR) in qualitative and quantitative image quality of non-contrast magnetic resonance coronary angiography (MRCA). METHODS: Ten healthy volunteers underwent conventional MRCA (C-MRCA) and high-resolution (HR) MRCA on a 3T magnetic resonance imaging with a voxel size of 1.8 × 1.1 × 1.7 mm3 and 1.8 × 0.6 × 1.0 mm3, respectively, for C-MRCA and HR-MRCA. High-resolution magnetic resonance coronary angiography was also reconstructed with the DLR technique (DLR-HR-MRCA). We compared the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and visual evaluation scores for vessel sharpness and traceability of proximal and distal coronary vessels on a 4-point scale among 3 image series. RESULTS: The vascular CNR value on the C-MRCA and the DLR-HR-MRCA was significantly higher than that on the HR-MRCA in the proximal and distal coronary arteries (13.9 ± 6.4, 11.3 ± 4.4, and 7.8 ± 2.6 for C-MRCA, DLR-HR-MRCA, and HR-MRCA, P < .05, respectively). Mean visual evaluation scores for the vessel sharpness and traceability of proximal and distal coronary vessels were significantly higher on the HR-DLR-MRCA than the C-MRCA (P < .05, respectively). CONCLUSION: Deep learning reconstruction significantly improved the CNR of coronary arteries on HR-MRCA, resulting in both higher visual image quality and better vessel traceability compared with C-MRCA.

Dual-layer spectral CT improves image quality of multiphasic pancreas CT in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the image quality and optimal energies of virtual monoenergetic images (VMIs) from dual-layer spectral detector computed tomography (DLCT) in multiphasic pancreatic CT and investigate whether low-keV VMI at the portal venous phase (PVP) provides sufficient tumor conspicuity and arterial depiction relative to conventional pancreatic parenchymal phase (PPP) images. METHODS: Forty-eight patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) underwent contrast-enhanced DLCT during PPP and PVP. Conventional polyenergetic images (PEIs) and VMI at 40-100 keV (VMI40-100, 10-keV increments) were reconstructed at each enhancement phase. Image noise and the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of the pancreas, tumors, arteries, and veins were quantified. Two radiologists independently assessed tumor conspicuity, margin delineation, image noise, sharpness of pancreatic duct, and depiction of arteries and veins on a five-point scale. Size-specific dose estimate (SSDE) was calculated. RESULTS: Image noise for VMI40-100 was significantly lower than that for PEI (p < 0.01). The CNR in VMI increased gradually with decreasing energy; CNRs for VMI40-60 were significantly greater than that for PEI (p < 0.01). All subjective VMI scores were maximized at VMI40, followed by VMI50-60, all of which were significantly better than of PEI (p < 0.01). Objective and subjective image qualities of VMI40-50 at the PVP were equivalent to or even better compared with conventional PPP images. No significant difference in SSDE was observed between phases (p = 0.10). CONCLUSIONS: DLCT-VMI improved the subjective and objective image quality in multiphasic pancreatic CT for patients with PDAC. Low-keV PVP imaging may yield diagnostically adequate tumor conspicuity and arterial assessment compared with polyenergetic PPP images. KEY POINTS: • Low-keV VMI from DLCT yields better subjective and objective image quality of multiphasic pancreas CT in comparison with conventional PEI for the assessment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. • Tumor conspicuity and depiction of peripancreatic vasculature were maximized at VMI 40without an increase in the image noise. • Low-keV VMI of the portal venous phase provides sufficient tumor conspicuity and arterial depiction, potentially allowing the early detection and local staging of PDAC on routine abdominal CT performed for various clinical indications.