Extensive intra-myocardial calcifications: Value of multimodality imaging.

BACKGROUND: Massive myocardial calcification is a very rare finding. INTRODUCTION: Accurate identification and characteriation may help the clinicians to determine the etiology and clinical significance. RESULTS: In this case, the diagnostic pathway excluded previous myocardial infarction, myocarditis, and calcium-phosphate disorders. A possible dystrophic etiology was considered. DISCUSSION: There are no standardized imaging features available to classify specific subtypes of intra-myocardial calcifications. The relative merits of computed tomography and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) in providing complimentary diagnostic information in the evaluation of calcific myocardial lesions are shown. CONCLUSION: Knowledge of the potential etiology and their imging patterns are important to provide a concise and accurate differential diagnosis.

Echocardiographic characteristics of non-resectional ring-only valve repair in mitral valve prolapse.

BACKGROUND: Simple mitral valve repair (MVR) using a ring-only approach (ROA) was recently proposed for some complex forms of bileaflet myxomatous mitral valve prolapse (MVP). Nevertheless, few data are available concerning the characteristics of MVP patients that may benefit from this simple repair technique. METHODS: Based on 39 consecutive patients (28 men; mean age 57 ± 15) with severe primary Mitral regurgitation (MR) caused by bileaflet MVP referred for MVR, we sought to identify the preoperative echocardiographic parameters associated with successful ROA repair. RESULTS: Twenty-three patients (59%) underwent standard resectional MVR (SMVR) while 16 (41%) underwent ROA. Cardiopulmonary bypass and cross clamp times were lower in ROA than in SMVR (74 ± 27 min vs 99 ± 42 min and 49 ± 19 min vs 70 ± 25 min, respectively, p = 0.03 and p = 0.005). ROA patients were more frequently women (50% vs 13%, p = 0.027). Echocardiographic characteristics of successful ROA were mid-late systolic MR, a paradoxical systolic papillary muscle displacement, and paradoxical systolic annulus expansion (PAE). A prolapsing depth <10 mm, the absence of flail leaflet and ruptured chordae, the presence of multiple jets, more often in the central part of the valve were also associated with ROA. Non hemodynamic systolic anterior motion and residual trivial MR tended to be more frequent in ROA than in SMVR. CONCLUSION: Simple and fast MVR using a ROA is feasible in 4/10 patients with complex forms of bileaflet MVP. Successful ROA patients were more frequently women, with mid-late systolic central multiple jet, low prolapse depth, absence of chordal rupture or flail leaflet and PAE.

Percutaneous closure of a paravalvular prosthetic mitral leak complicated by need for acute hemodialysis.

A case of a severe paravalvular mechanical mitral prosthesis leak (PVL) in a high-risk surgical patient, complicated with acute heart failure at presentation is described. Considering the high surgical risk and the specific echocardiographic features that would prevent the interventional cardiologist to have a direct access to the PVL with a traditional vascular plug or duct occluder, a percutaneous PVL closure with an Amplatzer-Amulet (Abbott, Abbott Park, Illinois, United States) LAA device (28 mm) was chosen for the contiguity of the PVL to the left atrial appendage (LAA). A new-onset hemolysis post-PVL closure and severe renal failure requiring hemodialysis occurred after the procedure, treated with surgical device removal and leak suture. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case that describes the attempt to close a PVL, contiguous to the LAA, using the Amulet device. The attempt to close a PVL with these features with an Amplatzer-Amulet device, although promising, does not appear completely safe to reach the goal, as in our case. In our opinion, the most important reasons are that specific technical recommendations and broad experiences are lacking. Indeed, specific outcomes of this kind of approach are, to date, still unknown.

Early diagnosis of cardiomyopathies by cardiac magnetic resonance. Overview of the main criteria.

Cardiomyopathies (CMPs) are diseases of the heart muscle. They include a variety of myocardial disorders that manifest with various structural and functional phenotypes and are frequently genetic. Myocardial disease caused by known cardiovascular causes (such as hypertension, ischemic heart disease, or valvular disease) should be distinguished from CMPs for classification and management purposes. Identification of various CMP phenotypes relies primarily upon echocardiographic evaluation. In selected cases, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) or computed tomography may be useful to identify and localize fatty infiltration, inflammation, scar/fibrosis, focal hypertrophy, and better visualize the left ventricular apex and right ventricle.  CMR imaging has emerged as a comprehensive tool for the diagnosis and follow-up of patients with CMPs. The accuracy and reproducibility in evaluating cardiac structures, the unique ability of non-invasive tissue characterization and the lack of ionizing radiation, make CMR very attractive as a potential "all-in-one technique". Indeed, it provides valuable data to confirm or establish the diagnosis, screen subclinical cases, identify aetiology, establish the prognosis. Additionally, it provides information for setting a risk stratification (based on evaluation of proved independent prognostic factors as ejection fraction, end-systolic-volume, myocardial fibrosis) and follow-up. Last, it helps to monitor the response to the therapy. In this review, the pivotal role of CMR in the comprehensive evaluation of patients with CMP is discussed, highlighting the key features guiding differential diagnosis and the assessment of prognosis.

Performance of a new fully automated transthoracic three-dimensional echocardiographic software for quantification of left cardiac chamber size and function: Comparison with 3 Tesla cardiac magnetic resonance.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the accuracy and reproducibility of a new fully automated fast three-dimensional (3D) transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) software for the simultaneous assessment of left atrial (LA) volumes and LA ejection fraction (EF), left ventricular (LV) volumes, LV mass, and LVEF, and to compare the results obtained with a cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) reference. METHODS: We included retrospectively 56 patients (46 men; mean age 63 ± 13 years) in sinus rhythm who had had comprehensive 3D TTE and CMR examinations within 24 hours. RESULTS: Despite a slight underestimation of LV and LA volumes, LVEF and LAEF were similar using CMR or 3DTTE (58% ± 16% vs 58% ± 12%; P = .65 and 45% ± 14% vs 46% ± 15%; P = .38, respectively) in the total population. Despite significant correlation between TTE and CMR measurements (r = 0.78; P < .001), 3D TTE underestimated LV mass (bias = -27 ± 35 g). CONCLUSION: 3D TTE using a new-generation fully automated software is a fast and reproducible imaging modality for simultaneous extensive quantification of left heart chambers size and function in routine practice. Potential underestimation of LA volume and LV mass, and of LVEF in patients with LVEF <50%, should be taken into consideration.

Pesticide exposure assessed through agricultural crop proximity and risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiologic studies have raised the possibility that some pesticide compounds induce the neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), though the available evidence is not entirely consistent. METHODS: We conducted a population-based case-control study in two Italian populations to assess the extent to which residence in the vicinity of agricultural crops associated with the application of neurotoxic pesticides is a risk factor for ALS, using crop acreage in proximity to the residence as an index of exposure. RESULTS: Based on 703 cases and 2737 controls, we computed an ALS odds ratio of 0.92 (95% confidence interval 0.78-1.09) for those in proximity to agricultural land. Results were not substantially different when using alternative exposure categories or when analyzing specific crop types, with the exception of a higher risk related to exposure to citrus orchards and olive groves in Southern Italy, though based on few exposed subjects (N = 89 and 8, respectively). There was little evidence of any dose-response relation between crop proximity and ALS risk, and using long-term residence instead of current residence did not substantially change our estimates. CONCLUSIONS: Though our index of exposure is indirect and subject to considerable misclassification, our results offer little support for the hypothesis that neurotoxic pesticide exposure increases ALS risk.

Incremental value of normal adenosine perfusion cardiac magnetic resonance: Long-term outcome.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the study was to determine the long-term prognostic value of normal adenosine stress cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) in patients referred for evaluation of myocardial ischemia. METHODS: We reviewed 300 consecutive patients (age 65 ± 11 years, 74% male) with suspected or known coronary disease and normal wall motion who had undergone adenosine stress CMR negative for ischemia and scar. Most patients were at intermediate risk of coronary artery disease. The end points studied were all causes of mortality and major adverse cardiac events, including cardiac death, myocardial infarction, revascularization, and hospitalization for unstable angina. RESULTS: During a mean follow-up of 5.5 years (mean = 5.4 ± 1.1), 16 patients died because of various causes (cardiac death in 5 patients). Three patients had a nonfatal myocardial infarction, 7 patients were hospitalized for revascularization, and 11 were medically treated for unstable angina. The annual cardiac event rate was 1.3% (0.78% in the first 3 years and 1.9% between the fourth and sixth years). The predictors of major adverse cardiac events in a multivariate analysis model were as follows: advanced age (hazard ratio [HR] 1.15, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.02-1.30), diabetes (HR 17.5, 95% CI 2.2-140), and the habit of smoking (HR 5.9, 95% CI 1.0-35.5). For all causes of mortality, the only predictor was diabetes (HR 11.4, 95% CI 1.76-74.2). Patients with normal stress CMR had an excellent outcome during the 3 years after the study. The cardiac event rate was higher between the fourth and sixth years. CONCLUSION: Over a 5.5-year period, a low event rate and excellent prognosis occurred in patients with normal adenosine stress CMR. Low- to intermediate-risk patients with a normal CMR are at low risk for subsequent cardiac events.

Extensive myocardial calcifications: a systematic literature review of a rare pathological phenomenon.

Introduction: Myocardial calcifications (MC) represent a relatively rare pathological process, which may accompany different cardiovascular conditions and can be broadly categorized as dystrophic or metastatic. Myocardial infarction (MI) has been traditionally regarded as the main cause of MC overall; however, no updated comprehensive data on the relative incidence of different forms of MC is available. The purpose of this systematic review of the literature is to analyze the currently available evidence on MC in terms of pathophysiology, diagnosis, and clinical presentation. Methods and results: A total of 241 studies including a total of 368 patients affected by extensive MC were included in the final review. The majority of patients (69.8%) presented with dystrophic MC. Endomyocardial fibrosis (EMF) represents the single most common etiology of MC (24.2%), while sepsis/acute systemic inflammatory syndrome (SIRS) and chronic kidney disease were identified as the second and third most common causes respectively. The relative incidence of etiologies also varies across the years, with MI being more represented before 1990, and sepsis/SIRS becoming the single most common cause of MC after 1990. Multimodality imaging was used in the work-up of MC in 42.7% of cases. The most commonly employed imaging modality overall was echocardiography (51.9%), while after 1990 computed tomography scan became the most widely used tool (70.1%). Conclusion: The present systematic review provides new insights into the pathophysiology of MC. Previously thought to be mainly a consequence of ischemic heart disease, our data indicate that other diseases, namely EMF and sepsis/SIRS, are indeed the main conditions associated with MC. The importance of multimodality imaging in the work-up of MC is also highlighted.

Impact of Sex on Severity Assessment and Cardiac Remodeling in Primary Mitral Regurgitation.

Background: Women with severe primary mitral regurgitation (MR) have lower surgery rates than men and could suffer from delayed referral for mitral valve (MV) intervention, exposing them to an increased risk of postoperative adverse outcomes. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the sex-based differences in patients with primary MR. Methods: The study sample consisted of 420 patients (median age: 62 years, 26% women) with primary MR due to valve prolapse referred for preoperative assessment who underwent transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging. Multiple endpoints (abnormally increased left ventricular size, NYHA functional class III/IV, severe left atrial [LA] dilatation, pulmonary hypertension) were studied using areas under the curves and logistic regression models. Results: Women were older than men, had higher NYHA functional class and larger indexed LA volumes (all P ≤ 0.031), despite displaying lower MR effective regurgitant orifice area, regurgitant volumes (RegVol), and ventricular volumes than men (all P ≤ 0.002). The optimal cut-off values of RegVol associated with abnormally increased left ventricular size according to reference normal values were lower in women (TTE: 67 ml, CMR: 50 ml) than in men (TTE: 77 ml, CMR: 65 ml). MR regurgitant fraction, but not RegVol, was associated in women and men with NYHA functional class III/IV, severe LA dilatation, and pulmonary hypertension (all areas under the curves, P ≤ 0.024). Conclusions: Despite having hallmarks of more advanced valvular heart disease, women with significant primary MR demonstrate lower mitral RegVol and ventricular volumes than men. In contrast, the systematic calculation of MR regurgitant fraction could standardize MR quantification irrespective of sex.

Is there a role for cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging in the assessment of biological aortic valves?

Patients with biological aortic valves (following either surgical aortic valve replacement [SAVR] or trans catheter aortic valve implantation [TAVI]) require lifelong follow-up with an imaging modality to assess prosthetic valve function and dysfunction. Echocardiography is currently the first-line imaging modality to assess biological aortic valves. In this review, we discuss the potential role of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) as an additional imaging modality in situations of inconclusive or equivocal echocardiography. Planimetry of the prosthetic orifice can theoretically be measured, as well as the effective orifice area, with potential limitations, such as CMR valve-related artefacts and calcifications in degenerated prostheses. The true benefit of CMR is its ability to accurately quantify aortic regurgitation (paravalvular and intra-valvular) with a direct and reproducible method independent of regurgitant jet morphology to accurately assess reverse remodelling and non-invasively detect focal and interstitial diffuse myocardial fibrosis. Following SAVR or TAVI for aortic stenosis, interstitial diffuse fibrosis can regress, accompanied by structural and functional improvement that CMR can accurately assess.

The evolving role of cardiovascular magnetic resonance in the assessment of mitral valve prolapse.

Mitral valve prolapse (MVP), characterized by a displacement > 2 mm above the mitral annulus of one or both bileaflets, with or without leaflet thickening, is a common valvular heart disease, with a prevalence of approximately 2% in western countries. Although this population has a generally good overall prognosis, MVP can be associated with mitral regurgitation (MR), left ventricular (LV) remodeling leading to heart failure, ventricular arrhythmia, and, the most devastating complication, sudden cardiac death, especially in myxomatous bileaflet prolapse (Barlow's disease). Among several prognostic factors reported in the literature, LV fibrosis and mitral annular disjunction may act as an arrhythmogenic substrate in this population. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) has emerged as a reliable tool for assessing MVP, MR severity, LV remodeling, and fibrosis. Indeed, CMR is the gold standard imaging modality to assess ventricular volume, function, and wall motion abnormalities; it allows accurate calculation of the regurgitant volume and regurgitant fraction in MR using a combination of LV volumetric measurement and aortic flow quantification, independent of regurgitant jet morphology and valid in cases of multiple valvulopathies. Moreover, CMR is a unique imaging modality that can assess non-invasively focal and diffuse fibrosis using late gadolinium enhancement sequences and, more recently, T1 mapping. This review describes the use of CMR in patients with MVP and its role in identifying patients at high risk of ventricular arrhythmia.

Health surveillance for SARS-CoV-2: infection spread and vaccination coverage in the schools of Modena province, Italy.

Introduction: In Italy, over 4.8 million individuals aged 0-19 years have been infected with SARS-CoV-2. This study aims to evaluate the spread of SARS-CoV-2 within schools in Modena province and the influence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccination coverage. Methods: We performed a survey in the period 1 September-15 December 2021, involving student population aged 0-19 years and related teachers screened for SARS-CoV-2 infection using nasopharyngeal swab after the detection of an index case within their class. During the study period, vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 was actively offered to all subjects aged ≥12 years. Results: A total of 13,934 subjects were tested, 12,534 students and 1,400 teachers (594 classes). We identified a total of 594 and 779 index and secondary cases, respectively. We found that 9.8% of students and 10.6% of teachers were positive for SARS-CoV-2. Overall at the test time, 32.5% were vaccinated with at least one dose of anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. Among secondary cases, 7.8% were vaccinated compared to 34.9% among negative tested subjects. A higher secondary attack rate was for non-vaccinated subjects rather than vaccinated ones (8.1% vs. 1.4%). Higher secondary attack rates were reported for subjects attending infant and primary school (5.9 and 9.6%, respectively). Lower secondary attack rates were for those who attended middle school (4.9%) and especially high school (1.7%). Conclusion: Our results highlight the differential spread of the infection within various educational settings and that the vaccination, available in the study period for the population aged ≥12, have mitigated SARS-CoV-2 spread in high and middle schools.

Comparison of Mitral Regurgitant Volume Assessment between Proximal Flow Convergence and Volumetric Methods in Patients with Significant Primary Mitral Regurgitation: An Echocardiographic and Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study.

BACKGROUND: Discrepancies have been observed between transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) severity grading in primary mitral regurgitation (MR). OBJECTIVES: We sought to compare mitral regurgitant volume (RVol) determined by the TTE proximal flow convergence (proximal isovelocity surface area [PISA]) method and by volumetric methods (TTE and CMR) and to study the relationship between left ventricle (LV) size and RVol obtained by either the PISA or volumetric methods. METHODS: Two centers prospectively recruited 188 patients with at least moderate to severe primary MR due to prolapse in sinus rhythm who underwent TTE and CMR examinations. Regurgitant volume was estimated by either PISA (PISA-RVol) or volumetric methods (LV total stroke volume-systolic aortic forward outflow volume) using either CMR (CMR-RVol) or TTE (TTE-RVol). RESULTS: The PISA-RVol was weakly correlated with CMR-RVol and TTE-RVol (r = 0.29 and 0.30, respectively; P < .001 for both). On multivariable analysis, smaller CMR-left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV) and absence of mitral annular disjunction independently correlated with increased magnitude of RVol difference between PISA and volumetric methods. While PISA-RVol and LVEDV were unrelated, CMR-RVol and TTE-RVol moderately correlated with LVEDV (r = 0.66 and 0.68, respectively; P < .001 for both). In contrast, LVEDV and regurgitant fraction (RVol/LV total stroke volume), assessed with either TTE or CMR, were poorly correlated (r = 0.17, P = .02; and r = 0.12, P = .10, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Mitral RVol values estimated by PISA and volumetric methods are not directly comparable. The expected proportional relationship between volumetric RVol and LV size, which was not observed with PISA-RVol, suggests that PISA-RVol would be inaccurate. Given that RVol assessed with volumetric methods depends on LV size, determination of a unique RVol threshold for severe MR is challenging. In contrast to RVol, calculating regurgitant fraction by volumetric methods allows the quantification of MR severity independently from LV size.

Role of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance in Native Valvular Regurgitation: A Comprehensive Review of Protocols, Grading of Severity, and Prediction of Valve Surgery.

Valvular regurgitation is common in developed countries with an increasing prevalence due to the aging of the population and more accurate diagnostic imaging methods. Echocardiography is the gold standard method for the assessment of the severity of valvular heart regurgitation. Nonetheless, cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) has emerged as an additional tool for assessing mainly the severity of aortic and mitral valve regurgitation in the setting of indeterminate findings by echocardiography. Moreover, CMR is a valuable imaging modality to assess ventricular volume and flow, which are useful in the calculation of regurgitant volume and regurgitant fraction of mitral valve regurgitation, aortic valve regurgitation, tricuspid valve regurgitation, and pulmonary valve regurgitation. Notwithstanding this, reference values and optimal thresholds to determine the severity and prognosis of valvular heart regurgitation have been studied lesser by CMR than by echocardiography. Hence, further larger studies are warranted to validate the potential prognostic relevance of the severity of valvular heart regurgitation determined by CMR. The present review describes, analyzes, and discusses the use of CMR to determine the severity of valvular heart regurgitation in clinical practice.

Viral Myocarditis: Classification, Diagnosis, and Clinical Implications.

Myocarditis is an inflammatory disease of the myocardium with focal or diffuse involvement. Viral infections are the most common cause of myocarditis, especially in Western countries. A recent viral illness with gastroenteric or upper respiratory symptoms often precedes myocarditis. The absence of specific pathognomonic features in conjunction with the wide spectrum of clinical manifestations that range from subclinical cases to sudden cardiac death (SCD) makes myocarditis diagnosis particularly challenging. Moreover, myocarditis might represent a cause of initially unexplained dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and heart failure (HF), especially among children and young adults. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) is crucial for myocarditis diagnosis, because of its ability to detect interstitial edema during acute inflammation. Assessment of subepicardial or mid-myocardial fibrosis by late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) is typical for myocarditis. Cardiac arrhythmias are frequent events that may arise especially in more severe myocarditis cases. The most common form of arrhythmia is atrial fibrillation, followed by ventricular tachycardia. Documented arrhythmias have been reported more commonly with HIV myocarditis than other more common infections such as Adenovirus, Parvovirus B19, human Herpes virus 6, and Enterovirus. The mechanisms of arrhythmogenesis in myocardial inflammation are not fully understood; in the acute phase, the spectrum of arrhythmogenesis ranges from a direct effect on cardiomyocytes that leads to electrical instability and ion channel impairment to ischemia from coronary macro- or microvascular disease. In chronic myocarditis, instead, myocardial replacement with fibrosis promotes scar-mediated re-entrant ventricular arrhythmias. Observational data suggested the important role of CMR, with LGE being the strongest independent predictor of SCD, cardiac, and all-cause mortality. In acute myocarditis, the most common localization of subepicardial LGE dwells in the lateral wall. Patients with myocarditis that develop HF and arrhythmias usually show a larger LGE distribution involving several myocardial segments. Moreover, a mid-layer LGE in the interventricular septum is more frequent in acute myocarditis than in acute coronary syndromes cases. The risk of SCD in patients with wide areas of LGE is significant, and a shared decision-making approach is warranted. Nevertheless, there is no formal consensus about the extension of LGE to justify implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) implantation in primary prevention.

Influence of Prolapse Volume in Mitral Valve Prolapse.

Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is characterized by excessive leaflet tissue leading to a wide spectrum of mitral regurgitation (MR) ranging from trivial to severe. The prolapse volume (PV) below the prolapsing leaflets in end-systole was suspected to impact both chamber remodeling and MR grading in MVP. Based on 157 consecutive patients (45 women; mean age 62±15) referred for CMR assessment of MR, either from MVP (n = 91; 58%) or fibroelastic disease (FED) (n = 66; 42%), we sought to study (i) the interaction between PV and cardiac chamber geometry (ii) to study the impact of PV on MR quantification in MVP. Despite similar left ventricular (LV) size, PV was larger in MVP (11±9ml) than in FED (2±2ml). PV progressively increased with the severity of MR in MVP but not in FED. Despite a low regurgitant volume (32±18ml), some MVP patients with less than moderate MR exhibit significant cardiac chambers remodeling compared to 52 age and sex-matched controls. PV correlated significantly (r = 0.52) with the LV dilatation in severe MR but also in less than moderate MR. In MVP, PV>14ml was associated with a significant underestimation (Bias=-26±32ml) of regurgitant volume by PISA compared to CMR. In conclusion, in MVP, PV may play a role in left cardiac chambers remodeling, even in patients without severe MR, and in discordant grading of MR between echocardiography and CMR.

Non-contrast myocardial T1 global and regional reference values at 3 Tesla cardiac magnetic resonance in aortic stenosis.

BACKGROUND: T1 mapping using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) was recently proposed as a promising non-contrast imaging technique for the assessment of diffuse myocardial fibrosis (MF) in aortic stenosis (AS). AIMS: To provide reference values for native T1 mapping at 3 Tesla magnetic field strength in subjects with moderate or severe AS and in control subjects; to identify factors associated with the presence of diffuse MF in severe AS; to assess the regional distribution of diffuse MF; and to compare the level of diffuse MF in the different types of AS, stratified by flow and gradient patterns. METHODS: Retrospective study based on 160 consecutive patients with moderate (n=11) to severe (n=149) AS and 47 control subjects referred for CMR. RESULTS: Mean native T1 increased progressively across controls (1221±23ms), moderate AS (1249±26ms) and severe AS (1273±43ms). T1 times correlated significantly with left ventricular (LV) remodelling (indexed LV mass and LV diastolic volume) and functional LV alterations (global longitudinal strain and LV ejection fraction). Native T1 appears to be elevated in the basal segments of the septum in moderate AS, and to extend to midventricular and apical segments in severe AS. Mean T1 time was higher in classical low-flow/low-gradient AS (1295±62ms) than in the other types of AS (P=0.006). The level of diffuse MF in paradoxical low-flow/low-gradient AS (1280±42ms) was higher than in moderate AS, but similar to that in high-gradient AS (1271±42ms) (P=0.07). CONCLUSIONS: Assessment of diffuse MF in AS using T1 mapping is feasible and reproducible in clinical practice. T1 value increases with AS severity, along with morphological and functional LV alterations, particularly in the basal segments of the septum.

Trace elements in toenails in a population living near a modern municipal solid waste incinerator in Modena (Italy).

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: A cross-sectional biomonitoring study was performed in Modena (Italy) to assess trace element levels in toenails in a population living near a municipal solid waste incinerator (SWI), and investigate potential differences in their concentrations according to SWI emission exposure and other environmental and behavioral factors. METHODS: During the winter 2013/14 eligible subjects, aged 18-69 yrs, living within 4 km from SWI, were randomly selected from the population register. Toxic and essential element concentrations (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, Zn) were analyzed in 489 toenail samples. Individual exposure to SWI emissions was estimated by using, as a tracer, fall-out maps of emitted particulate matter. Information on anthropometric parameters, lifestyles, diet, and road traffic, residential and work exposures were collected by questionnaires and objective measurements. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were carried out, separately for females and males. RESULTS: Excluding As, toxic elements were found, usually at low levels, in many samples, while essential elements, especially Cu and Zn, showed higher levels. Overall, no clear relationships between element levels and SWI exposure were observed, whereas associations with other environmental and lifestyle factors were found, including local food consumption, smoking and occupation. CONCLUSIONS: The low pollutant concentrations measured in SWI emissions could explain the absence of clear patterns in toenail levels across SWI exposure levels. The associations observed with other factors suggest that, at least in this specific population, other environmental exposures and personal behaviors could act as more important predictors of trace element uptake.

Characteristics and risk factors of isolated and quarantined children and adolescents during the first wave of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: A cross-sectional study in Modena, Northern Italy.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: In early 2020, SARS-CoV-2 was declared a pandemic by the WHO and Italy was one of the first and most severely affected country in Europe. Despite the global interest about COVID-19 pandemic, several aspects of this infection are still unclear, especially in pediatric population. This study aims to investigate the characteristics of the isolated or quarantined children and adolescents followed by the Public Health Department of the Italian province of Modena during the first wave of COVID-19. METHODS: The study population included all non-adult subjects aged 0-18 years who underwent isolation or quarantine during the first wave of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic from February 24 to June 18, 2020 in Modena province, Northern Italy. RESULTS: In Modena province, 1230 children and adolescents were isolated in case of SARS-CoV-2 infection (6.3%), or quarantined due to close contact with confirmed cases (88.7%) or travelling from a high-risk area (5.0%). Among 349 individuals who underwent swab testing, 294 (84.2%) reported close contact with an infected cohabiting relative and 158 (45.3%) were symptomatic. Among all tested subjects, 78 (22.4%) resulted positive, with a higher proportion of symptomatic subjects compared with the SARS-CoV-2-negative (78.2% vs. 35.8%). Fever was mostly present in SARS-CoV-2-positive children (48.7% vs. 12.6%). Both anosmia (58.3% vs. 41.7%) and dysgeusia (54.5% vs. 45.5%) had only slightly higher frequency in SARS-CoV-2-positive. CONCLUSIONS: These findings allow to expand the knowledge regarding characteristics of non-adult subjects isolated or quarantined during the first wave of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. (www.actabiomedica.it).