Percutaneous closure of a sinus venosus defect with partial anomalous pulmonary venous return.

A 73-year-old man with a history of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and obesity presented for cardiovascular evaluation. He was experiencing mild fatigue and dyspnea on exertion. Transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) showed right ventricular dilation, which was otherwise unremarkable.

Hybrid Magnetic Resonance Positron Emission Tomography Is Associated With Cardiac-Related Outcomes in Cardiac Sarcoidosis.

BACKGROUND: Imaging with late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) magnetic resonance (MR) and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) PET allows complementary assessment of myocardial injury and disease activity and has shown promise for improved characterization of active cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) based on the combined positive imaging outcome, MR(+)PET(+). OBJECTIVES: This study aims to evaluate qualitative and quantitative assessments of hybrid MR/PET imaging in CS and to evaluate its association with cardiac-related outcomes. METHODS: A total of 148 patients with suspected CS underwent hybrid MR/PET imaging. Patients were classified based on the presence/absence of LGE (MR+/MR-), presence/absence of 18F-FDG (PET+/PET-), and pattern of 18F-FDG uptake (focal/diffuse) into the following categories: MR(+)PET(+)FOCAL, MR(+)PET(+)DIFFUSE, MR(+)PET(-), MR(-)PET(+)FOCAL, MR(-)PET(+)DIFFUSE, MR(-)PET(-). Further analysis classified MR positivity based on %LGE exceeding 5.7% as MR(+/-)5.7%. Quantitative values of standard uptake value, target-to-background ratio, target-to-normal-myocardium ratio (TNMRmax), and T2 were measured. The primary clinical endpoint was met by the occurrence of cardiac arrest, ventricular tachycardia, or secondary prevention implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) before the end of the study. The secondary endpoint was met by any of the primary endpoint criteria plus heart failure or heart block. MR/PET imaging results were compared between those meeting or not meeting the clinical endpoints. RESULTS: Patients designated MR(+)5.7%PET(+)FOCAL had increased odds of meeting the primary clinical endpoint compared to those with all other imaging classifications (unadjusted OR: 9.2 [95% CI: 3.0-28.7]; P = 0.0001), which was higher than the odds based on MR or PET alone. TNMRmax achieved an area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve of 0.90 for separating MR(+)PET(+)FOCAL from non-MR(+)PET(+)FOCAL, and 0.77 for separating those reaching the clinical endpoint from those not reaching the clinical endpoint. CONCLUSIONS: Hybrid MR/PET image-based classification of CS was statistically associated with clinical outcomes in CS. TNMRmax had modest sensitivity and specificity for quantifying the imaging-based classification MR(+)PET(+)FOCAL and was associated with outcomes. Use of combined MR and PET image-based classification may have use in prognostication and treatment management in CS.

Cardiovascular Complications and Imaging in the Era of the COVID-19 Pandemic 2020 to Present.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the world that was not previously conceivable. In early 2020, hospitals on all continents were overwhelmed with patients afflicted with this novel virus, with unanticipated mortality worldwide. The virus has had a deleterious effect, particularly the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Cardiovascular biomarkers demonstrated an array of cardiovascular insults from hypoxia to inflammatory and perfusion abnormalities of the myocardium to life-threatening arrhythmias and heart failure. Patients were at increased risk of a pro-thrombotic state early in the course of the disease. Cardiovascular imaging became a primary tool in diagnosing, prognosing and risk-stratifying patients. Transthoracic echocardiography became the initial imaging modality in management of cardiovascular implications. In addition to cardiac function, LV longitudinal strain (LVLS) and right ventricular free wall strain (RVFWS) were indicators of increased morbidly and mortality. Cardiac MRI has become the diagnostic cardiovascular imaging for myocardial injury and tissue evaluation in the age of COVID-19.

Validation of American Society of Echocardiography Guideline-Recommended Parameters of Right Ventricular Dysfunction Using Artificial Intelligence Compared With Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

BACKGROUND: Right ventricular (RV) function is important in the evaluation of cardiac function, but its assessment using standard transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) remains challenging. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) is considered the gold standard. The American Society of Echocardiography recommends surrogate measures of RV function and RV ejection fraction (RVEF) by TTE, including fractional area change (FAC), free wall strain (FWS), and tricuspid annular planar systolic excursion (TAPSE), but they require technical expertise in acquisition and quantification. METHODS: The aim of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of FAC, FWS, and TAPSE derived using a rapid, novel artificial intelligence (AI) software (LVivoRV) from a single-plane transthoracic echocardiographic apical four-chamber, RV-focused view without ultrasound-enhancing agents for detecting abnormal RV function compared with CMR-derived RVEF. RV dysfunction was defined as RVEF < 50% and RVEF < 40% on CMR. RESULTS: TTE and CMR were performed within a median of 10 days (interquartile range, 2-32 days) of each other in 225 consecutive patients without interval procedural or pharmacologic intervention. The sensitivity and negative predictive value to detect CMR-defined RV dysfunction when all three AI-derived parameters (FAC, FWS, and TAPSE) were abnormal were 91% and 96%, while those of expert physician reads were 91% and 97%. Specificity and positive predictive value were lower (50% and 32%) compared with expert physician-read echocardiograms (82% and 56%). CONCLUSIONS: AI-derived measurements of FAC, FWS, and TAPSE had excellent sensitivity and negative predictive value for ruling out significant RV dysfunction (CMR RVEF < 40%), comparable with that of expert physician readers, but lower specificity. Thus AI, using American Society of Echocardiography guidelines, may serve as a useful screening tool for rapid bedside assessment to exclude significant RV dysfunction.

Advances in Coronary Computed Tomographic Angiographic Imaging of Atherosclerosis for Risk Stratification and Preventive Care.

The diagnostic evaluation of coronary artery disease is undergoing a dramatic transformation with a new focus on atherosclerotic plaque. This review details the evidence needed for effective risk stratification and targeted preventive care based on recent advances in automated measurement of atherosclerosis from coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA). To date, research findings support that automated stenosis measurement is reasonably accurate, but evidence on variability by location, artery size, or image quality is unknown. The evidence for quantification of atherosclerotic plaque is unfolding, with strong concordance reported between coronary CTA and intravascular ultrasound measurement of total plaque volume (r >0.90). Statistical variance is higher for smaller plaque volumes. Limited data are available on how technical or patient-specific factors result in measurement variability by compositional subgroups. Coronary artery dimensions vary by age, sex, heart size, coronary dominance, and race and ethnicity. Accordingly, quantification programs excluding smaller arteries affect accuracy for women, patients with diabetes, and other patient subsets. Evidence is unfolding that quantification of atherosclerotic plaque is useful to enhance risk prediction, yet more evidence is required to define high-risk patients across varied populations and to determine whether such information is incremental to risk factors or currently used coronary computed tomography techniques (eg, coronary artery calcium scoring or visual assessment of plaque burden or stenosis). In summary, there is promise for the utility of coronary CTA quantification of atherosclerosis, especially if it can lead to targeted and more intensive cardiovascular prevention, notably for those patients with nonobstructive coronary artery disease and high-risk plaque features. The new quantification techniques available to imagers must not only provide sufficient added value to improve patient care, but also add minimal and reasonable cost to alleviate the financial burden on our patients and the health care system.

Myocardial Injury on CMR in Patients With COVID-19 and Suspected Cardiac Involvement.

BACKGROUND: Myocardial injury in patients with COVID-19 and suspected cardiac involvement is not well understood. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to characterize myocardial injury in a multicenter cohort of patients with COVID-19 and suspected cardiac involvement referred for cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). METHODS: This retrospective study consisted of 1,047 patients from 18 international sites with polymerase chain reaction-confirmed COVID-19 infection who underwent CMR. Myocardial injury was characterized as acute myocarditis, nonacute/nonischemic, acute ischemic, and nonacute/ischemic patterns on CMR. RESULTS: In this cohort, 20.9% of patients had nonischemic injury patterns (acute myocarditis: 7.9%; nonacute/nonischemic: 13.0%), and 6.7% of patients had ischemic injury patterns (acute ischemic: 1.9%; nonacute/ischemic: 4.8%). In a univariate analysis, variables associated with acute myocarditis patterns included chest discomfort (OR: 2.00; 95% CI: 1.17-3.40, P = 0.01), abnormal electrocardiogram (ECG) (OR: 1.90; 95% CI: 1.12-3.23; P = 0.02), natriuretic peptide elevation (OR: 2.99; 95% CI: 1.60-5.58; P = 0.0006), and troponin elevation (OR: 4.21; 95% CI: 2.41-7.36; P < 0.0001). Variables associated with acute ischemic patterns included chest discomfort (OR: 3.14; 95% CI: 1.04-9.49; P = 0.04), abnormal ECG (OR: 4.06; 95% CI: 1.10-14.92; P = 0.04), known coronary disease (OR: 33.30; 95% CI: 4.04-274.53; P = 0.001), hospitalization (OR: 4.98; 95% CI: 1.55-16.05; P = 0.007), natriuretic peptide elevation (OR: 4.19; 95% CI: 1.30-13.51; P = 0.02), and troponin elevation (OR: 25.27; 95% CI: 5.55-115.03; P < 0.0001). In a multivariate analysis, troponin elevation was strongly associated with acute myocarditis patterns (OR: 4.98; 95% CI: 1.76-14.05; P = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: In this multicenter study of patients with COVID-19 with clinical suspicion for cardiac involvement referred for CMR, nonischemic and ischemic patterns were frequent when cardiac symptoms, ECG abnormalities, and cardiac biomarker elevations were present.

Sudden Cardiac Arrest in an Adult with Anomalous Origin of the Left Coronary Artery from the Pulmonary Artery (ALCAPA): Case Report.

INTRODUCTION: Anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery (ALCAPA) is a rare coronary artery anomaly that carries 90% mortality in the first year of life when left untreated. The diagnosis of ALCAPA is rare in adulthood, and it includes a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations, including sudden cardiac death (SCD). CASE REPORT: We report a rare case of resuscitated sudden cardiac arrest in a 55-year-old female, who was diagnosed with ALCAPA and underwent successful surgical correction and implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) implantation for secondary prevention. DISCUSSION: ALCAPA diagnosis is not confined to childhood, and it represents a rare cause of life-threatening arrhythmias and SCD in the adult population. Surgical correction is recommended, regardless of age, presence of symptoms or inducible myocardial ischemia. Multimodality imaging is crucial for diagnosis, management planning and follow up. Assessment of the risk of recurrent ventricular arrhythmias, despite full revascularization, should be performed in all adults with ALCAPA. Myocardial scar detected via late gadolinium enhancement represents a potential irreversible substrate for ventricular arrhythmias, and it provides additional information to evaluate indication of an ICD for secondary prevention.

Multimodality cardiac imaging for management of a cardiac mass in the era of COVID-19: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Atrial myxomas are the most common benign cardiac tumours. This case highlights an unusual presentation and complex management of a patient who was incidentally found to have a left atrial tumour concerning for a myxoma. CASE SUMMARY: A 54-year-old-woman presented with symptoms of nausea and vomiting and was found to have a left atrial mass incidentally in addition to a renal infarct. She was also found to have COVID-19 and the mass was initially thought to be a thrombus. With the help of multimodality imaging, it was determined that the mass was an atrial myxoma and she was started on short-term anticoagulation to prevent recurrent embolization. After 6 weeks of anticoagulation, she successfully underwent elective resection of the mass which was confirmed to be myxoma with superimposed thrombus. DISCUSSION: It is difficult to differentiate cardiac tumours from intracardiac thrombus and multimodality cardiac imaging is crucial to make an accurate diagnosis. While the treatment of atrial myxomas involves early surgical resection, it becomes more complicated with concurrent COVID-19 infection.

Prognostic Impact of Prior Heart Failure in Patients Hospitalized With COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Patients with pre-existing heart failure (HF) are likely at higher risk for adverse outcomes in coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), but data on this population are sparse. OBJECTIVES: This study described the clinical profile and associated outcomes among patients with HF hospitalized with COVID-19. METHODS: This study conducted a retrospective analysis of 6,439 patients admitted for COVID-19 at 1 of 5 Mount Sinai Health System hospitals in New York City between February 27 and June 26, 2020. Clinical characteristics and outcomes (length of stay, need for intensive care unit, mechanical ventilation, and in-hospital mortality) were captured from electronic health records. For patients identified as having a history of HF by International Classification of Diseases-9th and/or 10th Revisions codes, manual chart abstraction informed etiology, functional class, and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). RESULTS: Mean age was 63.5 years, and 45% were women. Compared with patients without HF, those with previous HF experienced longer length of stay (8 days vs. 6 days; p < 0.001), increased risk of mechanical ventilation (22.8% vs. 11.9%; adjusted odds ratio: 3.64; 95% confidence interval: 2.56 to 5.16; p < 0.001), and mortality (40.0% vs. 24.9%; adjusted odds ratio: 1.88; 95% confidence interval: 1.27 to 2.78; p = 0.002). Outcomes among patients with HF were similar, regardless of LVEF or renin-angiotensin-aldosterone inhibitor use. CONCLUSIONS: History of HF was associated with higher risk of mechanical ventilation and mortality among patients hospitalized for COVID-19, regardless of LVEF.

Multipotent fetal-derived Cdx2 cells from placenta regenerate the heart.

The extremely limited regenerative potential of adult mammalian hearts has prompted the need for novel cell-based therapies that can restore contractile function in heart disease. We have previously shown the regenerative potential of mixed fetal cells that were naturally found migrating to the injured maternal heart. Exploiting this intrinsic mechanism led to the current hypothesis that Caudal-type homeobox-2 (Cdx2) cells in placenta may represent a novel cell type for cardiac regeneration. Using a lineage-tracing strategy, we specifically labeled fetal-derived Cdx2 cells with enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP). Cdx2-eGFP cells from end-gestation placenta were assayed for cardiac differentiation in vitro and in vivo using a mouse model of myocardial infarction. We observed that these cells differentiated into spontaneously beating cardiomyocytes (CMs) and vascular cells in vitro, indicating multipotentiality. When administered via tail vein to infarcted wild-type male mice, they selectively and robustly homed to the heart and differentiated to CMs and blood vessels, resulting in significant improvement in contractility as noted by MRI. Proteomics and immune transcriptomics studies of Cdx2-eGFP cells compared with embryonic stem (ES) cells reveal that they appear to retain "stem"-related functions of ES cells but exhibit unique signatures supporting roles in homing and survival, with an ability to evade immune surveillance, which is critical for cell-based therapy. Cdx2-eGFP cells may potentially represent a therapeutic advance in allogeneic cell therapy for cardiac repair.

Acute Coronary Syndrome Secondary to Aortocaval Fistula.

This paper reports the case of an 88-year-old male with a history of chronic abdominal aortic aneurysm admitted to the emergency department with resting chest pain consistent with angina. Beta-blockade therapy triggered a cardiogenic shock, which motivated an urgent computed tomography scan and echocardiogram that confirmed high-output-related heart failure secondary to aortocaval fistula. (Level of Difficulty: Beginner.).

Aorto-left atrial fistula diagnosed with computed tomographic angiography: A case report.

Aorto-atrial fistulas are a rare diagnosis with limited reports in the clinical literature. These findings are often characterized by echocardiography alone; however, the advent and increased availability and use of CT angiography to diagnose cardiac abnormalities provides improved anatomic visibility of potential defects. We are reporting a case of a 76-year-old male with decompensated heart failure secondary to a fistula between the aorta and left atrium after remote history of bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement.

Lesion-Specific and Vessel-Related Determinants of Fractional Flow Reserve Beyond Coronary Artery Stenosis.

OBJECTIVES: The aims of the present study were: 1) to investigate the contribution of the extent of luminal stenosis and other lesion composition-related factors in predicting invasive fractional flow reserve (FFR); and 2) to explore the distribution of various combinations of morphological characteristics and the severity of stenosis among lesions demonstrating normal and abnormal FFR. BACKGROUND: In patients with stable ischemic heart disease, FFR-guided revascularization, as compared with medical therapy alone, is reported to improve outcomes. Because morphological characteristics are the basis of plaque rupture and acute coronary events, a relationship between FFR and lesion characteristics may exist. METHODS: This is a subanalysis of NXT (HeartFlowNXT: HeartFlow Analysis of Coronary Blood Flow Using Coronary CT Angiography), a prospective, multicenter study of 254 patients (age 64 ± 10 years, 64% male) with suspected stable ischemic heart disease; coronary computed tomography angiography including plaque morphology assessment, invasive angiography, and FFR were obtained for 383 lesions. Ischemia was defined by invasive FFR ≤0.80. Computed tomography angiography-defined morphological characteristics of plaques and their vascular location were used in univariate and multivariate analyses to examine their predictive value for invasive FFR. The distribution of various combinations of plaque morphological characteristics and the severity of stenosis among lesions demonstrating normal and abnormal FFR were examined. RESULTS: The percentage of luminal stenosis, low-attenuation plaque (LAP) or necrotic core volume, left anterior descending coronary artery territory, and the presence of multiple lesions per vessel were the predictors of FFR. When grouped on the basis of degree of luminal stenosis, FFR-negative lesions had consistently smaller LAP volumes compared with FFR-positive lesions. The distribution of plaque characteristics in lesions with normal and abnormal FFR demonstrated that whereas FFR-negative lesions excluded likelihood of stenotic plaques with moderate to high LAP volumes, only one-third of FFR-positive lesions demonstrated obstructive plaques with moderate to high LAP volumes. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to the severity of luminal stenosis, necrotic core volume is an independent predictor of FFR. The distribution of plaque characteristics among lesions with varying luminal stenosis and normal and abnormal FFR may explain the outcomes associated with FFR-guided therapy.

Fibrosis as measured by the biomarker, tissue inhibitor metalloproteinase-1, predicts mortality in Age Gene Environment Susceptibility-Reykjavik (AGES-Reykjavik) Study.

BACKGROUND: Fibrosis is a key pathological process in many chronic inflammatory disease states. AIMS: We hypothesized that tissue inhibitor metalloproteinase-1 and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (TIMP-1 and MMP-9), biomarkers of fibrosis, would predict all-cause mortality and we assessed the incremental value of these biomarkers when adjusting for clinical and other biomarkers. METHODS: The cohort included 5511 community-dwelling participants in the AGES-Reykjavik Study. The baseline Cox proportional hazards regression model was based on the Framingham Risk Score variables; we added TIMP-1, MMP-9, serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). The primary outcome was all-cause 10-year mortality. Cause of death was categorized as cardiovascular death (CVD), cancer death, and other causes. RESULTS: Participants averaged 76 years and 43% were male. Ten-year mortality was 41% (2263 deaths). Of these, 915 (16.6%) died of cardiovascular disease (CVD), 543 (9.9%) with cancer, and 805 (14.6%) from other causes. For 10-year mortality, age was the strongest predictor (log likelihood χ2 = 798.7, P < 0.0001), followed by TIMP-1 (χ2 = 125.2, P < 0.0001), female gender, current smoker, diabetes mellitus, total cholesterol, eGFR (χ2 16.7, P < 0.0001), body mass index, and hsCRP (χ2 11.3, P = 0.0008) in that order. TIMP-1 and hsCRP had the highest continuous net reclassification improvement over the baseline model for 5-year survival [net reclassification index (NRI) 0.28 and 0.19, respectively, both P < 0.0001] and for 10-year survival (NRI 0.19 and 0.11, respectively, both statistically significant). CONCLUSION: TIMP-1 is the strongest predictor of all-cause mortality after age. The metabolic pathways regulating extracellular matrix homeostasis and fibrogenic processes appear pathologically relevant and are prognostically important.

Mapeo miocárdico con resonancia magnética cardiaca: valor diagnóstico de las nuevas secuencias / Myocardial mapping with cardiac magnetic resonance: the diagnostic value of novel sequences

La resonancia magnética cardiaca ha evolucionado hasta convertirse en una modalidad diagnóstica esencial en la evaluación de la miocardiopatía, gracias a su capacidad para caracterizar la estructura y la función del miocardio. En los últimos años ha aumentado el interés en el potencial de las técnicas de mapeo que aportan una cuantificación directa y objetiva de las propiedades del miocardio, como los tiempos T1, T2 y T2*. Estos métodos permiten detectar anomalías que afectan al miocardio de manera difusa o son demasiado sutiles para identificarlas en un examen visual. En este artículo se revisa el estado actual del mapeo miocárdico T1 y T2 tanto en salud como en enfermedad (AU)

Cardiac magnetic resonance has evolved into a crucial modality for the evaluation of cardiomyopathy due to its ability to characterize myocardial structure and function. In the last few years, interest has increased in the potential of ‘mapping’ techniques that provide direct and objective quantification of myocardial properties such as T1, T2, and T2* times. These approaches enable the detection of abnormalities that affect the myocardium in a diffuse fashion and/or may be too subtle for visual recognition. This article reviews the current state of myocardial T1 and T2-mapping in both health and disease (AU)