Computed tomography-derived fractional flow reserve (FFRCT) has no additional clinical impact over the anatomical Coronary Artery Disease - Reporting and Data System (CAD-RADS) in real-world elective healthcare of coronary artery disease.

AIM: To evaluate the impact of computed tomography-derived fractional flow reserve (FFRCT) compared to the anatomical Coronary Artery Disease - Reporting and Data System (CAD-RADS) in the elective assessment of coronary artery disease in real-world cardiology practise. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review was undertaken of 1,239 coronary CT examinations from August 2018 to December 2019 with a minimum follow-up period of 1 year. Coronary disease was classified according to the CAD-RADS system. A non-occlusive ≥30% maximum diameter stenosis was considered eligible for FFRCT. Lesion-specific FFRCT and FFR were considered positive if ≤ 0.80. The patients were followed up using the hospital radiology information system and the electronic patient record. A positive outcome was defined by a subsequent invasive angiogram (ICA) showing disease requiring revascularisation or FFR ≤0.80 or a positive stress test or medical therapy for angina in CAD-RADS 4. RESULTS: Of the 1,145 analysable studies (mean follow up 618 ± 153 days) the incidence of a positive result was 7% with a 5.4% elective revascularisation rate. Two hundred and forty-five patients (CAD-RADS 2-4) had FFRCT. FFRCT reduced the accuracy of the CAD-RADS grade from 91% to 78.4% (p<0.001). In CAD-RADS 2, the accuracy is reduced from 99% to 90.7% (p=0.005), and in CAD-RADS 3 from 93.9% to 67.7% (p<0.001). In CAD-RADS 4, FFRCT increases accuracy from 69.4% to 75.5% (p=0.025), but 89.8% of FFRCT are positive and specificity is low (26.7%). CONCLUSION: In the present "real-world" practise, FFRCT does not improve standard radiological assessment of coronary disease graded by the CAD-RADS alone.

Electrocardiography-gated CT for acute aortic syndrome: quantifying the potential impact of subspecialty national recommendations on emergency general radiology reporting.

AIM: To evaluate the detection of acute aortic syndrome (AAS) and the prevalence of alternative diagnoses that may explain the presentation or require follow-up. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective, blinded re-evaluation of consecutive electrocardiography (ECG)-gated computed tomography (CT) aortic studies by a cardiovascular radiologist performed between September 2019 and May 2020 in a tertiary-referral cardiothoracic centre. RESULTS: There were 118 identified examinations, six examinations were excluded leaving 112 (mean age = 61 ± 17; 56% male). Three cases of AAS were present (prevalence 2.7%); only one was reported on initial review. There were no false-positive diagnoses of AAS. The heart was mentioned in 79 (70.5%) reports and 73 (65.2%) of reviews revealed a total of 114 new observations; 111 (97.4%) of these were cardiovascular with 44/112 (39.3%) patients potentially having a significant previously unsuspected cardiovascular diagnosis. CONCLUSION: The implementation of national clinical guidance to increase testing and improve image quality led to a series of challenges. The real value of ECG-gated CT may lie in detecting other diseases that mimic AAS. With the additional workload, increased subspecialty expertise is required but there needs to be a willingness to learn with an adequate support infrastructure.

Are all left bundle branch blocks the same? Myocardial mechanical implications by cardiovascular magnetic resonance.

AIMS: Left bundle branch block (LBBB) is usually associated with structural myocardial diseases progressively leading to left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. We sought to determine the mechanical implications of LBBB (as defined based on Strauss' criteria) by Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (CMR). METHOD AND RESULTS: We included consecutive patients referred to CMR to assess the structural cause of LBBB. CMR scans consisted of cine, stress perfusion, and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) sequences. Myocardial deformation was assessed by tissue tracking analysis; LGE was quantified using the full width at half maximum method. We included 86 patients [63% male, 70 years (60-72)] with mean QRS duration 150 ± 13 msec. A structural disease was identified on CMR in 53% of patients (ischemic heart disease, IHD, 31%; non-ischemic heart disease, NIHD, 22%), while LBBB-related septal dyssynchrony (SD) was the only abnormality in 47%. LGE was found in 42% of patients. LVEF and myocardial deformation were impaired. Despite similar ECG characteristics, myocardial strain differed significantly between IHD, NIHD and SD patients, and patients with SD showed less impaired myocardial deformation. Indexed LV end-systolic volume and LGE extent were independently associated with impaired strain. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with LBBB show different structural and mechanical properties, and LGE extent has an unfavourable effect on myocardial mechanics.

Diagnostic yield of cardiovascular magnetic resonance in young-middle aged patients with high-grade atrio-ventricular block.

BACKGROUND: Atrio-ventricular block (AVB) is a rare finding in young or middle-aged adults, often leading to pacemaker implantation (PM) without further investigation. We sought to assess the diagnostic role of cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in young and middle-aged adults with high-grade AVB. METHODS: We consecutively enrolled young-middle aged (18-65years) patients with high grade AVB referred to CMR after standard clinical assessment (history, electrocardiogram and cardiac rhythm monitoring) prior to PM implantation. Cine and post-contrast imaging were performed in a 1.5T scanner. RESULTS: 34 patients (59% male, mean age 42±12years) with high grade AVB were referred to CMR for suspected ischemic heart disease (IHD)(n=4) and non-ischemic heart disease (NIHD)(n=20); no clear cause was found in 9 patients prior to CMR and 1 patient had suspected lung disease. A pathologic substrate was found on CMR in 15 patients (44%), while a structurally normal heart was reported in 18 (53%). Non-specific findings were reported in 1 patient (3%). There was a fair agreement between CMR and echocardiographic findings (Cohen's kappa 0.243), and CMR provided an entirely new diagnosis in 34% of patients. As compared to the standard clinical assessment, CMR had an additional role in 65% of patients and guided further testing (genetic testing, extra-cardiac imaging) in 9%. CONCLUSIONS: CMR found a pathologic substrate in 44% of patients, mainly NIHD (32%). Half of the patients (53%) had a structurally normal heart. When added to the standard clinical assessment, CMR had an incremental diagnostic role in two thirds of patients.

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy in myasthaenia gravis crisis confirmed by cardiac MRI.

Myasthaenia gravis crisis and Takotsubo cardiomyopathy are rare conditions that can be precipitated by emotional or physical stress. Myasthaenia gravis has a variety of cardiac manifestations but Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, particularly in male patients, has rarely been reported. We describe a unique case of a 70-year-old man who developed Takotsubo cardiomyopathy during his first presentation with a myasthaenia gravis crisis. He had not received plasmapharesis or immunoglobulin therapy. Striking ECG traces and cardiac MRI helped to confirm the diagnosis. Cardiac manifestations of myasthaenia gravis and myasthaenia gravis itself have overlapping symptoms; the importance of cardiac monitoring and clinical vigilance in such cases is discussed. The utility of cardiac MRI in assessing cardiac manifestations of myasthaenia gravis is also highlighted.