Assessment of late cardiomyopathy by magnetic resonance imaging in patients with acute promyelocytic leukaemia treated with all-trans retinoic acid and idarubicin.

Late cardiomyopathy CMP is regarded as a potential severe long-term complication after anthracycline-based regimens for acute promyelocitic leukaemia (APL). We assess by MRI the incidence and severity of clinical and subclinical long-term CMP in a cohort of adult APL patients in first complete remission with PETHEMA trials. Adult patients diagnosed with APL in first complete remission lasting ≥2 years underwent anamnesis and physical examination and were asked to perform a cardiac MRI. Clinical CMP was defined as radiographic and physical signs of heart failure accompanied by symptoms or by left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) <45% by MRI with or without symptoms. Subclinical CMP was defined as the following MRI abnormalities: LVEF 45-50% or late gadolinium enhancement or two or more of LVEF ≤55%, left ventricle end-diastolic volume index ≥98 ml/m2, left ventricle end-systolic volume index ≥38 ml/m2, right ventricle end-diastolic volume index ≥106 ml/m2 and regional wall motion abnormalities. Of the 82 patients enrolled in the study, median cumulative dose of anthracyclines (doxorubicin equivalence) was 650 mg/m2, and median time from APL diagnosis to the study was 87 months (range, 24-195). Seven out of 57 patients with available MRI (12%) had subclinical CMP (all of them showed late gadolinium enhancement in MRI), and none had clinical CMP. Among the 25 patients without MRI, none had CMP by chest X-ray and physical assessment. In summary, we found 12% of subclinical and no clinical late CMP assessed by MRI in APL patients treated with PETHEMA protocols. Due to the low number of patients, we must interpret our results cautiously.

Noninvasive diagnosis of coronary artery disease in patients with heart failure and systolic dysfunction of uncertain etiology, using late gadolinium-enhanced cardiovascular magnetic resonance.

OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the feasibility of using late gadolinium-enhanced (LGE) cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) to distinguish left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction related or not to coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with heart failure (HF) but without clinical suspicion of CAD as the underlying cause. BACKGROUND: In patients with known CAD, LGE-CMR is capable of distinguishing LV systolic dysfunction related to CAD from dilated cardiomyopathy. METHODS: Seventy-one patients with HF and LV systolic dysfunction, without a previous history of myocardial infarction, with neither Q waves nor clinical data suggesting CAD, underwent both LGE-CMR and coronary angiography. RESULTS: Twenty-six patients (37%) had angiographically proven CAD (>/=70% stenosis of a major epicardial vessel) (angio [+] group), and 45 (63%) had unobstructed coronary arteries (angio [-] group). Twenty-one patients in the angio (+) group (21 of 26, 81%) showed subendocardial and/or transmural enhancement, whereas only 4 (9%) of 45 in the angio (-) group showed it (p < 0.001). In 7 patients (7 of 71, 10%), we found a different pattern of mid-wall enhancement-namely, 3 of 26 patients in the angio (+) group and 4 of 45 in the angio (-) group (11% vs. 9%, p = 0.7). Mid-wall enhancement in the angio (+) group was distributed in segments other than those which had subendocardial enhancement. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with HF and LV systolic dysfunction without clinical suspicion of CAD, LGE-CMR is an excellent tool for classifying patients in relation to the presence or absence of underlying CAD. Thus, CMR might offer a valid alternative to coronary angiography for the detection of CAD in these patients.

[Magnetic resonance imaging evidence of the effectiveness of combination chelation therapy in iron overload cardiomyopathy]. / Evidencia por resonancia magnética de la eficacia del tratamiento quelante combinado en la miocardiopatía por depósito férrico.

Heart failure secondary to iron overload is the main cause of death in patients with beta-thalassemia major. Combination therapy with deferoxamine and deferiprone has been shown to be more effective than either drug used alone in patients with beta-thalassemia major and symptomatic cardiomyopathy. Although monitoring the response to chelation therapy is usually carried out by indirect measurement of the serum ferritin level or by direct determination of tissue iron content in biopsy specimens, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) seems to be useful for noninvasive qualitative and quantitative assessment of iron deposition. We present a case in which the efficacy of double chelation therapy in a patient with beta-thalassemia major and heart failure was demonstrated by MRI.

[Non-invasive assessment of coronary artery bypass grafts by computed tomography: comparison with conventional coronary angiography]. / Valoración no invasiva de injertos coronarios con tomografía computarizada: comparación con la angiografía convencional.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Although it has been demonstrated that the diagnostic accuracy of computed tomography in the non-invasive assessment of major epicardial coronary arteries is high, only a few studies have evaluated the technique's reliability in assessing coronary artery bypass grafts. The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of multidetector computed tomography in the assessment of coronary grafts. PATIENTS AND METHOD: We prospectively evaluated 117 coronary grafts in 38 patients who had undergone coronary artery bypass graft surgery and who had a clinical indication for angiographic graft assessment. All patients were in sinus rhythm and had a heart rate below 75 bpm. A 16-detector scanner was used for non-invasive assessment of the coronary grafts at a slice thickness of 1.2 mm. The diagnostic accuracy of computed tomography in the non-invasive assessment of significant lesions (i.e., occluded lesions or those with a stenosis greater than 50%) in coronary artery bypass grafts was evaluated by comparison with the results of conventional angiography. RESULTS: Of the 117 grafts evaluated, 99 (84.6%) were visualized by conventional angiography and 109 (93.2%) by computed tomography. Overall, 98 grafts were analyzed using both techniques. The sensitivity and specificity of computed tomography in detecting significant lesions were: 92% and 97.3%, respectively, for all grafts; 89.5% and 97.6%, respectively, for venous grafts; and 100% and 96.8%, respectively, for arterial grafts. CONCLUSIONS: The diagnostic accuracy of multidetector computed tomography in coronary artery bypass graft assessment was high.

Arterial graft extension with radial artery: a method of total arterial revascularization.

A method of total arterial revascularization is presented. This technique is based on the extension of a semi-skeletonized right internal thoracic artery graft with an entire radial artery in an end to end fashion. A complete arterial revascularization is achieved with a bilateral in situ internal thoracic artery strategy preserving the left internal thoracic artery to the left anterior descending artery bypass as an isolated graft. In our experience, this pattern of revascularization has been especially important in patients with atheromatous disease of the ascending aorta, a difficult situation in which a 'no-touch technique' is mandatory.

[Usefulness of magnetic resonance imaging in the assessment of endomyocardial disease]. / Utilidad de la resonancia magnética en el estudio de la enfermedad endomiocárdica.

Endomyocardial disease is a restrictive cardiomyopathy that includes Löffler endocarditis, which is characterized by hypereosinophilia, and endomyocardial fibrosis, which is not. Echocardiography enables cardiac function and anatomy to be assessed and the differential diagnosis of other causes of restrictive disease, but magnetic resonance imaging provides information about the tissue itself. Furthermore, paramagnetic contrast agents are useful in detecting myocardial abnormalities. We report three cases of endomyocardial disease and the typical findings of magnetic resonance imaging.

[Reliability of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging indicators of myocardial viability for predicting the recovery of systolic function after a first acute myocardial infarction with a patent culprit artery]. / Fiabilidad de los índices de viabilidad miocárdica por resonancia magnética para predecir la mejoría de la función sistólica en pacientes con un primer infarto reciente y arteria abierta.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: To assess the reliability of early analysis of the most frequently used cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR)-derived indexes for predicting systolic function recovery and ventricular remodeling in patients after a first acute myocardial infarction with a patent culprit artery. PATIENTS AND METHOD: 17 patients were studied with an initial CMR protocol that included regional assessment of wall thickness and wall thickening, low-dose dobutamine response, first-pass gadolinium myocardial perfusion imaging and delayed enhancement. These results were compared with those obtained for segmental and global function in a second CMR study 6 months later. RESULTS: Of the 272 myocardial segments evaluated in the initial study, 73 showed severe systolic dysfunction. The findings were used to calculate sensitivity and specificity of each of the indexes mentioned above for predicting myocardial viability. The sensitivities and specificities for each index were wall thickness > or =5.5 mm, 100% and 12%; low-dose dobutamine response, 41% and 93%; normal myocardial perfusion, 78% and 68%; delayed enhancement, 81% and 95%. Multivariate analysis showed that delayed enhancement was the only independent predictor of contractility (r=-0.83, P=.0001), ventricular volumes (end-diastolic: r=0.61, P=.009, end-systolic: r=0.67, P=.003) and ejection fraction (r=-0.73, P=.001) at 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: Delayed enhancement seen in CMR is a reliable, quantifiable index for predicting recovery of systolic function and ventricular remodeling in patients after a first infarction with a patent culprit artery.

[Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy. Patterns of ventricular involvement using cardiac magnetic resonance]. / Resonancia magnética cardiaca en miocardiopatía arritmogénica. Tipos de afección y patrones de realce tardío de gadolinio.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Biventricular arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy and left dominant arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy forms had recently been included in the spectrum of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy. The aim of the study was to describe, using cardiovascular magnetic resonance, the patterns of ventricular involvement as well as late gadolinium enhancement in these conditions. METHODS: Medical databases and records from the cardiology units of 3 hospitals were reviewed to obtain data from patients with arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy. RESULTS: Twenty-six consecutive patients were included (40 [16] years, 16 males). Right ventricle involvement was present in 19 patients (73%). Among them, 13 patients (50%) had volumes over the upper limit of normality, 11 (42%) patients had late gadolinium enhancement in right ventricle and 6 patients (23%) had just mild involvement with wall motion abnormalities or microaneurysms. Left ventricle involvement was present in 24 patients (92%), all of them with late gadolinium enhancement. In 15 patients (57%) left ventricular systolic dysfunction was observed, and dilatation in 3 patients (11%). Late gadolinium enhancement was more frequent in the inferior, lateral, and inferolateral walls (65%, 57%, and 61% of patients, respectively) while septum was seldom affected (26% of cases). The pattern of late gadolinium enhancement was mainly subepicardial (46% of patients) or transmural (19%), and was intramyocardial in only 12% of the cases. CONCLUSIONS: In this sample, left ventricle involvement is very common. The most frequent finding was left ventricular late gadolinium enhancement, while the least frequent was dilatation. The pattern of late gadolinium enhancement was more frequently subepicardial and located in the inferior and inferolateral walls.

Late gadolinium-enhanced cardiovascular magnetic resonance identifies patients with standardized definition of ischemic cardiomyopathy: a single centre experience.

BACKGROUND: Definition of ischemic cardiomyopathy (IC) is not always obvious, which is why new criteria based on prognosis and the extent of the coronary artery disease (CAD) have been proposed. In the present study, we assess the capability of late gadolinium-enhanced cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) for predicting IC as determined by standardized criteria previously reported. METHODS AND RESULTS: 123 patients with heart failure (HF) and left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction, underwent both late gadolinium-enhanced CMR and coronary angiography 37/123 (30%) of patients were assigned to the IC group and 86/123 (70%) to the non-IC group. Subendocardial late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) was found in 35/37 (94%) of patients in the IC group, whereas only 12/86 (14%) had this distribution in the non-IC group (p<0.001). There was a significant positive correlation between the extent of subendocardial LGE and that of the CAD as determined by the CAD Prognostic Index (r=0.78, p<0.01), the number of coronary stenoses > or = 50% (r=0.76, p<0.01) and the number of coronary stenoses of any percentage (r=0.70, p<0.01). CONCLUSION: In patients with HF and LV systolic dysfunction presence of subendocardial LGE makes an excellent indicator of underlying significant CAD, and the extent of the LGE correlates with the severity of the disease. It is therefore appealing as a method for diagnosing IC.