The aim of this study was to investigate the value of a real-time magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) approach for the assessment of left-ventricular-wall motion in patients with insufficient transthoracic echocardiography in terms of accuracy and temporal expenditure. Twenty-five consecutive patients were examined on a 1.5-Tesla whole-body MR system (ACS-NT, Philips ...

We describe a case report of a 49-year-old man admitted to a cardiology unit with a series of arrhythmias with no initially obvious aetiology. Further assessment and the use of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and histology allowed a diagnosis of cardiac sarcoidosis to be made. Cardiac sarcoidosis is a major ...

(31)P MRS studies in humans have shown that an impairment of cardiac energetics is characteristic of heart failure. Although numerous transgenic mouse models with a heart-failure phenotype have been generated, current methods to analyze murine high-energy phosphates (HEPs) in vivo are hampered by limited spatial resolution. Using acquisition-weighted 2D (31)P ...

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (MR) imaging has become an important alternative to echocardiography and angiocardiography in the evaluation of patients with congenital heart disease (CHD). It is increasingly being used in neonates and infants for the initial investigation of CHD or as follow-up after surgery or catheter-guided intervention. Specific indications for ...

BACKGROUND: Aortic stenosis (AS) is the most common valvular heart disease resulting in surgical intervention. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) utilizing the continuity equation is commonly used to determine aortic valve area (AVA). However, sometimes TTE can be limited by poor acoustic windows, heavy valvular calcification, or eccentric jet morphology. Cardiovascular magnetic ...

During the past decade, cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging has firmly established itself as an important non-invasive imaging technique for comprehensive evaluation of cardiovascular diseases. Gradually, this technique has become the 'gold standard' for the assessment of numerous cardiovascular conditions. Among the important clinical indications assessed by this technique are heart ...

The population of adults with congenital heart disease is growing. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance can provide functional as well as structural data even in the setting of complex anatomy. Due to the lack of ionizing radiation cardiovascular magnetic resonance lends itself to serial follow-up of patients with adult congenital heart disease ...

Three-dimensional electroanatomical imaging is increasingly used in interventional cardiac electrophysiology, to guide catheter ablation of cardiac arrhythmias. At the same time, there is a growing interest for non-invasive methods, such as magnetocardiographic mapping (MCG), to localize the arrhythmogenic substrates, to test their reproducibility and to plan the most appropriate interventional ...

In this paper we present an automatic approach to segment Cardiac Magnetic Resonance (CMR) images. A preprocessing step that consists in filtering the image using connected operators (area opening and closing filters) is applied in order to homogenize the cavity and solve the problems due to the papillary muscles. Thereby ...

We present a fully automatic segmentation algorithm for the whole heart (four chambers, left ventricular myocardium and trunks of the aorta, the pulmonary artery and the pulmonary veins) in cardiac MR image volumes with nearly isotropic voxel resolution, based on shape-constrained deformable models. After automatic model initialization and reorientation to ...

A numerical anthropomorphic model of the breathing thorax and the beating heart is presented. It includes the main thoracic/cardiac anatomical structures, the main vessel junctions as well as the structures' motion. Its main feature is that it is based on a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) examination performed on the same ...

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) yields important clinical information which often cannot be obtained from other imaging modalities. Cardiac pacemakers have conventionally been considered a contraindication to CMR, and relatively few data exist on CMR in such patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: We present 5 patients who underwent 6 CMR scans ...

Sinus venosus defect (SVD) is an uncommon type of interatrial communication in which cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) is increasingly used as an alternative imaging modality. The goal of this study was to determine the accuracy of CMR in patients with SVD compared with surgical findings. The diagnostic studies and operative ...

In cardiac diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DT-MRI), low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) inherently hampers the measurement accuracy of myocardium fiber structures. This paper presents a new method for filtering diffusion weighted (DW) images in cardiac DT-MRI. The method is based on sparse representation through using basis pursuit denoising (BPDN) algorithm ...

Abnormalities of intestinal rotation (AIR) are seen in association with congenital heart disease and heterotaxy syndrome. The prevalence of these abnormalities and recommendations for management are unclear. Our objective was to determine the prevalence of screening for AIR by elective imaging among our group and prophylactic vs. emergent surgical intervention ...

The aim of this review is to synthesize the published evidence regarding the benefits of identifying mechanical asynchrony before implantation of biventricular devices, and the role of echocardiography in the identification and quantification of mechanical asynchrony. It summarizes the published studies addressing the several echocardiographic parameters of dyssynchrony that have ...

There has been great controversy related to performance of magnetic resonance imaging in patients with pacemakers and implantable cardiac defibrillators. Recent questions have been raised regarding whether contraindications are absolute or relative. Although there are theoretical as well as documented issues relating to device malfunction, data suggest that scanning patients ...

BACKGROUND: Despite advances in survival in patients with thalassemia major (TM) the most common cause of death is cardiac disease. Regular cardiac follow-up is imperative in order to identify and reverse pathology. Cardiac Magnetic Resonance (CMR) and Echocardiography (US) are applied in parallel to TM patients for cardiac evaluation and ...

We sought to assess the value of non-contrast enhanced transthoracic harmonic echocardiography (TEE) for the visualization of left ventricular thrombi in 34 patients with cardiomyopathy. Results were compared to contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging as reference standard. Maximal thrombus size was quantified with both modalities. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated thrombi in ...

A 49-year-old man presented with palpitation and shortness of breath. He was seen to have a massive pleural and pericardial effusion on radiography and echocardiography. Computed tomography (CT) scanning showed that cardiac tumors arose from the right atrium with epicardial and endocardial extension. Pathology examination of samples at pericardiotomy revealed ...

OBJECTIVE: We sought to answer the question of whether the additional morphologic details obtained by real-time 3-dimensional (3D) echocardiographic (RT3DE) imaging of muscular ventricular septal defect (VSD) has any significant impact on treatment options of individual patient. BACKGROUND: Muscular VSD can be safely and effectively closed by interventional catheterization procedure ...

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is highly precise for morphological and functional analyses of the myocardium, and has been used to assess different types of cardiomyopathies. Its ability to characterize tissue, especially with gadolinium (Gd) delayed-enhancement techniques, has shown promising results for the diagnosis of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathies. In this review we ...

Echocardiography remains the cornerstone of noninvasive valvular heart disease evaluation. There are instances where MRI can be of use. Aside from the obvious advantage where limited acoustic windows are present, cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) allows for imaging in any desired plane, and advantage can be taken of the ability to ...

Cardiac computed tomography (CT) and coronary CT angiography represent a breakthrough in cardiac diagnostic power and are already making an impact on clinical practice. Yet, technical limitations remain and patients must be appropriately selected for this new and exciting examination. An understanding of those limitations will help guide patient selection ...

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether structural left ventricular (LV) abnormalities can be observed in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) mutation carriers who have not yet developed echocardiographic signs of hypertrophy by using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR). BACKGROUND: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is caused by mutations of genes encoding ...

Most common developmental anomalies of bronchial tree include accessory cardiac bronchus (ACB) and tracheal bronchus (TB). Minor bronchial anomalies include variants of TB, displaced segmental bronchi, and bronchial agenesis. We present CT-bronchoscopy and CT-bronchography findings of three cases with either ACB or TB. Recognition of these anomalies is important, as ...

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy (ARVD/C) is an uncommon inheritable cardiomyopathy involving predominant right ventricle with progressive fibrofatty tissue replacement. An integrated assessment of electrical, functional and anatomic abnormalities, in addition to personal and family history would be used to diagnose this disease entity. We present the case of a 69-year-old ...

A variety of noninvasive techniques are available to assess cardiac valve morphologic features and function, with echocardiography currently being the most widely used modality for this purpose. Technical advances in electrocardiographically gated multi-detector row computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging allow the noninvasive visualization of the cardiac valves. ...

Multidetector row CT of the heart and coronary arteries is now a robust clinical method. It may be used in a number of different clinical scenarios, such as in the presence of an equivocal stress test or ambiguous clinical symptoms. Cardiac CT is also increasingly being developed as a diagnostic ...

OBJECTIVE: Interference from infra-cardiac radionuclide activity prevents accurate interpretation of true myocardial perfusion. The study aim was to compare the efficacy of milk versus water in reducing infra-cardiac activity in myocardial perfusion scintigraphy. METHODS: We prospectively randomized 198 patients undergoing stress-rest (99m)Tc-sestamibi SPECT with exercise or pharmacological stress to drink ...

BACKGROUND: Understanding pulmonary vein (PV) anatomy is important for the planning and execution of PV isolation for the treatment of atrial fibrillation, screening for PV stenosis after the procedure, and investigating the pathophysiology of atrial fibrillation. We hypothesized that significant changes in PV size occur during the cardiac cycle and ...

Recent developments in magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the heart have refocused attention on the potential of MR and continue to attract intense interest within the radiology and cardiology communities. Improvements in speed, image quality, reliability, and range of applications have evolved to the point where cardiac MR imaging is ...

BACKGROUND: Real-time three-dimensional echocardiography (RT3DE) is a new image modality, and it can display a unique image reconstruction in a variety of heart diseases. However, clinical assessment of ventricular septal aneurysm (VSA) by RT3DE has not been reported. This pilot prospective study is to survey what kinds of new insights ...

Apical ballooning is an increasingly reported transient cardiomyopathy with yet unknown origin. In this study 2 cases of apical ballooning are described in whom we used a combined approach of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) and 31-Phosphorous magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P MRS). Electrocardiogram showed ST abnormalities and cardiac serum markers ...

Among cardiac masses, primary malignant neoplasms are very rare. Here we describe a case of primary cardiac angiosarcoma on CT.

In most patients with heart disease left ventricular dysfunction is the principle physiologic disorder leading to heart failure and is an important prognostic factor. Various imaging methods have been developed for the evaluation of left ventricular function and a substantial body of literature is available describing these methods. The right ...

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has evolved from an effective research tool into a clinically proven, safe and comprehensive imaging modality. It provides anatomic and functional information in acquired and congenital heart disease and is the most precise technique for quantification of ventricular volumes, function and mass. Owing to its ...

Left atrial appendage (LAA) filter implantation was attempted in an 89 year old male. The LAA size was estimated by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). Complete LAA obliteration was not achieved. LAA angiography suggested that the LAA was multilobed, likely separated by a thin septae not seen with TEE. MRI or CT ...

Fibroids are the commonest uterine neoplasms, occurring in 20% - 30% of women of reproductive age. In women who have pelvic masses of unknown cause, unusual manifestations of fibroids such as necrosis or degeneration may simulate a carcinoma or hydrometra resulting in problems with image interpretation. We report a case ...

The institutional review board approved this HIPAA-compliant study and waived informed consent. The purpose was to retrospectively evaluate remote control magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in complex cardiovascular procedures, whereby operational expertise was made available locally from a remote location. Thirty patients underwent cardiac (12 patients) and/or vascular (30 patients) 1.5-T ...

We report a novel transthyretin variant, Gly53Ala, in a 44-year-old British woman who presented with severe episodic headaches, often with focal neurological deficit, before developing progressive ataxia, depression, dementia and eventually peripheral neuropathy. Transthyretin amyloidosis was confirmed on biopsy of the heart muscle. Serum amyloid P component scintigraphy did not ...

New generation multislice CT technology has changed the approach to non-invasive assessment of congenital heart disease, in both paediatric and adult patients. This is mainly because of rapid advances in spatial and temporal resolution and in post-processing capability. At Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, CT with multiplanar and three-dimensional reconstruction has become ...

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) has been utilized for diagnosis in various cardiovascular diseases and most of those were performed on a 1.5 Tesla CMR system. Recently, a 3.0 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging system has been introduced into clinical practice, however the clinical experience on cardiovascular examination using this ...

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an established imaging modality, recognized for its value in the assessment and monitoring of a wide range of cardiac pathology. It can provide physiologic as well as anatomic information. Image interpretation requires both well-developed MRI skills and knowledge of cardiac pathology. Radiologists, because of their ...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging has an expanding role as a preferred modality for the detection and characterization of myocardial viability. RECENT FINDINGS: Improving the accuracy of cardiac magnetic resonance for detecting viable myocardium has been one focus of investigators. In segments with intermediate transmurality of late gadolinium ...

Velocity vector imaging is a novel quantitative echocardiographic technique that was applied to routine grayscale echocardiographic images of 23 patients with heart failure who underwent cardiac resynchronization therapy. The hypothesis was tested that velocity vector imaging can quantify left ventricular mechanical dyssynchrony and predict response to resynchronization therapy. Tissue velocities ...

Lyme borreliosis (LB) is the most common tick-born disease in the Northern Hemisphere. During early disseminated Lyme disease cardiac manifestation can occur. We report a case of isolated Lyme myocarditis with transitory total atrioventricular (AV)-block and myocardial necrosis indicated by a rise in Troponin-T (TNT). Antibiotic treatment resulted in complete ...

The authors report on a 70-year-old woman with chronic atrial fibrillation that was hospitalized for digitalis intoxication and incidentally was found to have an interatrial lipoma. The diagnosis was established by transesophageal echocardiography, computed tomography (CT) scanning, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Owing to the asymptomatic character and the benign ...

Primary cardiac tumors are rare. Although the majority are benign, they may cause significant morbidity and mortality. Two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography (2D-TTE) is the primary imaging modality for the diagnosis of cardiac tumors. New and more complex non-invasive imaging modalities, such as cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), do not always provide an ...

Sarcoidosis is a non-caseating granulomatous systemic disease of unknown pathogenesis, and cardiac involvement is the most important prognostic factor. We have evaluated the value of the combined study of F-18 fluoro-2-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography and iodine-123 labeled 15-(p-iodophenyl)-3R,S-methylpentadecanoic acid single-photon emission tomography for the assessment of cardiac involvement of sarcoidosis, ...