Background and study aims The Bethesda ERCP Skill Assessment Tool (BESAT) is a video-based assessment tool of technical endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) skill with previously established validity evidence. We aimed to assess the discriminative validity of the BESAT in differentiating ERCP skill levels. Methods Twelve experienced ERCP practitioners from tertiary academic centers were asked to blindly rate 43 ERCP videos using the BESAT. ERCP videos consisted of native biliary cannulation and sphincterotomy and were recorded from 10 unique endoscopists of various ERCP experience (from advanced endoscopy fellow to > 10 years of ERCP experience). Inter-rater reliability, discriminative validity, and internal structure validity were subsequently assessed. Results The BESAT was found to reliably differentiate between endoscopists of varying levels of ERCP experience with experienced ERCPists scoring higher than novice ERCPists in 11 of 13 (85%) instrument items. Inter-rater reliability for BESAT items ranged from good to excellent (intraclass correlation range: 0.86 to 0.93). Internal structure validity was assessed with item-total correlations ranging from 0.53 to 0.83. Conclusions Study findings demonstrate that the BESAT, a video-based ERCP skill assessment tool, has high inter-rater reliability and has discriminative validity in differentiating novice from expert ERCP skill. Further investigations are needed to determine the role of video-based assessment in improving trainee learning curves and patient outcomes.
Background: The presence of myocardial scar is associated with poor prognosis in several underlying diseases. Late-gadolinium-enhancement (LGE) cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging reveals clinically silent "unrecognized myocardial scar" (UMS), but the etiology of UMS often remains unclear. This population-based CMR study evaluated prevalence, localization, patterns, and risk factors of UMS.
Methods: The study population consisted of 1064 consecutive Hamburg City Health Study participants without a history of coronary heart disease or myocarditis. UMS was assessed by standard-phase-sensitive-inversion-recovery LGE CMR.
Results: Median age was 66 [quartiles 59, 71] years and 37% (388/1064) were females. UMS was detected in 244 (23%) participants. Twenty-five participants (10%) had ischemic, and 217 participants (89%) had non-ischemic scar patterns, predominantly involving the basal inferolateral left-ventricular (LV) myocardium (75%). Two participants (1%) had coincident ischemic and non-ischemic scar. The presence of any UMS was independently associated with LV ejection fraction (odds ratios (OR) per standard deviation (SD) 0.77 (confidence interval (CI) 0.65-0.90), p = 0.002) and LV mass (OR per SD 1.54 (CI 1.31-1.82), p < 0.001). Ischemic UMS was independently associated with LV ejection fraction (OR per SD 0.58 (CI 0.39-0.86), p = 0.007), LV mass (OR per SD 1.74 (CI 1.25-2.45), p = 0.001), and diabetes (OR 4.91 (CI 1.66-13.03), p = 0.002). Non-ischemic UMS was only independently associated with LV mass (OR per SD 1.44 (CI 1.24-1.69), p < 0.001).
Conclusion: UMS, in particular with a non-ischemic pattern, is frequent in individuals without known cardiac disease and predominantly involves the basal inferolateral LV myocardium. Presence of UMS is independently associated with a lower LVEF, a higher LV mass, and a history of diabetes.
Background: Quantitative cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) first pass perfusion maps are conventionally acquired with 3 short-axis (SAX) views (basal, mid, and apical) in every heartbeat (3SAX/1RR). Thus, a significant part of the left ventricle (LV) myocardium, including the apex, is not covered. The aims of this study were 1) to investigate if perfusion maps acquired with 3 short-axis views sampled every other RR-interval (2RR) yield comparable quantitative measures of myocardial perfusion (MP) as 1RR and 2) to assess if acquiring 3 additional perfusion views (i.e., total of 6) every other RR-interval (2RR) increases diagnostic confidence.
Methods: In 287 patients with suspected ischemic heart disease stress and rest MP were performed on clinical indication on a 1.5T MR scanner. Eighty-three patients were examined by acquiring 3 short-axis perfusion maps with 1RR sampling (3SAX/1RR); for which also 2RR maps were reconstructed. Additionally, in 103 patients 3 short-axis and 3 long-axis (LAX; 2-, 3, and 4-chamber view) perfusion maps were acquired using 2RR sampling (3SAX + 3LAX/2RR) and in 101 patients 6 short-axis perfusion maps using 2RR sampling (6SAX/2RR) were acquired. The diagnostic confidence for ruling in or out stress-induced ischemia was scored according to a Likert scale (certain ischemia [2 points], probably ischemia [1 point], uncertain [0 points], probably no ischemia [1 point], certain no ischemia [2 points]).
Results: There was a strong correlation (R = 0.99) between 3SAX/1RR and 3SAX/2RR for global MP (mL/min/g). The diagnostic confidence score increased significantly when the number of perfusion views was increased from 3 to 6 (1.24 ± 0.68 vs 1.54 ± 0.64, p < 0.001 with similar increase for 3SAX+3LAX/2RR (1.29 ± 0.68 vs 1.55 ± 0.65, p < 0.001) and for 6SAX/2RR (1.19 ± 0.69 vs 1.53 ± 0.63, p < 0.001).
Conclusion: Quantitative perfusion mapping with 2RR sampling of data yields comparable perfusion values as 1RR sampling, allowing for the acquisition of additional views within the same perfusion scan. The diagnostic confidence for stress-induced ischemia increases when adding 3 additional views, short- or long axes, to the conventional 3 short-axis views. Thus, future development and clinical implementation of quantitative CMR perfusion should aim at increasing the LV coverage from the current standard using 3 short-axis views.
Background: Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) is the most commonly clinically used imaging parameter for assessing cancer therapy-related cardiac dysfunction (CTRCD). However, LVEF declines may occur late, after substantial injury. This study sought to investigate cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging markers of subclinical cardiac injury in a miniature swine model.
Methods: Female Yucatan miniature swine (n = 14) received doxorubicin (2 mg/kg) every 3 weeks for 4 cycles. CMR, including cine, tissue characterization via T1 and T2 mapping, and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) were performed on the same day as doxorubicin administration and 3 weeks after the final chemotherapy cycle. In addition, magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) was performed during the 3 weeks after the final chemotherapy in 7 pigs. A single CMR and MRS exam were also performed in 3 Yucatan miniature swine that were age- and weight-matched to the final imaging exam of the doxorubicin-treated swine to serve as controls. CTRCD was defined as histological early morphologic changes, including cytoplasmic vacuolization and myofibrillar loss of myocytes, based on post-mortem analysis of humanely euthanized pigs after the final CMR exam.
Results: Of 13 swine completing 5 serial CMR scans, 10 (77%) had histological evidence of CTRCD. Three animals had neither histological evidence nor changes in LVEF from baseline. No absolute LVEF <40% or LGE was observed. Native T1, extracellular volume (ECV), and T2 at 12 weeks were significantly higher in swine with CTRCD than those without CTRCD (1178 ms vs. 1134 ms, p = 0.002, 27.4% vs. 24.5%, p = 0.03, and 38.1 ms vs. 36.4 ms, p = 0.02, respectively). There were no significant changes in strain parameters. The temporal trajectories in native T1, ECV, and T2 in swine with CTRCD showed similar and statistically significant increases. At the same time, there were no differences in their temporal changes between those with and without CTRCD. MRS myocardial triglyceride content substantially differed among controls, swine with and without CTRCD (0.89%, 0.30%, 0.54%, respectively, analysis of variance, p = 0.01), and associated with the severity of histological findings and incidence of vacuolated cardiomyocytes.
Conclusion: Serial CMR imaging alone has a limited ability to detect histologic CTRCD beyond LVEF. Integrating MRS myocardial triglyceride content may be useful for detection of early potential CTRCD.
Background: The measurement of aortic dimensions and their evolution are key in the management of patients with aortic diseases. Manual assessment, the current guideline-recommended method and clinical standard, is subjective, poorly reproducible, and time-consuming, limiting the capacity to track aortic growth in everyday practice. Aortic geometry mapping (AGM) via image registration of serial computed tomography angiograms outperforms manual assessment, providing accurate and reproducible 3D maps of aortic diameter and growth rate. This observational study aimed to evaluate the accuracy and reproducibility of AGM on non-gated contrast-enhanced (CE-) and cardiac- and respiratory-gated (GN-) magnetic resonance angiographies (MRA).
Methods: Patients with thoracic aortic disease followed with serial CE-MRA (n = 30) or GN-MRA (n = 15) acquired at least 1 year apart were retrospectively and consecutively identified. Two independent observers measured aortic diameters and growth rates (GR) manually at several thoracic aorta reference levels and with AGM. Agreement between manual and AGM measurements and their inter-observer reproducibility were compared. Reproducibility for aortic diameter and GR maps assessed with AGM was obtained.
Results: Mean follow-up was 3.8 ± 2.3 years for CE- and 2.7 ± 1.6 years for GN-MRA. AGM was feasible in the 93% of CE-MRA pairs and in the 100% of GN-MRA pairs. Manual and AGM diameters showed excellent agreement and inter-observer reproducibility (ICC>0.9) at all anatomical levels. Agreement between manual and AGM GR was more limited, both in the aortic root by GN-MRA (ICC=0.47) and in the thoracic aorta, where higher accuracy was obtained with GN- than with CE-MRA (ICC=0.55 vs 0.43). The inter-observer reproducibility of GR by AGM was superior compared to manual assessment, both with CE- (thoracic: ICC= 0.91 vs 0.51) and GN-MRA (root: ICC=0.84 vs 0.52; thoracic: ICC=0.93 vs 0.60). AGM-based 3D aortic size and growth maps were highly reproducible (median ICC >0.9 for diameters and >0.80 for GR).
Conclusion: Mapping aortic diameter and growth on MRA via 3D image registration is feasible, accurate and outperforms the current manual clinical standard. This technique could broaden the possibilities of clinical and research evaluation of patients with aortic thoracic diseases.
京公网安备 11010802042870号
京ICP备2023020795号-1
扫码关注我们
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：