Netherlands Heart Journal最新文献

Photon-counting detector computed tomography (PCD-CT) has emerged as a revolutionary technology in CT imaging. PCD-CT offers significant advancements over conventional energy-integrating detector CT, including increased spatial resolution, artefact reduction and inherent spectral imaging capabilities. In cardiac imaging, PCD-CT can offer a more accurate assessment of coronary artery disease, plaque characterisation and the in-stent lumen. Additionally, it might improve the visualisation of myocardial fibrosis through qualitative late enhancement imaging and quantitative extracellular volume measurements. The use of PCD-CT in cardiac imaging holds significant potential, positioning itself as a valuable modality that could serve as a one-stop-shop by integrating both angiography and tissue characterisation into a single examination. Despite its potential, large-scale clinical trials, standardisation of protocols and cost-effectiveness considerations are required for its broader integration into clinical practice. This narrative review provides an overview of the current literature on PCD-CT regarding the possibilities and limitations of cardiac imaging.

The Coronary Artery Disease-Reporting and Data System (CAD-RADS) is a standardised reporting method which was created in order to improve communication with referring physicians as well as for management considerations. The CAD-RADS score denotes the absence or presence of stenosis, while plaque burden and potential modifiers provide insight into plaque extent and characteristics. The modifier ischaemia enables the incorporation of fractional flow reserve CT and CT perfusion, while the modifier exception is used to denote potential coronary abnormalities. Higher CAD-RADS categories demonstrate incremental prognostic value, with further improvement when taking plaque burden into account. CAD-RADS improves communication with the referring clinician as well as guiding therapeutic management and as such is relevant to uniform patient care in the Netherlands.

Coronary CT angiography (CCTA) offers an efficient and reliable tool for the non-invasive assessment of suspected coronary artery disease through the analysis of coronary artery plaque and stenosis. However, the detailed manual analysis of CCTA is a burdensome task requiring highly skilled experts. Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have made significant progress toward a more comprehensive automated analysis of CCTA images, offering potential improvements in terms of speed, performance and scalability. This work offers an overview of the recent developments of AI in CCTA. We cover methodological advances for coronary artery tree and whole heart analysis, and provide an overview of AI techniques that have shown to be valuable for the analysis of cardiac anatomy and pathology in CCTA. Finally, we provide a general discussion regarding current challenges and limitations, and discuss prospects for future research.

Background: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is considered a safe and effective alternative to surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) for elderly patients across the operative risk spectrum. In the Netherlands, TAVI is reimbursed only for patients with a high operative risk. Despite this, one fifth of TAVI patients are < 75 years of age. We aim to compare patient characteristics and outcomes of TAVI and SAVR patients < 75 years.

Methods: This study included all patients < 75 years without active endocarditis undergoing TAVI or SAVR for severe aortic stenosis, mixed aortic valve disease or degenerated aortic bioprosthesis between 2015 and 2020 at the Erasmus University Medical Centre. Dutch authority guidelines were used to classify operative risk.

Results: TAVI was performed in 292 patients, SAVR in 386 patients. Based on the Dutch risk algorithm, 59.6% of TAVI patients and 19.4% of SAVR patients were at high operative risk. There was no difference in 30-day all-cause mortality between TAVI and SAVR (2.4% vs 0.8%, p = 0.083). One-year and 5‑year mortality was higher after TAVI than after SAVR (1-year: 12.5% vs 4.3%, p < 0.001; 5‑year: 36.8% vs 12.0%, p < 0.001). Within risk categories we found no difference between treatment strategies. Independent predictors of mortality were cardiovascular comorbidities (left ventricular ejection fraction < 30%, atrial fibrillation, pulmonary hypertension) and the presence of malignancies, liver cirrhosis or immunomodulatory drug use.

Conclusion: At the Erasmus University Medical Centre, in patients < 75 years, TAVI is selected for higher-risk phenotypes and overall has higher long-term mortality than SAVR. We found no evidence for worse outcome within risk categories.

Introduction: Conventional implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) and pacemakers carry a risk of pocket- and lead-related complications in particular. To avoid these complications, extravascular devices (EVDs) have been developed, such as the subcutaneous ICD (S-ICD) and leadless pacemaker (LP). However, data on patient or centre characteristics related to the actual adoption of EVDs are lacking.

Objective: To assess real-world nationwide trends in EVD adoption in the Netherlands.

Methods: Using the Netherlands Heart Registration, all consecutive patients with a de novo S‑ICD or conventional single-chamber ICD implantation between 2012-2020, or de novo LP or conventional single-chamber pacemaker implantation between 2014-2020 were included. Trends in adoption are described for various patient and centre characteristics.

Result: From 2012-2020, 2190 S‑ICDs and 10,683 conventional ICDs were implanted; from 2014-2020, 712 LPs and 11,103 conventional pacemakers were implanted. The general use has increased (S-ICDs 8 to 21%; LPs 1 to 8%), but this increase seems to have reached a plateau. S‑ICD recipients were younger than conventional ICD recipients (p < 0.001) and more often female (p < 0.001); LP recipients were younger than conventional pacemaker recipients (p < 0.001) and more often male (p = 0.03). Both S‑ICDs and LPs were mainly implanted in high-volume centres with cardiothoracic surgery on-site, although over time S‑ICDs were increasingly implanted in centres without cardiothoracic surgery (p < 0.001).

Conclusion: This nationwide study demonstrated a relatively quick adoption of innovative EVDs with a plateau after approximately 4 years. S‑ICD use is especially high in younger patients. EVDs are mainly implanted in high-volume centres with cardiothoracic surgery back-up, but S‑ICD use is expanding beyond those centres.