Journal of Thoracic Imaging最新文献

Purpose: Inflammatory changes in epicardial (EAT) and pericardial adipose tissue (PAT) are associated with increased overall cardiovascular risk. Using routine, preinterventional cardiac CT data, we examined the predictive value of quantity and quality of EAT and PAT for outcome after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

Materials and methods: Cardiac CT data of 1197 patients who underwent TAVR at the in-house heart center between 2011 and 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. The amount and density of EAT and PAT were quantified from single-slice CT images at the level of the aortic valve. Using established risk scores and known independent risk factors, a clinical benchmark model (BMI, Chronic kidney disease stage, EuroSCORE 2, STS Prom, year of intervention) for outcome prediction (2-year mortality) after TAVR was established. Subsequently, we tested whether the additional inclusion of area and density values of EAT and PAT in the clinical benchmark model improved prediction. For this purpose, the cohort was divided into a training (n=798) and a test cohort (n=399).

Results: Within the 2-year follow-up, 264 patients died. In the training cohort, particularly the addition of EAT density to the clinical benchmark model showed a significant association with outcome (hazard ratio 1.04, 95% CI: 1.01-1.07; P =0.013). In the test cohort, the outcome prediction of the clinical benchmark model was also significantly improved with the inclusion of EAT density (c-statistic: 0.589 vs. 0.628; P =0.026).

Conclusions: EAT density as a surrogate marker of EAT inflammation was associated with 2-year mortality after TAVR and may improve outcome prediction independent of established risk parameters.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the base-to-apex gradient strain pattern as a noncontrast cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) parameter in patients with Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC) and determine whether this pattern may help discriminate TTC from patients with anterior myocardial infarction (AMI).

Materials and methods: A total of 80 patients were included in the analysis: 30 patients with apical ballooning TTC and 50 patients with AMI. Global and regional ventricular function, including longitudinal (LS), circumferential (CS), and radial strain (RS), were assessed using CMR. The base-to-apex LS, RS, and CS gradients, defined as the peak gradient difference between averaged basal and apical strain, were calculated.

Results: The base-to-apex RS gradient was impaired in TTC patients compared with the AMI group (14.04 ± 15.50 vs. -0.43 ± 11.59, P =0.001). Conversely, there were no significant differences in the base-to-apex LS and CS gradients between the AMI group and TTC patients (0.14 ± 2.71 vs. -1.5 ± 3.69, P =0.054: -0.99 ± 6.49 vs. ±1.4 ± 5.43, P =0.47, respectively). Beyond the presence and extension of LGE, base-to-apex RS gradient was the only independent discriminator between TTC and AMI (OR 1.28; 95% CI 1.08, 1.52, P =0.006) in multivariate logistic regression analysis.

Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that the pattern of regional myocardial strain impairment could serve as an additional noncontrast CMR tool to refine the diagnosis of TTC. A pronounced base-to-apex RS gradient may be a specific left ventricle strain pattern of TTC.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the efficiency and safety of computed tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous biopsy of lung lesions with electromagnetic (EM) navigation and compare them with those of conventional approaches.

Materials and methods: Seventy-nine patients with lung or liver lesions who needed biopsies were enrolled in this trial. All patients were randomly assigned to the E group underwent CT-guided percutaneous biopsies with the EM navigation system or to the C group treated with conventional approaches.

Results: In total, 27 patients with lung lesions were assigned to the E group, and 20 patients were assigned to the C group. The diagnostic success rate was 92.6% and 95% in both groups, respectively ( P >0.9999). The median number of needle repositions in the E group was less than that in the C group (2.0 vs. 2.5, P =0.03). The positioning success rate with 1 or 2 needle repositions for the E group was significantly higher than the C group (81.5% vs. 50%, P =0.03). The median accuracy of the puncture location in the E group was better than that in the C group (2.0 vs. 6.6 mm, P <0.0001). The total procedure time lengthened in the E group compared with the C group (30.5±1.6 vs. 18.3±1.7 min, P <0.0001), but the number of CT acquisitions was not significantly different ( P =0.08). There was no significant difference in complication incidence between the 2 groups ( P =0.44).

Conclusion: The EM navigation system is an effective and safe auxiliary tool for CT-guided percutaneous lung biopsy, but lengthen the procedure time.

Trial registration: ChiCTR2100043361, registered February 9, 2021-retrospectively registered ( http://www.medresman.org.cn/uc/project/projectedit.aspx?proj=7591 ).

Purpose: To determine the frequency of malignancy of nonperifissural juxtapleural nodules (JPNs) measuring 6 to < 10 mm in a subset of low-dose chest computed tomographies from the National Lung Cancer Screening Trial and the rate of down-classification of such nodules in Lung-Reporting and Data System (RADS) 2.0 compared with Lung-RADS 1.1.

Materials and methods: A secondary analysis of a subset of the National Lung Screening Trial was performed. An exemption was granted by the Institutional Review Board. The dominant noncalcified nodule measuring 6 to <10 mm was identified on all available prevalence computed tomographies. Nodules were categorized as pleural or nonpleural. Benign or malignant morphology was recorded. Initial and updated categories based on Lung-RADS 1.1 and Lung-RADS 2.0 were assigned, respectively. The impact of the down-classification of JPN was assessed. Both classification schemes were compared using the McNemar test ( P < 0.01).

Results: A total of 2813 patients (62 ± 5 y, 1717 men) with 4408 noncalcified nodules were studied. One thousand seventy-three dominant nodules measuring 6 to <10 mm were identified. Three hundred forty-eight (32.4%) were JPN. The updated scheme allowed down-classification of 310 JPN from categories 3 (n = 198) and 4A (n = 112) to category 2. We, therefore, estimate a 4.8% rate of down-classification to category 2 in the entire National Lung Screening Trial screening group. Two/348 (0.57%) JPN were malignant, both nonbenign in morphology. The false-positive rate decreased in the updated classification ( P < 0.01).

Conclusion: This study demonstrates the low malignant potential of benign morphology JPN measuring 6 mm to <10 mm. The Lung-RADS 2.0 approach to JPN is estimated to reduce short-term follow-ups and false-positive results.

Objectives: To investigate the predictive value of coronary computed tomography angiography-derived fractional flow reserve (CT-FFR) before percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) to predict target vessel failure (TVF) after stent implantation.

Methods: This retrospective study included 429 patients (429 vessels) who underwent PCI and stent implantation after CCTA within 3 months. All patients underwent coronary stent implantation between January 2012 and December 2019. A dedicated workstation (Syngo Via, Siemens) was used to analyze and measure the CT-FFR value. The cut-off values of pre-PCI CT-FFR for predicting TVF were defined as 0.80 and the value using the log-rank maximization method, respectively. The primary outcome was TVF, defined as a composite of cardiac death, target vessel myocardial infarction, and clinically driven target vessel revascularization (TVR), which was a secondary outcome.

Results: During a median 64.0 months follow-up, the cumulative incidence of TVF was 7.9% (34/429). The cutoff value of pre-PCI CT-FFR based on the log-rank maximization method was 0.74, which was the independent predictor for TVF [hazard ratio (HR): 2.61 (95% CI: 1.13, 6.02); P =0.024] and TVR [HR: 3.63 (95%CI: 1.25, 10.51); P =0.018]. Compared with the clinical risk factor model, pre-PCI CT-FFR significantly improved the reclassification ability for TVF [net reclassification improvement (NRI), 0.424, P <0.001; integrative discrimination index (IDI), 0.011, P =0.022]. Adding stent information to the prediction model resulted in an improvement in reclassification for the TVF (C statistics: 0.711, P =0.001; NRI: 0.494, P <0.001; IDI: 0.020, P =0.028).

Conclusions: Pre-PCI CT-FFR ≤0.74 was an independent predictor for TVF or TVR, and integration of clinical, pre-PCI CT-FFR, and stent information models can provide a better risk stratification model in patients with stent implantation.

Purpose: To study the performance of artificial intelligence (AI) for detecting pleural pathology on chest radiographs (CXRs) using computed tomography as ground truth.

Patients and methods: Retrospective study of subjects undergoing CXR in various clinical settings. Computed tomography obtained within 24 hours of the CXR was used to volumetrically quantify pleural effusions (PEfs) and pneumothoraxes (Ptxs). CXR was evaluated by AI software (INSIGHT CXR; Lunit) and by 3 second-year radiology residents, followed by AI-assisted reassessment after a 3-month washout period. We used the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUROC) to assess AI versus residents' performance and mixed-model analyses to investigate differences in reading time and interreader concordance.

Results: There were 96 control subjects, 165 with PEf, and 101 with Ptx. AI-AUROC was noninferior to aggregate resident-AUROC for PEf (0.82 vs 0.86, P < 0.001) and Ptx (0.80 vs 0.84, P = 0.001) detection. AI-assisted resident-AUROC was higher but not significantly different from the baseline. AI-assisted reading time was reduced by 49% (157 vs 80 s per case, P = 0.009), and Fleiss kappa for Ptx detection increased from 0.70 to 0.78 ( P = 0.003). AI decreased detection error for PEf (odds ratio = 0.74, P = 0.024) and Ptx (odds ratio = 0.39, P < 0.001).

Conclusion: Current AI technology for the detection of PEf and Ptx on CXR was noninferior to second-year resident performance and could help decrease reading time and detection error.

Purpose: Pleural plaques (PPs) are morphologic manifestations of long-term asbestos exposure. The relationship between PP and lung function is not well understood, whereas the time-consuming nature of PP delineation to obtain volume impedes research. To automate the laborious task of delineation, we aimed to develop automatic artificial intelligence (AI)-driven segmentation of PP. Moreover, we aimed to explore the relationship between pleural plaque volume (PPV) and pulmonary function tests.

Materials and methods: Radiologists manually delineated PPs retrospectively in computed tomography (CT) images of patients with occupational exposure to asbestos (May 2014 to November 2019). We trained an AI model with a no-new-UNet architecture. The Dice Similarity Coefficient quantified the overlap between AI and radiologists. The Spearman correlation coefficient ( r ) was used for the correlation between PPV and pulmonary function test metrics. When recorded, these were vital capacity (VC), forced vital capacity (FVC), and diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO).

Results: We trained the AI system on 422 CT scans in 5 folds, each time with a different fold (n = 84 to 85) as a test set. On these independent test sets combined, the correlation between the predicted volumes and the ground truth was r = 0.90, and the median overlap was 0.71 Dice Similarity Coefficient. We found weak to moderate correlations with PPV for VC (n = 80, r = -0.40) and FVC (n = 82, r = -0.38), but no correlation for DLCO (n = 84, r = -0.09). When the cohort was split on the median PPV, we observed statistically significantly lower VC ( P = 0.001) and FVC ( P = 0.04) values for the higher PPV patients, but not for DLCO ( P = 0.19).

Conclusion: We successfully developed an AI algorithm to automatically segment PP in CT images to enable fast volume extraction. Moreover, we have observed that PPV is associated with loss in VC and FVC.