Journal of Thoracic Imaging最新文献

Purpose: Pericardial fat (PF) and epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) may enhance the proinflammatory response in corona virus-19 (COVID-19) patients. Higher PF and EAT volumes might result in multiorgan failure and explain unfavorable trajectories.The aim of this study was to examine the association between the volume of PF and EAT and multiorgan failure over time.

Materials and methods: All mechanically ventilated COVID-19 patients with an available chest computed tomography were prospectively included (March-June 2020). PF and EAT volumes were quantified using chest computed tomography scans. Patients were categorized into sex-specific PF and EAT tertiles. Variables to calculate Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores were collected daily to indicate multiorgan failure. Linear mixed-effects regression was used to investigate the association between tertiles for PF and EAT volumes separately and serial SOFA scores over time. All models were adjusted.

Results: Sixty-three patients were divided into PF and EAT tertiles, with median PF volumes of 131.4 mL (IQR [interquartile range]: 115.7, 143.2 mL), 199.8 mL (IQR: 175.9, 221.6 mL), and 318.8 mL (IQR: 281.9, 376.8 mL) and median EAT volumes of 69.6 mL (IQR: 57.0, 79.4 mL), 107.9 mL (IQR: 104.6, 115.1 mL), and 163.8 mL (IQR: 146.5, 203.1 mL). Patients in the highest PF tertile had a statistically significantly lower SOFA score over time (1.3 [-2.5, -0.1], P =0.033) compared with the lowest PF tertile. EAT tertiles were not significantly associated with SOFA scores over time.

Conclusion: A higher PF volume is associated with less multiorgan failure in mechanically ventilated COVID-19 patients. EAT volumes were not associated with multiorgan failure.

Purpose: To evaluate the left atrial (LA) function in participants with apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (AHCM) by cardiovascular magnetic resonance feature tracking (CMR-FT).

Materials and methods: Thirty typical AHCM (TAHCM) patients, 23 subclinical AHCM (SAHCM) patients and 32 normal healthy volunteers who underwent CMR exam were retrospectively analyzed. LA reservoir, conduit, and contractile function were quantified by volumetric and CMR-FT derived strain and strain rate (SR) parameters from 2-chamber and 4-chamber cine imaging.

Results: Compared with healthy participants, both TAHCM and SAHCM patients had impaired LA reservoir function (total strain [%]: TAHCM 31.3±12.2, SAHCM 31.8±12.3, controls 40.4±10.7, P <0.01; total SR [/s]: TAHCM 1.1±0.4, SAHCM 1.1±0.5, controls 1.4 ± 0.4, P <0.01) and conduit function (passive strain [%]: TAHCM 14.4±7.6, SAHCM 16.4±8.8, controls 23.3±8.1, P <0.01; passive SR [/s]: TAHCM -0.5±0.3, SAHCM -0.6±0.3, controls -1.0±0.4, P <0.01). Regarding contraction function, although TAHCM and SAHCM patients had preserved active emptying fraction and strain (all P >0.05), patients with TAHCM had the lowest active SR value among the 3 groups ( P= 0.03). LA reservoir and conduit strain were both significantly associated with left ventricular mass index and maximal wall thickness (all P <0.05). A moderate correlation between LA passive SR and left ventricular cardiac index ( P <0.01).

Conclusions: The LA reservoir and conduit function are predominately impaired and appeared in both SAHCM and TAHCM patients.

Purpose: To compare dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) based qualitative and quantitative parameters in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension with various postoperative primary and secondary endpoints.

Materials and methods: This was a retrospective analysis of 64 patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension who underwent DECT. First, a clot score was calculated by assigning the following score: pulmonary trunk-5, each main pulmonary artery-4, each lobar-3, each segmental-2, and subsegmental-1 per lobe; the sum total was then calculated. The perfusion defect (PD) score was calculated by assigning 1 point to each segmental PD. The combined score was calculated by adding clot and PD scores. For quantitative evaluation, we calculated perfused blood volume (PBV) (%) of each lung and the sum of both lungs. Primary endpoints included testing association between combined score and total PBV with change in mean pulmonary arterial pressure ([mPAP], change calculated as preop minus postop values). Secondary endpoints included explorative analysis of the correlation between combined score and PBV with change in preoperative and postoperative pulmonary vascular resistance, change in preoperative 6-minute walk distance (6MWD), and immediate postoperative complications such as reperfusion edema, ECMO placement, stroke, death and mechanical ventilation for more than 48 hours, all within 1 month of surgery.

Results: Higher combined scores were associated with larger decreases in mPAP ( =0.27, P =0.036). On average, the decrease in mPAP (pre mPAP-post mPAP) increased by 2.2 mm Hg (95% CI: -0.6, 5.0) with each 10 unit increase in combined score. The correlation between total PBV and change in mPAP was small and not statistically significant. During an exploratory analysis, higher combined scores were associated with larger increases in 6MWD at 6 months postprocedure ( =0.55, P =0.002).

Conclusion: Calculation of DECT-based combined score offers potential in the evaluation of hemodynamic response to surgery. This response can also be objectively quantified.

Purpose: Previous studies demonstrated the impact of sex on left ventricular (LV) strain in patients with essential hypertension. However, little is known about the effect of sex on left atrial (LA) strain in patients with hypertension. This study aimed to explore the sex-related differences of LA strain by using cardiac magnetic resonance feature tracking in patients with hypertension and preserved LV ejection fraction.

Materials and methods: One hundred and fifty hypertensive patients (100 men and 50 women) and 105 age-matched and sex-matched normotensive controls (70 men and 35 women) were retrospectively enrolled and underwent cardiac magnetic resonance examination. LA strain parameters included LA reservoir strain (εs), conduit strain (εe), pump strain (εa), and their corresponding strain rate (SRs, SRe, and SRa).

Results: Men had significantly higher LV mass index, lower εs and εe than women in both patients and controls (all P <0.05). LA strain and strain rate were significantly reduced in hypertensive patients compared with controls, both in men and women (all P <0.05). In men, hypertension and its interaction were associated with increased LV mass index and decreased εs and εe. In multivariable analysis, men, LV ejection fraction, and LA minimum volume index remained independent determinants of εs and εe in all hypertensive patients (all P <0.05).

Conclusion: LA strain was significantly impaired in hypertensive patients, and men had more impaired LA strain than women. These findings further emphasize the sex-related differences in the response of LA strain to hypertension in the early stage.