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Dye-Staining Angioscopy for Coronary Artery Disease
Abstract Novel imaging techniques using biomarkers have clarified the mechanisms of hitherto unanswered or misunderstood phenomena of coronary artery disease and enabled evaluation of myocardial blood and tissue fluid flows in vivo. Dye-staining coronary angioscopy using Evans blue (EB) as the biomarker can visualize fibrin and damaged endothelial cells, revealing that the so-called platelet thrombus is frequently a fibrin-rich thrombus; occlusive transparent fibrin thrombus, but not platelet thrombus, is not infrequently a cause of acute coronary syndrome; “fluffy” coronary luminal surface is cause...
Source: Current Cardiovascular Imaging Reports - February 26, 2015 Category: Radiology Source Type: research

Imaging in HF-PEF with Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance
This report aims to highlight the potential role of CMR to identify specific aetiologies in HFPEF syndrome and to review the available CMR modalities for the evaluation of diastolic dysfunction. (Source: Current Cardiovascular Imaging Reports)
Source: Current Cardiovascular Imaging Reports - February 26, 2015 Category: Radiology Source Type: research

Myocardial Inflammation—Are We There Yet?
Abstract Several exogenous or endogenous factors can lead to inflammatory heart disease. Beside infectious myocarditis, other systemic inflammatory disorders such as sarcoidosis, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), systemic sclerosis (SSc), Churg-Strauss syndrome, and rheumatoid arthritis can affect the myocardium. Myocardial inflammation may have a major impact on the outcome of these patients, resulting in sudden cardiac death, severe arrhythmias, or end-stage heart failure. The current gold standard for definite confirmation of inflammatory heart disease is endomyocardial biopsy (EMB), but is invasiv...
Source: Current Cardiovascular Imaging Reports - February 18, 2015 Category: Radiology Source Type: research

Ischemic Heart Disease in Women: a Nuclear Cardiology Latin America Perspective
Abstract Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in Latin America. The increasing prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM), coupled with modern lifestyle and population aging are contributing to increase ischemic heart disease (IHD)-related deaths in this region. Diagnosis of IHD in women can be challenging as they often present with no chest pain or atypical symptoms, delaying diagnosis and appropriate management. Women tend to have more advanced coronary artery disease (CAD), to be older, and have worse prognosis than men after myocardial infarction and bypass surgery. Life expectancy is usua...
Source: Current Cardiovascular Imaging Reports - February 13, 2015 Category: Radiology Source Type: research

Deciphering Cardiovascular Disease in Systemic Inflammatory Diseases Using Advanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Abstract Cardiovascular involvement in systemic inflammatory diseases (SID) is underestimated despite its high mortality and morbidity. SID with cardiovascular involvement includes rheumatoid arthritis and the spondyloarthropathies, systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic vasculitides, inflammatory myopathies, systemic sclerosis, mixed connective tissue diseases (MCTD) and sarcoidosis (SRC). Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is of great value in SID because myocardial inflammation, diffuse, subendocardial vasculitis and small scars due to inflammation or myocardial infarction and heart disease acui...
Source: Current Cardiovascular Imaging Reports - February 9, 2015 Category: Radiology Source Type: research

T 1 Mapping Techniques in Assessment of Ventricular Stiffness
Abstract Myocardial fibrosis is a fundamental process in the development of heart failure and can be quantified by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging with T 1 mapping techniques. By measuring post-contrast myocardial T 1 time and obtaining invasively determined ventricular pressure-volume data, a mechanistic link between diffuse myocardial fibrosis and increased ventricular stiffness has recently been identified. The capacity to non-invasively evaluate diffuse myocardial fibrosis may enhance our understanding of cardiac diseases and facilitate trials of ...
Source: Current Cardiovascular Imaging Reports - January 26, 2015 Category: Radiology Source Type: research

Radionuclide Imaging in Cardiac Amyloidosis: Are Nuclear Bone Tracers a Foreseeable Future?
Abstract Amyloidosis is an infiltrative disease caused by the extracellular deposition of misfolded proteins in organs and tissues resulting in progressive functional and structural impairment. Cardiac amyloidosis is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in primary light-chain amyloid (AL) and transthyretin-related cardiac amyloid (ATTR) and results in a restrictive cardiomyopathy, heart failure, and death. With the emergence of new subtype-specific pharmacological therapies targeting misfolded amyloid fibrils, the need for early recognition of a cardiac amyloid subtype is of major therapeutic and ...
Source: Current Cardiovascular Imaging Reports - January 26, 2015 Category: Radiology Source Type: research

Hybrid SPECT/CCTA Imaging in the Work-up of Patients with Suspected Coronary Artery Disease
Abstract In the past decade, hybrid single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)/coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) has been demonstrated as an accurate diagnostic technique in patients suspected of significant coronary artery disease (CAD). With this combination of anatomical and functional imaging of CAD, negative and positive predictive values over 95 % were reported. The current review provides an update of recent literature on diagnostic accuracy and will position hybrid SPECT/CCTA imaging at the end of a non-invasive imaging cascade to virtually leave no diagnostic uncertainty ...
Source: Current Cardiovascular Imaging Reports - January 26, 2015 Category: Radiology Source Type: research

Incremental Value of Hybrid PET/CT in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease
Abstract The noninvasive diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD) is a challenging task. Traditionally, myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) has been widely used for this purpose whereby cardiac positron emission tomography (PET) is considered the gold standard. Alternatively, noninvasive anatomical imaging of coronary atherosclerosis with coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) has recently been successfully implemented in clinical practice. Cardiac hybrid imaging consists of the fusion of these modalities and provides detailed information on the presence and extent of CAD including its functio...
Source: Current Cardiovascular Imaging Reports - December 9, 2014 Category: Radiology Source Type: research

Canadian Multiethnicity—Differences in Coronary Artery Disease Prevalence and Progression and Relevance to Cardiac Imaging
Abstract The ethnic diversity of Canada is attributed to a steady rise in immigration, particularly from Asia. The diverse population demographics encompass a variety of cultural, linguistic, genetic, socioeconomic status, and clinical factors. The prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD) varies among ethnic subgroups, being higher in South Asians than in Europeans and Chinese. These differences may be due to interactions among genetic and environmental factors and other factors that are still poorly understood. The predisposition and prevalence of underlying risk factors, such as hypertension, diabe...
Source: Current Cardiovascular Imaging Reports - December 8, 2014 Category: Radiology Source Type: research

From Physiology of the Coronary Circulation to Myocardial Perfusion Imaging
Abstract The present paper reviews important recent publications concerning the application of principles of coronary physiology to quantitative PET myocardial perfusion imaging. Invasive measurements as well as coronary computed tomography angiography are also considered. The review focuses on physiological concepts relevant to the understanding of the effects of coronary atherosclerosis on myocardial blood flow (MBF) responses to stress. It also highlights the increasing shift from an anatomical paradigm of stenosis severity assessment to a physiological one, emphasizing the importance of absolute mea...
Source: Current Cardiovascular Imaging Reports - December 4, 2014 Category: Radiology Source Type: research

Prognostic and Diagnostic Implications of Nonperfusion Data on SPECT Myocardial Perfusion Imaging
Abstract Nonperfusion information on single photon emission computed tomographic (SPECT) myocardial perfusion imaging provides information that has implications for both diagnosis, and in cardiac prognosis and risk. The widespread implementation of (electrocardiography) ECG-gated SPECT imaging allows routine assessment of left ventricular function parameters, both at rest and following stress imaging. This review will discuss and review the recent literature surrounding a number of nonperfusion parameters that have improved the diagnostic accuracy of SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI), including t...
Source: Current Cardiovascular Imaging Reports - November 25, 2014 Category: Radiology Source Type: research

Comparison of the Diagnostic Accuracy of PET and SPECT for Coronary Artery Disease
Abstract Noninvasive assessment with a technique such as single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) or positron emission tomography (PET) myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) is common and appropriate before coronary angiography to define coronary anatomy. The diagnostic accuracy of these techniques has been extensively studied with over well over 100 publications reporting the sensitivity, specificity, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, and diagnostic odds ratio for identifying coronary artery disease with both of them throughout their evolution. Meta-analytic techniques have...
Source: Current Cardiovascular Imaging Reports - November 22, 2014 Category: Radiology Source Type: research