Luciano De Stefano

Usefulness of MRI in takotsubo cardiomyopathy: a review of the literature

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TC) is a disease that can be misinterpreted as a more serious acute coronary syndrome. Its clinical characteristics resemble those of a myocardial infarct, while its imaging characteristics are critical on correctly characterizing and diagnosing the disease. From angiography, where coronary anatomy is evaluated, to cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), where morphology and tissue characterization is assessed, the array of imaging options is quite extent. In particular, CMR has achieved great improvements (stronger magnetic fields, better coils, etc.) in the last decade which in turn has made this imaging technology more attractive in the evaluation and diagnosis of TC. With its superior soft tissue resolution and dynamic imaging capabilities, CMR is currently, perhaps, the most useful imaging technique in TC as apical ballooning or medio-basal wall motion abnormalities (WMA), presence of wall edema and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) characteristics are critical in the diagnosis and characterization of this pathology. In this review, CMRs role in TC will be evaluated in light of the current available evidence in medical literature, while also revising the clinical and physiopathologic characteristics of TC.

Low rate of cardiovascular events in patients with acute myocarditis diagnosed by cardiovascular magnetic resonance

BACKGROUND Myocarditis is a relatively common inflammatory disease that affects the myocardium. Infectious disease accounts for most of the cases either because of a direct viral infection or post-viral immune-mediated reaction. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) has become an established non-invasive diagnosis tool for acute myocarditis. A recent large single centre study with patients with biopsy-proven viral myocarditis undergoing CMR scans found a high rate of mortality. The aim of this study was to assess the rate of clinical events in our population of patients with diagnosed myocarditis by CMR scan. METHODS Patients who consulted to the emergency department with diagnosis of myocarditis by CMR were retrospectively included in the study from January 2008 to May 2012. A CMR protocol was used in all patients, and were followed up to assess the rate of the composite endpoint of all-cause death, congestive heart failure, sudden cardiac death, hospitalization for cardiac cause, recurrent myocarditis or need of radiofrequency ablation or implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD). A descriptive statistical analysis was performed. RESULTS Thirty-two patients with myocarditis were included in the study. The mean age was 42.6±21.2 years and 81.2% were male. In a mean follow up of 30.4±17.8 months, the rate of the composite endpoint of all-cause death, congestive heart failure, sudden cardiac death, hospitalization for cardiac cause, recurrent myocarditis or need of radiofrequency ablation or ICD was 15.6% (n=5). Two patients had heart failure (one of them underwent heart transplant), one patient needed ICD because of ventricular tachycardia and two other patients were re-hospitalized, for recurrent chest pain and for recurrent myocarditis respectively. CONCLUSIONS In our series of acute myocarditis diagnosed by CMR we found a low rate of cardiovascular events without mortality. These findings might oppose data from recently published myocarditis trials.

Valor diagnóstico de la resonancia magnética cardíaca en pacientes con arritmia ventricular frecuente y ecocardiograma Doppler normal

Introduccion La arritmia ventricular frecuente puede ser una alteracion electrica primaria o estar asociada con una cardiopatia. El impacto pronostico y terapeutico depende de la presencia de cardiopatia estructural. El ecocardiograma Doppler transtoracico ha sido el estudio complementario mas importante para evaluar la presencia de alteraciones estructurales cardiacas. Objetivos Determinar la capacidad de la resonancia magnetica cardiaca para detectar alteraciones estructurales a nivel cardiaco en pacientes con ecocardiograma Doppler normal y conocer la incidencia de eventos cardiovasculares adversos en el seguimiento. Material y metodos Se incluyeron 66 pacientes consecutivos con arritmia ventricular frecuente definida como > 5.000 extrasistoles ventriculares en un registro Holter de 24 horas, taquicardia ventricular o muerte subita resucitada con ecocardiograma Doppler normal. A todos los pacientes se les realizo una resonancia magnetica cardiaca con protocolo para evaluar miocardiopatias. Resultados El 57% de los pacientes presentaron alguna alteracion estructural; las patologias diagnosticadas mas prevalentes fueron la secuela de miocarditis, el miocardio no compactado y la secuela de infarto subendocardico. En el seguimiento medio de 24 ± 22 meses, la incidencia de eventos cardiovasculares adversos fue del 6,06%. El numero de extrasistoles ventriculares fue mayor en los pacientes con resonancia anormal. Conclusiones Este trabajo demuestra que en pacientes con arritmia ventricular frecuente con ecocardiograma Doppler normal la realizacion de una resonancia magnetica cardiaca con gadolinio permite detectar en mas de la mitad de los casos alguna alteracion estructural. Los pacientes con arritmia ventricular frecuente en el Holter, Doppler normal y alteraciones leves en la resonancia presentan riesgo bajo de eventos cardiovasculares.(AU) Introduction Frequent ventricular arrhythmia can be a primary electrical disturbance or may be associated to cardiomyopathy. The prognostic and therapeutic impact depends on the presence of structural heart disease. Transthoracic Doppler echocardiography has been the most important complementary study to evaluate the presence of cardiac structural abnormalities. Objectives The aims of this study were to determine the ability of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging to detect structural heart disease in patients with normal Doppler echocardiography and to assess the incidence of adverse cardiovascular events during follow-up. Methods The study included 66 consecutive patients with frequent ventricular arrhythmia defined as > 5000 ventricular extrasystoles in a 24-hour Holter monitoring, ventricular tachycardia or resuscitated cardiac respiratory arrest with normal Doppler echocardiogram. All patients underwent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging to assess cardiomyopathies. Results Fifty-seven percent of patients had structural heart disease. The most prevalent diagnosed pathologies were myocarditis sequelae, non-compacted myocardium and subendocardial infarction scar. At mean follow-up of 24 ± 22 months, the incidence of adverse cardiovascular events was 6.06%. The number of ventricular extrasystoles was higher in patients with abnormal cardiac magnetic resonance. Conclusions This work demonstrates that in patients with frequent ventricular arrhythmia and normal Doppler echocardiogram, gadolinium cardiac magnetic resonance imaging can detect structural heart disease in more than half of the cases. Patients with frequent ventricular arrhythmia during Holter monitoring, normal Doppler and mild alterations in the magnetic resonance present low risk of cardiovascular events.(AU)

Precisión diagnóstica del espesor íntima-media carotídeo para la detección de aterosclerosis coronaria. Utilidad en la práctica clínica

Introduccion El espesor intima-media carotideo (EIMC) es un marcador independiente de riesgo cardiovascular. El puntaje de calcio coronario (PCC) es un predictor superior al EIMC, pero de costo elevado y en nuestro pais pocos pacientes pueden acceder a su medicion. Objetivos 1) Evaluar la precision diagnostica del EIMC para la deteccion de un PCC > 0. 2) Determinar el punto de corte optimo del EIMC para discriminar entre la presencia o la ausencia de calcio coronario. Material y metodos Estudio descriptivo transversal de muestras consecutivas obtenidas en los consultorios de prevencion cardiovascular. Se midio el EIMC medio y maximo mediante un eco-Doppler carotideo. Se efectuo una tomografia computarizada de 64 pistas para la evaluacion del PCC. Se determino la precision diagnostica del EIMC para la deteccion de un PCC > 0 mediante un analisis ROC. Resultados Se incluyeron 202 sujetos consecutivos que participan de un programa de prevencion primaria. Caracteristicas de la poblacion (media } desviacion estandar): edad 57 } 13 anos, sexo femenino: 49%, tabaquismo: 13%, estatinas: 37%, diabetes mellitus: 13%, puntaje de Framingham en no diabeticos: 9% } 7%, EIMC medio: 0,953 } 0,342 mm, EIMC maximo: 1,383 } 0,679 mm, prevalencia de placa aterosclerotica carotidea: 37% y de PCC > 0: 62%. Las correlaciones entre el EIMC medio y maximo y el PCC fueron moderadas (r = 0,56 y r = 0,55, respectivamente). El area bajo la curva ROC del EIMC maximo fue de 0,822 (IC 95% 0,763-0,880) y la del EIMC medio fue de 0,829 (IC 95% 0,771-0,888). El punto de corte optimo del EIMC maximo para discriminar entre PCC > 0 o PCC = 0 fue de . 1,01 mm y la sensibilidad, la especificidad, el valor predictivo positivo (VPP) y el valor predictivo negativo (VPN) fueron del 78%, 75%, 83% y 67%, respectivamente. El punto de corte optimo del EIMC medio para discriminar entre PCC > 0 o PCC = 0 fue . 0,82 mm y la sensibilidad, la especificidad, el VPP y el VPN fueron del 77%, 78%, 85% y 67%, respectivamente. Conclusiones En esta poblacion predominantemente de riesgo bajo, la precision diagnostica del EIMC para detectar PCC > 0 fue moderada. Una ecografia Doppler carotidea gnormal no excluyo la presencia de aterosclerosis subclinica coronaria. Estos resultados podrian mejorar la seleccion de pacientes que requieran la medicion del PCC para estratificar el riesgo cardiovascular.