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Left ventricular remodeling (LVR) is common and associated with adverse outcome after ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). We aimed to investigate the association between left atrial (LA) mechanical function using speckle tracking imaging and early LVR at follow-up in STEMI patients.Baseline 3D thoracic echocardiograms were performed within 48 h following admission and at a median follow-up of 7 months after STEMI. A 20% increase in the left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic volume compared to baseline at follow-up was defined as LVR. LA global longitudinal strain was evaluated for the reservoir, conduit, and contraction (LASct) phases.A total of 121 patients without clinical heart failure (HF) were prospectively included, between June 2015 and October 2018 (age 58.3 ± 12.5 years, male 98 (81%)). Baseline and follow-up LV ejection fraction (LVEF) were 46.8% [41.0, 52.9] and 52.1% [45.8, 57.0] respectively (p .001). Compared to other patients, those with LVR had significantly lower values of LASct at baseline (-7.4% [-10.1, -6.5] vs. -9.9% [-12.8, -8.1], p .01), both on univariate and baseline LV volumes-adjusted analyses. Baseline LA strain for reservoir and conduit phases were not associated with significant LVR at follow-up. Intra- and interobserver analysis showed good reproducibility of LA strain.Baseline LASct may help identifying patients without HF after STEMI who are at higher risk of further early LVR and subsequent HF and who may benefit from more intensive management.

Structured AbstractObjectiveTo evaluate accuracy and reproducibility of 2D echocardiography (2DE) left ventricular (LV) volumes and ejection fraction (LVEF) estimates by Deep Learning (DL) vs. manual contouring and against CMR.Background2DE LV manual segmentation for LV volumes and LVEF calculation is time consuming and operator dependent.MethodsA DL-based convolutional network (DL1) was trained on 2DE data from centre A, then evaluated on 171 subjects with a wide range of cardiac conditions (49 healthy) – 31 subjects from centre A (18%) and 140 subjects from centre B (82%) – who underwent 2DE and CMR on the same day. Two senior (A1 and B1) and one junior (A2) cardiologists manually contoured 2DE end-diastolic (ED) and end-systolic (ES) endocardial borders in the cycle and frames of their choice. Selected frames were automatically segmented by DL1 and two DL algorithms from the literature (DL2 and DL3), applied without adaptation to verify their generalizability to unseen data. Interobserver variability of DL was compared to manual contouring. All ESV, EDV and EF values were compared to CMR as reference.Results50% of 2DE images were of good quality. Interobserver agreement was better by DL1 and DL2 than by manual contouring for EF (Lin’s concordance = 0.9 and 0.91 vs. 0.84), EDV (0.98 and 0.99 vs. 0.82), and ESV (0.99 and 0.99 vs. 0.89). LVEF bias was similar or reduced using DL1 (-0.1) vs. manual contouring (3.0), and worse for DL2 and DL3. Agreement between 2DE and CMR LVEF was similar or higher for DL1 vs. manual contouring (Cohen’s kappa = 0.65 vs. 0.61) and degraded for DL2 and DL3 (0.48 and 0.29).ConclusionDL contouring yielded accurate EF measurements and generalized well to unseen data, while reducing interobserver variability. This suggests that DL contouring may improve accuracy and reproducibility of 2DE LVEF in routine practice.

An increase in left ventricular volumes between baseline and follow-up imaging is the main criteria for the quantification of left ventricular remodelling (LVR) after ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), but without consensual definition. We aimed to review the criteria used for the definition of LVR based on cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) in STEMI patients. A systematic literature search was conducted using MEDLINE and the Cochrane Library from January 2010 to August 2019. Thirty-seven studies involving 4209 patients were included. Among these studies, 30 (81%) used a cut-off value for defining LVR, with a pooled LVR prevalence estimate of 22.8%, 95% CI [19.4-26.7%] and a major between-study heterogeneity (I2 = 82%). The seven remaining studies (19%) defined LVR as a continuous variable. The definition of LVR using CMR following STEMI is highly variable, among studies including highly selected patients. A 20% increase or a 15% increase in left ventricular volumes between a baseline and a follow-up CMR imaging were the two most common criterion (13 [35%] and 9 [24%] studies, respectively). The most frequent LVR criterion was a 20% increase in end-diastolic volumes or a 15% increase in end-systolic volumes. A composite cut-off value of a 12 to 15% increase in end-systolic volume and a 12 to 20% increase in end-diastolic volume using a follow-up CMR imaging 3 months after STEMI might be proposed as a consensual cut-off for defining adverse LVR for future large-sized, prospective studies with serial CMR imaging and long-term follow-up in unselected patients.

Aims Limited data exist concerning fragmented QRS complexes (fQRSs) on the surface electrocardiogram (ECG) of apparently healthy athletes. We aimed to study the prevalence and significance of fQRS in lead V1 (fQRSV1), representing right ventricular (RV) activation, regarding training-induced RV morphological remodelling. Methods and results Between January 2017 and August 2019, 434 consecutive non-sedentary subjects underwent preparticipation cardiovascular screening, including a 12-lead ECG. Three hundred and ninety-three apparently healthy subjects were included, 119 of them were athletes (defined as performing ≥8 h/week for the last 6 months) and 274 were non-athletes. All athletes underwent two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography. Fragmented QRS complex in lead V1 pattern was defined as a narrow ( Conclusion Fragmented QRS complex in lead V1 is a newly described, frequent, ECG pattern in young and apparently healthy athletes and is associated with training-induced RV remodelling.

Heart failure (HF) is an increasing pandemic affecting more than 26 million people worldwide. Despite growing therapeutic options, the outlook of…, Heart failure (HF) is an increasing pandemic affecting more than 26 million people worldwide. Despite growing therapeutic options, the outlook of patients with HF remains particularly poor with high mortality and rehospitalization rates. When HF remains uncontrolled despite optimal medical therapy, mechanical circulatory devices or heart transplantation must be considered. Unfortunately, these therapeutic options are limited. This case explains how consecutive minimally invasive treatment allowed stabilization of end-stage HF thereby avoiding heart transplantation or mechanical assist devices. (Level of Difficulty: Intermediate.), Graphical abstract

Adjuvant radiation therapy in breast cancer is a standard of care, either post-lumpectomy or in case of lymph node involvement. Internal mammary chain (IMC) is more and more included in the clinical target volume, because it increases overall survival. This increase must be weighed against cardiac complications in left breast cancer. Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is used in this indication in order to better cover target volumes, but tends to increase irradiated healthy volumes, including the heart. The average cardiac dose is higher with IMRT, while it is also predictive of cardiovascular events in patients treated in 3D. This article aims to make an inventory of the IMC irradiations, as well as a review of the mechanisms of radiation-induced cardiac toxicity and ways to diagnose it early. Cooperation between medical oncologists, radiotherapy oncologists and cardiologists is needed to better support patients.

Background Left ventricular remodelling that frequently occurs after acute myocardial infarction is associated with an increased risk of heart failure and cardiovascular death. Although several risk factors have been identified, there is still no marker in clinical use to predict left ventricular remodelling. Plasma concentration of coenzyme Q10, which plays a key role in mitochondrial energy production and as an antioxidant, seems to be negatively correlated with left ventricular function after acute myocardial infarction. Objective The goal of our study was to determine whether the plasma coenzyme Q10 baseline concentrations at time of the ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) could predict left ventricular remodelling at six months’ follow-up. Methods Sixty-eight patients who were admitted to hospital for STEMI and successfully revascularized with primary percutaneous coronary intervention were recruited. All patients underwent a 3D-echocardiography examination within the first four days after percutaneous coronary intervention and six months later then divided into two groups based on the presence or not of left ventricular remodelling. Plasma coenzyme Q10 concentration at the time of percutaneous coronary intervention was determined using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Results While we found similar plasma coenzyme Q10 concentrations compared with other studies, no association was evidenced between coenzyme Q10 concentrations and left ventricular remodelling ( P = 0.89). Conclusion We found no evidence for using plasma coenzyme Q10 concentration as an early prediction marker of left ventricular remodelling after STEMI.

Background/Introduction Left ventricular remodeling (LVR) remains common and is associated with outcomes in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Left atrial (LA) volume has been described as a predictor of outcomes in the latter population. Purpose To investigate the association between LA mechanical function using speckle tracking imaging and LVR at follow-up in STEMI patients. Methods Baseline 3D transthoracic echocardiograms were performed in 121 STEMI patients. LA global longitudinal strain was reported separately for the reservoir (LASr), conduit (LAScd), and contraction (LASct) phases. Follow-up echocardiograms were performed at 6 months. Results Mean age was 58.3±12.5 years and 98 (81%) were men. Baseline left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was 46.8% [41.0, 52.9] and significantly improved to 52.1% [45.8, 57.0] at follow-up, (p Conclusion(s) The three components of baseline LA strain were associated with LVEF at follow-up in patients with STEMI. Some of these components were also significantly associated with lower LVEF at baseline or predictive of a significant increase in left ventricular volumes during follow-up, indicating LVR. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None

Background/Introduction An increase in left ventricular volumes between baseline and follow-up imaging is the main criteria for the quantification of left ventricular remodeling after ST-elevation myocardial infarction, but without consensual definition. Purpose We aimed to review the criterion used for the definition of left ventricular remodeling based on cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in studies including patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction. Methods A systematic literature search was conducted using MEDLINE and the Cochrane Library from January 2010 to August 2019. Thirty-seven studies involving a total of 4209 patients were included. Results The median age of the patients was 59 years, 82% were male, and 93% underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention. The median follow-up duration was 6 months (range, 3–12), and the second cardiac magnetic resonance session was performed at 6 months in 14 (38%) studies. Among these studies, 30 (81%) used a cut-off value for defining left ventricular remodeling, with a pooled left ventricular remodeling prevalence estimate of 22.8%, 95%-CI[19.4%-26.7%], and a major between-study heterogeneity (I2=82%). The seven remaining studies (19%) defined left ventricular remodeling as a continuous variable. A 20% increase in end-diastolic volumes or a 15% increase in end-systolic volumes between a baseline and a follow-up cardiac magnetic resonance imaging were the two most common criterion (13 [35%] and 9 [24%] studies, respectively). Seven studies used both end-diastolic and end-systolic vleft ventricular volumes. Conclusion(s) The definition of left ventricular remodeling using cardiac magnetic resonance following ST-elevation myocardial infarction is highly variable, among studies including highly selected patients. The most frequent left ventricular remodeling criterion were a 20% increase in end-diastolic volumes or a 15% increase in end-systolic volumes. A composite cut-off value of a 12% to 15% increase in end-systolic volume and a 12% to 20% increase in end-diastolic volume using a follow-up cardiac magnetic resonance imaging 1 to 3 months after myocardial infarction might be proposed as a consensual cut-off for defining adverse left ventricular remodeling for future large-sized, prospective studies with serial cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and long-term follow-up in unselected patients. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None

Background/Introduction Left ventricular remodeling following ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is associated with poor outcome. Neprilysin inhibition leads to improved outcome in patients with altered left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Purpose We aimed to assess the association between serum levels of neprilysin and left ventricular (LV) volumes, function and remodeling in STEMI patients with successful myocardial reperfusion. Methods Sixty-eight patients were admitted for STEMI and had both plasma neprilysin measurement at baseline and 3D transthoracic echocardiogram at baseline and at follow-up (7 months). We compared 3 groups: a group with a low-level of plasma neprilysin ( Results Median age was 58.5±12.8 years and 56 (82.4%) were men. Median LVEF was 45.0±8.5%. Baseline characteristics were comparable among groups. At baseline there was a non-significant trend towards lower end-diastolic volume (p=0.07) but significantly lower LVEF in the high neprilysin group (46.4±8.3%, 47.1±8.1% and 39.1±6.9%, p Conclusion(s) Initial high neprilysin levels may identify patients with stunned myocardium early after STEMI, with a recovery of contractility leading to improved LVEF at follow-up. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None

Funding Acknowledgements Philips BACKGROUND Developing new training tools for TransThoracic Echocardiography (TTE) is more important than ever, as the use of ultrasound expands with the advent of mobile devices, both reducing costs and increasing the number of sites and operators. Two major challenges are the lack of experts to meet the growing demand for training and the risk of unnecessary examinations and misdiagnosis by users who lack proper training. PURPOSE To evaluate Artificial Intelligence (AI)-assisted TTE for assessing and improving novices" echocardiography skills. METHODS AI-assisted TTE relies on real-time analysis of the ultrasound stream by AI algorithms (e.g. for automated view recognition) to provide adaptive feedback to the user. It was compared to standard TTE in a prospective study including 40 medical students with no prior ultrasound experience ("novices") and 40 healthy volunteers of varying echogenicity. Novices received a standardized 10-minute presentation of the basic machine controls and requirements of an apical 4-chamber (AP4) acquisition. They were then asked to perform three consecutive AP4 acquisitions on a randomly assigned healthy volunteer: 1) "initial" standard TTE, 2) AI-assisted TTE and 3) "repetition" standard TTE, with a maximum of 3 minutes per acquisition. Additionally, for reference purposes, an AP4 acquisition was performed by an expert. Both the performance over time and the final acquisition performance were assessed by an AI-based AP4 quality score and expressed relatively to the reference score. The suitability for clinical use was assessed by an expert on a 0-3 semi-quantitative scale. RESULTS Kaplan-Meier analysis of the probability to match reference performance over time (see left part in figure below) validated the positive and significant contribution of AI-assisted TTE wrt initial TTE (median time = 16.1s vs. 45.7s, p = 0.026). There was also a positive, though non-significant, contribution wrt repetition TTE (median time = 25.7s, p = 0.20), while the difference between standard TTEs was non-significant (p = 0.24). A majority of novices (70%, resp. 72.5%) improved their final acquisition with AI-assisted TTE wrt initial TTE, resp. repetition TTE. The final performance gain (81.7 ± 29.7% vs. 60.8 ± 40.4%, resp. 70.4 ± 33.9%, see right part in figure below) was shown to be significant by Wilcoxon matched-pair signed-rank test (p CONCLUSION AI-assisted TTE can assess and improve novices" echocardiography skills. Developing and embedding AI-assistance in ultrasound devices could be a cost-effective way to support the training of novices and key to acquisition standardization. Abstract 541 Figure.

Funding Acknowledgements Fondation de Recherche Scientifique Belge FRSM PDR 19488731 BACKGROUND 2D-speckle-tracking (ST) echocardiography is currently widely used for estimation of global (G) and regional myocardial deformation. In previous works, we showed good correlation between global longitudinal (LS) and circumferential strain (CS) from one 2DST vendor with cMR-Tagging, however with significant bias between both methods. Also, we found poorer agreement between 2DST and cMR-Tagging on regional basis. However it is unknown how 2DST from other vendors would comparte to cMR tagging. PURPOSE To asssess vendor differences in global and regional strain assessment and compare 1) the agreement of 2 different 2DST softwares for global and regional LS and CS among each other and against cMR-Tagging as reference; and 2) the accuracy of both softwares to detect infarcted segments. METHODS 100 subjects with different cardiac disease (among which 31 with chronic infarct) underwent 2DST and tagging and LGE cMR on the same day. Global and regional CS (16 AHA segments) and LS (18 AHA segments) was computed using 2 different ST vendor softwares and compared to cMR-Tagging with HARP. Accuracy of regional 2D-ST by both vendors to detect infarcted segments (ie >75% transmurality of late gadolinium) was compared using ROC analysis. RESULTS Global LS (ICC = 0.87) and CS 2DST (ICC = 0.83, p Agreement for regional strains is shown in the figure below. Overall, regional LS and CS agreed adequately among both vendors. Agreement of regional LS and CS vs cMR-tagging was slightly better for vendor 1, with less bias than for vendor 2, and disagreement was similarly located (ie agreement with cMR-Tagging for LS in inferolateral inferior and inferoseptal basal segments). The predictive accuracy of regional CS and LS for detecting segments with infarct was higher for vendor 2 (AUC 0.76 and 0.68) than for vendor 1 (AUC 0.70 and 0.63) . CONCLUSION GLS agreed well among both vendors and with cMR-Tagging, confirming the universal validity of this measurement. However vendor 2 provided significantly greater GCS values and had higher bias against cMR-Tagging than vendor 1. On regional basis CS and LS agreed moderately well among both vendors, however vendor 2 agreed less with cMR-Tagging than vendor 1, but astoundingly had higher diagnostic accuracy for detecting infarct. Overall this findings call for further efforts in standardization of 2DST CS and regional strain. Abstract P1393 Figure.

Funding Acknowledgements Philips BACKGROUND Accurate and reproducible echocardiographic measurements are paramount for objective assessment and follow-up of the cardiac function. However, manual contouring – e.g., for determining left ventricular (LV) volumes and ejection fraction (EF) – is limited by image quality and operator experience. Meanwhile, despite the wider availability of (semi-)automated tools, strong multimodal validation is still lacking for their widespread and safe use in the clinical routine. PURPOSE To evaluate the accuracy and reproducibility of an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based semi-automated tool to compute LV volumes and EF, in comparison with manual contouring, using cardiac magnetic resonance (cMR) as reference. METHODS Manual and AI measurements from echocardiography were compared to measurements from cMR in a retrospective two-centre study. One hundred fourteen patients in sinus rhythm were included; among those, 85 had abnormal LV function (56 dilated and 29 hypertrophic). Three successive cardiac cycles were available for apical 4- and 2-chamber views. Two senior (A1 and B1) and one junior (A2) cardiologists contoured the ED and ES endocardial borders in the cardiac cycle of their choice, while blinded to quantitative outcomes. For AI analysis, a deep convolutional neural networks model was used to segment the LV cavity on the frames selected by the three observers. This model was trained using ED and ES manual contouring from senior cardiologist A1 on an independent single-centre dataset that consisted of 700 apical 4- and 2-chamber views. The same biplane Simpson’s method was used to compute all LV volumes and EF. RESULTS Despite challenging image quality (poor: 6%; fair: 33%; high: 61%, as rated by observers), the majority of the AI segmentations were deemed acceptable (75% in total; 80% for images of high quality). Overall, inter-observer agreement was better by AI than by manual contouring (ICC = 0.99 vs. 0.89, 1.00 vs. 0.95 and 0.95 vs. 0.89 for LVED, LVES and LVEF respectively, all p CONCLUSION The AI model generalized well to different sites, observers and image quality. Compared to manual contouring, LV volumes and EF by AI showed comparable or improved accuracy and higher reproducibility. These findings demonstrate the value of AI-based tools, with potential for full automation, for objective assessment and follow-up of the cardiac function. Abstract 154 Figure.

Background Despite the emergence of new therapies, Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) still has a high mortality. Several clinical, echocardiographic, biological or hemodynamic prognostic factors have been identified but are of limited predictive value for survival. We aimed to assess whether heart rate (HR) and all ECG abnormalities measured on a 12-lead ECG may help to better identify patients at high risk of death in this population. Methods and results 296 patients followed in a registry were included with all types of PH, except group 2 of the WHO clinical classification. After a median follow-up of 10 years, age, male sex, NYHA III/IV status and, among all ECG parameters, HR and corrected QT interval were associated with mortality. In multivariate analysis, HR, age and male sex remained significant independent predictors of mortality. HR has a higher predictive value in the 238 patients in sinus rhythm. In addition, only HR was significantly correlated with clinical and hemodynamic PH prognostic factors. Conclusion HR measured on a 12-lead ECG at the time of the diagnosis is a strong independent predictor of mortality in PH patients.

International audience; Objectives: We conducted a retrospective study to characterize the cardiac complications in patients with genetically confirmed type 1 facioscapulohumeral dystrophy. Methods: We reviewed baseline cardiac investigations, including electrocardiogram, Holter electrocardiogram and echocardiogram, as well as cardiac complications that occurred during follow-up in 56 adult patients (37 men, mean duration of disease: 20 years). Results: Baseline evaluation revealed minor cardiac anomalies in 23 patients including incomplete right bundle branch block (iRBBB) in 13 patients (23%). Over a mean follow-up period of 7.2 years, there was no cardiac death, no patient developed cardiomyopathy, and 28 patients (50%) experienced cardiac anomalies. Among these patients, 3 had one or more major events (heart failure and/or atrial fibrillation). The remaining 25 patients presented minor cardiac anomalies of which iRBBB was the most frequent (25%). Conclusions: Cardiac anomalies identified during the follow-up of patients with type 1 facioscapulohumeral dystrophy are mainly minor anomalies, dominated by the iRBBB.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES Cardiac manifestations in Fabry disease are mainly characterized by left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). The aims of this study were (1) to describe the pattern of regional strain in patients with Fabry disease and (2) to assess whether this pattern may help differentiate patients with Fabry disease from patients with sarcomeric hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). METHODS Seventy-seven subjects were investigated: patients with Fabry disease (n=37; 57% with LVH), patients with HCM (n=21), and healthy controls (n=19). Global and segmental longitudinal and circumferential strain (CS) analyses were performed by two-dimensional speckle strain imaging. Base-to-apex longitudinal and CS gradient, defined as the peak gradient difference between averaged basal and apical strain, was calculated. RESULTS Longitudinal strain gradient did not differ between controls and Fabry patients without hypertrophy (respectively: -10±3.2 vs -8±4.3, P=.41) or between the HCM group and Fabry patients with hypertrophy (respectively: -7.5±4.5 vs -9±4.5, P=.37). The CS gradient was lower in Fabry patients without hypertrophy compared to the controls (respectively: 1±8 vs 14.2±9.5, P

Few data exist concerning the right ventricular (RV) physiological adaptation in American-style football (ASF) athletes. We aimed to analyze the RV global and regional responses among ASF-trained athletes. Fifty-nine (20 linemen and 39 non-linemen) ASF athletes were studied before and after inter-seasonal training. During this period, which lasted 7 months, all athletes were exposed to combined dynamic and static exercises. Cardiac longitudinal changes were examined using three-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography. A computational method based on geodesic distances was applied to volumetrically parcellate the RV into apical, outlet, and inlet regions. RV global and regional end-diastolic volumes increased significantly and similarly in linemen and non-linemen after training, with predominant changes in the apex and outlet regions. RV global and regional ejection fractions were preserved. Morphological changes were uniformly distributed among the four cardiac chambers, and it was independent of the field position. Assessment of RV end-diastolic global, inlet and apical volumes showed low intra-observer (3.3%, 4.1%, and 5.3%, respectively) and inter-observer (7%, 12.2%, and 9%, respectively) variability, whereas the outlet regional volumetric assessment was less reproducible. To conclude, ASF inter-seasonal training was associated with a proportionate biventricular enlargement, regardless of the field position. Regional RV analysis allowed us to quantify the amount of exercise-induced remodeling that was larger in the apical and outlet regions. F.T. is supported by a grant from the Fonds de Recherche du Québec—Santé (FRQS). The methodological part of this study was partly supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Maria de Maeztu Units of Excellence Programme—MDM-2015-0502) and the European Union under the Horizon 2020 Programme for Research, Innovation (grant agreement No. 642676 CardioFunXion).

Background: Post-operative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is a major and frequent complication occurring after cardiac surgery, contributing to prolonged intensive care and hospital stays and is associated with several cardiovascular complications. The exact mechanisms and signaling pathways involved in the development of POAF seem to be multifactorial and remain to date incompletely understood. β-blockers and amiodarone are the first line preventive drugs but are partially effective and near 30% of POAF resist to these strategies. Objective and Method: In this work, we review the current knowledge about pathophysiological POAF mechanisms and preventive pharmacological strategies. We also discuss the rational for the use of pre-operative plasma aldosterone and galectin-3 (Gal-3) levels as predictive biomarkers of POAF and the potential role of aldosterone antagonists in the POAF preventive strategy. Conclusion: POAF is a major complication occurring after cardiac surgery. In this context, there is some evidence indicating that renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system and Gal-3 could be very useful predictive biomarkers of POAF and potentially interesting therapeutic target to prevent POAF occurrence. We present the rationale and the design of the ALDO-POAF trial (ALDOsterone for prediction of Post- Operative Atrial Fibrillation, NCT 02814903).

Adjuvant radiation therapy in breast cancer is a standard of care, either post-lumpectomy or in case of lymph node involvement. Internal mammary chain (IMC) is more and more included in the clinical target volume, because it increases overall survival. This increase must be weighed against cardiac complications in left breast cancer. Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is used in this indication in order to better cover target volumes, but tends to increase irradiated healthy volumes, including the heart. The average cardiac dose is higher with IMRT, while it is also predictive of cardiovascular events in patients treated in 3D. This article aims to make an inventory of the IMC irradiations, as well as a review of the mechanisms of radiation-induced cardiac toxicity and ways to diagnose it early. Cooperation between medical oncologists, radiotherapy oncologists and cardiologists is needed to better support patients.

BACKGROUND: In prior work, the authors demonstrated that two-dimensional speckle-tracking (2DST) correlated well but systematically overestimated global longitudinal strain (LS) and circumferential strain (CS) compared with two-dimensional cardiac magnetic resonance tagging (2DTagg) and had poor agreement on a segmental basis. Because three-dimensional speckle-tracking (3DST) has recently emerged as a new, more comprehensive evaluation of myocardial deformation, this study was undertaken to evaluate whether it would compare more favorably with 2DTagg than 2DST. METHODS: In a prospective two-center trial, 119 subjects (29 healthy volunteers, 63 patients with left ventricular dysfunction, and 27 patients with left ventricular hypertrophy) underwent 2DST, 3DST, and 2DTagg. Global, regional (basal, mid, and apical), and segmental (18 and 16 segments per patient) LS and CS by 2DST and 3DST were compared with 2DTagg using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and Bland-Altman analysis. Test-retest reproducibility of 3DST and 2DST was compared in 48 other patients. RESULTS: Both global LS and CS by 3DST agreed better with 2DTagg (ICC = 0.89 and ICC = 0.83, P < .001 for both; bias = 0.5 ± 2.3% and 0.2 ± 3%) than 2DST (ICC = 0.65 and ICC = 0.55, P < .001 for both; bias = -5.5 ± 2.5% and -7 ± 5.3%). Unlike 2DST, 3DST did not overestimate deformation at the regional and particularly the apical levels and at the segmental level had lower bias (LS, 0.8 ± 2.8% vs -5.3 ± 2.4%; CS, -0.01 ± 2.8% vs -7 ± 2.8%, respectively) but similar agreement with 2DST (LS: ICC = 0.58 ± 0.16 vs 0.56 ± 0.12; CS: ICC = 0.58 ± 0.12 vs 0.51 ± 0.1) with 2DTagg. Finally, 3DST had similar global LS, but better global CS test-retest variability than 2DST. CONCLUSIONS: Using 2DTagg as reference, 3DST had better agreement and less bias for global and regional LS and CS. At the segmental level, 3DST demonstrated comparable agreement but lower bias versus 2DTagg compared with 2DST. Also, test-retest variability for global CS by 3DST was better than by 2DST. This suggests that 3DST is superior to 2DST for analysis of global and regional myocardial deformation, but further refinement is needed for both 3DST and 2DST at the segmental level.

In this chapter, we will first recall some basic principles of speckle tracking. The fundamentals of speckle tracking in a wider context are essentially described in Chapter 13. We will then treat speckle-tracking echocardiography and echocardiographic particle image velocimetry (echo-PIV) and indicate a number of clinical applications in the context of evaluation of cardiac function. We will then briefly introduce color Doppler approaches complementary to speckle tracking. We will finally present how speckle-tracking techniques could benefit from highframe-rate echocardiography (also called “ultrafast echocardiography”). We will conclude with the expected contribution of high-frame-rate ultrasound for speckle tracking in three-dimensional (3-D) echocardiography.

Previous studies showed good agreement between pacemaker respiratory disturbance index (RDI) and polysomnography for diagnosis of severe sleep apnea (SA). The aim of this study is to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of RDI compared with apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) from a cardiorespiratory sleep study for the diagnosis of severe SA within patients requiring a pacemaker and meeting diastolic dysfunction criteria. Secondary objectives are as follows: correlation between plasma aldosterone level and SA severity, diagnostic accuracy of RDI for moderate SA, prevalence of SA among patients with diastolic dysfunction, occurrence of arrhythmias, and improvement of RDI with continuous positive airway pressure therapy. We designed a monocentric prospective nonrandomized study of prevalent cases to include 68 patients with a 6-month follow-up. Both RDI and AHI will be compared 2 months after implantation and after 1 month of continuous positive airway pressure treatment in patients with severe SA. This is the first study that examines diagnostic accuracy of pacemaker algorithm for the diagnosis of SA and correlation with plasma aldosterone levels in patients with diastolic dysfunction. Protocol version: V04. 04/04/2017 Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02751021

Background— Despite widespread use to characterize and refine prognosis, validation data of two-dimensional (2D) speckle tracking (2DST) echocardiography myocardial strain measurement remain scarce. Methods and Results— Global and regional subendocardial peak-systolic Lagrangian longitudinal (LS) and circumferential strain (CS) by 2DST and 2D-tagged (2DTagg) cardiac magnetic resonance imaging were compared against sonomicrometry in a dynamic heart phantom and among each other in 136 patients included prospectively at 2 centers. The ability of regional LS and CS 2DST and 2DTagg to identify late gadolinium enhancement was compared using receiver operating characteristics curves. In vitro, both LS-2DST and 2DTagg highly agreed with sonomicrometry (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC], 0.89 and ICC, 0.90, both P P P =0.08), while it was lower for CS 2DST than 2DTagg (area under the curve, 0.61 versus 0.75; P Conclusions— The high accuracy against sonomicrometry and good agreement of global LS and global CS by 2DST and 2DTagg confirm the overall validity of 2DST strain measurement. Yet, higher intertechnique segmental variability and lower ability for detecting infarct suggest that 2DST strain estimates may be less performant on regional than on global basis.

Background Radiation therapy plays a major role in the management of adjuvant breast cancer with nodal involvement, with an iatrogenic increase of cardio-vascular risk. Photon therapy, even with intensity modulation, has the downsides of high mean heart dose and heterogeneous target coverage, particularly in the case of internal mammary irradiation. This systematic review of the literature aims to evaluate proton therapy in locally advanced breast cancer. Material and methods PubMed was searched for original full-text articles with the following search terms: «Proton Therapy» and «Breast Cancer». On-going trials were collected using the words “Breast Cancer” and “Protons”. Results 13 articles met the criteria: 6 with passive proton therapy (Double Scattering), 5 with Pencil Beam Scanning (PBS) and 2 with a combination of both. Proton therapy offered a better target coverage than photons, even compared with intensity modulation radiation therapy (including static or rotational IMRT or tomotherapy). With proton therapy, volumes receiving 95% of the dose were around 98%, with low volumes receiving 105% of the dose. Proton therapy often decreased mean heart dose by a factor of 2 or 3, i.e. 1 Gy with proton therapy versus 3 Gy with conventional 3D, and 6 Gy for IMRT. Lungs were better spared with proton therapy than with photon therapy. Cutaneous toxicity observed with double scattering is improved with PBS. Conclusion Proton therapy reduces mean heart dose in breast cancer irradiation, probably reducing late cardio-vascular toxicity. Large clinical studies will likely confirm a clinical benefit of proton therapy.

Fast acquisition sequences enable >200Hz 2D cardiac B-mode imaging with little compromise in image quality. Fast imaging minimizes frame to frame decorrelation, enabling RF-based tracking for enhanced signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in motion and deformation imaging. Our objective was to evaluate the performance and hypothesize on the clinical usefulness of Fast RF-based Tracking (FRFT) in comparison with the established modalities of Tissue Doppler Imaging (TDI) and image-based speckle tracking (ST) at conventional frame rates. FRFT enables visualizing the mechanical waves propagating through the myocardium during valve closure. Improved tracking SNR promises a modality confidently displaying 2D regional strain rate. Further clutter suppression is required to improve success rate in all walls.

Background - Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is standard therapy for patients with severe aortic stenosis who are at high surgical risk. However, national data regarding procedural characteristics and clinical outcomes over time are limited. Objectives - The aim of this study was to assess nationwide performance trends and clinical outcomes of TAVR during a 6-year period. Methods - TAVRs performed in 48 centers across France between January 2013 and December 2015 were prospectively included in the FRANCE TAVI (French Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation) registry. Findings were further compared with those reported from the FRANCE 2 (French Aortic National CoreValve and Edwards 2) registry, which captured all TAVRs performed from January 2010 to January 2012 across 34 centers. Results - A total of 12,804 patients from FRANCE TAVI and 4,165 patients from FRANCE 2 were included in this analysis. The median age of patients was 84.6 years, and 49.7% were men. FRANCE TAVI participants were older but at lower surgical risk (median logistic European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation [EuroSCORE]: 15.0% vs. 18.4%; p < 0.001). More than 80% of patients in FRANCE TAVI underwent transfemoral TAVR. Transesophageal echocardiography guidance decreased from 60.7% to 32.3% of cases, whereas more recent procedures were increasingly performed in hybrid operating rooms (15.8% vs. 35.7%). Rates of Valve Academic Research Consortium-defined device success increased from 95.3% in FRANCE 2 to 96.8% in FRANCE TAVI (p < 0.001). In-hospital and 30-day mortality rates were 4.4% and 5.4%, respectively, in FRANCE TAVI compared with 8.2% and 10.1%, respectively, in FRANCE 2 (p

In this paper, we address the problem of automated pose classification and segmentation of the left ventricle (LV) in 2D echocardiographic images. For this purpose, we compare two complementary approaches. The first one is based on engineering ad-hoc features according to the traditional machine learning paradigm. Namely, we extract phase features to build an unsupervised LV pose estimator, as well as a global image descriptor for view type classification. We also apply the Supervised Descent Method (SDM) to iteratively refine the LV contour. The second approach follows the deep learning framework, where a Convolutional Network (ConvNet) learns the visual features automatically. Our experiments on a large database of apical sequences show that the two approaches yield comparable results on view classification, but SDM outperforms ConvNet on LV segmentation at a significantly lower training computational cost.

Background and Objectives Type 1 diabetes is a major cardiovascular risk factor associated with an excess of mortality in young adults due to premature cardiovascular events, which includes heart failure. The relation between type 1 diabetes and cardiac structure and function in children was poorly documented. Our study investigates (1) whether type 1 diabetic children have echocardiographic signs of subclinical cardiac dysfunction assessed by tissue Doppler strain and (2) whether state of metabolic control and diabetes duration have any influence on the cardiac event. Methods Standard echocardiography and tissue Doppler imaging were prospectively performed in type 1 diabetic children. Left ventricular dimensions, standard indices of systolic and diastolic function, and septal longitudinal strain were investigated. Results Thirty consecutive asymptomatic diabetic children (age: 12.4 [5–17] years; males: 53%) were compared to 30 age and sex-matched healthy control subjects. Left ventricular mass index and diastolic septal thickness were significantly increased in diabetic children. There was no difference between two groups as regards the left ventricular ejection fraction and conventional mitral Doppler parameters (E, A, Ea). The global longitudinal systolic strain and strain rate were found to be decreased in children with diabetes. The global longitudinal early diastolic strain rate (Esr) was negatively correlated with metabolic control. Longitudinal strain was not correlated with diabetes duration. Conclusion Children with Type 1 diabetes had subclinical alterations in left ventricular size and longitudinal myocardial deformation.