Search

Hydrocephalus is a common complication of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) that often requires acute placement of an external ventricular drain (EVD). The current systems available for determining which patients will require long-term cerebrospinal fluid diversion remain subjective. We investigated the ventricular volume change (ΔVV) after EVD clamping as an objective predictor of shunt dependence in patients with aSAH.We performed a retrospective medical record review and image analysis of patients treated for aSAH at a single academic institution who had required EVD placement for acute hydrocephalus and had undergone 1 EVD weaning trial. Head computed tomography (CT) scans obtained before and after EVD clamping were analyzed using a custom semiautomated MATLAB program (MathWorks, Natick, Massachusetts, USA), which segments each CT scan into 5 tissue types using k-means clustering. Differences in the pre- and postclamp ventricular volumes were calculated.A total of 34 patients with an indwelling shunt met the inclusion criteria and were sex- and age-matched to 34 controls without a shunt. The mean ΔVV was 19.8 mL in the shunt patients and 3.8 mL in the nonshunt patients (P 0.0001). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.84. The optimal ΔVV threshold was 11.4 mL, with a sensitivity of 76.5% and specificity of 88.2% for predicting shunt dependence. The mean ΔVV was significantly greater for the patients readmitted for shunt placement compared with the patients not requiring cerebrospinal fluid diversion (18.69 mL vs. 3.84 mL; P = 0.005). Finally, 70% of the patients with delayed shunt dependence had ΔVV greater than the identified threshold.The ΔVV volume between head CT scans taken before and after EVD clamping was predictive of early and delayed shunt dependence.

BACKGROUND In repaired tetralogy of Fallot (rTOF), right ventricular (RV) enlargement leads to poor outcomes. However, evaluating the RV has limitations; cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) and 3D echocardiography have barriers including cost and accessibility. Traditional echocardiography is limited given the complex geometry and anterior location of the RV. We propose a novel echocardiographic evaluation of RV volume using 2 separate views. METHODS This is a retrospective study of rTOF patients with echocardiogram, CMR, and exercise tests. By echocardiogram, we collected RV length in parasternal long axis (PLAX), area in 4-chamber (4C) view, and measurements per standard guidelines. RV end-diastolic and end-systolic volume (RVEDV and RVESV) were calculated as 5/9 (4C area * PLAX length). RESULTS Forty-five patients with 66 sets of CMR, echocardiogram, and exercise tests were included (mean age 13.3 ± 3.2 years). The echocardiographic RVEDV and RVESV showed strong correlation with CMR parameters (r = 0.81 and 0.72; p≤ 0.0001), and moderate correlation with peak oxygen pulse (0.63 and 0.49; p≤0.0001). Guideline measurements had no significant correlation. Echocardiographic RVEDV and RVESV were higher in those requiring subsequent pulmonary valve replacement. Indexed echocardiographic RVEDV of 93 ml/m2 had 92% sensitivity and 50% specificity (area under curve 0.75 (p = 0.001)) in predicting CMR RV/LV EDV ratio > 2, which is an early indicator for pulmonary valve replacement. CONCLUSIONS This novel technique correlates strongly with CMR, better than traditional parameters. While echocardiogram will not replace CMR, this method would be useful in predicting the RV volume, progression of dilation, and timing of CMR.

Echocardiographic evaluation of chronic aortic regurgitation (AR) severity can lead to diagnostic ambiguity due to few feasible parameters or incongruent findings. The aim of the present study was to improve the diagnostic usefulness of left ventricular (LV) enlargement and aortic end-diastolic flow velocity (EDFV) using cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) as reference. Patients (n = 120) were recruited either prospectively (n = 45) or retrospectively (n = 75). Severe AR (CMR regurgitant fraction > 33%) was present in 51% and 93% of the patients had LV ejection fraction ≥ 50%. EDFV and LV end-diastolic volume index (EDVI) were assessed by echocardiography using the traditional (excluding trabeculae) and recommended approach (including trabeculae). The patients were randomised to a derivation (n = 60) or a test group (n = 60). EDVI (traditional/recommended) to rule in (>99/118 ml/m2) and rule out severe AR (≤75/87 ml/m2) were identified using ROC analyses in the derivation group. The corresponding thresholds for EDFV were >17 cm/s and ≤10 cm/s. In the test group, the positive/negative likelihood ratios to rule in/rule out severe AR using EDVI were 10.0/0.14 (traditional), 6.2/0.11 (recommended), and using EDFV were 10.2/0.08. To rule in and rule out severe AR using derived cut-off values instead of >2 SD reduced the false positives by 92%, whereas using EDFV ≤10 cm/s instead of ≤20 cm/s reduced the false negatives by 94%. In conclusion, EDVI and EDFV as quantitative parameters are useful to rule in or rule out severe chronic AR. Importantly, other causes of LV enlargement have to be considered.

Background/Aim: Pulmonary embolism is a quite common and usually fatal disease. This study aimed to investigate the predictive value of the right ventricular volume in terms of pulmonary embolism and its laterality using imaging techniques. Methods: This case-control study included patients who underwent tomography with a pre-diagnosis of pulmonary embolism between January 2016 and January 2018. The study group included patients diagnosed with pulmonary embolism, while the control group consisted of those with an excluded diagnosis of embolism. The gender, age, echocardiography, right ventricular volume, embolism location, computed tomography results, morbidity, and mortality of the patients were recorded. Among 253 patients who underwent chest tomography with a diagnosis of pulmonary embolism, the data of 149 patients were obtained. There were 64 individuals in the control group and 85 individuals in the patient group.Results: In the study group, the length of hospital stay was 10.0 (range, 15.0-6.0) days, the systolic blood pressure was 125.5 (28.8) mmHg, the diastolic blood pressure was 77.8 (17.8) mmHg, and the heart rate was 103.4 (28.1) min. The ROC analysis of right ventricular volume revealed 81.2% sensitivity and 67.2% specificity (AUC: 0.850; P=0.001; 95% CI 0.789-0.910; cut-off: 103.7) in showing pulmonary embolism. There was a positive correlation between right ventricular volume and D-dimer (r: +0.739, P=0.001) in the control group and no correlation between the two in the study group (r: -0.178, P=0.139).Conclusion: Measuring the right ventricular volume with the software will contribute to the treatment and referral of patients with suspected pulmonary thromboembolism who underwent chest tomography. Thus, time and financial waste can be avoided by preventing unnecessary patient transfers, and early transfer of real patients can contribute to the reduction of mortality and morbidity.

Left ventricular end-diastolic volume (EDV) is an important parameter for monitoring patients with left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) and might be useful for automatic LVAD work adaptation. However, continuous information on the EDV is unavailable to date. The depolarization amplitude (DA) of the noncontact intracardiac electromyogram (iEMG) is physically related to the EDV. Here, we show how a left ventricular (LV) volume sensor based on the iEMG might provide beat-wise EDV estimates. The study was performed in six pigs while undergoing a series of controlled changes in hemodynamic states. The LV volume sensor consisted of four conventional pacemaker electrodes measuring the far-field iEMG inside the LV blood pool, using a novel unipolar amplifier. Simultaneously, noninvasive measurements of EDV and hematocrit were recorded. The proposed EDV predictor was tested for statistical significance using a mixed-effect model and associated confidence intervals. A statistically significant (p = 3e–07) negative correlation was confirmed between the DA of the iEMG and the EDV as measured by electric impedance at a slope of –0.069 (–0.089, –0.049) mV/mL. The DA was slightly decreased by increased hematocrit (p = 0.039) and moderately decreased with the opening of the thorax (p = 0.003). The DA of the iEMG proved to be a significant, independent predictor of EDV. The proposed LV volume sensor is simple to integrate into the inflow cannula of an LVAD and thus has the potential to inform the clinician about the state of LV volume in real time and to automatically control the LVAD., ASAIO Journal, 67 (12), ISSN:1058-2916, ISSN:1538-943X

IntroductionThe role of three-dimensional echocardiography (3D-ECHO) chamber quantification in children is still underestimated.Material and methodsIn 43 children 3D-ECHO measurements of end-diastolic (EDV) and end-systolic ventricular volumes (ESV) were compared to cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) using Bland-Altman analysis and linear regression. The values of left and right ventricular volumes calculated in 3D-ECHO were compared with each other and verified by CMR.ResultsThe values of LV-EDV and LV-ESV measured in 3D-ECHO showed highly significant correlations with CMR (for LV-EDV r = 0.892, p < 0.00001; for LV-ESV r = 0.896, p < 0.00001). In the case of the right ventricle the correlation of 3D-ECHO results with CMR was still high (RV-EDV r = 0.848, p < 0.00001, RV-ESV r = 0.914, p < 0.00001), although mean RV-EDV and RV-ESV in 3D-ECHO were underestimated compared to CMR (by 38% for RV-EDV and 45% for RV-ESV). Correction of 3D-ECHO results using the coefficient of 1.38 and 1.45 for RV-EDV and RV-ESV, respectively, significantly improved the consistency of the results with CMR. 3D-ECHO offered lower mean values of right ventricular volumes compared to the left ventricle. The discrepancy was again reduced by the calculated coefficients.Conclusions3D-ECHO is a valuable tool for assessment of left ventricular volume, which strongly correlates and agrees with CMR. The right ventricular volumes calculated in 3D-ECHO tend to be significantly underestimated in comparison to CMR and corresponding left ventricular volumes obtained from 3D-ECHO. The use of coefficients developed by the study improves the consistency of right ventricular volumes measured by 3D-ECHO with results obtained by CMR and reduces the volumetric discrepancy between ventricles in 3D-ECHO.

To train, evaluate, and validate the application of a deep learning framework in three-dimensional ultrasound (3D US) for the automatic segmentation of ventricular volume in preterm infants with post haemorrhagic ventricular dilatation (PHVD). We trained a 2D convolutional neural network (CNN) for automatic segmentation ventricular volume from 3D US of preterm infants with PHVD. The method was validated with the Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) and the intra-class coefficient (ICC) compared to manual segmentation. The mean birth weight of the included patients was 1233.1 g (SD 309.4) and mean gestational age was 28.1 weeks (SD 1.6). A total of 152 serial 3D US from 10 preterm infants with PHVD were analysed. 230 ventricles were manually segmented. Of these, 108 were used for training a 2D CNN and 122 for validating the methodology for automatic segmentation. The global agreement for manual versus automated measures in the validation data (n = 122) was excellent with an ICC of 0.944 (0.874–0.971). The Dice similarity coefficient was 0.8 (± 0.01). 3D US based ventricular volume estimation through an automatic segmentation software developed through deep learning improves the accuracy and reduces the processing time needed for manual segmentation using VOCAL. 3D US should be considered a promising tool to help deepen our current understanding of the complex evolution of PHVD.

Rationale & Objective Left ventricular (LV) mass (LVM) is a predictor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality and commonly calculated using 1-dimensional (1D) echocardiographic methods. These methods are vulnerable to small measurement errors and LVM may wrongly change according to changes in LV volume (LVV). Less commonly used 2-dimensional (2D) methods can accommodate to the changes in LVV and may be a better alternative among patients receiving hemodialysis (HD) with large fluid fluctuations. Study Design Observational study. Setting & Participants Patients with end-stage kidney disease receiving HD. Exposure One HD session. Analytical Approach Transthoracic echocardiography was performed right before and after HD. LVM was calculated using 1D (Devereux, Penn, and Teichholz) and 2D methods (truncated ellipsoid and area-length). Outcomes Significant differences in LVM after HD. Results We compared dimensions, LVV and LVM, in 53 patients (mean age, 63 ± 15 years; 66% men). For each 1-L increase in ultrafiltration volume (UFV), LV internal diameter decreased 1.1 mm (95% CI, 0.5-1.7 mm; P = 0.001). Patients were divided into 2 groups by the median UFV of 1.6 L. Patients with UFV > 1.6 L had significant smaller LVV and LV internal diameter after HD. LVM calculated using 1D methods decreased according to changes in LVV. Conversely, LVM calculated using 2D methods was not significantly different after HD. No significant change in differences between diastolic − systolic myocardial thickness or LVM as assessed using 1D and 2D methods was observed before and after HD, indicating that LVM remained constant despite HD. Limitations We did not use contrast enhancement, 3-dimensional methods, or cardiac magnetic resonance. Conclusions LVM calculated using 2D methods, truncated ellipsoid and area-length, is less affected by fluctuations in fluid and LVV, in contrast to 1D methods. Complementary LVM calculation using 2D methods is encouraged, especially in patients with large fluid fluctuations in which increased LVM using a 1D method has been detected., Graphical abstract

Background/Aims The current study aimed to elucidate a time-course change in left atrial volume after cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) and to verify factors associated with left atrial volume reduction (LAVR) and its prognostic implications. Methods The records of 97 patients were retrospectively reviewed after CRT. Echocardiographic data were analyzed at baseline before CRT, at early follow-up (FU) (≤ 1 year, median 6 months), and at late FU (median 30 months). Left ventricular volume response (LVVR) was defined as 15% reduction in left ventricular (LV) end-systolic volume (ESV). LAVR was classified into two groups by the median value at early FU: LAVR (≥ 7.5%) and no LAVR (< 7.5%). Results LV ESV index continuously decreased from baseline to early FU and from early FU to late FU (106.1 ± 47.4 mL/m2 vs. 87.6 ± 51.6 mL/m2 vs. 72.5 ± 57.1 mL/m2). LA volume index decreased from baseline to early FU, but there were no reductions thereafter (51.8 ± 21.9 mL/m2 vs. 45.1 ± 19.6 mL/m2 vs. 44.9 ± 23.0 mL/m2). The only echocardiographic factor associated with LAVR was change in E velocity (odds ratio [OR], 1.04; p = 0.002). Early LAVR (OR, 10.05; p = 0.002) was an independent predictor for late LVVR. Conclusions LAVR was related to reduction in E velocity, suggesting its relation with optimization of LV filling pressure. Early LAVR was a predictor for LVVR to CRT in long-term FU.

Background The latest guidelines recommend early intervention in adult atrial septal defect (ASD) patients with signs of right ventricular (RV) enlargement. However, the criteria of RV enlargement for optimal intervention remain unclear. We investigated the preoperative determinants for normalizing the RV volume after transcatheter closure of ASD in adults.Methods and Results:We retrospectively analyzed 52 ASD patients who underwent transcatheter closure. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) measured RV volume before and 1 year after the closure. The patients were divided into normalized (postoperative RV end-systolic volume index [RVESVI] Conclusions Preoperative RVESVI is an independent predictor for normalization of RV volume at 1 year after transcatheter closure of ASD in adults. Early intervention before RVESVI reaches 75 mL/m2may confer optimal timing for normalizing RV volume.

Left ventricular remodeling refers to a series of structural, cellular, molecular, metabolic, and functional changes that occur when the myocardium is subjected to abnormal mechanical and neurohorm...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Ventricular enlargement in idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus is often estimated using the Evans index. However, the sensitivity of the Evans index to estimate changes in ventricular size postoperatively has been questioned. Here, we evaluated the postoperative change in ventricle size in relation to shunt response in patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus, by comparing ventricular volume and the Evans index. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-seven patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus underwent high-resolution MR imaging preoperatively and 6 months after shunt insertion. Clinical symptoms of gait, balance, cognition, and continence were assessed according to the idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus scale. The ventricular volume of the lateral and third ventricles and the Evans index were measured using ITK-SNAP software. Semiautomatic volumetric analysis was performed, and postoperative changes in ventricular volume and the Evans index and their relationships to postoperative clinical improvement were compared. RESULTS: The median postoperative ventricular volume decrease was 25 mL (P < .001). The proportional decrease in ventricular volume was greater than that in the Evans index (P < .001). The postoperative decrease in ventricular volume was associated with a postoperative increase in the idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus scale score (P = .004). Shunt responders (75%) demonstrated a greater ventricular volume decrease than nonresponders (P = .002). CONCLUSIONS: Clinical improvement after shunt surgery in idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus is associated with a reduction of ventricular size. Ventricular volume is a more sensitive estimate than the Evans index and, therefore, constitutes a more precise method to evaluate change in ventricle size after shunt treatment in idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus.

Resection or exclusion of scars following a myocardial infarction on the left anterior descending artery territory started even before the beginning of the modern era of cardiac surgery. Many techniques were developed, but there is still confusion on who did what. The original techniques underwent modifications that brought to a variety of apparently new procedures that, however, were only a "revisitation" of what described before. In some case, old techniques were reproposed and renamed, without giving credit to the surgeon that was the original designer. Herein we try to describe which are the seminal procedures and some of the most important modifications, respecting however the merit of who first communicated the procedure to the scientific world.

Background For cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), patients with chronic heart failure (HF) and wide (>150msec) QRS duration (QRSd) received class I/A indication. However, its beneficial effect seemed to be limited for those with mid- (120–150msec) QRSd. Recent studies demonstrated that QRSd normalized to left ventricular end-diastolic volume (QRSd/ LVEDV) improved prediction of clinical outcome in patients with CRT. Therefore, we sought to investigate predictive value of QRSd/LVEDV for responding to CRT in patients with mid-QRSd. Methods This was retrospective multi-center observational cohort study. A total 506 consecutive patients who underwent CRT implantation in Tohoku University Hospital and National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center were evaluated. Exclusion criteria were QRSd less than 120ms, upgrade procedures from other implanted non-CRT devices and bradycardia requiring pacing. We evaluated clinical variables, data of electrocardiogram and transthoracic echocardiography at baseline and 6 months after CRT implantation. Primary endpoint was a HF hospitalization after CRT implantation. Distribution of free from HF hospitalization during follow-up was calculated using Kaplan-Meier curves, and the effects of covariate on the time to endpoint were investigated using a Cox proportional hazards model. Results After 199 patients were excluded based on exclusion criterion, remaining 307 patients were included for the analysis. Mean age was 62±14 [SD] years, and 238 (77%) were male. Mean LVEF and LVEDV were 25±9% and 234±82ml, respectively, and 24% of patients had ischemic etiology of HF. During the median 948 days of follow-up, CRT patients with mid QRSd (n=126; 136±10msec), as compared with those with wide QRSd (n=181; 174±17msec), tended to have higher incidence of HF hospitalization (Wilcoxon p=0.03). Multivariate analysis showed that QRSd and QRSd/LVEDV were significant predictors for HF hospitalization in CRT patients with mid QRSd, and cut-off values (137msec of QRSd and 0.65 of QRSd/LVEDV), which was calculated by receiver operative curve analysis, was used for risk stratification. QRSd Conclusion The present study demonstrates that QRSd normalized to left ventricular end-diastolic volume (QRSd/ LVEDV) could be clinical value in predicting outcome in CRT patients with mid-QRSd. These findings indicate normalized QRSd reflects myocardial conduction properties and contribute to risk stratification. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None.

IntroductionPost-contrast delayed-enhancement MRI helps to show the extent of myocardial infarction (MI), as well as allowing the morphometric analysis of the heart structure, e.g., left ventricular volume (LVV). Here the author deployed Bayesian implementation of statistical inference to determine the difference between the LVV in MI cases and in normal controls.MethodsSixty-seven MI patients and thirty-three controls from the EMIDEC dataset challenge were used. These were acquired at the University Hospital of Dijon (France). A cardiologist with 10 years of experience in cardiology and MRI and a biophysicist with 20 years of experience of cardiovascular MRI supervised the acquisition and annotated the images. ITK-Snap was used to extract the LVV and Bayesian inference were used to investigate the data.ResultsPatients with MI were younger than the controls (58.3 ± 11.5 vs. 66.5 ± 12.9 years; BF10 = 17.9). With age taken into consideration, the patients showed larger LVV relative to the controls (128.1 ± 46.3 vs. 83.4 ± 24.4 cm3; post-hoc BF10 = 12663.8).SummaryUsing Bayesian approach, we can conclude decisively that there is volumetric difference or remodeling in individuals with MI.

Humans are exposed to extreme environmental stressors during spaceflight and return with alterations in brain structure and shifts in intracranial fluids. To date, no studies have evaluated the effects of spaceflight on perivascular spaces (PVSs) within the brain, which are believed to facilitate fluid drainage and brain homeostasis. Here, we examined how the number and morphology of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-visible PVSs are affected by spaceflight, including prior spaceflight experience. Fifteen astronauts underwent sixT1-weighted 3T MRI scans, twice prior to launch and four times following their return to Earth after ∼6-month missions to the International Space Station. White matter MRI-visible PVS number and morphology were calculated using an established automated segmentation algorithm. We found that novice astronauts showed an increase in total PVS volume from pre- to post-flight, whereas experienced crewmembers did not (adjusted for age, sex, and time between landing and first MRI scan). Moreover, experienced astronauts exhibited a significant correlation between more previous flight days and greater PVS median length at baseline, suggesting that experienced astronauts exhibit holdover effects from prior spaceflight(s). There was also a significant positive correlation between pre- to post-flight increases in PVS median length and increases in right lateral ventricular volume. The presence of spaceflight associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS) was not associated with PVS number or morphology. Together, these findings demonstrate that spaceflight is associated with PVS morphological changes, and specifically that spaceflight experience is an important factor in determining PVS characteristics.

Lengthy exams and breath-holding limit the use of pediatric cardiac MRI (CMR). 3D time-resolved flow MRI (4DF) is a free-breathing, single-sequence exam that obtains magnitude (anatomic) and phase contrast (PC) data. We compare the accuracy of gadobenate dimeglumine-enhanced 4DF on a 1.5 T magnet to 2D CMR in children with repaired tetralogy of Fallot (rTOF) to measure pulmonary net flow (PNF) as a reflection of pulmonary regurgitation, forward flow (FF) and ventricular volumetry. Thirty-four consecutive cases were included. 2D PCs were obtained at the valve level. Using 4DF, we measured PNF at the valve and at the main and branch pulmonary arteries. PNF measured at the valve by 4DF demonstrated the strongest correlation (r = 0.87, p 0.001) and lowest mean difference (3.5 ± 9.4 mL/beat) to aortic net flow (ANF). Semilunar FF and stroke volume of the respective ventricle demonstrated moderate-strong correlation by 4DF (r = 0.66-0.81, p 0.001) and strong correlation by 2D (r = 0.81-0.84, p 0.001) with similar correlations and mean differences between techniques (p 0.05). Ventricular volumes correlated strongly between 2D and 4DF (r = 0.75-0.96, p 0.001), though 4DF overestimated right ventricle volumes by 11.8-19.2 mL/beat. Inter-rater reliability was excellent for 2D and 4DF volumetry (ICC = 0.91-0.99). Ejection fraction moderately correlated (r = 0.60-0.75, p 0.001) with better reliability by 4DF (ICC: 0.80-0.85) than 2D (ICC: 0.69-0.89). 4DF exams were shorter than 2D (9 vs. 71 min, p 0.001). 4DF provides highly reproducible and accurate measurements of flow with slight overestimation of RV volumes compared to 2D in pediatric rTOF. 4DF offers important advantages in this population with long-term monitoring needs.

Introduction Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is characterized by absence of the subsarcolemmal protein dystrophin, present in skeletal muscles and cardiomyocytes. We hypothesized that progressive respiratory and left ventricular (LV) insufficiencies in DMD could be parallel and interrelated phenomena. Methods We conducted a retrospective chart review of 27 patients with DMD. Our primary objective was to compare the rates of decline between pulmonary function test (PFT) measures (forced expiratory volume in the first second, forced vital capacity, peak expiratory flow rate, maximal inspiratory/expiratory pressure) and echocardiographic estimates of LV end-diastolic volume and LV ejection fraction. Results The rates of decline/year of PFTs and LV estimates were not significantly different. Pulmonary function test measures of ventilatory efficiency and strength had strong intercorrelations. Pulmonary function tests and LV estimates had weak but statistically significant correlations. Discussion A comparable rate of decline in PFTs and LV indices in DMD provides evidence for concurrently progressive deterioration in respiratory and LV functions. Muscle Nerve, 2019.

OBJECTIVE To characterize the changes in right ventricular (RV) volume, volume load, and function measured with cardiac computed tomography (CT) over the entire time course of tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). MATERIALS AND METHODS In 374 patients with TOF, the ventricular volume, ventricular function, and RV volume load were measured with cardiac CT preoperatively (stage 1), after palliative operation (stage 2), after total surgical repair (stage 3), or after pulmonary valve replacement (PVR) (stage 4). The CT-measured variables were compared among the four stages. After total surgical repair, the postoperative duration (POD) and the CT-measured variables were correlated with each other. In addition, the demographic and CT-measured variables in the early postoperative groups were compared with those in the late postoperative and the preoperative group. RESULTS Significantly different CT-based measures were found between stages 1 and 3 (indexed RV end-diastolic volume [EDV], 63.6 ± 15.2 mL/m² vs. 147.0 ± 38.5 mL/m² and indexed stroke volume (SV) difference, 7.7 ± 10.3 mL/m² vs. 32.2 ± 16.4 mL/m²; p < 0.001), and between stages 2 and 3 (indexed RV EDV, 72.4 ± 19.7 mL/m² vs. 147.0 ± 38.5 mL/m² and indexed SV difference, 5.7 ± 13.1 mL/m² vs. 32.2 ± 16.4 mL/m²; p < 0.001). After PVR, the effect of RV volume load (i.e., indexed SV difference) was reduced from 32.2 mL/m² to 1.7 mL/m². Positive (0.2 to 0.8) or negative (-0.2 to -0.4) correlations were found among the CT-based measures except between the RV ejection fraction (EF) and the RV volume load parameters. With increasing POD, an early rapid increase was followed by a slow increase and a plateau in the indexed ventricular volumes and the RV volume load parameters. Compared with the preoperative data, larger ventricular volumes and lower EFs were observed in the early postoperative period. CONCLUSION Cardiac CT can be used to characterize RV volume, volume load, and function over the entire time course of TOF.

The frontal QRS-T angle on the electrocardiogram has been described as a variable of ventricular repolarization. We evaluated how deep inspiration affected QRS axis, T-wave axis and frontal QRS-T angle. We also assessed the effects on left ventricular volume on the association using myocardial perfusion SPECT. Fifty patients undergoing ECGs both in resting state and in deep inspiration and subsequent SPECT were enrolled. Frontal QRS-T angle was defined as the absolute value of the difference between the frontal QRS axis and T-wave axis. Change in frontal QRS-T angle was calculated using (QRS-T angle in deep inspiration−QRS-T angle in resting state). In resting state, QRS axis and T-wave axis were 20.9° ± 30.0° and 40.9° ± 36.1°, respectively. Frontal QRS-T angle was 35.9° ± 36.1°. Deep inspiration caused rightward shifts of QRS axis (42.3° ± 29.5°, p

BACKGROUND The authors report a case of a patient with normal-pressure hydrocephalus treated with a ventriculoperitoneal shunt who developed a traumatic hemispheric bilateral acute subdural hematoma caused by quick cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) overdrainage. The authors present active ventricular CSF volume restoration as a novel treatment option. CSF overdrainage in patients with shunts may facilitate acute subdural hematoma formation even in cases of minor head trauma. Therapeutic options include CSF shunt function restriction or ligation, hematoma evacuation, or a combination of both. OBSERVATIONS In this case, the authors performed emergency surgery with hematoma evacuation through a bilateral craniotomy and actively restored the volume of the ventricular system with a slow intraventricular injection of 37°C warmed Ringer solution through a shunt burr hole reservoir. LESSONS In addition to hematoma evacuation and restriction of shunt function, the intraoperative restoration of ventricular volume could be a treatment option to prevent postoperative rebleeding or a space-occupying air collection in the subdural space. The risk of possible complications, such as ventricular or parenchymal bleeding, shunt dysfunction, or infections, requires further investigation. Restoration of the ventricular CSF volume by intraventricular injection of Ringer solution was in this case an efficient treatment method to prevent subdural rebleeding and a space-occupying air collection after subdural hematoma evacuation.

Eight well-trained male cyclists participated in two testing sessions each including two sets of 10 cycle exercise bouts at 150% of maximal aerobic power. In the first session, subjects performed the exercise bouts with end-expiratory breath holding (EEBH) of maximal duration. Each exercise bout started at the onset of EEBH and ended at its release (mean duration: 9.6±0.9 s; range: 8.6-11.1 s). At the second testing session, subjects performed the exercise bouts (same duration as in the first session) with normal breathing. Heart rate, left ventricular stroke volume (LVSV), and cardiac output were continuously measured through bio-impedancemetry. Data were analysed for the 4 s preceding and following the end of each exercise bout. LVSV (peak values: 163±33 vs. 124±17 mL, p

Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Background. Two-dimensional (2D) echocardiography is widely accepted method for the assessment of left ventricular (LV) morphology and function after myocardial infarction and for initial preoperative evaluation of patients planned for surgical ventricular repair (SVR). Magnetic resonance imaging and cardiac computer tomography (CT) provide more accurate measurements, but not always available. Purpose. The aim of this study was to compare 2D-echocardiography and CT for preoperative assessment of patients with LV aneurysm in order to optimize the perioperative management in SVR. Methods. Patients (n = 179, mean age 62.6 ± 11 years, 23.5% women) with LV anteroapical aneurysm due to myocardial infarction were examined by echocardiography and CT before SVR. LV end-diastolic and end-systolic volumes (LVEDV and LVESV) and ejection fraction (EF) obtained by two methods were compared pairwise. Prognostic role for the prediction of all-cause death was assessed for preoperative parameters in multivariate Cox regression model adjusted for patient age, sex, NYHA class, diabetes mellitus, renal failure, atrial fibrillation and arterial hypertension. Results. There was a strong correlation for preoperative LVEDV and LVESV measured by echocardiography and CT (r = 0.85, r = 0.87, p Conclusion. In patients with LV aneurysm 2D-echocardiography may be used for the assessment of LV volumes and function and have similar prognostic role compared to CT in patients evaluated for SVR. Underestimation of LV volumes by echocardiography must be considered, especially in patients with more dilated LV. Comparison of CT and echocardiography Parameter CT Echo Mean difference p-value LVEDV, ml LVESV, ml EF, % 289 ± 104 198 ± 97 34 ± 12 222 ± 81 149 ± 67 35 ± 9 67 ± 56 49 ± 51 -0.9 ± 9.2

Background Elite athletes have been the subject of great interest, but athletes at an intermediate level of physical activity have received less attention in respect to the presence of cardiac enlargement and/or hypertrophy. We hypothesized that playing football, often defined as demanding less endurance components than running or cycling, would still induce remodelling similar to sports with a dominating endurance component. Methods 23 male football players, age 25+/− 3.9 yrs. underwent exercise testing, 2D- and 3D- echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). The results were compared with a control group of engineering students of similar age. The athletes exercised 12 h/week and the control subjects 1 h/week, p Results The football players achieved a significantly higher maximal load at the exercise test (380 W vs 300 W, p − 1 x min− 1, p p p = 0.002 and p = 0.009 respectively). LVEF and RVEF, LV strain by CMR or by echo did not differentiate athletes from sedentary participants. Right ventricular (RV) longitudinal strain, LA and right atrial (RA) strain by CMR all showed similar results in the two groups. Conclusion Moderately trained intermediate level football players showed anatomical but not functional cardiac remodelling compared to sedentary males.

An 11–25% increase in total ventricular volume has been documented in astronauts following spaceflight on the ISS. Given the approximately 2-year time interval between pre- and post-flight MRI, it is unknown if ventricular enlargement simply reflects normal aging or is unique to spaceflight exposure. Therefore, we compared percent ventricular volume change per year (PVVC/yr) documented on pre- to post-flight MRI in a group of NASA ISS astronauts (n = 18, 16.7% women, mean age (SD) 48.43 (4.35) years) with two groups who underwent longitudinal MRI: (1.) healthy age- and sex-matched adults (n = 18, 16.7% women, mean age (SD) 51.26 (3.88) years), and (2.) healthy older adults (n = 79, 16.5% women, mean age (SD) 73.26 (5.34) years). The astronauts, who underwent a mean (SD) 173.4 (51.3) days in spaceflight, showed a greater increase in PVVC/yr than the control (6.86 vs 2.23%, respectively, p

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.

To gain further insight into male–female differences in cardiovascular conditions it is important to understand sex differences in healthy populations. A previous study from our group of 39 healthy young volunteers (20–35 years) paradoxically found that men had greater left ventricular (LV) kinetic energy (KE) but women had greater LV vorticity. We reanalyzed cardiac four-dimensional flow MRI data from 20 of the original subjects (10 male and 10 female) to quantify aortic flow in addition to LV flow. The combination of LV and aortic flow parameters were then used to calculate ventricular vascular coupling of KE and vorticity. The sex difference found in LV flow were not found in aortic flow and the ventricular-vascular coupling of LV-to-aortic flow was similar between men and women. Dimensional analysis to account for differences in cardiac output and ventricular volume explained the differences found in LV flow. The analysis methods and results of this study may be of further use in understanding ventricular vascular coupling of transported flow variables in healthy sex differences, healthy aging, and various cardiovascular conditions.

Background Right ventricular (RV) dysfunction is a predictor of poor clinical outcome in patients with heart failure and valvular heart disease. However, in patients undergoing MitraClip implantation, only limited data exist regarding the prognostic role of RV function and dimensions on outcomes. Previous studies suggested that RV dysfunction may be associated with poor clinical outcome following MitraClip, while other studies demonstrated contractionary results. Purpose The purpose of this study was to assess whether cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging derived RV assessment can facilitate risk stratification among patients undergoing transcatheter mitral valve repair with the MitraClip. Methods Sixty-one patients (mean age 77±9 years; 72% functional MR; logistic EuroScore 24±15) with severe mitral regurgitation (MR) were included and underwent CMR imaging and right heart catheterization prior MitraClip procedure. We divided patients into groups according to the presence of RV systolic dysfunction defined by RV ejection fraction (RVEF) Results Patients with RV systolic dysfunction displayed increased left and right ventricular volumes as well as reduced LVEF (all p Conclusion The assessment of RV volumes and function by CMR imaging yields important prognostic information that enable an estimation of heart failure severity and prognosis. In this regard, not only RV systolic dysfunction, but also RV dilatation was associated with increased 1-year mortality, while patients presenting with both exhibit additive high mortality risk. Therefore, current criteria for patient selection that are mainly based on mitral valve characteristics only, should also consider RV volumes and function as can be accurately assessed by CMR. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None

Introduction Arterial compliance (AC), known to depend on age and sex, may be severely compromised in chronic inflammatory diseases. Apart from the various definitions for arterial stiffness that are in vogue, their constituent components are often not unique. Purpose This study compares vascular stiffness measures in various inflammatory diseases and explores a more comprehensive description of vessel wall properties by also considering inherent associated companion metrics. Methods We retrospectively analyzed arterial pressure, ventricular volume by echocardiography (Vivid-7 ultrasound system), along with carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV, by SphygmoCor, Atcor). Pulse pressure (PP) equals systolic arterial pressure (SAP) minus diastolic arterial pressure (DAP). Effective arterial elastance (Ea) = 0.9 × SAP/SV where SV is stroke volume. AC=SV/PP (Figure 1A). The intrinsic companion (C) to any established difference-based metric is calculated on the basis of the squared mean, e.g., PPC2 = (SAP2 + DAP2). Clearly, AC depends on two differences, each having a companion. Results A total of 177 patients (age range 18 to 80 years, 49 males), characterized by inflammatory disease (51 scleroderma, 62 atherosclerosis, 35 ankylosing spondylitis, and 29 rheumatoid arthritis), yielded reduced levels of vacular compliance irrespective of the method selected. Regression analysis showed weak correlations between the various approaches (i.e., Ea, AC, PWV). Average values for AC are comparable for all 4 diagnostic groups. Ea (P Conclusions Arterial stiffness measures show poor correlation, suggesting limitations to their utility when studying the diagnostic groups described here. Consideration of the companion associated with each difference-based metric is warranted in order to perform a comprehensive analysis of clinical data when evaluating the impact on risk factors and prognosis. Figure 1. A: Compliance components. B: Companions Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): Russian Science Foundation

Purpose: To investigate differences in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow through the aqueduct and to determine whether there is a relationship between CSF flow and ventricular volume parameters in idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) patients, elderly acquired hydrocephalus patients and age-matched healthy volunteers by phase-contrast MR (PC-MR). Methods: A total of 40 iNPH patients and 41 elderly acquired hydrocephalus patients and 26 age-matched healthy volunteers in the normal control (NC) group were included between November 2017 and October 2019 in this retrospective study. The following CSF flow parameters were measured with PC-MR: peak velocity, average velocity (AV), aqueductal stroke volume (ASV), net ASV, and net flow. The following ventricular volume parameters were measured: ventricular volume (VV), brain volume, total intracranial volume, and relative VV. Differences between the iNPH and acquired hydrocephalus groups were compared Mann–Whitney U test and correlations between CSF flow and ventricular volume parameters were assessed using the Spearman correlation coefficient. Results: Aqueductal stroke volume was significantly higher in the iNPH and acquired hydrocephalus groups than in the NC group, but did not differ significantly between the iNPH group and acquired hydrocephalus group. The AV, net ASV, and net flow in the iNPH and acquired hydrocephalus groups were significantly higher than those in the NC group (P < 0.0001), and those in the acquired hydrocephalus group were significantly higher than those in the iNPH group (P = 0.01, P = 0.007, P = 0.002, respectively). The direction of the AV and net ASV significantly differed among the three groups. There were no associations between the volume parameters and CSF flow according to PC-MR among the three groups. Conclusion: Compared with iNPH, elderly acquired hydrocephalus demonstrated higher CSF hyperdynamic flow. Although increased CSF flow may contribute to further changes in ventricular morphology, there is no linear relationship between them. These findings might help increase our understanding of flow dynamics in iNPH and elderly acquired hydrocephalus.

BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to assess the five-year treatment effects of a short course of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) in subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to Alzheimer disease (AD).MethodsFifty subjects 50 to 84 years of age with MCI due to AD were administered 0.4 g/kg 10% IVIG or 0.9% saline every two weeks x five doses in a randomized double-blinded design as part of a two-year study. Twenty-seven subjects completed an additional three-year extension study. MRI brain imaging, cognitive testing, and conversion to dementia were assessed annually. Participants were stratified into early MCI (E-MCI) and late MCI (L-MCI). The primary endpoint was brain atrophy measured as annualized percent change in ventricular volume (APCV) annually for five years. ANOVA was used to compare annualized percent change in ventricular volume from baseline between the groups adjusting for MCI status (E-MCI, L-MCI).ResultsDifferences in brain atrophy between the groups, which were statistically significant after one year, were no longer significant after five years. IVIG-treated L-MCI subjects did demonstrate a delay in conversion to dementia of 21.4 weeks.ConclusionAn eight-week course of IVIG totaling 2 g/kg in MCI is safe but is not sufficient to sustain an initial reduction in brain atrophy or a temporary delay in conversion to dementia at five years. Other dosing strategies of IVIG in the early stages of AD should be investigated to assess more sustainable disease-modifying effects.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT01300728. Registered 23 February 2011.

The Authors’ reply We thank Professor Otto and Dr Bermejo for their interest and astute comments regarding our study.1 The echo frame for determining left ventricular volume at peak aortic velocity is estimated by the measuring the total number of frames from the R wave to the end systole and multiplying this by the fraction of time from the R wave to the peak aortic velocity and from the R wave to the end systole. In the initial report of EF1 in aortic stenosis (AS),2 the intraobserver and interobserver coefficients of variation were 6.7% and 9.8%. We acknowledge that EF1 …

Despite the large number of studies of intraventricular filling dynamics for potential clinical applications, little is known as to how the diastolic vortex ring properties are altered with reduction in internal volume of the cardiac left ventricle (LV). The latter is of particular importance in LV diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) and in congenital diseases such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), where LV hypertrophy (LVH) can reduce LV internal volume. We hypothesized that peak circulation and the rate of decay of circulation of the diastolic vortex would be altered with reducing end diastolic volume (EDV) due to increasing confinement. We tested this hypothesis on physical models of normal LV and HCM geometries, under identical prescribed inflow profiles and for multiple EDVs, using time-resolved particle image velocimetry (TR-PIV) measurements on a left heart simulator. Formation and pinch-off of the vortex ring were nearly unaffected with changes to geometry and EDV. Pinch-off occurred before the end of early filling (E-wave) in all test conditions. Peak circulation of the vortex core near the LV outflow tract (LVOT) increased with lowering EDV and was lowest for the HCM model. The rate of decay of normalized circulation in dimensionless formation time (T*) increased with decreasing EDV. When using a modified version of T* that included average LV cross-sectional area and EDV, normalized circulation of all tested EDVs collapsed closely in the normal LV model (10% maximum difference between EDVs). Collectively, our results show that LV shape and internal volume play a critical role in diastolic vortex ring dynamics.

Background Increases in heart rate are thought to result in incomplete left ventricular (LV) relaxation and elevated filling pressures in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Experimental studies in isolated human myocardium have suggested that incomplete relaxation is a result of cellular Ca 2+ overload caused by increased myocardial Na + levels. We tested these heart rate paradigms in patients with HFpEF and referent controls without hypertension. Methods and Results In 22 fully sedated and instrumented patients (12 controls and 10 patients with HFpEF) in sinus rhythm with a preserved ejection fraction (≥50%) we assessed left‐sided filling pressures and volumes in sinus rhythm and with atrial pacing (95 beats per minute and 125 beats per minute) before atrial fibrillation ablation. Coronary sinus blood samples and flow measurements were also obtained. Seven women and 15 men were studied (aged 59±10 years, ejection fraction 61%±4%). Patients with HFpEF had a history of hypertension, dyspnea on exertion, concentric LV remodeling and a dilated left atrium, whereas controls did not. Pacing at 125 beats per minute lowered the mean LV end‐diastolic pressure in both groups (controls −4.3±4.1 mm Hg versus patients with HFpEF −8.5±6.0 mm Hg, P =0.08). Pacing also reduced LV end‐diastolic volumes. The volume loss was about twice as much in the HFpEF group (controls −15%±14% versus patients with HFpEF −32%±11%, P =0.009). Coronary venous [Ca 2+ ] increased after pacing at 125 beats per minute in patients with HFpEF but not in controls. [Na + ] did not change. Conclusions Higher resting heart rates are associated with lower filling pressures in patients with and without HFpEF. Incomplete relaxation and LV filling at high heart rates lead to a reduction in LV volumes that is more pronounced in patients with HFpEF and may be associated with myocardial Ca 2+ retention.

Heart conditions in which the tricuspid valve (TV) faces either increased volume or pressure stressors are associated with premature valve failure. Mechanistic studies to improve our understanding of the underlying pathophysiology responsible for the development of premature TV failure are lacking. Due to the inability to conduct these studies in humans, an animal model is required. In this manuscript, we describe the protocols for a novel chronic recovery infant piglet heart model for the study of changes in the TV when placed under combined volume and pressure stress. In this model, volume loading of the right ventricle and the TV is achieved through the disruption of the pulmonary valve. Then pressure loading is accomplished through the placement of a pulmonary artery band. The success of this model is assessed at four weeks post intervention surgery through echocardiography, intracardiac pressure measurement, and pathologic examination of the heart specimens.

Primary cardiac tumor can arise from any location in the right and left cardiac chamber. Complete excision is generally recommended because of uncertainty regarding malignancy; however it is important to minimize the resultant functional deterioration after surgery. We report a case of endocardial hemangioma (4 × 3 × 3 cm) on the free wall of the right ventricle, located between the anterior and posterior papillary muscles. We describe details of the procedure to preserve the right ventricular volume and competence of the tricuspid valve.

Aortic regurgitation (AR) is a common valvular lesion associated with increased mortality once the left ventricle enlarges significantly or develops systolic dysfunction (ejection fraction 50%). Valve guidelines recommend aortic valve repair or replacement (AVR) for left ventricular (LV) linear end-systolic dimension ≥ 50 mm or end-diastolic dimension ≥ 65 mm. However, chamber quantification guidelines recommend using LV volume for LV size determination because linear measurements may not accurately reflect LV remodeling. The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation of LV volumes with linear dimensions, interobserver variability in the estimation of volumes, and the association of volumes with outcomes in patients with AR.A total of 1,100 consecutive patients with chronic moderate to severe and severe AR on echocardiography between 2004 and 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. The modified Simpson disk summation method was used for LV volume estimation. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality; the secondary outcome was mortality censored at AVR.Patients' age was 60 ± 17 years, and 198 were women (18%). Volumes were measured using the biplane method in 939 patients (85%) and the monoplane method in 161 (15%); end-systolic volume was normal in 169 (11%). Correlations between volumes and linear dimensions were 0.5 for end-diastolic volume and 0.6 for end-systolic volume. At median follow-up of 5.4 years (interquartile range, 2.4-10.0 years), 216 patients had died and 539 had undergone AVR. Indexed LV end-systolic volume (iLVESV) and indexed left ventricular end-systolic dimension were both associated with mortality and symptoms, but the association of iLVESV was stronger. iLVESV, age, male gender, Charlson comorbidity index, New York Heart Association functional class III or IV, and time-dependent AVR were independently associated with all-cause mortality. Interobserver variability in the estimation of LV volumes in 200 patients included intraclass coefficients of 0.94 (95% CI, 0.92-0.95) for end-diastolic volume and 0.88 (95% CI, 0.78-0.93) for end-systolic volume. Patients with iLVESV ≥ 45 mL/mEchocardiographic LV volume assessment had good reproducibility in patients with moderate to severe and severe AR. The correlation between linear dimensions and volumes was limited. Both iLVESV and indexed left ventricular end-systolic dimension were associated with worse outcomes, but the association of iLVESV was stronger. iLVESV ≥ 45 mL/m

Introduction Patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot (RTOF) develop chronic pulmonary regurgitation and require monitoring for right ventricular dilatation. Pulmonary valve replacement can prevent irreversible right ventricular (RV) dilatation and dysfunction and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) is used to facilitate its optimal timing. There are however, different techniques published for measuring RV volumes. We sought to determine whether the choice of myocardial contouring technique affects preoperative RV volumetric thresholds for intervention. Methods Consecutive patients (n = 24, age 25.2±15.5 years, 42% male) with RTOF were identified retrospectively, having undergone CMR for clinical surveillance at a Level 1 ACHD surgical referral centre. Volumetric analysis was made by two experienced, independent observers blinded to clinical status. Right ventricular volumes were measured using three contouring techniques: 1) smooth, where the trabeculae were counted as part of the blood volume; 2) detailed, using semi-automated thresholding; 3) detailed, with manual contours. For 2) and 3), trabeculae and sub-valvar apparatus were counted as part of the myocardium. Inter-observer variability (F.L. & C.M.) was assessed blinded in 5 randomly selected patients. Results Right ventricular end-diastolic volume (EDV) was largest for smooth contours compared with thresholding and manual (table), as was end-systolic volume (ESV) (p Conclusions Smooth right ventricular contouring in RTOF creates larger RV volumes than detailed and may result in differences in management strategy. Smooth contouring is more reproducible than detailed methods using thresholding. Manual contouring was the least reproducible in this series. Our results are similar to studies of left ventricular contouring demonstrating larger volumes using smooth compared with detailed methods. The difference in right ventricular volume is accentuated in RTOF due to increased RV trabeculation. Consensus on contouring techniques in RTOF is vital to ensure standardisation of care. Conflict of Interest None

As plans develop for Mars missions, it is important to understand how long-duration spaceflight impacts brain health. Here we report how 12-month (n = 2 astronauts) versus 6-month (n = 10 astronauts) missions impact brain structure and fluid shifts. We collected MRI scans once before flight and four times after flight. Astronauts served as their own controls; we evaluated pre- to postflight changes and return toward preflight levels across the 4 postflight points. We also provide data to illustrate typical brain changes over 7 years in a reference dataset. Twelve months in space generally resulted in larger changes across multiple brain areas compared with 6-month missions and aging, particularly for fluid shifts. The majority of changes returned to preflight levels by 6 months after flight. Ventricular volume substantially increased for 1 of the 12-month astronauts (left: +25%, right: +23%) and the 6-month astronauts (left: 17 ± 12%, right: 24 ± 6%) and exhibited little recovery at 6 months. Several changes correlated with past flight experience; those with less time between subsequent missions had larger preflight ventricles and smaller ventricular volume increases with flight. This suggests that spaceflight-induced ventricular changes may endure for long periods after flight. These results provide insight into brain changes that occur with long-duration spaceflight and demonstrate the need for closer study of fluid shifts.

Objectives Due to increased number of patients suffering from hydrocephalus (HCP) and lack of data concerning volumetric changes after shunting operations, this study aims to assess the volumetric changes in brain ventricles after successful ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt surgery in correlation with clinical improvement. Patient and methods This study included 20 patients; all of them are below the age of 2 years. All the patients had hydrocephalus, were treated surgically with VP shunts, and have clinically improved over the period of study. We measured the volumetric changes radiologically using the fronto-occipital horn ratio (FOHR) over a period of 6 months postoperatively. Results The frontal and occipital horn ratio was calculated in all these patients both pre and postoperatively. There was a significant radiological improvement in the majority of children after the shunt operation. One month postoperatively, the FOHR decreased to about 85% of its preoperative value in average. The FOHR was found to be significantly improving with time over a period of 6 months reaching 63% of its preoperative value. Conclusion Successful treatment of HCP in infants via VPS seems to be of benefit in decreasing the ventricular size gradually to a near normal FOHR with clinical improvement.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of disability and death worldwide. Many parameters based on left ventricular myocardium (LVM), including left ventricular mass, the left ventricular volume, and the ejection fraction (EF) are widely used for disease diagnosis and prognosis prediction. To investigate the relationship between parameters derived from the LVM and various heart diseases, it is crucial to segment the LVM in a fast and reproducible way. However, different diseases can affect the structure of the LVM, which increases the complexity of the already time-consuming manual segmentation work. In this work, we propose to use a 3D deep attention U-Net method to segment the LVM contour for cardiac CT images automatically. We used 50 patients’ cardiac CT images to test the proposed method. The Dice similarity coefficient (DSC), sensitivity, specificity, and mean surface distance (MSD) were 87% ± 5%, 87% ± 4%, 92% ± 3% and 0.68 ± 0.15 mm, which demonstrated the detection and segmentation accuracy of the proposed method.

Isolated atrial defects usually lead to left-to-right shunt and right ventricular volume load. Descriptions of cyanosis with this congenital heart defect are rare.We describe a rare case of inferior caval vein flow directed through an atrial septal defect in the fossa ovalis leading to severe cyanosis, but without any additional intracardiac anatomical abnormalities. The baby with clinical features of Marfan’s syndrome had an eventration of the right-sided diaphragm. Surgical closure of the defect resolved the cyanosis, but the child died 10 weeks later of severe valvar dysfunction, related to Marfan’s syndrome.Mechanisms of cyanosis in patients with atrial septal defects are discussed. Echocardiographic bubble studies both from the lower and upper half of the body may help to clarify the mechanism of an otherwise unexplained cyanosis.

Intracardiac hemodynamic forces have been proposed to influence remodeling and be a marker of ventricular dysfunction. We aimed to quantify the hemodynamic forces in patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot (rToF) to further understand the pathophysiological mechanisms as this could be a potential marker for pulmonary valve replacement (PVR) in these patients. Patients with rToF and pulmonary regurgitation (PR) > 20% ( n = 18) and healthy control subjects ( n = 15) underwent MRI, including four-dimensional flow. A subset of patients ( n = 8) underwent PVR and MRI after surgery. Time-resolved hemodynamic forces were quantified using 4D-flow data and indexed to ventricular volume. Patients had higher systolic and diastolic left ventricular (LV) hemodynamic forces compared with control subjects in the lateral-septal/LV outflow tract ( P = 0.011 and P = 0.0031) and inferior-anterior ( P < 0.0001 and P < 0.0001) directions, which are forces not aligned with blood flow. Forces did not change after PVR. Patients had higher RV diastolic forces compared with control subjects in the diaphragm-right ventricular (RV) outflow tract (RVOT; P < 0.001) and apical-basal ( P = 0.0017) directions. After PVR, RV systolic forces in the diaphragm-RVOT direction decreased ( P = 0.039) to lower levels than in control subjects ( P = 0.0064). RV diastolic forces decreased in all directions ( P = 0.0078, P = 0.0078, and P = 0.039) but were still higher than in control subjects in the diaphragm-RVOT direction ( P = 0.046). In conclusion, patients with rToF and PR had LV hemodynamic forces less aligned with intraventricular blood flow compared with control subjects and higher diastolic RV forces along the regurgitant flow direction in the RVOT and that of tricuspid inflow. Remaining force differences in the LV and RV after PVR suggest that biventricular pumping does not normalize after surgery. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Biventricular hemodynamic forces in patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot and pulmonary regurgitation were quantified for the first time. Left ventricular hemodynamic forces were less aligned to the main blood flow direction in patients compared with control subjects. Higher right ventricular forces were seen along the pulmonary regurgitant and tricuspid inflow directions. Differences in forces versus control subjects remain after pulmonary valve replacement, suggesting that altered biventricular pumping does not normalize after surgery.

International audience; BackgroundWe investigated the feasibility of left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) volume and function estimation using a first-pass gated 15O-water PET. This prospective study included 19 patients addressed for myocardial perfusion reserve assessment using 15O-water PET. PET data were acquired at rest and after regadenoson stress, and gated first-pass images were reconstructed over the time range corresponding to tracer first-pass through the cardiac cavities and post-processed using TomPool software; LV and RV were segmented using a semi-automated 4D immersion algorithm. LV volumes were computed using a count-based model and a fixed threshold at 30% of the maximal activity. RV volumes were computed using a geometrical model and an adjustable threshold that was set so as to fit LV and RV stroke volumes. Ejection curves were fitted using a deformable reference curve model. LV results were compared to those obtained using 99mTc-sestamibi gated myocardial SPECT in terms of end-diastolic volume (EDV), end-systolic volume (ESV), stroke volume (SV), and ejection fraction (EF).ResultsThere was an excellent concordance between rest and stress PET in terms of EDV and ESV (Lin’s coefficient ~ 0.85–0.90), SV (~ 0.80), and EF (~ 0.75) for both ventricles. Correlation with myocardial SPECT was high for LV EDV (Pearson’s R = 0.89, p

Midline shift (MLS) has been a known predictor for prognosis after spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), whereas it is secondary to lateral ventricular compression. In this study, we investigated whether lateral ventricular volume (LVV) asymmetry caused by ventricular compression was independently associated with poor outcome of ICH.We retrospectively studied clinical patients with spontaneous ICH from January 2010 to January 2017. LVV was calculated using slicer software. LVV ratio (LVR) was then determined to quantitatively evaluate LVV asymmetry, and its relationship with poor outcome was tested by logistic regression model. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to identify the optimized baseline LVR cutoff point to predict poor outcome.188 patients were included, of whom 41% (77/188) experienced a poor outcome. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified baseline LVR as an independent predictor for poor outcome after ICH. The predictive value of baseline LVR was confirmed by ROC analysis (area under the curve = 0.742; P0.001). The optimized baseline LVR cutoff point was 3.7, with a sensitivity of 64.9% and specificity of 80.2%. Using LVR3.7 as an exposure factor yielded an odds ratio of 7.49 (P0.001), and a risk ratio of 2.98 (P0.001).LVV asymmetry was associated with clinical prognosis after ICH, and high LVR (3.7) might independently predict poor outcome.

Quantitation of diastolic function centers on the assessment of active and passive ventricular properties, and involves measurement estimates of ventricular relaxation, and chamber and myocardial stiffness. Diastolic dysfunction is a propensity to develop increased left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic pressure. Recently American Society of Echocardiography and European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (ASE/EACVI) proposed a new grading system. While the new guidelines are ambiguous and with cutoff points that may misclassify patients as both sicker and healthier than they are. This article outlines the pathophysiology behind the diastolic dysfunction and role and limitation of echocardiographic assessment in predicting LV diastolic dysfunction.

Background A percent brain volume change (PBVC) cut-off of −0.4% per year has been proposed to distinguish between pathological and physiological changes in multiple sclerosis (MS). Unfortunately, standardized PBVC measurement is not always feasible on scans acquired outside research studies or academic centers. Percent lateral ventricular volume change (PLVVC) is a strong surrogate measure of PBVC, and may be more feasible for atrophy assessment on real-world scans. However, the PLVVC rate corresponding to the established PBVC cut-off of −0.4% is unknown. Objective To establish a pathological PLVVC expansion rate cut-off analogous to −0.4% PBVC. Methods We used three complementary approaches. First, the original follow-up-length-weighted receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis method establishing whole brain atrophy rates was adapted to a longitudinal ventricular atrophy dataset of 177 relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) patients and 48 healthy controls. Second, in the same dataset, SIENA PBVCs were used with non-linear regression to directly predict the PLVVC value corresponding to −0.4% PBVC. Third, in an unstandardized, real world dataset of 590 RRMS patients from 33 centers, the cut-off maximizing correspondence to PBVC was found. Finally, correspondences to clinical outcomes were evaluated in both datasets. Results ROC analysis suggested a cut-off of 3.09% (AUC = 0.83, p, Highlights • Pathological atrophy in MS can be measured on clinical T2-FLAIR images alone. • Ventricular enlargement of 3.5% per year separates MS/HC as well as PBVC on T1 images. • Ventricular cut-offs also correspond to clinical outcome. • This cut-off can substitute in NEDA-4 when only clinical T2-FLAIR images are available.