Clinical characteristics of fat replacement of left ventricular myocardium / 中华心血管病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the clinical characteristics of left ventricular fat replacement.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We identified 45 patients [28M/17F, mean age (51.9 ± 14.7) years] with left ventricular myocardial fat replacement (CT value ≤ -30 Hu) by cardiovascular CT.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Among 45 patients, 25 patients [20M/5F, mean age (61.2 ± 10.4) years]were diagnosed as coronary artery disease (CAD). There was 56%single-vessel disease, 20% double-vessel disease and 24%triple-vessel disease, true left ventricular aneurysm was detected in 3 patients and left ventricular thrombi in 1 patient, the dimension of left ventricle was (54.5 ± 9.4) mm and the LVEF was (51.8 ± 13)% in CAD group. In this group, fat replacement occurred in the region of myocardial infarction and presented as curvilinear band in subendocardial region. The left ventricular wall thickness was lower than 5 mm in 21 cases. The location of fat replacement in CAD group is as follows: apical region in 18 patients, distal septal in 15 patients, distal anterior in 11 patients, mid-septal in 7 patients, mid-anterior in 7 patients and basal in 1 patients. The age of remaining 20 patients (8M/12F) without CAD were (57.8 ± 13.3) years. In the group of non-CAD, dilated cardiomyopathy was diagnosed in 3 patients, atrial septal defect in 1 patient, rheumatic heart disease in 1 patient, there was no structural heart disease in the remaining 15 patients. The dimension of left ventricle was (51.1 ± 9.1) mm and the LVEF was (59.4 ± 13.9)%. In non-CAD group, fat replacement mainly occurred in septal region, presented as curvilinear band in 17 patients and patch in 3 patients. The location of fat replacement in this group is as follows: mid-septal region in 11 patients, distal-septal in 10 patients and apical in 9 patients. The intramural fat replacement was detected in 14 patients: subendocardial fat replacement in 10 patients and both intramural and subendocardial fat replacement in 4 patients.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Left ventricular fat replacement could be documented in CAD patients, non-CAD cardiomyopathy patients and in patients without structural heart disease. Left ventricular fat replacement often positioned in apical region in CAD patients as a consequence of infarct healing while mostly positioned in septal region in non-CAD patients, the definite clinical implication of left ventricular fat replacement in non-CAD patients remains to be clarified.</p>

Differentiation of true from false left ventricular aneurysm with magnetic resonance imaging in patients after myocardial infarction / 中华心血管病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the value of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for differentiation of true from false left ventricular aneurysm in patients after myocardial infraction (MI).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty-six patients [22 males/4 females, mean age (59.3 ± 9.3) years] with left ventricular aneurysm after MI were imaged with MRI, echocardiography and coronary angiography. The respective findings were compared with surgical pathology results.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There were 24 patients with dyspnea and 15 patients with hypertension. LVEF measured by echocardiography was 36.9% ± 9.1% in this patient cohort. Cardiac MRI showed that the left ventricular end diastolic wall thickness was thinner than 5.5 mm in 24 cases, and between 5.5 to 8 mm in 2 cases. The dimension of left ventricle was (67.8 ± 9.3) mm. Dyskinesia presented in 24 cases, and akinesia in 2 cases. Delayed enhancement was shown in all cases by MRI. Cardiac MRI detected left ventricular true aneurysm in 23 cases, false aneurysm in 3 case and left ventricular thrombi in 7 cases. The diagnosis by magnetic resonance imaging corresponded well to pathological findings. Echocardiography misdiagnosed pseudoaneurysm in 1 patient, and failed to detected left ventricular thrombi in 2 cases.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Cardiac MRI could correctly differentiate true from false left ventricular aneurysm in patients after MI.</p>

Clinical characteristics and hypertrophic segments distribution of patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy / 中华心血管病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>to analyze the clinical data and hypertrophic segments distribution of patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>clinical data including signs and symptoms, electrocardiogram and echocardiography were collected. All patients were imaged with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>from March 2004 to March 2007, 225 consecutive patients [163 males, mean age (50.4 ± 14.5) years] with CMR defined HCM were included in this study, positive familial history was obtained in 73 patients, 50 patients were associated with hypertension, 14 patients with coronary artery disease and 5 patients with diabetes mellitus, 28 patients were asymptomatic, 197 patients were symptomatic, and 11 patients with syncope. Electrocardiogram abnormalities occurred in 216 patients. Systolic murmurs were present in 126 patients. Echocardiography examination evidenced left ventricular outflow obstruction in 95 patients, mitral insufficiency in 32 patients, 32.1% segments were hypertrophied, asymmetrical hypertrophy presented in 222 patients and symmetrical hypertrophy in 3 patients. The left atrial dimension was (39.4 ± 8.3) mm, and left ventricular diastolic dimension was (47.8 ± 5.5) mm in this cohort. Apical hypertrophy occurred in 67 patients. The thickness of ventricular septum was (24.3 ± 5.3) mm in obstructive HCM and (21.6 ± 4.6) mm in non-obstructive HCM (P < 0.05). The thickness of hypertrophy apical segment was (15.6 ± 3.4) mm.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>HCM in Chinese patients is characterized by the high prevalence among men and late onset of presentation. Combining clinical, electrocardiogram, echocardiographic and CMR results are of importance for correctly diagnosing HCM in daily practice.</p>

Clinical characterizations of patients with isolated left ventricular noncompaction diagnosed by magnetic resonance imaging / 中华心血管病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characterizations in patients with isolated left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>All patients were examined by MRI. The LV was divided into 9 segments for localizing non compacted segments. A new value, C/VS, was introduced to assess the degree of non compacted segments.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A total of 31 patients was diagnosed as LVNC (23 males; 39.9 +/- 15.7 years). Palpitations presented in 74% of patients, abnormal EKG found in 93.5% of patients, 33.3% segments were affected and most commonly in the mid-ventricular and apical segments, 84% of patients had > or = 2 affected segments. Right ventricle was affected in 2 patients. Left ventricular thrombi were detected in 3 patients. LVEF was 37.2% +/- 16.5% (14% - 70%), N/C was 3.6 +/- 1.4 (2.2 - 9.2) and C/VS was 0.43 +/- 0.11 (0.27 - 0.69).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Cardiac MRI allows accurate LVNC assessment.</p>