Left ventricular ejection fraction measurement using cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging in patients with post-myocardial infarction: assessment of reproducibility by a cardiovascular radiologist and a trained technologist.

Background: Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) has recently been accepted as a preferential method for evaluation left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). The LVEF analysis by CMR is usually performed by trained technologists in many institutions of Thailand. Objective: Assess the reproducibility of LVEF measured by a cardiovascular radiologist and a trained technologist using CMR in patients with post-myocardial infarction (MI). Methods: Twenty-one MI patients (18 men and 3 women) were recruited, where nine patients underwent CMR and left ventriculography to follow-up LVEF two times in six months. Both CMR and left ventriculography were examined within two weeks. LVEF from CMR were measured by a cardiovascular radiologist and a trained technologist and the correlation between the left ventriculography and CMR was determined. Results: In 30 CMR studies, interobserver reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient ICC=0.94) and intraobserver reliability (ICC=0.96) was excellent. LVEF measured by left ventriculography was higher compared with that by CMR, and their correlation was moderate (ICC=0.56). Conclusion: The LVEF measurement by a cardiovascular radiologist and a trained technologist using CMR was very reproducible, but the correlation between CMR and left ventriculography was moderate.

Detection of coronary stenoses in chronic stable angina by multi-detector CT coronary angiography.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the accuracy for detection of coronary stenoses in chronic stable angina patients. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Twenty-four chronic stable angina patients, referred for conventional coronary angiography by the indication of positive stress tests or clinical highly suspicion of coronary artery disease were enrolled. MDCT coronary angiography (MDCTCA) and conventional coronary angiography (144 coronary vessels) were performed within one month. Accuracy of MDCTCA for predicting significant coronary artery stenoses was analyzed. RESULTS: Five patients were excluded due to the total Agaston calcium score more than 500. Therefore, 114 vessels or 209 segments from 19 patients (9 males and 10 females) were available for analysis, and 186 segments were assessable (89%). Of all assessable segments, 13 from 20 significant lesions (65%) and 158 from 167 normal or non-significant lesions (95%) were correctly detected by MDCTCA. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values to detect significant coronary artery stenoses in terms of vessel are 82%, 96%, 79%, and 97% respectively. CONCLUSION: Coronary CT angiography provides accurate assessment of coronary luminal artery narrowing and shows the ability to exclude significant coronary artery stenoses in patients with chronic stable angina.

Anatomic variations of the hepatic arteries in 200 patients done by angiography.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate and classify hepatic artery variations of 200 patients by angiography. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Celiac and superior mesenteric artery (SMA) angiographic studies of 200 patients at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital (KCMH) from January 2003 to July 2004 were retrospectively reviewed. Anatomic findings were classified according to Michels and Hiatt's classifications. RESULTS: The vascular anatomy of the liver was classified according to two different established systems. Hepatic arterial patterns were analyzed in order offrequency discovered as the following; normal pattern in textbook descriptions 80.5%, a replaced or accessory right hepatic artery (RHA) originating from the SMA 11.5% and a replaced or accessory left hepatic artery (LHA) originating from the left gastric artery (LGA) 5.5%. In 0.5% of the cases, there was a combination of variations of both RHA and LHA. Variants of the common hepatic artery (CHA) arising from the SMA were found in 0.5%. 1.5% of cases were not classified by either Michels or Hiatt's classifications. CONCLUSION: The present study had the same results by the higher rates of normal hepatic anatomy with lower rates of other types compared to Michels and Hiatt's studies. In addition, the authors found cases of rare variations that were not classified by either Michels or Hiatt but were previously reported by other publications.

Sonographic evaluation of the intrascrotal disease.

PURPOSE: To determine the causes of intrascrotal disease in patients who were sent for scrotal sonography at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital and whether the imaging findings can help differentiate the tumor from infection of the testis. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Retrospective review was performed in 72 cases of extratesticular lesions and 48 cases of the intratesticular lesions to find out the causes of intrascrotal disease. The sonographic findings in the cases with final diagnosis of intratesticular infection and testicular tumor were analyzed according to the following criteria including the size of the testis, number, echogenicity, and margin of the mass, diffuse abnormal echogenicity of the testis, presence of fluid in the scrotal sac, epididymal lesion, scrotal skin thickening and calcification. RESULTS: Hydrocele was the most common extratesticular lesion (29.87%) and epididymitis was the second most common (14.28%). Infection was the most common intratesticular pathology (54.17%) and tumor was the second most common (31.25%). Most testicular tumors appeared as a focal mass while testicular infection usually caused diffuse abnormal echogenicity throughout the testis (p = 0.008). Epididymal lesions and skin thickening were usually detected together with intratesticular infection while they were not present in the cases of tumor (p = 0.000061 and 0.017). The number, echogenicity, margin of the mass, presence of testicular enlargement, fluid in the scrotal sac and calcification did not differ between testicular infection and tumor CONCLUSION: Hydrocele was the most common cause of extratesticular disease, followed by epididymitis. Most of the extratesticular pathology was benign entities. For intratesticular disease, the most common cause was infection, followed by intratesticular tumor Findings of a solitary intratesticular mass without epididymal lesion or skin thickening prefered malignant entity, while diffuse abnormal echogenicity of the testis with epididymal lesion and skin thickening prefered infectious process.