Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Cardiovascular Manifestations Following COVID-19.

Globally, over 650 million people have had COVID-19 due to infection with the SARS-Cov-2 virus. Cardiac complications in the acute infectious and early recovery phase were recognized early in the pandemic, including myocardial injury and inflammation. With a decrease in the number of acute COVID-19 related deaths, there has been increased interest in postacute sequela of COVID-19 (PASC) and other longer-term cardiovascular complications. A proportion of patients recovered from COVID-19 have persistent cardiac symptoms and are at risk of cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular imaging, including MRI, plays an important role in the detection of cardiovascular manifestations of COVID-19 in both the acute and longer-term phases after COVID-19. The purpose of this review is to highlight the role of cardiovascular imaging in the diagnosis and risk stratification of patients with acute and chronic cardiovascular manifestations of COVID-19 with a focus on cardiac MRI. EVIDENCE LEVEL: 4. TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 3.

Artificial intelligence based approach for categorization of COVID-19 ECG images in presence of other cardiovascular disorders.

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a class of SARS-CoV-2 virus which is initially identified in the later half of the year 2019 and then evolved as a pandemic. If it is not identified in the early stage then the infection and mortality rates increase with time. A timely and reliable approach for COVID-19 identification has become important in order to prevent the disease from spreading rapidly. In recent times, many methods have been suggested for the detection of COVID-19 disease have various flaws, to increase diagnosis performance, fresh investigations are required. In this article, automatically diagnosing COVID-19 using ECG images and deep learning approaches like as Visual Geometry Group (VGG) and AlexNet architectures have been proposed. The proposed method is able to classify between COVID-19, myocardial infarction, normal sinus rhythm, and other abnormal heart beats using Lead-II ECG image only. The efficacy of the technique proposed is validated by using a publicly available ECG image database. We have achieved an accuracy of 77.42% using Alexnet model and 75% accuracy with the help of VGG19 model.

[Nuclear Cardiology in the COVID-19 pandemic]. / La cardiología nuclear en la pandemia COVID-19.

SARS-CoV-2 infection has a very important relationship with cardiovascular disease. Since the beginning of the pandemic, a close relationship has been observed between cardiovascular comorbidity and a worse prognosis in COVID-19 patients. The study of the pathophysiology of SARS-CoV-2 infection and cardiovascular disease suggests several concomitant hypotheses: direct myocardial damage by the virus, hypoxemia secondary to respiratory failure, inflammatory response to infection and/or thromboembolic phenomena. Cardiovascular damage can manifest in the acute phase of infection with acute myocardial infarction, myocarditis, arrhythmias..., during this phase Nuclear Cardiology procedures have not played a determining role in the diagnosis and management of these patients. On the other hand, in the subacute phase of the infection and in the post-acute COVID syndrome, Nuclear Cardiology seems to shed light on what happens in the cardiovascular system in this phase of the disease.The COVID-19 pandemic has represented a great challenge for health systems, with a significant reduction in non-urgent diagnostic procedures with the aim of reducing the risk of transmission to patients and health personnel. Nuclear Cardiology has not been an exception. In addition to the prioritization of urgent/non-deferrable procedures and general screening, hygiene and distance measures, the main organizations and scientific societies of Nuclear Medicine and Nuclear Cardiology released recommendations and guidelines for safe practice, introducing significant changes in myocardial perfusion SPECT protocols.

Current status of nuclear cardiology practice in Latin America and the Caribbean, in the era of multimodality cardiac imaging approach: 2022 update.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of mortality in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), with the risk in men being slightly higher than in women. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused a significant reduction in the number of cardiac diagnostic procedures globally and in particular in LAC. Nuclear cardiology is available in the region, but there is variability in terms of existing technology, radiopharmaceuticals, and human resources. In the region, there are 2385 single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and 315 PET scanners, Argentina and Brazil have the largest number. There is an increasing number of new technologies such as cadmium-zinc-telluride (CZT) cardiac-dedicated gamma cameras, SPECT/computed tomography (CT), and PET/CT. All countries performed myocardial perfusion imaging studies, mainly gated-SPECT; the rest are multi-gated acquisition, mainly for cardiac toxicity; detection of viability; rest gated SPECT in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy, and bone-avid tracer cardiac scintigraphy for transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis diagnosis. Regarding other non-nuclear cardiac imaging modalities, Argentina, Colombia, and Chile have the highest ratio of CT scanners, while Brazil, Argentina, and Chile show the highest ratio of MRI scanners. The development of nuclear cardiology and other advanced imaging modalities is challenged by the high cost of equipment, lack of equipment maintenance and service, insufficient-specific training both for imaging specialists and referring clinicians, and lack of awareness of cardiologists or other referring physicians on the clinical applications of nuclear cardiology. Another important aspect to consider is the necessity of implementing cardiac imaging multimodality training. A joint work of nuclear medicine specialists, radiologists, cardiologists, and clinicians, in general, is mandatory to achieve this goal. National, regional, and international cooperation including support from scientific professional societies such as the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology and Latin American Association of Biology and Nuclear Medicine Societies, cardiological societies, and organizations such as the International Atomic Energy Agency, and Pan American Health Organization, as well as government commitment are key factors in the overall efforts to tackle the burden of cardiovascular diseases in the region.

Echocardiographic assessment of COVID19 sequelae in survivors with elevated cardiac biomarkers.

AIMS: We sought to determine, using advanced echocardiography, the prevalence and type of cardiovascular sequelae after COVID19 infection with marked elevation of cardiovascular biomarkers (CVB), and their prognostic implications. METHODS: All patients admitted from March 1st to May 25th, 2020 to a tertiary referral hospital were included. Those with cardiovascular diseases or dead during admission were excluded. Patients with hs-TnI > 45 ng/L, NT-proBNP>300 pg/mL, and D-dimer >8000 ng/mL were matched with COVID controls (three biomarkers within the normal range) based on intensive care requirements and age, and separately analyzed. RESULTS: From 2025 patients, 80 patients with significantly elevated CVB and 29 controls were finally included. No differences in baseline characteristics were observed among groups, but elevated CVB patients were sicker. Follow-up echocardiograms showed no differences among groups regarding LVEF and only slight differences between groups within the normal range. Hs-TnI patients had lower myocardial work and longitudinal strain. The presence of an abnormal echocardiogram was more frequent in the elevated CVB group compared to controls (23.8 vs 10.3%, P = 0.123) but mainly associated with mild abnormalities in deformation parameters. Management did not change in any case and no major cardiovascular events except deep vein thrombosis occurred after a median follow-up of 7 months. CONCLUSION: Minimal abnormalities in cardiac structure and function are observed in COVID19 survivors without previous cardiovascular diseases who presented a significant CVB rise at admission, with no impact on patient management or short-term prognosis. These results do not support a routine screening program after discharge in this population.

Nutrition, atherosclerosis, arterial imaging, cardiovascular risk stratification, and manifestations in COVID-19 framework: a narrative review.

Background: Atherosclerosis is the primary cause of the cardiovascular disease (CVD). Several risk factors lead to atherosclerosis, and altered nutrition is one among those. Nutrition has been ignored quite often in the process of CVD risk assessment. Altered nutrition along with carotid ultrasound imaging-driven atherosclerotic plaque features can help in understanding and banishing the problems associated with the late diagnosis of CVD. Artificial intelligence (AI) is another promisingly adopted technology for CVD risk assessment and management. Therefore, we hypothesize that the risk of atherosclerotic CVD can be accurately monitored using carotid ultrasound imaging, predicted using AI-based algorithms, and reduced with the help of proper nutrition. Layout: The review presents a pathophysiological link between nutrition and atherosclerosis by gaining a deep insight into the processes involved at each stage of plaque development. After targeting the causes and finding out results by low-cost, user-friendly, ultrasound-based arterial imaging, it is important to (i) stratify the risks and (ii) monitor them by measuring plaque burden and computing risk score as part of the preventive framework. Artificial intelligence (AI)-based strategies are used to provide efficient CVD risk assessments. Finally, the review presents the role of AI for CVD risk assessment during COVID-19. Conclusions: By studying the mechanism of low-density lipoprotein formation, saturated and trans fat, and other dietary components that lead to plaque formation, we demonstrate the use of CVD risk assessment due to nutrition and atherosclerosis disease formation during normal and COVID times. Further, nutrition if included, as a part of the associated risk factors can benefit from atherosclerotic disease progression and its management using AI-based CVD risk assessment.

Cardiovascular CT and MRI in 2020: Review of Key Articles.

Despite the global coronavirus pandemic, cardiovascular imaging continued to evolve throughout 2020. It was an important year for cardiac CT and MRI, with increasing prominence in cardiovascular research, use in clinical decision making, and in guidelines. This review summarizes key publications in 2020 relevant to current and future clinical practice. In cardiac CT, these have again predominated in assessment of patients with chest pain and structural heart diseases, although more refined CT techniques, such as quantitative plaque analysis and CT perfusion, are also maturing. In cardiac MRI, the major developments have been in patients with cardiomyopathy and myocarditis, although coronary artery disease applications remain well represented. Deep learning applications in cardiovascular imaging have continued to advance in both CT and MRI, and these are now closer than ever to routine clinical adoption. Perhaps most important has been the rapid deployment of MRI in enhancing understanding of the impact of COVID-19 infection on the heart. Although this review focuses primarily on articles published in Radiology, attention is paid to other leading journals where published CT and MRI studies will have the most clinical and scientific value to the practicing cardiovascular imaging specialist.

Cardiovascular Risk Assessment in COVID-19.

COVID-19 bezeichnet eine der schlimmsten Krisen unserer Generation und stellt (nicht nur) für das Gesundheitssystem eine schwer bewältigbare Herausforderung dar. Mortalität und Morbidität sind im Vergleich zu anderen saisonalen Erkrankungen wie der Influenza deutlich erhöht. COVID-19 bedroht allerdings nicht die gesamte Bevölkerung in gleichem Maße. Hochrisikopatienten sind älter und leiden an kardiovaskulären Erkrankungen wie Bluthochdruck, Diabetes mellitus oder einer koronaren Herzerkrankung. Um das Risiko für einen schweren Erkrankungsverlaufs zu quantifizieren bedarf es einer multimodalen Herangehensweise. Verschiedene Risikostratifizierungssysteme stehen zu Verfügung um ungünstige Verläufe wie Intensivbehandlung oder Gesamtmortalität vorauszusagen. Biomarker wie Troponin-I, D-Dimere und NT pro-BNP kombiniert mit echokardiographischen Parametern wie links- und rechtsventrikulärer Pumpfunktion sowie pulmonalarteriellem Druck können hilfreich sein um Hochrisikopatienten zu identifizieren, die ein intensiviertes Monitoring und eine stringentere Behandlung benötigen. Da kardiovaskuläre Risikofaktoren und Komorbiditäten von großer Bedeutung zur Abschätzung des Verlaufs einer SARS-CoV-2 Infektion sind, könnten alle hospitalisierten COVID-19 Patienten von einer routinemäßigen kardiologischen Betreuung durch ein COVID-19-Heart-Team profitieren. Ein frühzeitiges Erkennen von (kardiovaskulären) Hochrisikopatienten könnte das Management erleichtern sowie die Prognose einer schweren SARS-CoV-2 Infektion verbessern.

COVID and Cardiovascular Disease: What We Know in 2021.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been the cause of significant global morbidity and mortality. Here, we review the literature to date of the short-term and long-term consequences of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection on the heart. RECENT FINDINGS: Early case reports described a spectrum of cardiovascular manifestations of COVID-19, including myocarditis, stress cardiomyopathy, myocardial infarction, and arrhythmia. However, in most cases, myocardial injury in COVID-19 appears to be predominantly mediated by the severity of critical illness rather than direct injury to myocardium from viral particles. While cardiac magnetic resonance imaging remains a powerful tool for diagnosing acute myocarditis, it should be used judiciously in light of low baseline prevalence of myocarditis. Guiding an athletic patient through return to play (RTP) after COVID-19 infection is a challenging process. More recent data show RTP has been a safe endeavor using a screening protocol. "Long COVID" or post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection has also been described. The reported symptoms span a large breadth of cardiopulmonary and neurologic complaints including fatigue, palpitations, chest pain, breathlessness, brain fog, and dysautonomia including postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS). Management of POTS/dysautonomia primarily centers on education, exercise, and salt and fluid repletion. Our understanding of the impact of COVID-19 on the cardiovascular system is constantly evolving. As we enter a new age of survivorship, additional research is needed to catalogue the burden of persistent cardiopulmonary symptoms. Research is also needed to learn how acute management may alter the likelihood and prevalence of this chronic syndrome.

Advanced Echocardiography Techniques: The Future Stethoscope of Systemic Diseases.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been showing patterns of extensive rise in prevalence in the contemporary era, affecting the quality of life of millions of people and leading the causes of death worldwide. It has been a provocative challenge for modern medicine to diagnose CVD in its crib, owing to its etiological factors being attributed to a large array of systemic diseases, as well as its non-binary hideous nature that gradually leads to functional disability. Novel echocardiography techniques have enabled the cardiac ultrasound to provide a comprehensive analysis of the heart in an objective, feasible, time- and cost-effective manner. Speckle tracking echocardiography, contrast echocardiography, and 3D echocardiography have shown the highest potential for widespread use. The uses of novel modalities have been elaborately demonstrated in this study as a proof of concept that echocardiography has a place in routine general practice with supportive evidence being as recent as its role in the concurrent COVID-19 pandemic. Despite such evidence, many uses remain off-label and unexploited in practice. Generalization of echocardiography at the point of care can become a much-needed turning point in the clinical approach to case management. To actualize such aspirations, we recommend further prospective and interventional studies to examine the effect of implementing advanced techniques at the point of care on the decision-making process and evaluate their effectiveness in prevention of cardiovascular morbidities and mortalities.

Role of multimodality imaging in evaluation of cardiovascular involvement in COVID-19.

The management of patients infected by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) may be difficult due to the need for dedicated in-hospital pathways, protective measures for healthcare professionals and isolated beds of intensive care, particularly in areas overwhelmed by wide viral spread. Although pneumonia is the most common clinical manifestation in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a variety of cardiovascular complications have been reported. An integrated diagnostic algorithm in SARS-CoV-2-infected patients with suspected cardiac involvement (laboratory findings of myocardial injury and electrocardiographic changes) may help to avoid unnecessary examinations and minimize the risk of operator infection. Due to its mobility and bedside feasibility, echocardiography is the first-line imaging technique in this clinical setting. It quickly provides information on ventricular functions, pulmonary hypertension, valve disease and pericardial effusion. In case of ST-segment elevation (STE), urgent coronary angiography should be performed. Cardiac ultrasound helps distinguish between ischemic and non-ischemic myocardial disease and may detect pericardial disease. Transmural ischemic electrocardiographic changes, with or without early elevated troponin levels or echocardiographic wall motion abnormalities, will determine the need for early invasive coronary angiography. Computed tomography (CT) through its multiple applications (chest CT; CT pulmonary angiography and coronary CT angiography; late iodine enhancement CT) and cardiac magnetic resonance might be helpful in reinforcing or redirecting diagnostic hypothesis emerged by other clinical, electrocardiographic and echocardiographic findings. The current pandemic makes it challenging to perform serial invasive and non-invasive diagnostic testing in COVID-19 patients and high serum troponin level. Nevertheless, thoughtful and systematic use of an appropriate multimodality imaging strategy is clinically relevant to detect cardiac injury and distinguish myocardial infarction from, myocarditis, takotsubo syndrome and pulmonary embolism.

Overview of the 84th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Japanese Circulation Society　- Change Practice!

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 84thAnnual Meeting of the Japanese Circulation Society (JCS) was held in a web-based format for the first time in its history as "The Week for JCS 2020" from Monday, July 27 to Sunday, August 2, 2020. All sessions, including general abstracts, were streamed live or on-demand. The main theme of the meeting was "Change Practice!" and the aim was to organize the latest findings in the field of cardiovascular medicine and discuss how to change practice. The total number of registered attendees was over 16,800, far exceeding our expectations, and many of the sessions were viewed by far more people than at conventional face-to-face scientific meetings. At this conference, the power of online information dissemination was fully demonstrated, and the evolution of online academic meetings will be a direction that cannot be reversed in the future. The meeting was completed with great success, and we express our heartfelt gratitude to all affiliates for their enormous amount of work, cooperation, and support.

Prospective multicentre cohort study of transthoracic echocardiography provision in the South West of the UK during the first wave of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

AIMS: It was predicted internationally that transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) would be vital during the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak. We therefore, designed a study to report the demand for TTE in two large District General Hospitals during the rise in the first wave of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in the UK. A primary clinical outcome of 30-day mortality was also assessed. METHODS: The TTE service across two hospitals was reconfigured to maximise access to inpatient scanning. All TTEs of suspected or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 patients over a 3-week period were included in the study. All patients were followed up until at least day 30 after their scan at which point the primary clinical outcome of mortality was recorded. Comparative analysis based on mortality was conducted for all TTE results, biochemical markers and demographics. RESULTS: 27 patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 had a TTE within the inclusion window. Mortality comparative analysis showed the deceased group were significantly older (mean 68.4, SD 11.9 vs 60.5, SD 13.0, p=0.03) and more commonly reported fatigue in their presenting symptoms (29.6% vs 71.4%, p=0.01). No other differences were identified in the demographic or biochemical data. Left ventricular systolic dysfunction was noted in 7.4% of patients and right ventricular impairment or dilation was seen in 18.5% patients. TTE results were not significantly different in mortality comparative analysis. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates an achievable approach to TTE services when under increased pressure. Data analysis supports the limited available data suggesting right ventricular abnormalities are the most commonly identified echocardiographic change in SARS-CoV-2 patients. No association can be demonstrated between mortality and TTE results.

Cross-sectional Imaging Manifestations of Extrapulmonary Involvement in COVID-19 Disease.

ABSTRACT: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) disease has spread worldwide since it was first discovered in China's Hubei province in December 2019. Respiratory illness is the primary manifestation of COVID-19 disease, and its pathophysiology as well as the clinical and cross-sectional imaging manifestations has been adequately reported. However, there is emerging evidence of its multisystemic nature, with associated extrapulmonary manifestations including gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, renal, and neurological findings. There is still limited understanding with regard to the extrapulmonary involvement in this disease. This review aims to put together the prevalence, proposed pathophysiology, and the spectrum of clinical and cross-sectional imaging manifestations of associated extrapulmonary findings in COVID-19 disease.