Cleft posterior mitral valve leaflet: The added value of 3-dimensional echocardiography.

A 65-year-old female patient diagnosed with degenerative aortic valve disease and severe regurgitation on transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) also had severe mitral regurgitation (MR), but the exact mechanism of MR could not be determined. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) showed limited leaflet coaptation and a severe central MR jet. Further three-dimensional (3D) imaging revealed an indentation in the middle of P2 scallop almost reaching the annulus. This was consistent with the diagnosis of cleft posterior mitral valve leaflet. Unlike cleft anterior leaflet which can be clear on TTE short-axis images, cleft posterior leaflet may only be visible using 3D TEE. The identification of cleft posterior leaflet is essential in guiding surgical valve repair.

Caseous calcification of the mitral annulus: An under recognized differential diagnosis of mitral annular mass.

A 55-year-old obese, diabetic and hypertensive female patient with history of cerebrovascular stroke 2 years ago was referred for echocardiography. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed a well-defined rounded mass located at the posterior mitral annulus. The mass had a sharp hyperechoic outer border and a central echolucency. Transesophageal and three-dimensional echocardiography confirmed these findings consistent with caseous calcification of the mitral annulus. This case presents a rare variant of mitral annular calcification considered in the differential diagnosis of cardiac masses that can be recognized by its characteristic appearance on echocardiography. As with mitral annular calcification, multiple cardiovascular risk factors are commonly associated.

Acute purulent pericarditis treated conservatively with intrapericardial fibrinolysis and intrapericardial and systemic antibiotics.

Purulent pericarditis is rare, and the mortality rate is very high. Conservative management consists of pericardial drainage and antibiotic therapy. We report a case of purulent pericarditis on top of chest infection in a man presenting with dyspnea, productive cough, fever, and hypotension. Echocardiography revealed a large pericardial effusion with signs of tamponade. He was treated with pericardiocentesis along with intrapericardial fibrinolysis with streptokinase and intrapericardial and systemic antibiotics. A year later, there was no sign of constriction.

4D flow MRI applications in congenital heart disease.

Advances in the diagnosis and management of congenital heart disease (CHD) have resulted in a growing population of patients surviving well into adulthood and requiring lifelong follow-up. Flow quantification is a central component in the assessment of patients with CHD. 4D flow magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has emerged as a tool that enables comprehensive study of flow. It involves the acquisition of a three-dimensional time-resolved volume with velocity encoding in all three spatial directions along the cardiac cycle. This allows flow quantification and visualization of blood flow patterns as well as the study of advanced hemodynamic parameters as kinetic energy and wall shear stress. 4D flow MRI-based study of flow has given insight into the altered hemodynamics in CHD particularly in bicuspid aortic valve disease and Fontan circulation. The aim of this review is to discuss the expanding clinical and research applications of 4D flow MRI in CHD as well its limitations.Key Points• Three-dimensional velocity encoding allows not only flow quantification but also the visualization of multidirectional flow patterns and the study of advanced hemodynamic parameters.• 4D flow MRI has added insight into the abnormal hemodynamics involved in congenital heart disease in particular in bicuspid aortic valve and Fontan circulation.• The main limitation of 4D flow MRI in congenital heart disease is the relatively long scan duration required for the complete coverage of the heart and great vessels with adequate spatiotemporal resolution.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Risk Factors for Ventricular Arrhythmias in Tetralogy of Fallot.

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is the most common cause of late mortality in tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). Pulmonary regurgitation (PR) was previously found to be the most common hemodynamic abnormality associated with ventricular arrhythmias (VA), but cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR)-based studies did not show this association. The aim of this study is to investigate the risk factors for VA in TOF using CMR. Electronic records of TOF patients and their CMR studies between July 2006 and October 2018 in one center were retrospectively reviewed. Demographic, clinical and CMR data of patients were collected. Outcome was defined as sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT), aborted SCD and SCD. From a total of 434 TOF patients with complete CMR studies, 19 (4.4%) patients developed a positive outcome (12 sustained VT, 4 aborted SCD, 3 SCD) at a median age of 24 years. The number of surgical interventions was significantly greater in patients who developed VA. Right ventricular volumes were significantly larger in patients who suffered a positive outcome. Odds ratio for developing VA was 6.905 for RVEDVI ≥ 160 ml/m2 and 6.141 for RVESVI ≥ 80 ml/m2 (P = 0.0014 and 0.0012, respectively). Event-free survival was longer in patients with smaller right ventricular volumes. In conclusion, right ventricular dimensions are the most significant factors associated with the development of VA in TOF. The number of surgical interventions is also related to an increased risk.

Elevated diastolic wall shear stress in regurgitant semilunar valvular lesions.

BACKGROUND: Alterations in wall shear stress (WSS) assessed using 4D flow MRI have been shown to play a role in various vascular pathologies, such as bicuspid aortic valve aortopathy. Most studies have focused on systolic WSS, whereas altered diastolic hemodynamics in regurgitant semilunar valvular lesions have not so far been well characterized. PURPOSE: To investigate diastolic WSS in aortic and pulmonary regurgitation. STUDY TYPE: Retrospective data analysis. POPULATION: Thirty tetralogy of Fallot patients, 19 bicuspid aortic valve patients, 11 healthy volunteers. FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: 5 T, 3D time-resolved phase-contrast MRI with 3D velocity encoding. ASSESSMENT: Estimation of WSS and its axial and circumferential vector components along cardiac cycle timeframes in the proximal main pulmonary artery in pulmonary regurgitation (PR) and in the proximal ascending aorta in aortic regurgitation (AR) as well as in healthy volunteers. STATISTICAL TESTS: Wilcoxon matched pairs test was used for intra-group comparisons and Mann-Whitney test for intergroup comparisons. Correlations were assessed using Spearman correlation. RESULTS: WSS along the entire cardiac cycle was higher in PR and AR in comparison with controls (mean WSS 0.381 ± 0.070 vs. 0.220 ± 0.018, P < 0.0001; 0.361 ± 0.099 vs. 0.212 ± 0.030, P < 0.0001; respectively). Peak diastolic WSS was significantly higher than the mean WSS in AR and PR (P < 0.0001-0.005). The severity of PR correlated with the peak diastolic axial WSS (Spearman's r s = 0.454, P = 0.018), whereas the severity of AR correlated with both peak systolic and diastolic tangential WSS (Spearman's r s = 0.458, P = 0.049; r s = 0.539, P = 0.017, respectively). DATA CONCLUSION: Elevated diastolic WSS is a component of the altered flow hemodynamics in AR and PR. This may give more insight into the pathophysiologic role of WSS in vascular remodeling in AR and PR. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 Technical Efficacy Stage: 1 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2019;50:763-770.