Magnetic resonance in patients with cardiovascular devices. SEC-GT CRMTC/SEC-Heart Rhythm Association/SERAM/SEICAT consensus document.

Magnetic resonance has become a first-line imaging modality in various clinical scenarios. The number of patients with different cardiovascular devices, including cardiac implantable electronic devices, has increased exponentially. Although there have been reports of risks associated with exposure to magnetic resonance in these patients, the clinical evidence now supports the safety of performing these studies under specific conditions and following recommendations to minimize possible risks. This document was written by the Working Group on Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Cardiac Computed Tomography of the Spanish Society of Cardiology (SEC-GT CRMTC), the Heart Rhythm Association of the Spanish Society of Cardiology (SEC-Heart Rhythm Association), the Spanish Society of Medical Radiology (SERAM), and the Spanish Society of Cardiothoracic Imaging (SEICAT). The document reviews the clinical evidence available in this field and establishes a series of recommendations so that patients with cardiovascular devices can safely access this diagnostic tool.

Heart disease in eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) patients: a screening approach proposal.

OBJECTIVE: To define the pattern of cardiac involvement in eosinophilic granulomatosis and polyangiitis (EGPA) and propose an algorithm for heart disease screening. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of EGPA patients attending a specialized vasculitis clinic (1989-2016). Clinical characteristics and cardiovascular evaluation (CE) results (serum troponin, ECG, echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance) were collected and compared according to symptoms and inflammatory cardiac disease (ICD). RESULTS: A total of 131 EGPA patients were included, of whom 96 (73%) had undergone CE. The median (interquartile range) age was 50 (38-58) years and 36% showed ANCA+. Asthma preceded diagnosis by a median of 97 (36-240) months. Among the 96 patients who underwent CE, 43% were symptomatic, with dyspnea (47%) and chest pain (29%) being the predominant symptoms. In asymptomatic patients, CE reported abnormalities in 45% of cases, with a subsequent earlier diagnosis (4 vs 11 months). Overall, 27 patients had EGPA-related ICD (EGPA-rICD) that was already present at diagnosis in 20 cases, preceded it in 2 cases and developed later in 5 cases. EGPA-rICD patients were younger (46 vs 50 years; P = 0.04), had more frequently abnormal ECG (30.8 vs 2.1%; P < 0.001), negative ANCA (85 vs 69%; NS), higher BVAS score (3 vs 1; P = 0.005), higher eosinophil count (5.60 vs 1.60 × 109/l; P = 0.029) and higher CRP (52 vs 15 mg/l; P = 0.017). Overall, 11% of cases with EGPA-rICD were asymptomatic. CONCLUSION: In our study, 45% of asymptomatic patients had an abnormal baseline cardiac evaluation, which allowed an earlier diagnosis of cardiac disease. We recommend prompt cardiac screening in all EGPA patients, instead of a symptoms-guided algorithm.

Fluid-structure interaction simulations outperform computational fluid dynamics in the description of thoracic aorta haemodynamics and in the differentiation of progressive dilation in Marfan syndrome patients.

Abnormal fluid dynamics at the ascending aorta may be at the origin of aortic aneurysms. This study was aimed at comparing the performance of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and fluid-structure interaction (FSI) simulations against four-dimensional (4D) flow magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data; and to assess the capacity of advanced fluid dynamics markers to stratify aneurysm progression risk. Eight Marfan syndrome (MFS) patients, four with stable and four with dilating aneurysms of the proximal aorta, and four healthy controls were studied. FSI and CFD simulations were performed with MRI-derived geometry, inlet velocity field and Young's modulus. Flow displacement, jet angle and maximum velocity evaluated from FSI and CFD simulations were compared to 4D flow MRI data. A dimensionless parameter, the shear stress ratio (SSR), was evaluated from FSI and CFD simulations and assessed as potential correlate of aneurysm progression. FSI simulations successfully matched MRI data regarding descending to ascending aorta flow rates (R 2 = 0.92) and pulse wave velocity (R 2 = 0.99). Compared to CFD, FSI simulations showed significantly lower percentage errors in ascending and descending aorta in flow displacement (-46% ascending, -41% descending), jet angle (-28% ascending, -50% descending) and maximum velocity (-37% ascending, -34% descending) with respect to 4D flow MRI. FSI- but not CFD-derived SSR differentiated between stable and dilating MFS patients. Fluid dynamic simulations of the thoracic aorta require fluid-solid interaction to properly reproduce complex haemodynamics. FSI- but not CFD-derived SSR could help stratifying MFS patients.