Images in cardiovascular medicine. Multimodality imaging of cardiac sarcoidosis before and after steroid therapy.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Shigeto Kubo.
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We attempted to accurately detect pulmonary solitary tumors and other complicated pulmonary disorders in aging inbred transgenic mice by cardiac- and respiratory-gated MR microscopy at 4.7 Tesla. A comparison of in vivo MR images with histological results demonstrated that submillimeter lung tumors and most of the nontumor lesions could be detected by screening with two-dimensional (2D) gradient echo (GRE) imaging. Subsequently performed 2D spin-echo (SE) imaging provided higher image contrast, which distinguished the tumors from the surrounding complications. On the 3D GRE images and the generated maximum intensity projection (MIP) and volume-rendered (VR) images, proper spatial localization of solitary tumors relative to the orientation of the pulmonary vessels was exhibited, and the tumor volume could also be measured. This promising method is noninvasive and has the potential to eventually replace invasive histopathology because it obviates the need to kill groups of animals at multiple time points.
OBJECTIVE: The objective of our study was to compare the image quality of MDCT angiography studies obtained by injection of low doses of contrast medium with saline flush versus conventional doses of contrast medium. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-one patients with pre- or postoperative aortic aneurysms underwent MDCT angiography throughout the thoracoabdominal-aortoiliac system using an 8-MDCT scanner. In 37 patients, 100 mL of contrast medium was injected at a flow rate of 3.0 mL/s (hereafter referred to as the 100-mL group). In 34 patients, 50 mL of contrast medium followed by a 20-mL saline flush was injected at a flow rate of 2.5 mL/s (the 50-mL group). For each group, quantitative analysis involved calculating the mean aortoiliac enhancement, plateau deviation, and contrast enhancement in the pulmonary trunk and superior vena cava (SVC). Qualitative analysis involved assessing the 3D postprocessing images. RESULTS: Significant differences between the groups in mean aortoiliac enhancement (100-mL group vs 50-mL group, 337 +/- 6 H vs 319 +/- 5 H, p < 0.0001) and mean plateau deviation (51 +/- 4 H vs 58 +/- 4 H, p < 0.0001) were found. However, adequate arterial enhancement (>or= 200 H) was observed in 31 of 34 patients in the 50-mL group and uniform aortoiliac enhancement (< 50 H) was seen in 26 patients. Visual analysis showed no difference in contrast material magnitude and homogeneity between the groups. Furthermore, in the 50-mL group, the thoracic aorta was more clearly visualized because of a reduction in the opacity of the main pulmonary artery and SVC. CONCLUSION: In our experience, administration of 50 mL of contrast medium followed by a 20-mL saline flush produces thoracoabdominal-aortoiliac MDCT angiographic examinations of effective quality in most cases.
Myocardial perfusion imaging with adenosine triphosphate (ATP) has been used increasingly to diagnose coronary artery disease (CAD) and assess risk for this disease. This study compared absolute myocardial blood flow (MBF) and myocardial flow reserve index (MFR) with ATP and dipyridamole (DIP) in patients with CAD. MBF was quantified by 15O-H2O PET in 21 patients with CAD (17 male, 4 female), aged 55 to 81 years. MBF was measured at rest, during intravenous injection of ATP (0.16 mg/kg/min), and again after DIP infusion (0.56 mg/kg). Regions of interest were drawn in nonischemic and ischemic segments based on findings from thallium-201 (201T1) scintigraphy and coronary angiography (CAG). Absolute MBF values and indexes of MFR were calculated in nonischemic and ischemic segments. Intravenous injection of ATP and DIP significantly increased MBF in nonischemic (2.4 +/- 0.9 and 2.1 +/- 0.8 ml/g/min, respectively; p < 0.01, for both) and in ischemic segments (1.3 +/- 0.4 and 1.5 +/- 0.4 ml/g/min, respectively; p < 0.01, for both). There was a significant difference in MBF values between ATP and DIP in nonischemic segments (p < 0.05), which was not observed in ischemic segments. In nonischemic segments, ATP produced higher MFR than DIP (2.1 +/- 0.8 and 1.8 +/- 0.7, respectively; p < 0.05), while no significant difference was observed in ischemic segments (1.5 +/- 0.6 and 1.7 +/- 0.3, respectively). ATP produced a greater hyperemia than DIP between the ischemic and nonischemic myocardium in patients with CAD. ATP is as effective as DIP for the diagnosis of CAD.
PURPOSE: To evaluate accuracy of cardiac functional analysis with multi-detector row computed tomography (CT) and segmental reconstruction algorithm over a range of heart rates. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Institutional review board approval was obtained. Informed consent was not required. Multi-detector row CT (500-msec rotation time, 8 x 1-mm detector collimation) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging were performed in 50 patients (28 men, 22 women; age range, 46-84 years; mean age, 67 years). Two-dimensional echocardiography was performed in 41 patients, and electrocardiographically (ECG)-gated single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) was performed in 27. End-diastolic volume (EDV), end-systolic volume (ESV), ejection fraction (EF), and left ventricular (LV) mass were estimated with multi-detector row CT and compared with values estimated with MR imaging, which served as the reference standard. Additionally, EF values estimated with multi-detector row CT, echocardiography, and SPECT were compared with those estimated with MR imaging. Systemic error and degree of agreement of global functional parameters measured with MR imaging and other modalities were assessed. In a second analysis, linear regression analysis was added. RESULTS: EF estimated with multi-detector row CT agreed and correlated well with EF estimated with MR imaging (bias +/- standard deviation, -1.2% +/- 4.6; r = 0.96). Agreement and correlation were similar for EDV (-0.35 mL +/- 15.2; r = 0.97), ESV (1.1 mL +/- 8.6; r = 0.99), and LV mass (2.5 mL +/- 15.0; r = 0.96). Standard deviation of EF difference between multi-detector row CT and MR imaging was significantly less than that between echocardiography and MR imaging (P < .001) or that between SPECT and MR imaging (P < .001). CONCLUSION: Various LV functional parameters were measured with multi-detector row CT with a segmental approach, and measurements correlated and agreed with those obtained with MR imaging. Moreover, functional analysis with multi-detector row CT was more accurate than that with two-dimensional echocardiography or ECG-gated SPECT.
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of delayed enhanced MRI for detecting cardiac sarcoidosis and to clarify the relationship between the findings of MRI and those of radionuclide imaging. CONCLUSION: Delayed enhanced MRI is considered a useful method for the early identification of cardiac sarcoidosis. Delayed hyperenhancement is frequently associated with a reduction of regional wall motion and thallium-201 perfusion defects.
UNLABELLED: The aims of this study were (a). to compare absolute myocardial blood flow (MBF) during adenosine triphosphate (ATP) infusion with that after dipyridamole administration without caffeine intake and (b). to evaluate the effect of caffeine intake on the hyperemic flow induced by these coronary vasodilator agents. METHODS: MBF was quantified with (15)O-labeled water and PET at rest, during ATP infusion (0.16 mg/kg/min for 9 min), and after dipyridamole administration (0.56 mg/kg over 4 min) after a 24-h abstinence from caffeine (baseline evaluation) in 10 healthy volunteers. Within 2 wk, the same PET studies were repeated after caffeine intake to evaluate the effect of caffeine on the hyperemic flow induced by these pharmacologic agents (caffeine study). Myocardial flow reserve (MFR), defined as the ratio of hyperemic to resting blood flow, was also evaluated. RESULTS: Resting MBF in baseline and caffeine studies did not differ significantly (0.79 +/- 0.29 vs. 0.75 +/- 0.31 mL/min/g, P = 0.88). Without caffeine intake, MBF during ATP infusion was significantly higher than that after dipyridamole administration (3.70 +/- 0.67 vs. 3.00 +/- 0.79 mL/min/g, P = 0.003), whereas there was no significant difference in MFR between ATP and dipyridamole stress (5.15 +/- 1.64 vs. 4.11 +/- 1.44, P = 0.07). After caffeine intake, the hyperemic flows induced by ATP and dipyridamole were not significantly different (1.68 +/- 0.37 vs. 1.52 +/- 0.40 mL/min/g, P = 0.50). MFR estimated by ATP and dipyridamole also did not differ significantly in the caffeine studies (2.44 +/- 0.88 vs. 2.25 +/- 0.94, P = 0.73). MBF during ATP infusion and after dipyridamole administration were significantly lower in the caffeine studies than that in the baseline evaluation (1.68 +/- 0.37 vs. 3.70 +/- 0.67 mL/min/g, P < 0.0001, and 1.52 +/- 0.40 vs. 3.00 +/- 0.79 mL/min/g, P < 0.0001, respectively). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that ATP has the potential to induce greater hyperemia than dipyridamole, whereas hyperemic responses to ATP and dipyridamole are similarly attenuated after caffeine intake. These findings suggest that abstinence from caffeine before ATP stress testing may be needed.
UNLABELLED: The use of nitrates is reported to be effective in viability detection in scintigraphic perfusion imaging. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of nitroglycerin (NTG) on myocardial blood flow (MBF) and coronary vascular resistance (CVR) in various segments characterized by rest-redistribution (201)Tl SPECT. METHODS: Twenty-three patients with coronary artery disease underwent rest-redistribution (201)Tl SPECT and (15)O-labeled water PET at rest and after NTG spray (0.3 mg). In addition, 11 healthy volunteers were also studied using PET. RESULTS: NTG did not change global MBF in the volunteers or in the patients. In segments with normal (201)Tl uptake and in those with a severe irreversible (201)Tl defect, NTG significantly reduced MBF without changing CVR. NTG reduced CVR in segments with a reversible (201)Tl defect (141 +/- 50 to 114 +/- 29 mm Hg/[mL/min/g], P = 0.004) and in those with a mild-to-moderate irreversible (201)Tl defect (165 +/- 64 to 149 +/- 60 mm Hg/[mL/min/g], P = 0.003), while maintaining MBF. CONCLUSION: NTG preferentially reduces CVR in the viable myocardium with ischemia. After NTG, tracer uptake in the ischemic myocardium will be relatively increased compared with that in the nonviable and nonischemic myocardium, leading to improvements in viability detection.
Nuclear cardiology has played a significant role in the diagnosis and risk stratification of patients with coronary artery disease. MRI and multidector-row CT (MDCT) has recently been introduced in the field of clinical cardiology. For the management of patients with suspected coronary artery disease, it is important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of various imaging modalities. This review discusses the current roles and problems of these imaging modalities.
Delayed contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging that nullifies the signal of normal myocardium produces great differences in myocardial signal intensity between normal and infarcted myocardium. A case of primary cardiac lymphoma is presented in which delayed contrast-enhanced MR imaging clearly identified the localization and extension of a lymphoma infiltrating the myocardium.
Delayed-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging has recently been shown to be effective in detecting cardiac sarcoidosis. Two cases in which contrast-enhanced multislice computed tomography imaging clearly identified the localization and extension of cardiac sarcoidosis as delayed-enhanced MR imaging are presented.