Abstract
Funding Acknowledgements
Type of funding sources: None.
Introduction
Etiology of cardiac arrhythmias is often difficult to determine.As the gold standard to anatomical and functional cardiac evaluation,Cardiac Magnetic Resonance(CMR)can be a fundamental technique for accurate assessment of myocardial arrhythmic substrates or for arrhythmias management.
Purpose
The aim of this study is to determine diagnostic and arrhythmic risk stratification impact of CMR performed in patients with suspected or confirmed arrhythmias.
Methods
We performed a six-years prospective study of patients with suspected or confirmed arrhythmias which evaluation with other techniques did not provide a definitive diagnosis.These patients underwent CMR for diagnostic and risk stratification assessment.We applied a protocol to evaluate both ventricles’ morphology and functional and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) presence.
Results
A total of 93 patients were included,of which 66% were male, with a mean age of 45 ± 17 years old. The indications for patients with suspected or confirmed arrhythmias performing CMR evaluation were the following: 33% (n = 31) of the patients had very frequent premature ventricular complexes, 23% (n = 21) had sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT), 5%(n = 5) non-sustained VT, 17%(n = 16) suspected structural heart disease with high arrhythmic potential,10%(n = 9) unexplained recurrent syncope,9 %(n = 8) supraventricular tachycardia and 3% (n = 3) aborted sudden cardiac death. Depressed ejection fraction (EF)(<50%) was present in 10% (n = 9) for LV(mean EF 38 ± 9%) and 15%(n = 14) for RV (mean EF 42 ± 7%). Dilation of LV was found in 25% of patients (n = 23, mean LV volume: 115 ± 7ml/m²), with RV dilation being present in only 1 patient, who had right ventricle arrhythmogenic dysplasia (RVAD) (RV volume: 152ml/m²). In total, 16%had interventricular septum hypertrophy (mean 15 ± 4mm/m2).We found slight anterior leaflet prolapse of mitral valve in 10% (n = 9) of the cases and mild mitral regurgitation in 15% (n = 14). Left atrium dilation was observed in 17% (n = 16) of patients (mean area of 18 ± 2cm2/m2), as right atrium was dilated in only two. In 20% of the patients, CMR contributed to establish a previously unknown diagnosis: 6% (n = 5) have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy,4%(n = 4)a myocarditis sequelae and 2%(n = 2)had RVAD. LV non-compaction,a silent myocardial infarction scar and non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy were diagnosed in 3%of the cases each. In 15%(n = 14)we found nonspecific variations, which deserve follow-up. On the remaining patients, CMR was considered normal.
Conclusion
As a high reproducible, accurate and versatile technique, CMR allowed an increase on diagnosis in 20% of the patients with suspected or confirmed arrhythmias. Consequently, it contributed to the risk stratification of our study population with suspected high arrhythmic potential when the first-line complementary exams were inconclusive.
Epicardial and Perihepatic Fat as Cardiometabolic Risk Predictors in Girls with Turner Syndrome: A Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Study
