658 Impairment of strain reserve extends to remote myocardium in the sub-acute phase of ST-elevation myocardial infarction

Aims In ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), subtle tissutal changes in remote myocardium predict long-term left ventricular (LV) remodelling and prognosis, independently of infarct size and microvascular obstruction. Whether there is a subclinical dysfunction of remote myocardium, detectable by longitudinal strain (LS) at echocardiography, and whether it varies in different locations of STEMI and with adenosine (ADO) challenge, is still unknown. Methods and results Fifty-three patients (age 65 ± 12.5 years, 44 male, 20 anterior and 33 non-anterior, P = 0.01) underwent rest/stress echocardiography at 7 ± 2 days after successfully treated STEMI, and at 6-months follow-up. Global LS (GLS), ischaemic and remote LS (iLS and rLS) were analysed in anterior and non-anterior STEMI. Both at rest and at follow-up, GLS was stratified by ejection fraction (EF) into three groups: EF < 40%, 40–49%, and ≥50%. Normal subjects, undergoing ADO stress echo, represented controls. Anterior STEMI showed lower GLS than controls (P < 0.001) and non-anterior STEMI (P < 0.001). ADO increased GLS in controls (P = 0.05), but neither in anterior nor in non-anterior STEMI, GLS changed during ADO stress, although significantly improved at follow-up (P < 0.001 and P = 0.002, respectively). In anterior STEMI, rLS was comparable to iLS at rest, during stress and at follow-up (P = ns), while in non-anterior STEMI rLS was higher than iLS throughout the study (P < 0.001). Patients with EF < 40% and 40–49% had similar values of GLS, iLS, and rLS, which were, both at rest and at follow-up, lower than those of patients with EF ≥ 50% (P < 0.001). Conclusions In the subacute phase, anterior STEMI shows the worst impairment of LS in both ischaemic and remote regions. Strain reserve to ADO is absent in remote myocardium, as well as in ischaemic zone, regardless of MI location. Global, ischaemic and remote LS may improve at follow-up.

Functional assessment in left ventricular non-compaction cardiomyopathy in multimodality imaging era might improve the definition

Left ventricular non-compaction (LVNC) is an increasingly recognized phenotype. The current definition of the LVNC does not mention LV dysfunction as an absolute criterion in addition to morphological criteria. LV dilatation and decreased LV ejection fraction (LVEF) are often late manifestations of the disease and correlate with the occurrence of cardiovascular complications. However, to define LVNC as a cardiomyopathy, functional criteria must be fulfilled, in addition to the morphological ones. Multimodality imaging, such as myocardial deformation and myocardial work analysis derived from speckle tracking echocardiography (STE), in combination with cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) might improve diagnosis and characterization of non-compaction, exposing earlier signs of LV systolic dysfunction. We present two comparative cases of LVNC in order to highlight the idea of subclinical dysfunction even in apparently benign forms with preserved LVEF, and also the importance of multimodality imaging approach.

RONC-31. ADVANCED ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY WITH MYOCARDIAL-STRAIN-ANALYSIS DESCRIBES SUBCLINICAL CARDIAC DYSFUNCTION AFTER CRANIOSPINAL IRRADIATION (CSI) IN PEDIATRIC AND YOUNG ADULT PATIENTS WITH CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM (CNS) TUMORS

CSI is part of the treatment of CNS tumors and is associated with cardiovascular disease; data in pediatric/young-adult patients are limited. Myocardial-strain-analysis can reveal subclinical dysfunction. Retrospective, single-center study in CNS tumor patients managed with CSI from 1986–2018. Clinical details, and echocardiography including myocardial-strain-analysis were collected at T1=first echocardiogram after CSI, and T2=most recent echocardiogram. Data are mean±standard deviation. Echocardiograms were available in 44 patients (36%female, 14±8.0years) at T1 and 39 patients (38%female, 21.0±11.3years) at T2. Standard echocardiography was normal for all subjects. At T1, global longitudinal peak systolic strain (GLS) was -16.3%±3.7% in CSI vs. -21.6%±3.5% in controls (p<0.0001); global radial peak systolic strain (GRS) was 21.5%±10.1% in CSI vs. 26.5%±7.4% in controls, and global circumferential peak systolic strain (GCS) was -19.5%±6.0% in CSI vs. -21.4%±3.4% in controls (p<0.05, both comparisons). At T2, GLS was -15.8%±5.2% in CSI vs. -21.9±3.5% in controls (p<0.0001); GRS was 22.6%±10.4% in CSI vs. 27.1±8.2% in controls (p<0.05); GCS was -20.5%±6.9% in CSI vs. -21.8±3.5% in controls (p=0.10). For 17 patients with myocardial-strain-analysis available for both time points: difference in GLS was 0.06±7.2% (p>0.95); GRS was 5.5±9.5% (p<0.05); GCS was -3.4±4.9% (p<0.05). Subclinical dysfunction is present at first echocardiogram after CSI. Myocardial impairment may recover with time, however further analysis is needed to identify risk factors and trends. These results argue for inclusion of baseline cardiovascular assessment and longitudinal follow-up in CNS tumor patients post CSI.

Decreased epithelial to corneal thickness ratio in healthy fellow eyes of patients with unilateral bullous keratopathy

PurposeTo study the relationship between epithelial thickness (ET) and corneal thickness (CT) in healthy fellow eyes of patients with unilateral bullous keratopathy (BKP) and healthy subjects.MethodsSeventeen BKP patients (nine males, eight females, 73.2±10.4 years) and 40 healthy individuals (20 males, 20 females, 69.5±9.8 years) were included. All participants received anterior segment optical coherence tomography and specular microscopy with calculation of endothelial cell density. ET, CT, stromal thickness and ET-to-CT ratio were defined automatically (within 2 mm central area). Central epithelial thickness (CET) and central corneal thickness (CCT) were measured manually at the corneal centre and stromal thickness and CET-to-CCT ratio were calculated.ResultsIn healthy fellow eyes of BKP patients compared with eyes of healthy individuals ET was statistically significantly lower (p<0.001) while CT was statistically significantly higher (by 28.9 and 30.9 µm in 2 mm zone and corneal centre, respectively). Both 2 mm ET-to-CT ratio (0.091±0.01 and 0.10±0.004, respectively [p<0.001]) and CET-to-CCT ratio (0.083±0.006 and 0.97±0.005, respectively [p<0.0001]) were statistically significantly lower in healthy fellow eyes of BKP patients compared with eyes of healthy individuals. To identify healthy fellow eyes of BKP patients, area under curve for CET-to-CCT ratio and CET was 0.94 and 0.80, respectively (p=0.01), and for 2 mm ET-to-CT ratio and 2 mm ET was 0.91 and 0.80, respectively (p=0.03).ConclusionDecreased СET-to-СCT ratio resulting from simultaneous epithelial thinning and stromal thickening without significant corneal thickening indicates subclinical dysfunction of corneal endothelium in healthy fellow eyes in unilateral BKP patients.