Evaluation of ventricular function and myocardial deformation in children with repaired tetralogy of Fallot by real-time three-dimensional (four-dimensional) echocardiography

Aim: The left and right ventricular dysfunction are important clinical course indicators in patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot. This study aimed to evaluate ventricular volumes, functions, and myocardial deformation in children with repaired tetralogy of Fallot by real-time three-dimensional (four-dimensional) echocardiography and compared with healthy children. It also aimed to investigate the relationships between ventricular volumes, functions, and myocardial deformation parameters in the patients. Materials and methods: In this cross-sectional study, 35 patients (mean age 15.1 ± 2.8 years, 54% male) and 35 healthy controls of similar age, gender, and body measurements underwent echocardiography. End-diastolic volume index, end-systolic volume index, and ejection fractions of both ventricles; global longitudinal, circumferential, radial strain, twist, and torsion of the left ventricle; the longitudinal strain of the right ventricle free wall and septum were measured. Results: Left ventricular ejection fraction, global circumferential and radial strain, twist and torsion were significantly lower in patients compared with controls. Left ventricular ejection fraction correlated with global circumferential (r = −0.446, p < 0.001) and radial strain (r = −0.433, p < 0.001) in the patients. Right ventricular volumes were significantly higher, and ejection fraction was significantly lower in patients compared with controls. All right ventricular parameters correlated with each other in the patients. Conclusion: Left ventricular contraction pattern was changed, circumferential and radial fibres were most affected in the patients. Right ventricular dilatation and dysfunction were detected, and right ventricular ejection fraction correlated well with strain measurements of the right ventricle.

Myocardial Deformation Parameters Assessed By CMR Feature Tracking In Chronic Heart Failure: The Influence of An Optimal Medical Therapy On Myocardial Remodeling

Background: Myocardial deformation parameters have been shown to yield early detection of pathological changes in chronic heart failure (CHF). Aim of our study was to evaluate myocardial deformation changes under optimal medical therapy (OMT) in CHF patients.Methods: CHF patients were examined longitudinally with two cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) examinations at a median time interval of 140 days. Left and right ventricular volumes were quantified, and deformation analysis was performed using feature tracking, respectively.Results: 57 patients were included into the study. There was a high rate of OMT with a prescription of beta blockers in 98.2% and ACE-inhibitors/Angiotensin receptor blockers in 93.0%. In the total cohort, there were indications of positive remodeling with a significant improvement in left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (38.9% ± 11.6 vs. 43.0% ± 12.7, p=0.009), LV enddiastolic volume indexed (92.1ml/m2 ± 23.5 vs. 87.2ml/m2 ± 21.2, p=0.007), LV mass (140.3g ± 35.7 vs. 128.0g ± 34.4, p=0.001) and right ventricular global longitudinal strain (RV GLS) (-18.1% ± 5.1 vs. -20.3% ± 4.5, p<0.001) during follow-up. Discussion: Patients with CHF and OMT show positive reverse remodeling with improvement of LV volumes and function and RV GLS. This has a potential impact on the surveillance of this patient group, which should be further investigated in larger prospective studies.

415 Correlation between tissue abnormalities and myocardial deformation indices in arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy: a pilot study

Aims To evaluate the correlation between cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) tissue abnormalities and impairment of myocardial deformation indices in patients with definite diagnosis of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (AC). Methods and results 41 AC Patients with available CMR study were enrolled. Myocardial deformation indices (i.e. global longitudinal strain -GLS-; global circumferential strain -GCS-; global radial strain -GRS-) for both ventricles were calculated using feature tracking analysis. Quantification of tissue abnormalities (i.e. late gadolinium enhancement -LGE- extension expressed as percentage of total ventricular mass) was performed. Spearman’s rho correlation was evaluated. Mean age was 44 ± 13 years and 26 (63%) patients were male. Mean left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) was 54 ± 10% and mean right ventricular (RV) EF was 49 ± 12%. Median LV LGE extension was 8.9% (1.05–21) and median RV LGE extension was 0 (0–6.92). All myocardial deformation indices were moderately associated with LGE extension (for LV 3D GLS Spearman’s Rho 0.423, P 0.016; 2D GCS Spearman’s Rho 0.388, P 0.028; 3D GCS 0.362, P 0.042; 2D GRS Spearman’s Rho −0.417, P 0.018; 3D GRS −0.396, P 0.025; for RV 2D GLS Spearman’s Rho 0.385, P 0.030; RV GCS Spearman’s Rho 0.450, P 0.010; RV GRS Spearman’s Rho −0.459, P 0.008). Conclusions All myocardial deformation indices showed a moderate association with LGE extension in a cohort of patients with definite AC. Further studies are needed to validate this observation and understand its implications.

292 Mechanical stress, myocardial deformation abnormalities, and ventricular fibrosis: a fatal cascade in arrhythmic mitral valve prolapse patients

Aims Arrhythmic mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is characterized by left ventricular (LV) fibrosis in the basal inferolateral wall and papillary muscles. We hypothesized that LV fibrosis are driven by excessive mechanical forces acting on myocardial susceptible cells, representing the last step in the MVP-induced myocardial stretch process. We evaluated the LV myocardial deformation, using strain assessed with cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), in arrhythmic MVP patients with normal LV ejection fraction (LVEF) and absent/trivial mitral regurgitation (MR) and its correlation with the presence of LV fibrosis, detected by late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) in post-contrast CMR images. Methods and results We enrolled consecutive arrhythmic MVP patients with normal LVEF and no/trivial MR. Sixty-nine (39 female; median age: 40 years) patients without MVP, arrhythmias or cardiovascular history served as control group. All patients underwent CMR for identification of LGE and evaluation of LV myocardial deformation. A total of 66 patients were enrolled (47 female; median age: 44 years). In the overall MVP population, LGE was present in 41 patients (62.1%). MVP patients without LGE (25 patients, 37.9%) presented a higher global radial (median: 42.19 vs. 33; P &lt;0.0001) and higher global longitudinal strain (median: −21.61 vs. −18.10; P &lt;0.0001), compared to the control group. A reduction of regional basal posterolateral radial (BPL median: 50.60 vs. 67.30; P = 0.0015) and longitudinal strain (BPL median: −23.50 vs. −26.70; P = 0.0186) were observed in the MVP patients as compared with controls (Figures A–D). Conversely to the basal region, mid anterolateral and posterolateral region presented a higher radial (MAL median: 52.60 vs. 31.10; P &lt; 0.0001 and MPL median: 52.80 vs. 21.50; P &lt; 0.0001) and longitudinal strain (MAL median: −24.80 vs. −18.30; P &lt; 0.0001 and MPL median: −25.30 vs. −14.80; P &lt; 0.0001), when compared to control group. MVP patients with LGE had a lower global radial (median: 36.48 vs. 42.19; P &lt;0.0047), longitudinal (median: −19.18 vs. −21.61; P = 0.0013), and circumferential strain (median: −17.80 vs. −19.28; P = 0.0134) compared with those without fibrosis. According to MVP patients without LGE, the presence of fibrosis is associated with a lower regional radial (BAL median: 64.40 vs. 82.80; P = 0.0481; MAL median: 42.60 vs. 52.60; P = 0.0287) and circumferential strain (BAL median: −21.90 vs. −24.20; P = 0.0174; BPL median: −16.80 vs. −18.80; P = 0.0411; MPL median: −15.50 vs. −19.40; P = 0.0077) in the LV basal-mid lateral walls (Figures E–H). 292 Figures A–D and E-H Conclusions Arrhythmic MVP patients with normal LV systolic function and absent/trivial MR presented an abnormal myocardial deformation pattern. The reduced strain in BPL wall of MVP patients without LGE could be considered as an early marker of MVP-induced myocardial stress, that could promote, time by time, LV fibrosis and arrhythmias in MVP patients.

Could miR34a be as a Potential Biomarker for Doxorubicin Induced Cardiotoxicity?

No biomarker is currently available for early detection of anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity. The purpose of this study was to assess whether the plasma levels of microRNA34a (miR34a) could predict cardiotoxicity in breast cancer patients who received anthracycline-based chemotherapy.Forty-four breast cancer patients who received anthracycline-based chemotherapy for the first time were included in the study. Before and after taking chemotherapy, patients were examined for cardiac troponin-I, miR34a, and precursor miR34a levels, and echocardiographic strain analyses were performed. There was a statistically significant increase in troponin-I, miR34a, and pre-miR34a levels after treatment with anthracyclines. The mean increase in miR34a and pre-miR34a was 2.5 and 2.3 fold, respectively. Echocardiographic analysis of patients showed a significant decrease in global longitudinal strain (GLS) measurements compared to the baseline after anthracycline treatment. An increase in the levels of miR34a/pre-miR34a was detected in patients who were estimated to have cardiac damage according to GLS change, but this increase was not statistically significant. After doxorubicin treatment, an increase in miR34a level in plasma was demonstrated without correlation with cTn-I and GLS. A higher miR34a/pre-miR34a ratio was detected in patients with myocardial deformation than in those without myocardial deformation, but it was not statistically significant.