Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Comput Methods Programs Biomed 2022 Jun 21;223:106970. Epub 2022 Jun 21.

Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, South Korea. Electronic address:

Background And Objective: Incomplete Kawasaki disease (KD) has often been misdiagnosed due to a lack of the clinical manifestations of classic KD. However, it is associated with a markedly higher prevalence of coronary artery lesions. Identifying coronary artery lesions by echocardiography is important for the timely diagnosis of and favorable outcomes in KD. Read More

Mol Imaging Radionucl Ther 2022 Jun;31(2):130-138

Chulalongkorn University and King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Department of Radiology, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Bangkok, Thailand.

Objectives: Myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS) is an important diagnostic test for detecting of coronary artery stenosis (CAS); however, tissue attenuation can lead to a difference in accuracy. We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of attenuation-corrected (AC) and non-attenuation-corrected (NC) MPS for the detection of CAS.

Methods: We retrospectively recruited patients who underwent invasive coronary angiography within 10 months after Tc-99m sestamibi MPS. Read More

Circ Cardiovasc Imaging 2022 Jun 30:101161CIRCIMAGING122013978. Epub 2022 Jun 30.

Department of Medicine, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ. (M.B., A.H.W.).

Adv Ther 2022 Jun 29. Epub 2022 Jun 29.

Department of Cardiology, National Centre for Cardiovascular Diseases, National Clinical Research Centre for Cardiovascular Diseases, Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, A 167, Beilishi Road, Xicheng District, Beijing, 100037, China.

Introduction: Newer generation bioresorbable scaffolds (BRSs) with thinner struts and improved deliverability are expected to enhance safety and efficacy profiles. Bioheart (Bio-Heart, Shanghai, China) BRS is constructed from a PLLA (poly-l-lactic acid) backbone coated with a PDLLA (poly D-l-lactic acid) layer eluting sirolimus. We report 2-year serial intracoronary imaging findings. Read More

Acta Radiol 2022 Jun 28:2841851221108804. Epub 2022 Jun 28.

Department of Medical Imaging, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

Background: Dynamic myocardial computed tomography perfusion (CTP) is a novel technique able to depict cardiac ischemia.

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of a four-dimensional noise reduction filter (similarity filter [4D-SF]) on image quality in dynamic CTP imaging, allowing for substantial radiation dose reduction.

Material And Methods: Dynamic CTP datasets of 30 patients (16 women) with suspected coronary artery disease, acquired with a 320-slice CT system, were retrieved, reconstructed with the deep learning-based algorithm of the system (DLR), and filtered with the 4D-SF. Read More

J Cardiovasc Med (Hagerstown) 2022 Jul 23;23(7):421-426. Epub 2022 Jun 23.

Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Dipartimento di Medicina Cardiovascolare, Rome.

Up to 50% of patients presenting with stable, mainly exercise-induced, chest pain and 10-20% of those admitted to hospital with chest pain suggesting an acute coronary syndrome show normal or near-normal coronary arteries at angiography. Coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) is a major cause of symptoms in these patients. However, controversial data exist about their prognosis. Read More

World J Pediatr Congenit Heart Surg 2022 Jul;13(4):485-494

Pediatric and Congenital Cardiac Surgery Unit, Padova, Veneto, Italy.

We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature to assess the outcomes of surgery for the anomalous aortic origin of a coronary artery in children and young adults (<30 years). Thirteen publications were selected, including a total of 384 patients. Unroofing of the intramural segment was adopted in 92% (95% CI: 81%-98%) of cases, with pooled early and late mortality of 0% (95% CI: 0%-0. Read More

Front Pediatr 2022 9;10:873421. Epub 2022 Jun 9.

Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Emma Children's Hospital, Amsterdam University Medical Center (UMC), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Background: Approximately 25% of the patients with a history of Kawasaki disease (KD) develop coronary artery pathology if left untreated, with coronary artery aneurysms (CAA) as an early hallmark. Depending on the severity of CAAs, these patients are at risk of myocardial ischemia, infarction and sudden death. In order to reduce cardiac complications it is crucial to accurately identify patients with coronary artery pathology by an integrated cardiovascular program, tailored to the severity of the existing coronary artery pathology. Read More

Proc (Bayl Univ Med Cent) 2022 22;35(4):526-528. Epub 2022 Mar 22.

Department of Radiology, Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, Texas.

A 39-year-old woman presented with chest pain and elevated troponin levels. Cardiac catheterization demonstrated no coronary artery disease, with findings consistent with atypical variant takotsubo cardiomyopathy. Further workup showed elevated plasma fractionated metanephrines suggestive of pheochromocytoma. Read More

J Cardiovasc Magn Reson 2022 Jun 27;24(1):39. Epub 2022 Jun 27.

Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Rue de Bugnon 46, BH-8-84, 1011, Lausanne, Switzerland.

Background: Coronary cardiovascular magnetic resonance angiography (CCMRA) of congenital heart disease (CHD) in pediatric patients requires accurate planning, adequate sequence parameter adjustments, lengthy scanning sessions, and significant involvement from highly trained personnel. Anesthesia and intubation are commonplace to minimize movements and control respiration in younger subjects. To address the above concerns and provide a single-click imaging solution, we applied our free-running framework for fully self-gated (SG) free-breathing 5D whole-heart CCMRA to CHD patients after ferumoxytol injection. Read More

Zhong Nan Da Xue Xue Bao Yi Xue Ban 2020 Nov;45(11):1326-1335

Department of Medical Imaging, Xiangya School of Medicine Affiliated Haikou Hospital, Central South University, Haikou 570100, China.

Objectives: To investigate the relationship among coronary artery calcification score (CACS), the number of calcification vessels, SYNTAX score and GRACE score in patients with coronary atherosclerotic heart disease (CHD).

Methods: The CACS, calcification vessel number, SYNTAX score, and GRACE score were collected or calculated from 214 CHD patients admitted in Haikou People's Hospital from January 2014 to April 2019. Patients were assigned into several groups according to the CACS and calcification vessel number, and then to compare the differences in SYNTAX and GRACE scores between groups. Read More

BMC Med Imaging 2022 Jun 25;22(1):114. Epub 2022 Jun 25.

Department of Radiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, No. 180 Fenglin Rd, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032, China.

Background: Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is known as an important imaging indicator for cardiovascular risk stratification. The present study aimed to determine whether the EAT volume (EV) and mean EAT attenuation (mEA) measured by non-contrast routine chest CT (RCCT) could be more consistent with those measured by coronary CT angiography (CCTA) by adjusting the threshold of fatty attenuation.

Methods: In total, 83 subjects who simultaneously underwent CCTA and RCCT were enrolled. Read More

Phytomedicine 2022 Jun 15;104:154277. Epub 2022 Jun 15.

Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanfang Hospital (ZengCheng Branch), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China. Electronic address:

Background: Excessive myocardial fibrosis is the pathological basis of heart failure following myocardial infarction (MI). Although calycosin improves cardiac function, its effect on cardiac fibrosis and cardiac function after MI in mice and its precise mechanism remain unclear.

Purpose: Here, we firstly investigated the effects of calycosin on cardiac fibrosis and ventricular function in mice after MI and the role of transforming growth factor-beta receptor 1 (TGFBR1) signaling in the amelioration of cardiac fibrosis and ventricular function. Read More

Echocardiography 2022 Jun 24. Epub 2022 Jun 24.

Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, USA.

Three-dimensional (3D) echocardiography is an important tool in the evaluation of mitral valve anatomy. We illustrate a case of a 67-year-old female who was admitted for non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and underwent two-vessel coronary artery bypass grafting for surgical disease. Her two-dimensional (2D) echocardiographic images intraoperatively demonstrated a mass on the posterior mitral valve leaflet which created a diagnostic challenge; 3D transesophageal imaging was crucial in identifying the true nature of the pathology to be mitral annular calcification with supra-annular extension. Read More

ERJ Open Res 2022 Apr 20;8(2). Epub 2022 Jun 20.

Graduate Program in Pathology, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, Brazil.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to analyse and quantify the prevalence of six comorbidities from lung cancer screening (LCS) on computed tomography (CT) scans of patients from developing countries.

Methods: For this retrospective study, low-dose CT scans (n=775) were examined from patients who underwent LCS in a tertiary hospital between 2016 and 2020. An age- and sex-matched control group was obtained for comparison (n=370). Read More

Diagnostics (Basel) 2022 Jun 14;12(6). Epub 2022 Jun 14.

Unit of Medical Technology and Intelligent Information Systems, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Ioannina, GR 45110 Ioannina, Greece.

The prediction of obstructive atherosclerotic disease has significant clinical meaning for the decision making. In this study, a machine learning predictive model based on gradient boosting classifier is presented, aiming to identify the patients of high CAD risk and those of low CAD risk. The machine learning methodology includes five steps: the preprocessing of the input data, the class imbalance handling applying the Easy Ensemble algorithm, the recursive feature elimination technique implementation, the implementation of gradient boosting classifier, and finally the model evaluation, while the fine tuning of the presented model was implemented through a randomized search optimization of the model's hyper-parameters over an internal 3-fold cross-validation. Read More

Biomedicines 2022 Jun 2;10(6). Epub 2022 Jun 2.

Centro Cardiologico Monzino IRCCS, 20138 Milan, Italy.

Existing tools to estimate cardiovascular (CV) risk have sub-optimal predictive capacities. In this setting, non-invasive imaging techniques and omics biomarkers could improve risk-prediction models for CV events. This study aimed to identify gene expression patterns in whole blood that could differentiate patients with severe coronary atherosclerosis from subjects with a complete absence of detectable coronary artery disease and to assess associations of gene expression patterns with plaque features in coronary CT angiography (CCTA). Read More

JACC Cardiovasc Interv 2022 Jun 25;15(12):1219-1226. Epub 2022 May 25.

General Hospital of Northern Theater Command, Shenyang, People's Republic of China. Electronic address:

Background: Drug-coated balloons are a safe and effective option for patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention, but prior randomized studies have exclusively used paclitaxel-coated devices.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess for the first time the safety and efficacy of a novel biolimus-coated balloon (BCB) in patients with small-vessel coronary disease.

Methods: In a prospective trial conducted at 10 centers in China, 212 patients with small-vessel native coronary disease (reference vessel diameter 2. Read More

BMJ Open 2022 Jun 23;12(6):e055481. Epub 2022 Jun 23.

Department of Cardiology, Huadong Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, Shanghai, China

Introduction: Coronary CT angiography (CCTA)-derived quantitative flow ratio (CT-QFR) is a novel non-invasive technology to assess the physiological significance of coronary stenoses, which enables fast and on-site computation of fractional flow reserve (FFR) from CCTA images. The objective of this investigator-initiated, prospective, single-centre clinical trial is to evaluate the diagnostic performance of CT-QFR with respect to angiography-derived QFR, using FFR as the reference standard.

Methods And Analysis: A total of 216 patients who have at least one lesion with a diameter stenosis of 30%-90% in an artery with ≥2. Read More

Tomography 2022 Jun 20;8(3):1631-1641. Epub 2022 Jun 20.

Department of Radiology, Malatya Training and Research Hospital, 44330 Malatya, Turkey.

Coronary artery anomalies (CAAs) are rare anatomical variations characterized by abnormal origin, course, or termination of the coronary arteries. This study aims to identify incidental CAAs in patients who underwent multidetector computed tomography coronary angiography (MDCTCA) to determine their incidence and to evaluate whether there is a difference between CAA types in terms of coronary atherosclerotic involvement. For this purpose, patients who underwent MDCTCA between December 2018 and January 2022 were retrospectively assessed. Read More

Ann Med Surg (Lond) 2022 Jun 6;78:103505. Epub 2022 May 6.

Department of Cardiology, Mohammed VI University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Oujda, Mohammed First University, Oujda, Morocco.

Introduction: and importance: Although radiotherapy is a well-known cancer treatment and an important part of the therapeutic strategy for achieving long-term remission or disease control, the radiation-induced heart disease rates are high and may occur years later. This article aims to raise clinician awareness of cardiac side effects that can occur years after radiation therapy. In order to develop effective prevention strategies and improve clinical outcomes. Read More

Front Cardiovasc Med 2022 6;9:889985. Epub 2022 Jun 6.

Department of Human Genetics and South Texas Diabetes and Obesity Institute, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine, Brownsville, TX, United States.

Introduction: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality worldwide and is the leading cause of death in the US. Lipid dysregulation is a well-known precursor to metabolic diseases, including CVD. There is a growing body of literature that suggests MRI-derived epicardial fat volume, or epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) volume, is linked to the development of coronary artery disease. Read More

Methodist Debakey Cardiovasc J 2022 3;18(3):89-93. Epub 2022 Jun 3.

Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas, US.

The articles in our Points to Remember column highlight important "need to know" facts about conditions that cardiovascular healthcare professionals may encounter. These may come from any medical specialty, such as nephrology or neurology. The article in this issue is provided by Swaminathan Perinkulam Sathyanarayanan, MD, Department of Internal Medicine, University of South Dakota, and Smitha Narayana Gowda, MD, and Alpesh Shah, MD, Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center, Houston Methodist. Read More

BMJ Case Rep 2022 Jun 22;15(6). Epub 2022 Jun 22.

Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan.

Pulmonary atresia and ventricular septal defect (PA/VSD) demonstrate a wide variety of pulmonary and coronary artery abnormalities; additionally, coronary-to-pulmonary artery fistula (CPAF) is a rare manifestation of PA/VSD and is seldom detected during pregnancy. In this report, we present a case of prenatal diagnosis of CPAF in PA/VSD and impactful images in a neonate, which were obtained using fetal echocardiography and postnatal electrocardiography-gated 320-row CT. Prenatal diagnosis of CPAF can facilitate the provision of better therapeutic strategies after birth. Read More

Cardiol Ther 2022 Jun 22. Epub 2022 Jun 22.

Department of Medicine, Monash University, Clayton campus, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.

Advances in coronary plaque imaging over the last few decades have led to an increased interest in the identification of novel high-risk plaque features that are associated with cardiovascular events. Existing practices focus on risk stratification and lipid monitoring for primary and secondary prevention of cardiac events, which is limited by a lack of assessment and treatment of vulnerable plaque. In this review, we summarize the multitude of studies that have identified plaque, haemodynamic and patient factors associated with risk of acute coronary syndrome. Read More

Heart Vessels 2022 Jun 21. Epub 2022 Jun 21.

Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, Zhejiang, China.

Hemoptysis is a common clinical emergency, bronchial arterial embolization is considered to be an effective treatment. The presence of coronary artery-bronchial artery fistula (CBF) may lead to recurrence of hemoptysis after treatment. It is necessary to investigate the imaging characteristics of a CBF and its correlation with the severity of pulmonary disease. Read More

Open Heart 2022 Jun;9(1)

Cardiology Department, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicester, UK

Background: Several studies have demonstrated that complete revascularisation improves clinical outcomes in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and multivessel coronary disease. However, the optimal timing of non-culprit lesion revascularisation remains controversial.

Objective: The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess the effect of timing of complete revascularisation on cardiovascular outcomes in patients with STEMI and multivessel coronary artery disease. Read More

N Z Med J 2022 May 20;135(1555):41-47. Epub 2022 May 20.

Department of Cardiology, Waitematā District Health Board, Auckland, New Zealand.

Methods: Patients with SCAD on invasive coronary angiography who underwent a follow-up CTCA between 2010 and 2018 at our institute were included. CTCA was reported by two cardiologists-one with knowledge of the SCAD location, and a second blinded. Assessment of dissection healing were made and optimal timing of CTCA was also calculated. Read More

Circ Cardiovasc Imaging 2022 Jun 21;15(6):e014402. Epub 2022 Jun 21.

Heart Institute (InCor) University of Sao Paulo Medical School Hospital, São Paulo, Brazil. Academic Research Organization Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Circ Cardiovasc Imaging 2022 Jun 21;15(6):e012741. Epub 2022 Jun 21.

Department of Medicine (Division of Artificial Intelligence), Imaging, and Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles (B.K.T., Y.O., L.-H.H., H.G., E.E., J.X.L., D.D., D.S.B., P.J.S.).

Background: Semiquantitative assessment of stress myocardial perfusion defect has been shown to have greater prognostic value for prediction of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) in women compared with men in single-center studies with conventional single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) cameras. We evaluated sex-specific difference in the prognostic value of automated quantification of ischemic total perfusion defect (ITPD) and the interaction between sex and ITPD using high-efficiency SPECT cameras with solid-state detectors in an international multicenter imaging registry (REFINE SPECT [Registry of Fast Myocardial Perfusion Imaging With Next-Generation SPECT]).

Methods: Rest and exercise or pharmacological stress SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging were performed in 17 833 patients from 5 centers. Read More