Assessment Of Myocardial Fibrosis Research Articles

The feasibility and diagnostic value of intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion-weighted imaging in the assessment of myocardial fibrosis in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients

PurposeTo investigate the feasibility and diagnostic value of intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) in the assessment of myocardial fibrosis in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) patients. MethodsFifty-five HCM patients underwent IVIM diffusion-weighted cardiovascular resonance imaging; Cine, T1 mapping, IVIM and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) were performed. The relationship of strain, pre T1, extracellular volume (ECV), IVIM-derived parameters (D, D* and f) and LGE were analyzed based on 16 American Heart Association segments. Abnormal segments of myocardial fibrosis were defined as: the presence of LGE (LGE+) or ECV ≥ 29.6 %. ResultsD parameter was significantly increased in LGE + vs LGE- (1.89 ± 0.14 μm2/ms vs. 1.63 ± 0.12 μm2/ms, p < 0.001) and ECV ≥ 29.6 % vs ECV < 29.6 % (1.84 ± 0.13 μm2/ms vs. 1.61 ± 0.12 μm2/ms, p < 0.001), respectively. D* and f parameters were significantly decreased in LGE + vs LGE- (D*: 34.9 ± 6.6 μm2/m vs 55.2 ± 11.4 μm2/m, p < 0.001; f: 10.8 ± 1.29 % vs 12.5 ± 1.26 %, p < 0.001) and ECV ≥ 29.6 % vs ECV < 29.6 % (D*: 37.5 ± 6.9 μm2/m vs 59.6 ± 9.2 μm2/m, p < 0.001; f: 10.9 ± 1.1 % vs 13.00 ± 1.0 %, p = 0.021), respectively. Moreover, significant correlations were demonstrated between D and ECV, as well as D* and f. Conclusions: IVIM DW-CMR has proven to be ingenious in the investigation of myocardial fibrosis; D* and f parameters may have potential value to assess the perfusion status of fibrotic regions in HCM patients.

Quantification of extracellular volume fraction by cardiac computed tomography for noninvasive assessment of myocardial fibrosis in hemodialysis patients

Extent of myocardial fibrosis in hemodialysis patients has been associated with poor prognosis. Myocardial extracellular volume (ECV) quantification using contrast enhanced cardiac computed tomography (CT) is a novel method to determine extent of myocardial fibrosis. Cardiac CT-based myocardial ECV in hemodialysis patients with those of propensity-matched non-hemodialysis control subjects were compared. Twenty hemodialysis patients (mean age, 67.4 ± 9.6 years; 80% male) and 20 propensity-matched non-hemodialysis controls (mean age, 66.3 ± 9.1 years; 85% male) who underwent comprehensive cardiac CT consisted of calcium scoring, coronary CT angiography, stress perfusion CT and delayed enhancement CT were evaluated. Myocardial ECV was significantly greater in the hemodialysis group than in the control group (33.8 ± 4.7% versus 26.6 ± 2.9%; P < 0.0001). In the hemodialysis group, modest correlation was evident between myocardial ECV and left atrial volume index (r = 0.54; P = 0.01), while there was no correlation between myocardial ECV and other cardiac parameters including left ventricular mass index and severity of myocardial ischemia. Cardiac CT-based myocardial ECV may offer a potential imaging biomarker for myocardial fibrosis in HD patients.

Role of collagen turnover biomarkers in the noninvasive assessment of myocardial fibrosis: an update.

The pro-fibrotic milieu, as the result of the extracellular matrix remodeling, is a central feature in the pathophysiology of heart disease and contributes to its high morbidity and mortality. Fibrosis is a recognized risk factor for development of heart failure and arrythmias and is usually detected by cardiac magnetic resonance or endomyocardial biopsy. Collagen type I and type III are major components of the collagen network, and the assessment of their derived biomarkers could serve as estimate of the myocardial fibrotic content. This reviewsummarizes data from numerous studies in which these biomarkers have proven their diagnostic and prognostic utility, setting the stage for further randomized clinical trialsthat might translate into early implementation of antifibrotic therapies.

Imaging tools for assessment of myocardial fibrosis in humans: the need for greater detail.

Myocardial fibrosis is recognized as a key pathological process in the development of cardiac disease and a target for future therapeutics. Despite this recognition, the assessment of fibrosis is not a part of routine clinical practice. This is primarily due to the difficulties in obtaining an accurate assessment of fibrosis non-invasively. Moreover, there is a clear discrepancy between the understandings of myocardial fibrosis clinically where fibrosis is predominately studied with comparatively low-resolution medical imaging technologies like MRI compared with the basic science laboratories where fibrosis can be visualized invasively with high resolution using molecularly specific fluorescence microscopes at the microscopic and nanoscopic scales. In this article, we will first review current medical imaging technologies for assessing fibrosis including echo and MRI. We will then highlight the need for greater microscopic and nanoscopic analysis of human tissue and how this can be addressed through greater utilization of human tissue available through endomyocardial biopsies and cardiac surgeries. We will then describe the relatively new field of molecular imaging that promises to translate research findings to the clinical practice by non-invasively monitoring the molecular signature of fibrosis in patients.

Left Ventricular Dimension after Mitral Valve Surgery in Rheumatic Mitral Stenosis: The Impact of Myocardial Fibrosis.

Background: Patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis (MS) experience changes in left ventricular (LV) dimensions after mitral valve surgery. We sought to investigate changes in LV dimensional parameters after mitral valve surgery and find out whether the same changes occurred in different extents of myocardial fibrosis. Methods: This prospective observational study comprised 43 patients with rheumatic MS planned for mitral valve surgery between October 2017 and April 2018 in National Cardiovascular Center Harapan Kita (NCCHK) Jakarta. All the patients underwent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging based on the late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) protocol for myocardial fibrosis assessment prior to surgery. The patients were classified according to the estimated fibrosis volume considered to influence hemodynamic performance (myocardial fibrosis <5% and myocardial fibrosis ≥5%). Serial transthoracic echocardiographic examinations before and after surgery were performed to detect changes in LV dimensional parameters. Results: This study consisted of 31 (72.1%) women and 12 (27.9%) men at a mean age of 46±9 years. The LGE protocol revealed myocardial fibrosis of less than 5% in 32 (74.4%) patients. A significant increase was detected in the LV end-diastolic diameter postoperatively, specifically in the patients with myocardial fibrosis of less than 5% (44.0±4.8 mm vs 46.6±5.6 mm; P value=0.027). A similar significant increase was not found in the other group (45.0±6.6 mm vs 46.7±6.9 mm; P value=0.256). Other changes in echocardiographic parameters showed similar patterns in both groups. Conclusion: Our patients with rheumatic MS who had myocardial fibrosis of less than 5% demonstrated better improvements in terms of increased preload. Myocardial fibrosis of less than 5% is associated with more favorable improvements in LV geometry.

Associations between Cardiac Magnetic Resonance T1 Mapping Parameters and Ventricular Arrhythmia in Patients with Chagas Disease.

Chronic Chagas disease can progress to myocardial involvement with intense fibrosis, which may predispose patients to sudden cardiac death through ventricular arrhythmia. The associations of myocardial fibrosis detected by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) parameters with non-sustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT) were evaluated. This cross-sectional study included patients in early stages of Chagas disease (n = 47) and a control group (n = 15). Patients underwent cardiac evaluation, including CMR examination. Myocardial fibrosis assessment by CMR with measurement of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE), native T1, and extracellular volume (ECV) was performed. There was an increase in myocardial fibrosis CMR parameters and ventricular arrhythmias among different stages of Chagas disease, combined with a decrease in the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) by CMR and also in the right ventricular systolic function by S' wave on tissue Doppler. Fibrosis mass and ECV were associated with the Rassi score, ventricular extrasystole, and E/e' ratio in a logistic regression model adjusted for age and gender. The ECV maintained an association with the presence of NSVT, even after adjustments for fibrosis mass and LVEF assessed by CMR. The receiver-operating characteristic area under the curve for global ECV (0.85; 95% CI: 0.71-0.99) and NSVT was greater than that for fibrosis mass (0.75; 95% CI: 0.54-0.96), although this difference was not statistically significant. Extracellular volume could be an early marker of increased risk of ventricular arrhythmia in Chagas disease, presenting an independent association with NSVT in the initial stages of chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy, even after adjustment for fibrosis mass and LVEF.

Estimation of total collagen volume: a T1 mapping versus histological comparison study in healthy Landrace pigs

Right ventricular biopsy represents the gold standard for the assessment of myocardial fibrosis and collagen content. This invasive technique, however, is accompanied by perioperative complications and poor reproducibility. Extracellular volume (ECV) measured through cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) has emerged as a valid surrogate method to assess fibrosis non-invasively. Nonetheless, ECV provides an overestimation of collagen concentration since it also considers interstitial space. Our study aims to investigate the feasibility of estimating total collagen volume (TCV) through CMR by comparing it with the TCV measured at histology. Seven healthy Landrace pigs were acutely instrumented closed-chest and transported to the MRI facility for measurements. For each protocol, CMR imaging at 3T was acquired. MEDIS software was used to analyze T1 mapping and ECV for both the left ventricular myocardium (LVmyo) and left ventricular septum (LVseptum). ECV was then used to estimate TCVCMR at LVmyo and LVseptum following previously published formulas. Tissues were prepared following an established protocol and stained with picrosirius red to analyze the TCVhisto in LVmyo and LVseptum. TCV measured at LVmyo and LVseptum with both histology (8 ± 5 ml and 7 ± 3 ml, respectively) and T1-Mapping (9 ± 5 ml and 8 ± 6 ml, respectively) did not show any regional differences. TCVhisto and TCVCMR showed a good level of data agreement by Bland–Altman analysis. Estimation of TCV through CMR may be a promising way to non-invasively assess myocardial collagen content and may be useful to track disease progression or treatment response.

Roles of Biomarkers in Myocardial Fibrosis.

Myocardial fibrosis is observed in various cardiovascular diseases and plays a key role in the impairment of cardiac function. Endomyocardial biopsy, as the gold standard for the diagnosis of myocardial fibrosis, has limitations in terms of clinical application. Therefore, biomarkers have been recommended for noninvasive assessment of myocardial fibrosis. This review discusses the role of biomarkers in myocardial fibrosis from the perspective of collagen.

P3117Usefulness of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging for early detection of subclinical chemotherapy-related cardiac dysfunction in cancer patients

Abstract Background Long-term prognosis of cancer patients has been improved along with the progress in chemotherapies. However, chemotherapy-related cardiac dysfunction (CTRCD) is emerging as a serious adverse effect as it worsens patients' outcome and quality of life. Thus, early detection of subclinical CTRCD is an important emerging issue in the management of cancer patients. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) utilizes parametric mapping approach and strain analysis to provide detailed information about cardiac tissue and diastolic cardiac function. Purpose We examined whether the novel CMR imaging techniques are useful for early detection of CTRCD. Methods and results We performed both retrospective and prospective studies. (1) Retrospective study: We retrospectively enrolled 52 cancer patients (mean age 55.6±13 yrs., M/F=14/38) who had been treated with anthracyclines. We examined the usefulness of CMR for quantitative assessment of myocardial fibrosis caused by chemotherapies. We found that native T1 value was significantly prolonged in cancer patients compared with healthy controls (N=10) (1,279±56 vs. 1,240±34 msec, P=0.036). (2) Prospective study: A total of 99 consecutive female patients with breast cancer treated with chemotherapies were enrolled in this study from August 2017 to January 2019. To evaluate CTRCD in those patients, we performed CMR (at baseline and/or 6 months) and biomarkers analysis for cardiac troponin T (cTnT) and BNP at baseline and every 3 months during chemotherapies. In the 99 patients, 52 (mean age 53.0±12.7 yrs.) completed cardiac assessment at 6 months, and 6 (12%) developed CTRCD defined as a reduction in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) &gt;10% from baseline and below 53% without symptoms. In patients with CTRCD (CTRCD group, N=6), as compared with those without it (non-CTRCD group, N=46), native T1 value was significantly prolonged after chemotherapies (1,303±32 vs. 1,322±22 msec at 6 months, P=0.03). Plasma cTnT levels at 3 months were also significantly higher in the CTRCD group compared with the non-CTRCD group [0.022 (IQR 0.015–0.026) vs. 0.01 (0.006–0.014) ng/mL, P=0.024], whereas there was no difference in BNP values. In the 52 patients, 28 (mean age 56.3±12.3 yrs.) underwent CMR both before and 6 months after chemotherapies. In those patients, LVEF and global radial strain were significantly decreased at 6 months from baseline (LVEF, from 70.5±4.6 to 66.0±7.1%; global radial strain, from 70.0±22.5 to 61.1±22.6%, respectively, both P&lt;0.05). In patients with elevated cTnT levels at 3 months, as compared with those without it, LVEF and extracellular volume fraction (ECV) at 6 months were significantly worse (LVEF, 59.0±6.0 vs. 62.7±2.6%, P=0.042; ECV, 32.3±2.9 vs. 30.2±2.3%, P=0.049, respectively). Conclusions These results indicate that novel CMR imaging techniques are useful for early detection of CTRCD among cancer patients treated with chemotherapies.

Prognostic Value of Late Gadolinium Enhancement in Postoperative Morbidity following Mitral Valve Surgery in Rheumatic Mitral Stenosis.

Myocardial fibrosis in rheumatic mitral stenosis (MS) is caused by chronic inflammatory process. Its occurrence may lead to hemodynamic problems, especially after cardiac surgery. Myocardial fibrosis predicts worse morbidity after cardiac surgery, notably in coronary heart disease and aortic valve abnormalities. However, this issue has not been explored yet among patients with rheumatic MS. The aim of the study was to investigate prognostic impact of myocardial fibrosis to postoperative morbidity after mitral valve surgery in patients with rheumatic MS. This is a prospectively enrolled observational study of 47 consecutive rheumatic MS patients. All patients had preoperative evaluation with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) including late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) protocol for left ventricular myocardial fibrosis assessment prior to mitral valve surgery. All patients were followed during hospitalization period. Postoperative morbidities were defined as stroke, renal failure, and prolonged mechanical ventilation. This study involved 33 women (70.2%) and 14 men (29.8%) with a mean age of 46 ± 10 years. Preoperative myocardial fibrosis was identified in 43 patients (91.5%). Estimated fibrosis volume ranged from 0% to 12.8% (median 2.8%). Postoperative morbidities occurred in 11 patients (23.4%). Significant mean difference of myocardial fibrosis volume was observed between patients with and without morbidity after mitral valve surgery (5.97 ± 4.16% and 3.12 ± 2.62%, p = 0.04). This significant association was allegedly influenced by different postoperative hemodynamic changes between the two groups. More extensive myocardial fibrosis is associated with postoperative morbiditiy after mitral valve surgery in patients with rheumatic MS.

Exercise-induced Changes in Soluble ST2 Concentrations in Marathon Runners.

ABSTRACTPurposePrevious studies have suggested that extreme endurance exercise may induce cardiac microdamage that could lead to subsequent myocardial fibrosis. Soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (sST2) is a cardiac biomarker for assessment of myocardial fibrosis, inflammation, and strain. We evaluated baseline and exercise-induced sST2 concentrations in a heterogeneous cohort of marathon runners to identify predictors for sST2 concentrations.MethodsNinety-two runners supplied demographic data, health status, physical activity levels, and marathon experience. Before (baseline) and immediately after (finish) the marathon, blood was collected for analysis of sST2 and cardiac troponin I (cTnI).ResultsEighty-two participants (45 ± 8 yr, 79% male) finished the race in 227 ± 28 min at 92% (88%–94%) of their predicted maximum heart rate (exercise intensity). sST2 concentrations increased in all runners, from 34 (25–46) ng·mL−1 to 70 (53–87) ng·mL−1 (P < 0.001), and cTnI increased from 9 (5–21) ng·L−1 to 60 (34–102) ng·L−1 (P < 0.001). sST2 concentrations were higher in the fastest marathon runners. Sex and marathon personal best time were associated with baseline sST2 (R2 = 0.27); baseline sST2, weight loss, and exercise intensity during marathon were associated with finish sST2 (R2 = 0.54); baseline sST2, height, sex, and weekly training hours were associated with the exercise-induced increase in sST2 (R2 = 0.47). We observed no association between sST2 and cTnI concentrations.ConclusionAn exercise-induced increase in sST2 was observed in all marathon runners with sST2 concentrations exceeding cutoff values both at baseline (48%) and finish (94%). Faster runners had higher sST2 concentrations. Our data suggest complex variables determine sST2 concentrations in marathon runners.

MRI Assessment of Myocardial Fibrosis Associated With Monocyte Phenotype in End Stage Renal Failure

MRI Assessment of Myocardial Fibrosis Associated With Monocyte Phenotype in End Stage Renal Failure

Diffuse myocardial fibrosis in adolescents operated with arterial switch for transposition of the great arteries - A CMR study

Diffuse myocardial fibrosis in adolescents operated with arterial switch for transposition of the great arteries - A CMR study

Assessment of myocardial fibrosis by late gadolinium enhancement imaging and biomarkers of collagen metabolism in chronic rheumatic mitral regurgitation.

SummaryBackgroundIn chronic rheumatic mitral regurgitation (CRMR), involvement of the myocardium in the rheumatic process has been controversial. Therefore, we sought to study the presence of fibrosis using late gadolinium enhancement cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (LGE–CMR) and biomarkers of collagen turnover in CRMR. MethodsTwenty–two patients with CRMR underwent CMR and echocardiography. Serum concentrations of matrix metalloproteinase– 1 (MMP–1), tissue inhibitor of MMP–1 (TIMP– 1), MMP–1–to–TIMP–1 ratio, procollagen III N–terminal pro–peptide (PIIINP) and procollagen type IC peptide (PIP) were measured. ResultsFour patients had fibrosis on LGE–CMR. PIP and PIIINP concentrations were similar to those of the controls, however MMP–1 concentration was increased compared to that of the controls (log MMP–1 3.5 ± 0.7 vs 2.7 ± 0.9, p = 0.02). There was increased MMP–1 activity as the MMP–1–to– TIMP–1 ratio was higher in CRMR patients compared to the controls (–1.2 ± 0.6 vs –2.1 ± 0.89, p = 0.002). ConclusionMyocardial fibrosis was rare in CRMR patients. CRMR is likely a disease characterised by the predominance of collagen degradation rather than increased synthesis and myocardial fibrosis.

The Incremental Role of Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging as Diagnostic and Prognostic Tool in Cardiovascular Diseases

Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging offers incremental value as diagnostic and prognostic tool in a wide range of cardiac diseases in front of the traditional non-invasive imaging techniques. Tissue characterization with and without non-nephrotoxic contrast-media offers the opportunity of precise assessment of myocardial fibrosis, edema and fatty infiltration. The quantitative assessment of myocardial mass, left and right ventricular volumes is considered a gold standard reference with important effects on clinical decision making and cost effectiveness ratio. The recent introduction of new sequences for mapping tissue resonance signal and myocardial strain will improve the diagnostic and prognostic accuracy for cardiovascular diseases.

Comparison of fast multi-slice and standard segmented techniques for detection of late gadolinium enhancement in ischemic and non-ischemic cardiomyopathy \u2013 a prospective clinical cardiovascular magnetic resonance trial

BackgroundSegmented phase-sensitive inversion recovery (PSIR) cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) sequences are reference standard for non-invasive evaluation of myocardial fibrosis using late gadolinium enhancement (LGE). Several multi-slice LGE sequences have been introduced for faster acquisition in patients with arrhythmia and insufficient breathhold capability.The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of several multi-slice LGE sequences to detect and quantify myocardial fibrosis in patients with ischemic and non-ischemic myocardial disease.MethodsPatients with known or suspected LGE due to chronic infarction, inflammatory myocardial disease and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) were prospectively recruited. LGE images were acquired 10–20 min after administration of 0.2 mmol/kg gadolinium-based contrast agent. Three different LGE sequences were acquired: a segmented, single-slice/single-breath-hold fast low angle shot PSIR sequence (FLASH-PSIR), a multi-slice balanced steady-state free precession inversion recovery sequence (bSSFP-IR) and a multi-slice bSSFP-PSIR sequence during breathhold and free breathing. Image quality was evaluated with a 4-point scoring system. Contrast-to-noise ratios (CNR) and acquisition time were evaluated. LGE was quantitatively assessed using a semi-automated threshold method. Differences in size of fibrosis were analyzed using Bland-Altman analysis.ResultsThree hundred twelve patients were enrolled (n = 212 chronic infarction, n = 47 inflammatory myocardial disease, n = 53 HCM) Of which 201 patients (67,4%) had detectable LGE (n = 143 with chronic infarction, n = 27 with inflammatory heart disease and n = 31 with HCM). Image quality and CNR were best on multi-slice bSSFP-PSIR. Acquisition times were significantly shorter for all multi-slice sequences (bSSFP-IR: 23.4 ± 7.2 s; bSSFP-PSIR: 21.9 ± 6.4 s) as compared to FLASH-PSIR (361.5 ± 95.33 s). There was no significant difference of mean LGE size for all sequences in all study groups (FLASH-PSIR: 8.96 ± 10.64 g; bSSFP-IR: 8.69 ± 10.75 g; bSSFP-PSIR: 9.05 ± 10.84 g; bSSFP-PSIR free breathing: 8.85 ± 10.71 g, p > 0.05).LGE size was not affected by arrhythmia or absence of breathhold on multi-slice LGE sequences.ConclusionsFast multi-slice and standard segmented LGE sequences are equivalent techniques for the assessment of myocardial fibrosis, independent of an ischemic or non-ischemic etiology. Even in patients with arrhythmia and insufficient breathhold capability, multi-slice sequences yield excellent image quality at significantly reduced scan time and may be used as standard LGE approach.Trial registrationISRCTN48802295 (retrospectively registered).

P6337Extracellular volume fraction for the assessment of myocardial fibrosis in patients with low-flow and low-gradient aortic stenosis with low ejection fraction

P6337Extracellular volume fraction for the assessment of myocardial fibrosis in patients with low-flow and low-gradient aortic stenosis with low ejection fraction

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging to assess myocardial fibrosis in valvular heart disease

The left ventricular (LV) remodeling process associated with significant valvular heart disease (VHD) is characterized by an increase of myocardial interstitial space with deposition of collagen and loss of myofibers. These changes occur before LV systolic function deteriorates or the patient develops symptoms. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) permits assessment of reactive fibrosis, with the use of T1 mapping techniques, and replacement fibrosis, with the use of late gadolinium contrast enhancement. In addition, functional consequences of these structural changes can be evaluated with myocardial tagging and feature tracking CMR, which assess the active deformation (strain) of the LV myocardium. Several studies have demonstrated that CMR techniques may be more sensitive than the conventional measures (LV ejection fraction or LV dimensions) to detect these structural and functional changes in patients with severe left-sided VHD and have shown that myocardial fibrosis may not be reversible after valve surgery. More important, the presence of myocardial fibrosis has been associated with lesser improvement in clinical symptoms and recovery of LV systolic function. Whether assessment of myocardial fibrosis may better select the patients with severe left-sided VHD who may benefit from surgery in terms of LV function and clinical symptoms improvement needs to be demonstrated in prospective studies. The present review article summarizes the current status of CMR techniques to assess myocardial fibrosis and appraises the current evidence on the use of these techniques for risk stratification of patients with severe aortic stenosis or regurgitation and mitral regurgitation.

Abstract 12512: Combination of Global Longitudinal Strain and Late Gadolinium Enhancement Predicts Improvement of Systolic Function After Aortic Valve Replacement in Patients With Severe Aortic Stenosis

Introduction: Myocardial fibrosis correlates with post-operative prognosis in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS). There were a few reports that global longitudinal strain (GLS) by echocardiography decreased and correlated with myocardial fibrosis and/or late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) by MRI in patients with AS. However, it remains unclear whether GLS and LGE are possible to predict improvement of myocardial function after aortic valve replacement (AVR). Hypothesis: The combination of GLS and LGE identify the systolic dysfunction including myocardial fibrosis in severe AS, and predicts the improvement of systolic function after AVR. Methods: In 27 patients with severe AS before AVR, we examined GLS by 2D speckle tracking echocardiography and LGE by MRI for assessment of myocardial fibrosis, i.e., LGEcore(g): &gt;mean of normal area +5SD, LGEgray(g): mean of normal area +2~5SD, and LGEcore+gray(g): LGEcore+LGEgray. In addition, fibrosis index (FI, %), as the percentage of fibrosis in myocardial specimen, was calculated in 11 patients. We evaluated the relationship among the GLS, the LGEs and the FI. Moreover, at 1 year after AVR, we assessed which indices in pre-operative period related to the improvement of GLS. Results: The mean values of indices were: GLS -15.6±0.9%, LGEcore 5.0±1.3g (4.5±1.2%), LGEgray 12.5±1.9g (11.5±1.4%), LGEcore+gray 17.5±3.0g (16.1±2.4%) and FI 7.1±1.4%. The FI related with the GLS (R=0.60, P&lt;0.05), the LGEcore (R=0.58, P&lt;0.05), and the LGEcore+gray (R=0.54, P&lt;0.05). On the other hand, the GLS related to the LGEcore (R=0.50, P&lt;0.05), LGEgray (R=0.52, P&lt;0.05) and the LGEcore+gray (R=0.60, P&lt;0.01). After AVR, the GLS was significantly improved (-15.0±1.2 to -18.6±1.1%, P&lt;0.05). The LGE core before AVR was significantly smaller in the improvement group (GLS≥-19.0%) than the un-improvement group (GLS&lt;-19.0%) (1.3±0.4 vs 7.1±2.5g, P&lt;0.05). Conclusions: In patients with severe AS, GLS before AVR related with the mild to severe myocardial fibrosis. Moreover, the patients with severe fibrosis did not show the improvement of GLS in follow-up period. The combination of GLS and LGE will identify the potential systolic dysfunction including myocardial fibrosis, and predicts the improvement of systolic function after AVR.

Assessment of Myocardial Fibrosis in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy by Cardiac Magnetic Resonance: Modalities and Clinical Applications

&lt;p&gt;Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a primary myocardial disease caused by mutations in sarcomeric contractile proteins, characterized by cardiomyocytes disarray, interstitial fibrosis, increased arteriolar wall thickness and scarring.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Fibrosis could represent a substrate for the generation of malignant ventricular tachyarrhythmias, which represent the current pathway for sudden cardiac death and is responsible for passive diastolic dysfunction, that is the leading cause of dyspnea.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The aim of this review is to depict the increasingly role of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) for assessment of myocardial fibrosis in HCM. This article will briefly review the current status of the novel CMR techniques (the Late Gadolinium Enhancement and the emerging T1 mapping) for identification, characterization and quantization of myocardial fibrosis in HCM.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In addition, this review will discuss the most recent acquisition techniques, the new parameters and their possible clinical utility in diagnosis, therapeutic management and prognosis in HCM.&lt;/p&gt;