Imaging Of Pulmonary Hypertension Research Articles

Magnetic resonance imaging in pulmonary hypertension: an overview of current applications and future perspectives.

Pulmonary hypertension is an heterogeneous group of diseases characterised by increased pulmonary arterial pressures which impact on the upstream right ventricle. Pulmonary hypertension can be challenging to diagnose, classify and monitor when specific therapies are applicable. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging has greatly evolved in the last decades and is a promising tool to non-invasively follow pulmonary hypertension patients. CMR provides a comprehensive evaluation of the heart and is therefore the gold standard for quantification of right ventricular volumes, mass and function, which are critical for pulmonary hypertension prognosis. In addition, innovative MR techniques allow an increasingly precise evaluation of pulmonary haemodynamics and lung perfusion. This review highlights the main advantages offered by CMR in pulmonary hypertension and gives an overview of putative future applications. Although right heart catheterisation remains mandatory in the diagnostic algorithm, CMR could play an increasingly important role in the coming years in monitoring pulmonary hypertension patients.

A Clinical Approach to Multimodality Imaging in Pulmonary Hypertension.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a clinical condition characterized by progressive elevations in mean pulmonary artery pressures and right ventricular dysfunction, associated with significant morbidity and mortality. For resting PH to develop, ~50–70% of the pulmonary vasculature must be affected, suggesting that even mild hemodynamic abnormalities are representative of advanced pulmonary vascular disease. The definitive diagnosis of PH is based upon hemodynamics measured by right heart catheterization; however this is an invasive and resource intense study. Early identification of pulmonary vascular disease offers the opportunity to improve outcomes by instituting therapies that slow, reverse, or potentially prevent this devastating disease. Multimodality imaging, including non-invasive modalities such as echocardiography, computed tomography, ventilation perfusion scans, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, has emerged as an integral tool for screening, classifying, prognosticating, and monitoring response to therapy in PH. Additionally, novel imaging modalities such as echocardiographic strain imaging, 3D echocardiography, dual energy CT, FDG-PET, and 4D flow MRI are actively being investigated to assess the severity of right ventricular dysfunction in PH. In this review, we will describe the utility and clinical application of multimodality imaging techniques across PH subtypes as it pertains to screening and monitoring of PH.

Diagnostic test accuracy of artificial intelligence analysis of cross-sectional imaging in pulmonary hypertension: a systematic literature review.

To undertake the first systematic review examining the performance of artificial intelligence (AI) applied to cross-sectional imaging for the diagnosis of acquired pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Searches of Medline, Embase and Web of Science were undertaken on 1 July 2020. Original publications studying AI applied to cross-sectional imaging for the diagnosis of acquired PAH in adults were identified through two-staged double-blinded review. Study quality was assessed using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies and Checklist for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine frameworks. Narrative synthesis was undertaken following Synthesis Without Meta-Analysis guidelines. This review received no funding and was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (ID:CRD42020196295). Searches returned 476 citations. Three retrospective observational studies, published between 2016 and 2020, were selected for data-extraction. Two methods applied to cardiac-MRI demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy, with the best model achieving AUC=0.90 (95% CI: 0.85-0.93), 89% sensitivity and 81% specificity. Stronger results were achieved using cardiac-MRI for classification of idiopathic PAH, achieving AUC=0.97 (95% CI: 0.89-1.0), 96% sensitivity and 87% specificity. One study reporting CT-based AI demonstrated lower accuracy, with 64.6% sensitivity and 97.0% specificity. Automated methods for identifying PAH on cardiac-MRI are emerging with high diagnostic accuracy. AI applied to cross-sectional imaging may provide non-invasive support to reduce diagnostic delay in PAH. This would be helped by stronger solutions in other modalities. There is a significant shortage of research in this important area. Early detection of PAH would be supported by further research advances on the promising emerging technologies identified.

The role of imaging in pulmonary hypertension.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a debilitating and potentially life threatening condition in which increased pressure in the pulmonary arteries may result from a variety of pathological processes. These can include disease primarily involving the pulmonary vasculature, but more commonly PH may result from left-sided heart disease, including valvular heart disease. Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is an important disease to identify because it may be amenable to surgical pulmonary artery endarterectomy or balloon pulmonary angioplasty. Parenchymal lung diseases are also widespread in the community. Any of these disease processes may result in adverse remodeling of the right ventricle and progressive right heart (RH) failure as a common final pathway. Because of the breadth of pathological processes which cause PH, multiple imaging modalities play vital roles in ensuring accurate diagnosis and classification, which will lead to application of the most appropriate therapy. Multimodality imaging may also provide important prognostic information and has a role in the assessment of response to therapies which ultimately dictate clinical outcomes. This review provides an overview of the wide variety of established imaging techniques currently in use, but also examines many of the novel imaging techniques which may be increasingly utilized in the future to guide comprehensive care of patients with PH.

Imaging of Pulmonary Hypertension in Adults: A Position Paper from the Fleischner Society.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is defined by a mean pulmonary artery pressure greater than 20 mm Hg and classified into five different groups sharing similar pathophysiologic mechanisms, hemodynamic characteristics, and therapeutic management. Radiologists play a key role in the multidisciplinary assessment and management of PH. A working group was formed from within the Fleischner Society based on expertise in the imaging and/or management of patients with PH, as well as experience with methodologies of systematic reviews. The working group identified key questions focusing on the utility of CT, MRI, and nuclear medicine in the evaluation of PH: (a) Is noninvasive imaging capable of identifying PH? (b) What is the role of imaging in establishing the cause of PH? (c) How does imaging determine the severity and complications of PH? (d) How should imaging be used to assess chronic thromboembolic PH before treatment? (e) Should imaging be performed after treatment of PH? This systematic review and position paper highlights the key role of imaging in the recognition, work-up, treatment planning, and follow-up of PH. This article is a simultaneous joint publication in Radiology and European Respiratory Journal. The articles are identical except for stylistic changes in keeping with each journal's style. Either version may be used in citing this article. © 2021 RSNA and the European Respiratory Society. Online supplemental material is available for this article.

Imaging of pulmonary hypertension in adults: a position paper from the Fleischner Society.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is defined by a mean pulmonary artery pressure greater than 20 mmHg and classified into five different groups sharing similar pathophysiologic mechanisms, haemodynamic characteristics, and therapeutic management. Radiologists play a key role in the multidisciplinary assessment and management of PH. A working group was formed from within the Fleischner Society based on expertise in the imaging and/or management of patients with PH, as well as experience with methodologies of systematic reviews. The working group identified key questions focusing on the utility of CT, MRI, and nuclear medicine in the evaluation of PH: a) Is noninvasive imaging capable of identifying PH? b) What is the role of imaging in establishing the cause of PH? c) How does imaging determine the severity and complications of PH? d) How should imaging be used to assess chronic thromboembolic PH before treatment? e) Should imaging be performed after treatment of PH? This systematic review and position paper highlights the key role of imaging in the recognition, work-up, treatment planning, and follow-up of PH.

Multimodality Imaging of Pulmonary Hypertension

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a complex, progressive abnormal physiologic and hemodynamic state seen in many conditions. The purpose of this review is to discuss the updated clinical and hemodynamic classification systems and diagnostic criteria of PH, discuss the role of noninvasive imaging for diagnosing PH, and outline a diagnostic pathway to facilitate targeted therapies. PH is defined as a mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) > 20 mmHg since the sixth World Symposium on Pulmonary Hypertension (WSPH) in 2018, a lower threshold than the longstanding definition of mPAP > 25 mmHg. Additionally, in 2018, Truong et al. established a four-tier classification for the diagnosis of PH based upon the degree of main pulmonary artery enlargement on computed tomography, whereby the likelihood of PH increases with increasing tier severity. Other noninvasive modalities, particularly echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR), aid in prognostication of PH and drive clinical decision-making and treatment strategies. Multimodality imaging is paramount in the screening, diagnosis, and management of PH by providing anatomical, physiologic, functional, and prognostic information. Cumulative findings on echocardiography, ventilation/perfusion scintigraphy, computed tomography, and CMR imaging can often identify the etiology of PH and provide insight into pathophysiology and disease stage.

Pulmonary Hypertension Roundtable: The Present and Future of Imaging in Pulmonary Hypertension

This fall, Guest Editors Jeffrey D. Edelman, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Washington in Seattle, and Harrison W. Farber, MD, Professor of Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, Massachusetts, convened a panel of experts to discuss the role of imaging in pulmonary hypertension. Guests included Benjamin H. Freed, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, Illinois; Paul Hassoun, MD, Director of the Pulmonary Hypertension Program and Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University Department of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland; Peter Leary, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine and Director of the Pulmonary Vascular Disease Program at the University of Washington in Seattle; Sudhakar N.J. Pipavath, MD, Professor of Cardiothoracic Imaging and Adjunct Professor of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep Medicine and Medicine at the University of Washington in Seattle; and Anjali Vaidya, MD, FACC, FASE, FACP, Associate Professor of Medicine and Co-Director, Pulmonary Hypertension, Right Heart Failure and CTEPH Program at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Future of Imaging in Pulmonary Hypertension: Better Assessment of Structure, Function, and Flow

Cardiovascular imaging is essential in the evaluation and management of patients with pulmonary hypertension. Echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging, in particular, provide basic measurements of pulmonary pressure and right ventricular function, but current technology allows for a much more comprehensive assessment. Many of these advancements have the potential to enhance risk stratification and provide additional phenotypic data that may strengthen or alter the therapeutic approach. This review will highlight multiple novel techniques from various imaging modalities and how this information can be applied in clinical practice.

Multimodality Imaging of Pulmonary Hypertension

Multimodality Imaging of Pulmonary Hypertension

Imaging of Pulmonary Hypertension: Pictorial Essay

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is an end result of a diverse array of complex clinical conditions that invoke hemodynamic and pathophysiological changes in the pulmonary vasculature. Many patients' symptoms begin with dyspnea on exertion for which screening tests such as chest roentgenograms and more definitive noninvasive tests such as CT scans are ordered initially. It is imperative that clinicians are cognizant of subtle clues on these imaging modalities that alert them to the possibility of PH. These clues may serve as a stepping stone towards more advanced noninvasive (echocardiogram) and invasive (right heart catheterization) testing. On the CT scan, the signs are classified into mediastinal and lung parenchymal abnormalities. In addition to suspecting the diagnosis of PH, this paper provides a pictorial essay to guide health care professionals in identifying the etiology of PH. This paper also provides concrete definitions, wherever possible, of what constitutes abnormalities in PH, such as dilated pulmonary arteries, pruning of vessels, and increased thickness of free wall of the right ventricle. The sensitivities and specificities of each sign are enumerated. The common radiographic and clinical features of many different etiologies of PH are tabulated for the convenience of the readers. Some newer imaging modalities such as dual-energy CT of the chest that hold promise for the future are also described.

Advanced imaging in pulmonary hypertension: emerging techniques and applications.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a pathophysiological disorder defined by an increase in pulmonary arterial pressure which can occur in multiple clinical conditions. Irrespective of etiology, PH entails a negative impact on exercise capacity and quality of life, and is associated with high mortality particularly in pulmonary arterial hypertension. Noninvasive imaging techniques play an important role in suggesting the presence of PH, providing noninvasive pulmonary pressure measurements, classifying the group of PH, identifying a possibly underlying disease, providing prognostic information and assessing response to treatment. While echocardiography, computed tomography (CT) and ventilation/perfusion scans are an integral part of routine work-up of patients with suspected PH according to current guidelines and across centers, innovative new techniques and applications in the field of PH such as 3D echocardiography, dual-energy CT, 4D flow magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), T1 and extracellular volume fraction mapping, non-contrast-enhanced MRI sequences for perfusion and ventilation assessment, and molecular-targeted positron emission tomography are emerging. This review discusses advanced and emerging imaging techniques in diagnosis, prognostic evaluation and follow-up of patients with PH.

Imaging of pulmonary hypertension: an update.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is characterized by elevated pulmonary arterial pressure caused by a broad spectrum of congenital and acquired disease processes, which are currently divided into five groups based on the 2013 WHO classification. Imaging plays an important role in the evaluation and management of PH, including diagnosis, establishing etiology, quantification, prognostication and assessment of response to therapy. Multiple imaging modalities are available, including radiographs, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), nuclear medicine, echocardiography and invasive catheter angiography (ICA), each with their own advantages and disadvantages. In this article, we review the comprehensive role of imaging in the evaluation of PH.

MR phase-contrast imaging in pulmonary hypertension.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a life-threatening, multifactorial pathophysiological haemodynamic condition, diagnosed when the mean pulmonary arterial pressure equals or exceeds 25 mmHg at rest during right heart catheterization. Cardiac MRI, in general, and MR phase-contrast (PC) imaging, in particular, have emerged as potential techniques for the standardized assessment of cardiovascular function, morphology and haemodynamics in PH. Allowing the quantification and characterization of macroscopic cardiovascular blood flow, MR PC imaging offers non-invasive evaluation of haemodynamic alterations associated with PH. Techniques used to study the PH include both the routine two-dimensional (2D) approach measuring predominant velocities through an acquisition plane and the rapidly evolving four-dimensional (4D) PC imaging, which enables the assessment of the complete time-resolved, three-directional blood-flow velocity field in a volume. Numerous parameters such as pulmonary arterial mean velocity, vessel distensibility, flow acceleration time and volume and tricuspid regurgitation peak velocity, as well as the duration and onset of vortical blood flow in the main pulmonary artery, have been explored to either diagnose PH or find non-invasive correlates to right heart catheter parameters. Furthermore, PC imaging-based analysis of pulmonary arterial pulse-wave velocities, wall shear stress and kinetic energy losses grants novel insights into cardiopulmonary remodelling in PH. This review aimed to outline the current applications of 2D and 4D PC imaging in PH and show why this technique has the potential to contribute significantly to early diagnosis and characterization of PH.

Invited commentary on "Dual-energy CT for imaging of pulmonary hypertension".

Invited commentary on "Dual-energy CT for imaging of pulmonary hypertension".

The Imaging of Pulmonary Hypertension

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is the remarkable hemodynamic consequence of widespread structural and functional changes within the pulmonary circulation. Elevated pulmonary vascular resistance leads to increased mean pulmonary arterial pressure and, ultimately, right ventricular dysfunction. PH carries a poor prognosis and warrants timely and accurate diagnosis for appropriate intervention. The 2008 Dana Point classification system provides the categorical framework currently guiding therapy and surveillance. Radiologic imaging is an essential tool in the detection and diagnostic evaluation of patients with PH. Echocardiography, ventilation-perfusion scintigraphy, multidetector computed tomography, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging provide insights into vascular morphology, pulmonary parenchymal status, cardiac function, and underlying etiology of the disorder. Emerging techniques of functional pulmonary and cardiac imaging hold great promise for the assessment and monitoring of these patients in the future.

Computed tomography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in pulmonary hypertension

Recent advances in imaging technology have allowed for better temporal and spatial resolution in cardiovascular imaging. The idea of a “one-stop shop” for anatomical and functional cardiopulmonary and vascular assessment in patients with pulmonary hypertension is very appealing since diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic response can be measured. Modalities, such as computed tomography (CT) and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), are better suited to image the right heart and associated structures in multiple projections allowing for three-dimensional data sets and image reconstruction. This review will focus on the use of CT and CMR in the assessment of the right ventricle and pulmonary structures as they relate to pulmonary vascular disease.

Right Atrial Late Gadolinium Enhancement on Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Pulmonary Hypertension

Right Atrial Late Gadolinium Enhancement on Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Pulmonary Hypertension

Imaging in pulmonary hypertension: Echocardiography, computed tomography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging

Comprehensive imaging plays a central role in the detection, workup and management of pulmonary hypertension (PH). Determination of systolic pulmonary artery pressure by Doppler echocardiography continues to be the primary tool for the early detection of PH. Although systolic pulmonary artery pressure derived via measurement of tricuspid regurgitation velocity has an excellent correlation with invasive measurements, certain pitfalls must be recognized by the clinician. Recent work on novel indexes of right ventricular function and on the noninvasive assessment of pulmonary vascular resistance by echocardiography is promising. Computed tomography (CT) is increasingly being used in PH and is particularly useful in ruling out pulmonary parenchymal etiologies, and to detect potentially surgically treatable forms such as extracardiac left to right shunts and chronic thromboembolic PH. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging has also become an increasingly useful tool in clinical practice and is now considered by many to be the gold standard for the structural and functional evaluation of the right heart. Volumetric and functional assessment can be performed accurately and reproducibly with CMR imaging without radiation or the need for geometric assumptions. Recently, various morphometric variables on CT and CMR imaging have been shown to correlate well with invasive measurement of pulmonary artery pressure. With ongoing innovations in echocardiography, CT and CMR imaging, it is expected that these mutually complementary imaging techniques will play an increasingly important role in the patient with PH.

Imaging of pulmonary hypertension

Objectifs To be able to distinguish precapillary vs postcapillary signs of pulmonary hypertension. To understand the differential diagnosis of findings in pulmonary hypertension. To become familiar with histopathological changes that are seen in pulmonary hypertension. Messages a retenir Radiologie findings distinguish precapillary (arterial) from postcapillary(venous) pulmonary hypertension. Idiopathic and secondary conditions are included in the differential diagnosis. Vascular histopathology and secondary cardiac changes are often reflected in the radiology of pulmonary hypertension. Resume Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a complex, multidisciplinary disorder. MDCT and MR are newer imaging techniques in the assessment of patients with PH and may prove quite beneficiai in the diagnosis and management of these patients.