Stress Magnetic Resonance Research Articles

Protocolo diagnóstico de la angina estable

Stable angina is one of the most frequent reasons for consultation in cardiology. It is essential that this disease is correctly diagnosed. The first diagnostic step is to take an accurate clinical history, electrocardiogram (ECG), blood tests and echocardiogram. Before we proceed further, we must rule out other causes of chest pain. Then we must calculate the patient's pre-test likelihood and, based on this, we will choose the most appropriate test. We can rule out ischaemic heart disease for likelihoods less than 5% and atypical symptoms. For intermediate likelihoods we can perform a CT scan of the coronary arteries, nuclear medicine tests, stress echocardiography or stress magnetic resonance imaging. Patients with high likelihood will undergo cardiac catheterisation if they present high-risk signs. If they do not present high-risk signs, we will perform one of the tests used for patients with intermediate likelihood (in this case CT of the coronary arteries is not recommended). It is essential to take a medical history, obtain an ECG, echocardiogram, and blood tests to assess patients with unstable angina correctly. We will then calculate the pre-test likelihood and choose the test that best suits our patient.

Multiparametric Rest and Dobutamine Stress Magnetic Resonance in Assessment of Myocardial Viability.

MR feature-tracking (FT) is a novel technique that quantitatively calculates myocardial strain and can assess myocardial viability. To evaluate the feasibility of FT at rest and with low-dose dobutamine (LDD), visual assessment of contractility with LDD and left ventricle (LV) end-diastolic wall thickness (EDWT) in the assessment of viability in ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) patients compared to delayed gadolinium enhancement (DGE). Prospective. Thirty ICM patients and 30 healthy volunteers. A 1.5 T with balanced steady-state free precession (bSSFP) cine and phase-sensitive inversion prepared segmented gradient echo sequences. LDD (5 μg/kg/min and 10 μg/kg/min) was administered in the patient group. LV was divided into 16 segments and MR-FT was derived from bSSFP cine images using dedicated software. Viable segments were defined as those with a dobutamine-induced increase in resting MR-FT values >20%, a dobutamine-induced increase in systolic wall thickening ≥2 mm by visual assessment, ≤50% fibrosis on DGE, and resting EDWT ≥5.5 mm. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), two-sampled t-test, paired samples t-test, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. A P value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Resting peak global circumferential (Ecc) and radial (Err) strains were significantly impaired in patients compared to controls (-11.7 ± 7.9 vs. -20.1 ± 5.7 and 19.7 ± 13.9 vs. 32.7 ± 15.4, respectively). Segments with no DGE (n=354) and ≤ 50% (n=38) DGE showed significant improvement of both Ecc and Err with LDD while segments with >50% DGE (n=88) showed no improvement. In comparison to viable and nonviable segments identified by reference-standard DGE, the sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy of the four methods were: 74%, 92%, and 89%, respectively, for Ecc; 70%, 89%, and 86%, respectively, for Err; 67%, 88%, and 84% for visual assessment; and 39%, 90%, and 80% for EDWT. Quantitative assessment of MR-FT, along with EDWT and qualitative visual assessment of myocardial contractility with LDD, are feasible alternative methods for the assessment of myocardial viability with moderate sensitivity and high specificity. 1 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage: 2.

Position paper on stress cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in chronic coronary syndrome: Endorsed by the Société française de radiologie (SFR), the Société française d’imagerie cardiovasculaire (SFICV) and the Société française de cardiologie (SFC)

This paper is intended to update the former consensus between the French Societies of Radiology and Cardiology about the use of stress cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in chronic coronary syndrome, published in 2009. The Delphi method was used to build the present consensus. This expert panel consensus includes recommendations for indications, the procedure (with patient preparation), stress-inducing drugs, the acquisition protocol, interpretation and risk stratification by stress magnetic resonance imaging.

Computer-Assisted System in Stress Radiography for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury with Correspondent Evaluation of Relevant Diagnostic Factors.

We sought to design a computer-assisted system measuring the anterior tibial translation in stress radiography, evaluate its diagnostic performance for an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear, and assess factors affecting the diagnostic accuracy. Retrospective research for patients with both knee stress radiography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at our institution was performed. A complete ACL rupture was confirmed on an MRI. The anterior tibial translations with four different methods were measured in 249 patients by the designed algorithm. The diagnostic accuracy of each method in patients with all successful measurements was evaluated. Univariate logistic regression analysis for factors affecting diagnostic accuracy of method four was performed. In the inclusive 249 patients, 177 patients (129 with completely torn ACLs) were available for analysis. Mean anterior tibial translations were significantly increased in the patients with a completely torn ACL by all four methods, with diagnostic accuracies ranging from 66.7% to 75.1%. The diagnostic accuracy of method four was negatively associated with the time interval between stress radiography and MRI as well as force-joint distance on stress view, and not significantly associated with age, gender, flexion angle, intercondylar distance, and force-joint angle. A computer-assisted system measuring the anterior tibial translation in stress radiography showed acceptable diagnostic performance of complete ACL injury. A shorter time interval between stress radiography and MRI as well as shorter force-joint distance were associated with higher diagnostic accuracy.

Splenic switch off as a novel marker for adenosine response in 13N-ammonia PET myocardial perfusion imaging – a pilot study

Abstract Background Positron emission tomography myocardial perfusion imaging (PET MPI) is a robust and excellent tool for assessing ischemia. So far, however, no methodology has been established to distinguish truly reduced MFR due to microvascular dysfunction or three-vessel coronary disease (CAD) from seemingly impaired MFR due to inadequate adenosine response. Conversely, for cardiac stress magnetic resonance (CMR) the adenosine induced splenic switch-off (SSO) sign has been proposed as a potential marker for adequate adenosine response. Purpose We assessed the feasibility of detecting SSO in adenosine stress 13N-ammonia PET MPI using SSO in CMR as the standard of reference. Methods 50 patients underwent simultaneous PET MPI and CMR on a hybrid PET/MR device with co-injection of 13N-ammonia and a gadolinium-based contrast agent during rest and adenosine-induced stress. In CMR, SSO was assessed qualitatively and quantitatively by calculating the ratio of the peak signal intensity of the spleen during stress over rest (SIR). Similarly, in PET MPI the splenic signal activity ratio (SAR) was calculated as the proportion of the maximal standard uptake value of the spleen in stress and rest. Additionally, MFR was quantified in PET MPI. Results Visual SSO in CMR was present in 37 (74%) patients, whereas 13 patients had no SSO. The median SIR in CMR was significantly lower in patients with visual SSO compared to patients without visual SSO (0.57 [IQR 0.49–0.62] vs. 0.89 [IQR 0.76–0.98]; p&amp;lt;0.001). Similarly, median SAR in PET was significantly lower in patients with visual SSO in CMR compared to patients without visual SSO (0.4 [IQR 0.32–0.45] vs. 0.8 [IQR 0.47–0.98]; p&amp;lt;0.001). SIR correlated significantly with SAR (r=0.4, p&amp;lt;0.05). Mean MFR was significantly higher in patients with visual SSO compared to patients without visual SSO (3.38±0.86 vs. 2.53±0.84; p&amp;lt;0.05). Conclusion Similarly to CMR, SSO can be detected in 13N-ammonia PET MPI. This might help distinguish adenosine non-responders from patients with truly impaired MFR due to microvascular dysfunction or multivessel CAD. Figure 1. Splenic switch off (*) illustrated on transaxial 13N-ammonia PET MPI stress (A) compared to rest perfusion images (B) and similarly in stress (C) and rest (D) short axis CMR (**) in the same patient during adenosine induced stress and co-injection of 13N-ammonia and a gadolinium based contrast agent, acquired on a hybrid PET/MR device. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF)

Stress radiography findings in medial meniscus posterior root tears

BackgroundThe present study aimed to evaluate stress radiography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in medial meniscus posterior root tears (MMPRTs). MethodsThe study included 27 patients (26 females, mean age, 53.52 years) who underwent high tibial osteotomy and in whom medial menisci were concurrently examined arthroscopically. Preoperative stress radiographs and MRI series in 14 cases with root tears (MMPRT group, detected arthroscopically) and in 13 cases without tears (control group) were evaluated. Joint spaces measured on the stress radiographs were compared between the operated and opposite knees in each group. ResultsOn the varus stress radiographs, the mean lateral joint space of the operated knees was significantly wider than that of the opposite knees in the MMPRT group (P = 0.007). Upon MRI studies, meniscal extrusion was significantly more common in the MMPRT group than in the control group. Moreover, the amount of meniscal extrusion was correlated with the tear size. ConclusionsWidening of the lateral joint space on the varus stress radiography was higher in the cases with root tears. Therefore, we propose that stress radiographs can be helpful in the diagnosis of MMPRT.

Angiography-based quantitative coronary contrast-flow ratio measurements correlate with myocardial ischemia assessed by stress MRI

Contrast-flow quantitative flow ratio (cQFR) is a new technology for quantitative evaluation of coronary stenosis using computational fluid dynamics based on angiograms. The aim of this study was to assess the sensitivity and specificity of cQFR to detect myocardial ischemia using stress magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a reference standard. Patients who received stress MRI and coronary angiography were selected from the hospital database. Relevant ischemia on stress MRI was defined as a perfusion deficit in ≥ 2 of 16 segments. cQFR was quantitated based on 3-dimensional quantitative coronary angiography using QAngio XA3D1.1 software by two blinded and independent investigators. A cQFR of ≤ 0.80 was considered abnormal. Among 87 patients 230 vessels met the criteria for full analysis by cQFR (88%). In vascular territories with a significant perfusion deficit, cQFR was significantly lower compared to areas with normal perfusion (0.72 (0.62–0.78) vs. 0.96 (0.89–0.99); p < 0.001). The sensitivity of cQFR in detecting significant epicardial stenoses of coronary vessels with documented ischemia in stress MRI was 81% (68–90%), the specificity was 88% (82–92%). Diameter stenoses (DS) and area stenoses (AS) in vessels with positive stress MRI were significantly higher than in vessels without ischemia (DS 59.1% (49.4–68.4%) vs. 34.8% (27.1–46.1%) p < 0.001; AS 75.6% (63.0–85.2%) vs. 45.0% (30.8–63.6%), p < 0.001). The analysis reveals a high correlation between coronary stenosis measured by cQFR and ischemic areas detected by stress MRI. The data set the stage to plan randomized studies assessing cQFR measurements with regard to clinical outcomes.

Clinical and functional outcome analysis of posterior decompression and spinal fusion surgery in the management of lumbar and sacral listhesis: A prospective cohort study

Introduction: Spondylolisthesis resulting in low backache, radiculopathy, and neurological involvement is a very common clinical entity. Conservative and surgical managements are available for the treatment of spondylolisthesis. Cases with severe instability and neurological deficits that cannot be managed conservatively may require surgical intervention. According to the SPORT trial, posterior decompression and spinal fusion was found to be an effective treatment modality. The present study was undertaken with an aim to understand the functional and clinical effects of posterior decompression and spinal fusion at lumbosacral region in patients with listhesis. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the clinical and functional outcomes of listhesis at lumbar and sacral region managed by posterior decompression and spinal fusion. Methods: This was a prospective randomized study involving patients above 18 years, having low backache with or without sciatica, and having neurological deficits. Listhesis was diagnosed clinically and on stress radiograms and magnetic resonance imaging. All patients who fit the inclusion criteria underwent posterior decompression and if needed spinal fusion for symptomatic management. Results: A total of 30 patients participated in this study, with 73.33% women and the rest 26.67% men (mean age 51.37 ± 12.70 years). The most commonly affected level was L4–L5 along with L5–S1 right below it. Out of 30 patients, three underwent posterior decompression and fixation without fusion while one was managed with laminotomy and discectomy. The remaining patients were managed with posterior decompression and intervertebral fusion which was mainly at the L4–L5 level. At 6 months of follow-up, the mean preoperative visual analog scale score which was 8.70 ± 0.83 was reduced to 1.53 ± 1.38 along with appreciable reduction in Japan Orthopedic Association and Oswestry index scores. Three patients had surgical site infections while one patient had no pain relief. Conclusion: Posterior decompression and spinal fusion is an effective way in the management of lumbosacral listhesis.

Gender-specific reference values for high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T and I in well-phenotyped healthy individuals and validity of high-sensitivity assay designation

ObjectiveTo determine gender-specific reference limits of high-sensitivity (hs) cardiac troponins (cTn) and validity of hs assay designation for both genders. MethodsAfter screening with a questionnaire, 827 presumably healthy individuals were further selected based on clinical criteria (n = 740), clinical criteria plus cardiac imaging including stress magnetic resonance imaging or stress echocardiography (n = 726), and extended cardio-pulmonary parameters (n = 626). Blood samples were measured with hs-cTnT (Roche Diagnostics) on a cobas e602 analyzer as well as hs-cTnI (Abbott Diagnostics) on an ARCHITECTi2000SR. The impact of health definition, statistical methods, instrument selection and limit of detection (LoD) on overall and gender-specific 99th percentiles was assessed. ResultsMedian age was 56 years (50.9% female) for the total study cohort. 99th percentiles for females and males ranged between 13.1 and 13.3 ng/L and 16.8–19.9 ng/L for hs-cTnT as well as 10.3–12.5 ng/L and 27.4–29.7 ng/L for hs-cTnI depending on health definition. Utilization of stricter health definition criteria reduced the difference of the gender-specific 99th percentiles between males and females for hs-cTnT to 3.7 ng/L (males 16.8 ng/L, females 13.1 ng/L), whereas the difference rather increased for hs-cTnI to 19.4 ng/L (males 29.7 ng/L, females 10.3 ng/L). Values > LoD could be measured in the majority of males and females using hs-TnT (81.4–83.3% and 96.5–96.9%, respectively). In contrast, values > LoD could not be observed in the majority of females using hs-cTnI (38.4–41.1%). ConclusionsIn a well-phenotyped healthy cohort, reference values for hs-cTnT were slightly higher, whereas hs-cTnI cut-offs were considerably lower than previously observed. Gender differences were more pronounced in hs-cTnI than in hs-cTnT and were further reduced for hs-cTnT by application of stricter health definition criteria. Contrary to hs-cTnI, hs-cTnT fulfilled criteria for hs designation for both genders.

TL 18136 - Short-term results for acute instability of the syndesmosis treated with arthroscopic reduction and percutaneous fixation

Introduction: Acute syndesmotic sprain is rarely associated with instability in the absence of fracture. The surgical treatment of these injuries is usually performed as an open procedure with direct visualization of the anatomical reduction of the joint. However, direct visualization of the reduction can be achieved by arthroscopy with minor incisions avoiding damage to the soft tissues. The aim of this study is to present the short-term outcomes of a series of patients with acute unstable syndesmotic injuries who were surgically treated through an arthroscopic reduction and percutaneous fixation with a suture button. Methods: We report a series of 8 patients with a mean age of 25,62 years with acute instability of the syndesmosis without fracture who were treated through arthroscopic reduction of the syndesmosis followed by percutaneous fixation using a suture button, between October 2014 and May 2018. Medical records, the visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain, the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot score, pre and postoperative radiological results (stress radiographs, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging) and complications were retrospectively reviewed. Results: After a mean follow-up of 13,4 months, the mean VAS was 0 and the mean AOFAS was 100. All patients were able to return to their preinjury activities and were completely satisfied with the treatment outcomes. Two patients had an associated deltoid ligament rupture and were treated by open repair at the same time. Two complications were observed. One patient developed an aseptic cyst over the distal knot, and one evolved with complex regional pain syndrome. The last one required a reoperation to remove the anterior button. Conclusion: Arthroscopic treatment represents an effective approach for acute syndesmotic instability. In the short-term, it provides satisfactory clinical and functional results, allowing patients to return to their previous activities. It is reliable regarding anatomic reduction of the syndesmotic joint and percutaneous fixation with a suture button without aggression toward the soft tissue of the ankle.

P2742Right ventricular stroke volume during dobutamine stress magnetic resonance compared to lung perfusion and peak oxygen uptake after arterial switch operation for transposition of the great arteries

Abstract Objectives Abnormal pulmonary perfusion due to stenosis of the central pulmonary arteries is common after neonatal arterial switch operation (ASO) for transposition of the great arteries (TGA). We conducted a monocentric prospective study in young adults after neonatal ASO for TGA to evaluate the effects of abnormal pulmonary perfusion on the increase of the right ventricular stroke volume (RVSV) during dobutamine stress magnetic resonance (DSMR) and on cardiopulmonary exercise capacity. Methods 68 unselected patients (age 18–29 years) underwent CMR at rest and under dobutamine stress (10 to 40 μg/kg/min). RVSV, pulmonary blood flow distribution (PBFD) and peak flow velocity were derived from phase contrast mapping in the main, right and left pulmonary artery (PA) at rest and each stress level. A cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) was performed at the same day. All patients reached maximal exercise effort according to heart rate and respiratory exchange rate. Results PBFD at rest: 9/68 patients (13%, ASO-S) had abnormal pulmonary perfusion at rest, defined as PBFD &gt;2:1 (right/left or left/right) and/or relevant stenosis of the main PA (Vmax &gt;2.5 m/s). 59/68 patients (87%, ASO-N) had normal pulmonary perfusion. PBFD under DSMR: (1) In the whole patient group, there was no increase of PBFD under stress compared to PBFD at rest. On an individual patient level, no relevant worsening of abnormal PBFD was found. (2) Under low dose dobutamine, ASO-S had a significantly lower RVSV-increase (RVSVstress/RVSVrest) compared to ASO-N (see figure). However, under high dose dobutamine, this effect was no longer significant (see figure). (3) The RVSV-increase under low and high dose dobutamine did not correlate with peak oxygen uptake during CPET, neither in the total group nor in the subgroups (see table). Peak oxygen uptake was not significantly different between ASO-N and ASO-S (p=0,72). RVSV-increase compared to CPET peak VO2% ASO-total ASO-S ASO-N RVSV-increase/peak VO2% RVSV-increase/peak VO2% RVSV-increase/peak VO2% low dose dobu high dose dobu low dose dobu high dose dobu low dose dobu high dose dobu Pearson correlation coefficient −0.02 −0.05 0.01 −0.22 −0.05 −0.04 p-value 0.90 0.71 0.98 0.56 0.71 0.78 Figure 1 Conclusion (1) Patients with relevant stenosis of main PA and/or abnormal peripheral blood flow distribution (ASO-S) exhibit a reduced RVSV-increase under low dose dobutamine compared to patients without stenosis (ASO-N). This effect was not present under high dose dobutamine stress. (2) These findings did not correlate with peak oxygen uptake during CPET, an objective parameter of cardiopulmonary exercise capacity. (3) Therefore, a conservative proceeding rather than surgery or catheter intervention should be considered, especially in asymptomatic adult patients. Acknowledgement/Funding Supported by Kinderherzen, Fördergemeinschaft Deutsche Kinderherzzentren e.V.

P2701Comparison of myocardial ischemia assessed by contrast-flow quantitative flow ratio (cQFR) and by stress MRI in patients with stable coronary artery disease

Abstract Background Contrast-flow quantitative flow ratio (cQFR) is a new technology for evaluation of coronary stenosis. cQFR allows to derive the fractional flow reserve (FFR) from coronary angiograms. Based on a three dimensional coronary model, FFR is calculated from computational fluid dynamics. Head to head comparisons with FFR showed an overall diagnostic accuracy of 85%. cQFR does not require coronary wires or hyperemia. However, the ability of cQFR to detect myocardial ischemia is unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between cQFR and myocardial ischemia assessed by stress magnetic resonance imaging (stress MRI). Methods cQFR analysis was performed in patients selected from the hospital database who received stress MRI and coronary angiography. A relevant ischemia on stressMRI was defined as a perfusion deficit in ≥2 of 16 segments. The cQFR was based on 3-dimensional quantitative coronary angiography (3D-QCA) using the QAngio XA 3D 1.1, Medis Medical Imaging System, Leiden, The Netherlands. Two blinded investigators analysed all 3 main coronary vessels of each patient measuring diameter stenosis (DS), area stenosis (AS) and cQFR. A cQFR of ≤0.8 was considered abnormal. The primary endpoint was sensitivity and specificity of cQFR using stress MRI as a reference standard. Results 125 vessels of 53 patients could be fully analysed by cQFR (78.6%). The sensitivity of cQFR in detecting significant epicardial stenoses of coronary vessels with documented ischemia in stress MRI was 75%, the specificity was 87%. The 3D-QCA-derived diameter stenoses and area stenoses in vessels with positive stress MRI were significantly higher than in vessels without ischemia (see Table 1). Table 1. Means of diameter stenosis (DS) und area stenosis (AS) with interquartile range (IQR) Total (n=125) Ischemia (n=32) No Ischemia (n=93) p-value DS [%] 42.3 (28.3–53.1) 57.1 (47–68.5) 37.7 (27.6–45.1) &lt;0.0001 AS [%] 51.8 (32.4–69.7) 68.9 (56.8–85.9) 46.5 (29.7–62.7) &lt;0.0001 Conclusion The analysis reveals a high correlation between relevant coronary stenosis measured by cQFR and ischemic areas detected by stress MRI. Differences between the two methods are plausible because stress MRI detects ischemia due to other reasons than epicardial stenosis. Further randomized studies are mandatory to verify the prognostic significance of the cQFR measurements.

Non-invasive assessment prior to invasive coronary angiography in routine clinical practice in Switzerland - Is it according to the guidelines?

BackgroundNon-invasive testing is recommended as a basis to decide about the indication for invasive coronary angiography (ICA) in patients with suspected stenotic coronary artery disease (CAD). However, a recent study based on insurance claims data reported that one third of patients undergoing ICA in Switzerland did not have non-invasive testing beforehand. We aimed to re-evaluate the practice of testing prior to ICA in Switzerland by manual review of patient histories.MethodsRetrospective analysis of all 816 consecutive patients (age 67±9 years, 70% males) undergoing elective ICA solely for the evaluation of stenotic CAD during the year 2015 in a single center in Eastern Switzerland. The proportion of patients undergoing a non-invasive test was assessed, and predictors of the lack of such a test were determined.Results764/816 (94%) patients had a non-invasive test prior to ICA. The majority of patients (728/816; 89%) had an exercise stress test, one fifth (160/816; 20%) underwent a test other than an exercise stress test (6% scintigraphy, 4% stress echocardiography, 6% stress magnetic resonance imaging, 4% computed tomography coronary angiography), and 122/816 (15%) patients had two tests. The use of antianginal drugs other than beta-blockers [odds ratio 1.92 (95% confidence interval 1.01–3.66); p = 0.047] and a lower left ventricular ejection fraction [odds ratio 0.97 (95% confidence interval 0.94–0.99) per one % point increase; p = 0.005] were independent predictors of the lack of a non-invasive test. ICA revealed stenotic CAD in 72% of patients, and 54% of patients underwent revascularization. Patients with and without non-invasive tests did not differ with respect to ICA findings and management.ConclusionsThe present analysis suggests that patients are appropriately selected for ICA based on clinical judgement and non-invasive testing in Switzerland. There is no evidence for an overuse of ICA.

Development of anatomically based customizable three-dimensional finite-element model of pelvic floor support system: POP-SIM1.0.

To develop an anatomically based customizable finite-element (FE) model of the pelvic floor support system to simulate pelvic organ prolapse (POP): POP-SIM1.0. This new simulation platform allows for the construction of an array of models that objectively represent the key anatomical and functional variation in women with and without prolapse to test pathomechanism hypotheses of the prolapse formation. POP-SIM1.0 consists of anatomically based FE models and a suite of Python-based tools developed to rapidly construct FE models by customizing the base model with desired structural parameters. Each model consists of anatomical structures from three support subsystems which can be customized based on magnetic resonance image measurements in women with and without prolapse. The customizable structural parameters include presence of levator ani (LA) avulsion, hiatus size, anterior vaginal wall dimension, attachment fascia length and apical location in addition to the tissue material properties and intra-abdominal pressure loading. After customization, the FE model was loaded with increasing intra-abdominal pressure (0-100 cmH2O) and solved using ABAQUS explicit solver. We were able to rapidly construct anatomically based FE models with specific structural geometry which reflects the morphology changes often observed in women with prolapse. At maximum loading, simulated structural deformations have similar anatomical characteristics to those observed during clinical exams and stress magnetic resonance images. Simulation results showed the presence of LA muscle avulsion negatively impacts the pelvic floor support. The normal model with intact muscle had the smallest exposed vaginal length of 11 mm, while the bilateral avulsion produced the largest exposed vaginal length at 24 mm. The unilateral avulsion model had an exposed vaginal length of 18 mm and also demonstrated a tipped perineal body similar to that seen in clinical observation. Increasing the hiatus size, vaginal wall length and fascia length also resulted in worse pelvic floor support, increasing the exposed vaginal length from 18 mm in the base model to 33 mm, 54 mm and 23.5 mm, respectively. The developed POP-SIM1.0 can simulate the anatomical structure changes often observed in women with prolapse. Preliminary results showed that the presence of LA avulsion, enlarged hiatus, longer vaginal wall and fascia length can result in larger prolapse at simulated maximum Valsalva.

The Clinical use of Stress Echocardiography in Ischemic Heart Disease Cardiovascular Ultrasound (2017)15:7. Translation authors: Arystan A.Zh., Fettser D.V.

Stress echocardiography is an established technique for the assessment of extent and severity of coronary artery disease. The combinationof echocardiography with a physical, pharmacological or electrical stress allows detecting myocardial ischemia with an excellentaccuracy. A transient worsening of regional function during stress is the hallmark of inducible ischemia. Stress echocardiographyprovides similar diagnostic and prognostic accuracy as radionuclide stress perfusion imaging or magnetic resonance, butat a substantially lower cost, without environmental impact, and with no biohazards for the patient and the physician. The evidenceon its clinical impact has been collected over 35 years, based on solid experimental, pathophysiological, technological and clinicalfoundations. There is the need to implement the combination of wall motion and coronary flow reserve, assessed in the left anteriordescending artery, into a single test. The improvement of technology and in imaging quality will make this approach more andmore feasible. The future issues in stress echo will be the possibility of obtaining quantitative information translating the currentqualitative assessment of regional wall motion into a number. The next challenge for stress echocardiography is to overcome itsmain weaknesses: dependence on operator expertise, the lack of outcome data (a widespread problem in clinical imaging) to documentthe improvement of patient outcomes. This paper summarizes the main indications for the clinical applications of stressechocardiography to ischemic heart disease.

The Diagnostic Accuracy of Radiographs and Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Predicting Deltoid Ligament Ruptures in Ankle Fractures.

Operative indications for supination-external rotation (SER) ankle fractures depend on the integrity of the medial structures. Despite the importance of assessing deep deltoid ligament injuries, the accuracy of common diagnostic tests has not been established. The objective of this study was to compare the ability of injury (non-stress) and stress radiographs and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to diagnose deep deltoid ligament ruptures in operative SER ankle fractures. Patients were included who underwent surgical fixation of SER ankle fractures and had appropriate injury and manual stress test radiographs, pre-operative ankle MRI, and intra-operative assessment of deep deltoid integrity by direct visualization. The medial clear space (MCS) was considered positive for all values over 5mm on the injury or stress mortise radiographs. MRI analysis of the deep deltoid ligament injury was performed by blinded fellowship-trained musculoskeletal radiologists. Intra-operative direct visualization and assessment of the deltoid was performed using a direct medial ankle approach at the time of operative fracture fixation. Using intra-operative visualization as the gold standard, MCS measurements and MRI had differing abilities to diagnose a deep deltoid rupture. In cases where the MCS was less than 5mm on injury radiographs and stress tests were performed, MCS measurements were much less accurate than MRI in predicting deltoid ruptures (46% versus 79%, respectively) with a high false positive rate (80%). In contrast, an MCS measurement of greater than 5mm on injury radiographs was a strong predictor of deep deltoid rupture (accuracy of 95%). Compared with direct visualization of the deltoid ligament intra-operatively, these data support proceeding with surgery when the MCS on injury radiographs is greater than 5mm without any additional stress tests or advanced imaging. When the MCS is less than 5mm, we recommend MRI analysis because of its increased accuracy and decreased false positive rate. Improving our ability to diagnose deltoid ruptures will contribute to more effective management of patients with SER ankle fractures.

Could stress magnetic resonance imaging be useful in patients with a low probability of ischemic heart disease?

ObjectiveTo assess the usefulness of cardiac stress magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with adenosine in the detection of ischemic heart disease in patients with a low pretest probability of disease. Material and methodsWe used the probability ratio to analyze the usefulness of cardiac stress MRI in a selection of patients with a low pretest probability of ischemic heart disease (low or moderate cardiovascular risk, atypical chest pain, or absence of prior ischemic heart disease). ResultsWe included 295 patients followed up for a median of 28 (19–36) months. A total of 60 patients had an event. Cardiac stress MRI was more useful in patients with a low pretest probability: atypical chest pain (probability ratio [PR] positive 8.56), absence of prior ischemic heart disease (PR positive 4.85), and low or moderate cardiovascular risk (PR positive 3.87). ConclusionsCardiac stress MRI can be useful in the diagnosis of ischemic heart disease in patients with a low pretest probability.

Stress Echocardiography: An Update

Stress echocardiography (SE) is an established technique for the assessment of extent and severity of coronary artery disease. The combination of echocardiography with a physical, pharmacological or electrical stress allows to detect myocardial ischemia with an excellent accuracy. A transient worsening of regional function during stress is the hallmark of inducible ischemia. In recent years, SE has become an established method for the assessment of a wide spectrum of challenging clinical conditions, including systolic or diastolic heart failure, non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy, valvular heart disease, pulmonary hypertension (PH), athletes’ hearts, congenital heart disease (CHD) and heart transplantation. Advantages of SE include the ubiquitous availability of echocardiography, lack of ionising radiation, choice of physiological or pharmacological stressors, good diagnostic accuracy and robust supporting evidence base. SE has evolved significantly as a technique over the past three decades and has benefitted considerably from improvements in overall image quality (superior resolution), machine technology (e.g. digital cine-loop acquisition and side-by-side image display) and development of second-generation ultrasound contrast agents that have improved reader confidence and diagnostic accuracy. SE provides similar diagnostic and prognostic accuracy as radionuclide stress perfusion imaging or magnetic resonance, but at a substantially lower cost, without environmental impact, and with no biohazards for the patient and the physician. A paradigm shift will occur when from a highly expertise qualitative reading SE will move to a quantitative approach that would make it easier also for less skilled readers. Technological premises are there at hand but they have not reached a full-blown status to be used on a routine clinical basis. Society recommendations and guidelines are mostly based on consensus and level of evidence C. The gap of knowledge should be filled with prospective large scale studies to support evidence-based treatment strategies. The purpose of this article is to review the breadth of SE in contemporary clinical cardiology.University Heart Journal Vol. 14, No. 1, Jan 2018; 31-37

Assessment of Ankle Mortise Instability After Isolated Supination-External Rotation Lateral Malleolar Fractures.

The diagnosis of clinically important instability following isolated supination-external rotation (SER) distal fibular fractures is a challenge. The purpose of this study was to investigate the accuracy of clinical findings including medial tenderness, swelling, and ecchymosis, combined with the gravity stress test and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), in the assessment of ankle mortise stability in association with isolated SER-type lateral malleolar fractures. The external rotation (ER) stress test was used as the reference with which the methods of assessment were compared. Thirty-seven patients were enrolled prospectively. Using the ER stress test as a reference, we evaluated the sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratio (LR), and post-test probability of instability when using clinical examination, the gravity stress test, and MRI for diagnosing ankle mortise instability after an isolated SER lateral malleolar fracture. The positive LR for clinical findings ranged from 1.45 to 2.54, and the negative LR ranged from 0.25 to 0.70, shifting the pre-test probability to a rarely important degree. In contrast, the positive LR for the gravity stress test was 5.71 with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 1.52 to 21.48, a moderate shift from the pre-test probability, and the negative LR was 0.33 (95% CI = 0.16 to 0.66), indicating a small shift. In cases with a deep deltoid ligament disruption identified on MRI, the positive LR was 3.05 (95% CI = 1.03 to 9.02) and the negative LR was 0.53 (95% CI = 0.31 to 0.91), demonstrating a small but sometimes important shift. The gravity stress test is a reliable method for diagnosing ankle mortise instability in patients with an isolated SER lateral malleolar fracture. Nevertheless, this test alone would not qualify as a replacement for the ER stress test. However, when the gravity stress test result is consistent with the clinical or MRI findings, its diagnostic value is almost equivalent to that of the ER stress test. Diagnostic Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

¿Podría ser útil la resonancia magnética de estrés en pacientes con baja probabilidad de cardiopatía isquémica?

ObjectiveTo assess the usefulness of cardiac stress magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with adenosine in the detection of ischemic heart disease in patients with a low pretest probability of disease. Material and methodsWe used the probability ratio to analyze the usefulness of cardiac stress MRI in a selection of patients with a low pretest probability of ischemic heart disease (low or moderate cardiovascular risk, atypical chest pain, or absence of prior ischemic heart disease). ResultsWe included 295 patients followed up for a median of 28 (19-36) months. A total de 60 patients had an event. Cardiac stress MRI was more useful in patients with a low pretest probability: atypical chest pain (probability ratio [PR] positive 8.56), absence of prior ischemic heart disease (PR positive 4.85), and low or moderate cardiovascular risk (PR positive 3.87). ConclusionsCardiac stress MRI can be useful in the diagnosis of ischemic heart disease in patients with a low pretest probability.