In the absence of significant mitral regurgitation and right-sided lesions, regurgitant fraction can be calculated by subtracting the RV stroke MK-8776 volume from the LV stroke volume. These internal controls help to ensure consistency of volume quantification. The reproducibility of CMR in quantifying the severity of valvular regurgitation using phase-contrast velocity mapping is superior compared to well-validated TTE volumetric methods.12 Table 4 Aortic regurgitation quantification: selected validation studies.22-24 Figure 8. In this phase-contrast sequence of a patient with aortic regurgitation, a region of interest (area) is traced at the aortic sinuses and for baseline correction at the subcutaneous fat (stationary

Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical tissue). The highest and lowest intensity Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical pixels at the … In aortic regurgitation, the anatomical regurgitant orifice (ARO) can be determined by obtaining

an “en-face” view of the aortic valve using sequential SSFPs cines. The smallest diastolic regurgitant orifice in mid-diastole is traced. An ARO of 0.28 cm2 has a sensitivity and specificity of 90% and 91%, respectively, in detecting severe aortic regurgitation.13 Conclusion CMR has emerged as a robust new imaging technique for assessing patients with valvular disease, and it has a number of unique advantages over other imaging modalities. Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical CMR can help determine the mechanism of valve disease, quantify the severity of disease, and discern the consequences of the lesions including the effects on LV volume, LV systolic Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical function, and left atrial volumes. CMR eliminates issues of image quality from inadequate imaging windows or body habitus. In most instances, information can be obtained noninvasively without the need for intravenous contrast agents or ionizing radiation. Low inter-study variability also makes it an optimal technique for serial assessment of valve disease in patients that are managed

expectantly. Funding Statement Funding/Support: Dr. Shah receives research grant funding through Siemens Medical Solutions. Footnotes Conflict of Interest Disclosure: All authors have completed and submitted the Methodist DeBakey Cardiovascular Journal whatever Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical Conflict of Interest Statement and none were reported.
Introduction Accurate detection of cardiac thrombus affects clinical outcomes and therapeutic management as thrombus provides a substrate for thromboembolic events and a rationale for anticoagulation. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging enables thrombus to be detected based on intrinsic tissue characteristics related to avascular tissue composition. CMR tissue characterization for thrombus has been well validated when compared to reference standards of both pathology and clinical outcomes. Recent comparative studies have demonstrated that CMR yields superior detection of left ventricular (LV) thrombus compared to echocardiography (echo), which detects thrombus based on anatomical appearance (i.e., morphology) rather than tissue characteristics.