Left ventricular regional wall curvedness and wall stress in patients with ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy

Abstract

Geometric remodeling of the left ventricle (LV) after myocardial infarction is associated with changes in myocardial wall stress. The objective of this study was to determine the regional curvatures and wall stress based on three-dimensional (3-D) reconstructions of the LV using MRI. Ten patients with ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDCM) and 10 normal subjects underwent MRI scan. The IDCM patients also underwent delayed gadolinium-enhancement imaging to delineate the extent of myocardial infarct. Regional curvedness, local radii of curvature, and wall thickness were calculated. The percent curvedness change between end diastole and end systole was also calculated. In normal heart, a short- and long-axis two-dimensional analysis showed a 41 +/- 11% and 45 +/- 12% increase of the mean of peak systolic wall stress between basal and apical sections, respectively. However, 3-D analysis showed no significant difference in peak systolic wall stress from basal and apical sections (P = 0.298, ANOVA). LV shape differed between IDCM patients and normal subjects in several ways: LV shape was more spherical (sphericity index = 0.62 +/- 0.08 vs. 0.52 +/- 0.06, P < 0.05), curvedness at end diastole (mean for 16 segments = 0.034 +/- 0.0056 vs. 0.040 +/- 0.0071 mm(-1), P < 0.001) and end systole (mean for 16 segments = 0.037 +/- 0.0068 vs. 0.067 +/- 0.020 mm(-1), P < 0.001) was affected by infarction, and peak systolic wall stress was significantly increased at each segment in IDCM patients. The 3-D quantification of regional wall stress by cardiac MRI provides more precise evaluation of cardiac mechanics. Identification of regional curvedness and wall stresses helps delineate the mechanisms of LV remodeling in IDCM and may help guide therapeutic LV restoration.

Left ventricular modelling: a quantitative functional assessment tool based on cardiac magnetic resonance imaging

“…The application of the method on three real subjects showed its capability to capture more complex motion and strain patterns. In the healthy subject, physiologically meaningful strain curves were found: consistently with previous findings [23,24] almost uniform circumferential shortening and increasing thickening were assessed from LV base to apex. Moreover, LV torsion was consistent with data from tagged MRI and Doppler tissue imaging [25], both in terms of time-course and maximal values.…”

Image-Based Left Ventricular Shape Analysis for Sudden Cardiac Death Risk Stratification

“…The magnitude of LV curvedness and WT values in the current study are comparable to those published elsewhere for patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy. 7,11 In addition, it is clear from Fig. 5 that, as one proceeds from the base to apical portions of the LV, the curvedness increases, and WT decreases, as expected.…”

“…Also, only end-diastolic images are used in this study. Our framework can be extended to utilize the end systolic phase, where the effects of LV remodeling are more pronounced, 7,29 and to analyze change in shape metrics over the cardiac cycle.…”

Right ventricular regional wall curvedness and area strain in patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot

“…If significant PR is found, cardiac MRI is performed to quantify PR severity and RV function (20). Many studies have shown that MRI is the best and most comprehensive approach to quantify the three dimensional (3-D) ventricular geometry and function (4,25,(47)(48), compared with echocardiography (16,41), ventriculography (14,46), angiography (33), and indicator-dilution methods (10). In patients with demonstrable severe PR and borderline RV function, serial MRI assessment becomes mandatory for timing of pulmonary valve replacement (PVR; Ref.…”