Myocardial extracellular volume measurement using cardiac computed tomography

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Medical Imaging
• Fibrosis Research

Background:

• Myocardial fibrosis is a common outcome in cardiac diseases.
• It predicts adverse events like heart failure, arrhythmia, and mortality.
• Cardiac computed tomography (CT) with delayed imaging offers a method to assess diffuse myocardial fibrosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the rationale and methodology of CT extracellular volume (CT-ECV) measurement.
• To summarize current clinical evidence supporting CT-ECV in assessing myocardial fibrosis.
• To highlight CT-ECV's role in predicting cardiac outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing cardiac computed tomography (CT) scans with delayed phase imaging.
• Quantifying diffuse myocardial fibrosis through CT extracellular volume (CT-ECV) measurement.
• Correlating CT-ECV with cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) and histological fibrosis assessments.

Main Results:

• CT-ECV measurement shows strong correlation with CMR and histological myocardial fibrosis.
• CT-ECV is a validated predictor of adverse outcomes, including death, heart failure, and arrhythmia.
• Evidence supports the clinical utility of CT-ECV across various cardiac disease states.

Conclusions:

• CT-ECV is a reliable imaging biomarker for diffuse myocardial fibrosis.
• CT-ECV measurement via cardiac CT provides prognostic information.
• This review underscores the growing clinical significance of CT-ECV in cardiovascular medicine.