Feasibility and Prognostic Value of Stress Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance in Patients With End-Stage Renal Disease.

Background: Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) are at high cardiovascular risk. The safety and prognostic value of stress cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in ESRD patients remains unclear as data are lacking due to perceived contrast agent-related risk.

Objectives: The authors aimed to assess the safety and prognostic value of stress CMR in asymptomatic ESRD patients on waitlist for kidney transplantation.

Simple Renal Cysts in Marfan Syndrome: Prevalence and Association With Aortic Events.

Background: A link between simple renal cysts (SRCs) and aortic aneurysms or dissection has been reported in the general population. Marfan syndrome (MFS) is associated with severe aortic disease, but very few data on SRCs exist in this population.

Objectives: The objectives were to evaluate: 1) the prevalence of SRCs in patients with MFS, compared to matched controls; and 2) the association between SRCs and aortic events in patients with MFS.

Value of aortic volumes assessed by automated segmentation of 3D MRI data in patients with thoracic aortic dilatation: A case-control study.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the benefit of aortic volumes compared to diameters or cross-sectional areas on three-dimensional (3D) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in discriminating between patients with dilated aorta and matched controls.

Materials And Methods: Sixty-two patients (47 men and 15 women; median age, 66 years; age range: 33-86 years) with tricuspid aortic valve and ascending thoracic aorta aneurysm (TAV-ATAA) and 43 patients (35 men and 8 women; median age, 51 years; age range: 17-76 years) with bicuspid aortic valve and dilated ascending aorta (BAV) were studied. One group of 54 controls matched for age and sex to patients with TAV-ATAA (39 men and 15 women; median age, 68 years; age range: 33-81 years) and one group of 42 controls matched for age and sex to patients with BAV (34 men and 8 women; median age, 50 years; age range: 17-77 years) were identified.

Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies: CT characteristics of interstitial lung disease and their association(s) with myositis-specific autoantibodies.

Objectives: Interstitial lung disease (ILD), one of the most common extramuscular manifestations of idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs), carries a poor prognosis. Myositis-specific autoantibody (MSA)-positivity is a key finding for IIM diagnosis. We aimed to identify IIM-associated lung patterns, evaluate potential CT-ILD finding-MSA relationships, and assess intra- and interobserver reproducibility in a large IIM population.

Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging measures of three-dimensional aortic morphology in healthy aging and hypertension.

Automated segmentation of three-dimensional (3D) aortic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) renders a possible retrospective selection of any location to perform quantification of aortic caliber perpendicular to its centerline and provides regional and global 3D biomarkers such as length, diameter, or volume. However, normative age-related values of such measures are still lacking. The aim of this study was to provide normal values for 3D aortic morphological measures and investigate their changes in aging and hypertension.

Diagnostic performance of chest computed tomography during the epidemic wave of COVID-19 varied as a function of time since the beginning of the confinement in France.

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of the initial chest CT to diagnose COVID-19 related pneumonia in a French population of patients with respiratory symptoms according to the time from the onset of country-wide confinement to better understand what could be the role of the chest CT in the different phases of the epidemic.

Material And Method: Initial chest CT of 1064 patients with respiratory symptoms suspect of COVID-19 referred between March 18th, and May 12th 2020, were read according to a standardized procedure. The results of chest CTs were compared to the results of the RT-PCR.

Management of patients with myocardial tuberculosis: A case series.

Background: Myocardial Tuberculosis (MT) is exceedingly rare. We aimed to report on myocardial involvement in tuberculosis (TB).

Methods: All adult patients admitted in a department of Internal Medicine over an 8-year period with microbiologically proven MT were retrospectively reviewed.

A 56-Year-Old Man With Cardiac Tamponade and Eosinophilia.

A 56-year-old man was admitted to the ICU with chest pain, cough, hemoptysis, increasing dyspnea, and orthopnea for 1 week. The patient reported an 8-kg weight loss over the last month and recurrent wheezing episodes for approximately 1 year. He had a history of tobacco smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, both of which he stopped 15 years ago.

New insights on tuberculous aortitis.

Objective: Aortitis is an exceedingly rare manifestation of tuberculosis. We describe 11 patients with tuberculous aortitis (TA).

Methods: Multicenter medical charts of patients hospitalized between 2003 and 2015 with TA in Paris, France, were reviewed.

Positron emission tomography and computed tomography angiography for the diagnosis of giant cell arteritis: A real-life prospective study.

The use of 18F-fluoro-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography scan (FDG-PET) and computed tomography angiography (CTA) to improve accuracy of diagnosis of giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a very important clinical need. We aimed to compare the diagnostic performance of FDG-PET and CTA in patients with GCA.FDG-PET and CTA were acquired in all consecutive patients suspected for GCA.

Tertiary Lymphoid Organs in Takayasu Arteritis.

Objective: The role of B cells in the pathogenesis of Takayasu arteritis (TA) is controversial. We aimed to study the presence of tertiary lymphoid organs (TLOs) in the aortic wall of TA patients.

Methods: Hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections from aorta specimens from patients with TA were screened for TLOs.

Massive retroperitoneal aortoiliac aneurysm rupture revealing chronic Q fever.

Chronic vascular infection is rare and usually develops on a pre-existing vascular lesion, such as an aneurysm or vascular prosthesis. We report a case of proven aortic infection revealed by a massive retroperitoneal aortoiliac aneurysm rupture in a patient at apparent low risk for chronic Q fever. Emergency treatment consisted of resection of the infected aneurysm and replacement with an in situ graft angioplasty.

Spontaneous and isolated dissection of the superior mesenteric artery: proposal of a management algorithm.

Background: Spontaneous and isolated dissection of the superior mesenteric artery (SIDSMA) is a rare pathology, and the treatment of symptomatic forms is not consensual. The objective of this study was to analyze the management of a series of patients presenting a symptomatic SIDSMA within a structure taking care of intestinal vascular emergencies.

Methods: From January 2010 to January 2014, the patients presenting a symptomatic SIDSMA were included retrospectively.

Measurement of the aortic annulus diameter using transesophageal echocardiography and multislice computed tomography--are they truly comparable?

Background: For transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and multislice computed tomography (MSCT) measurements of the aortic annulus diameter (AAD) are often regarded as competitive. We evaluated if 1 MSCT method could be interchangeable with TEE measurements.

Methods: We compared AAD measurements performed using TEE, MSCT, and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) in 129 consecutive patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) who were referred for TAVI.

Vascular complications of transfemoral aortic valve implantation with the Edwards SAPIEN prosthesis: incidence and impact on outcome.

Aims: Vascular complications remain the main limitation of transfemoral aortic valve implantation. Based on a single-centre experience, we aim to detail the type, management and impact of those vascular complications.

Methods And Results: From October 2006 to January 2009, 54 transfemoral aortic valve implantations were performed using the Edwards SAPIEN prosthesis.

Multimodal assessment of the aortic annulus diameter: implications for transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Objectives: We sought to compare 3 methods of measurements of the aortic annulus, transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), and multislice computed tomography (MSCT), and to evaluate their potential clinical impact on transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) strategy.

Background: Exact measurement of the aortic annulus is critical for a patient's selection and successful implantation.

Methods: Annulus diameter was measured using TTE, TEE, and MSCT in 45 consecutive patients with severe aortic stenosis referred for TAVI.