Quantitative Analysis of a Whole Cardiac Mass Using Dual-Energy Computed Tomography: Comparison with Conventional Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Radiologic-Pathologic Correlation of Cardiac Tumors: Updated 2021 WHO Tumor Classification

Cardiac tumors, although rare, carry high morbidity and mortality rates. They are commonly first identified either at echocardiography or incidentally at thoracoabdominal CT performed for noncardiac indications. Multimodality imaging often helps to determine the cause of these masses. Cardiac tumors comprise a distinct category in the World Health Organization (WHO) classification of tumors. The updated 2021 WHO classification of tumors of the heart incorporates new entities and reclassifies others. In the new classification system, papillary fibroelastoma is recognized as the most common primary cardiac neoplasm. Pseudotumors including thrombi and anatomic variants (eg, crista terminalis, accessory papillary muscles, or coumadin ridge) are the most common intracardiac masses identified at imaging. Cardiac metastases are substantially more common than primary cardiac tumors. Although echocardiography is usually the first examination, cardiac MRI is the modality of choice for the identification and characterization of cardiac masses. Cardiac CT serves as an alternative in patients who cannot tolerate MRI. PET performed with CT or MRI enables metabolic characterization of malignant cardiac masses. Imaging individualized to a particular tumor type and location is crucial for treatment planning. Tumor terminology changes as our understanding of tumor biology and behavior evolves. Familiarity with the updated classification system is important as a guide to radiologic investigation and medical or surgical management. ©RSNA, 2024 Supplemental material is available for this article.

MR imaging of primary benign cardiac tumors in the pediatric population

Primary cardiac tumors are rare in all ages, especially in children, with a reported prevalence range of 0.0017-0.28% in autopsy series. Due to their rarity, the diagnostic and therapeutic pathways reserved to them are usually described by single case reports, leading to the point where a common diagnostic protocol is imperative to obtain a differential diagnosis. The first diagnostic approach is done with transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE), due to its wide availability, low cost, absence of ionizing radiations and non-invasiveness. Several tumors are discovered incidentally and, in many cases, TTE is helpful to determine location, size and anatomical features, playing a key role in the differential diagnosis. In the last few years, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) has had an increased role in the diagnostic pathway of pediatric cardiac masses, due to its high accuracy in characterizing mass tissue properties (especially for soft tissue), and in detecting tumor size, extent, pericardial/pleural effusion, leading to the correct diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. Therefore, nowadays, several consensus statements consider CMR as a leading imaging technique, thanks to its non-invasive tissue characterization, without the use of ionizing radiation, in an unrestricted field of view. As suggested by the most recent literature, the pediatric protocol is not so different from the adult one, adapted to the size and cardiac frequency of the patient, sometimes requiring special conditions such as free-breathing sequences and/or sedation or general anesthesia in non-cooperating patients.

Imaging of pediatric cardiac tumors: A COG Diagnostic Imaging Committee/SPR Oncology Committee White Paper

Cardiac tumors in children are rare and the majority are benign. The most common cardiac tumor in children is rhabdomyoma, usually associated with tuberous sclerosis complex. Other benign cardiac masses include fibromas, myxomas, hemangiomas, and teratomas. Primary malignant cardiac tumors are exceedingly rare, with the most common pathology being soft tissue sarcomas. This paper provides consensus-based imaging recommendations for the evaluation of patients with cardiac tumors at diagnosis and follow-up, including during and after therapy.

The diagnostic accuracy of contrast echocardiography in patients with suspected cardiac masses: A preliminary multicenter, cross-sectional study

Background

To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of contrast echocardiography (CE) in patients with suspected cardiac masses.

Methods

A multicenter, prospective study involving 108 consecutive patients with suspected cardiac masses based on transthoracic echocardiography performed between November 2019 and December 2020 was carried out. CE examinations were performed in all patients. The echocardiographic diagnosis was established according to the qualitative (echogenicity, boundary, morphology of the base, mass perfusion, pericardial effusion, and motility) and quantitative (area of the masses and peak intensity ratio of the masses and adjacent myocardium A1/A2) evaluations.

Results

Final confirmed diagnoses were as follows: no cardiac mass (n = 3), pseudomass (n = 3), thrombus (n = 36), benign tumor (n = 30), and malignant tumor (n = 36). ROC analysis revealed the optimal A1/A2 with cutoff value of 0.295 for a cardiac tumor from a thrombus, with AUC, sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of 0.958 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.899–0.988), 100, 91.7, 95.7, and 100%, respectively. CE was able to distinguish malignant from benign tumors with an AUC of 0.953 (95% CI: 0.870–0.990). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that tumor area, base, and A1/A2 were associated with the risk of malignant tumor (OR = 1.003, 95% CI: 1.00003–1.005; OR = 22.64, 95% CI: 1.30–395.21; OR = 165.39, 95% CI: 4.68–5,850.94, respectively). When using A1/A2 > 1.28 as the only diagnostic criterion to identify the malignant tumor, AUC, sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV were 0.886 (95% CI: 0.784–0.951), 80.6, 96.7, 96.7, and 80.7%, respectively.

Conclusion

CE has the potential to accurately differentiate cardiac masses by combining qualitative and quantitative analyses. However, more studies with a large sample size should be conducted to further confirm these findings.

Clinical trial registration

http://www.chictr.org.cn/, identifier: ChiCTR1900026809.

Dual-Energy Imaging of the Chest

Dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) is a contemporary development by which the tissue can be characterized beyond conventional computed tomography. It improves tissue differentiation by exploiting the X-ray absorptive property of the tissues. Although still in its early stages, DECT utilization in pulmonary and cardiovascular pathologies is emerging. It includes applications such as pulmonary embolism, pulmonary hypertension, myocardial perfusion, and coronary artery assessment. This article discusses DECT principles and their current and emerging applications in thoracic imaging.

CT-based radiomics signature for differentiation between cardiac tumors and a thrombi: a retrospective, multicenter study

The study aimed to develop and validate whether the computed tomography (CT) radiomics analysis is effective in differentiating cardiac tumors and thrombi. For this retrospective study, a radiomics model was developed on the basis of a training dataset of 192 patients (61.9 ± 13.3 years, 90 men) with cardiac masses detected in cardiac CT from January 2010 to September 2019. We constructed three models for discriminating between a cardiac tumor and a thrombus: a radiomics model, a clinical model, which included clinical and conventional CT variables, and a model that combined clinical and radiomics models. In the training dataset, the radiomics model and the combined model yielded significantly higher differentiation performance between cardiac tumors and cardiac thrombi than the clinical model (AUC 0.973 vs 0.870, p < 0.001 and AUC 0.983 vs 0.870, p < 0.001, respectively). In the external validation dataset with 63 patients (59.8 ± 13.2 years, 26 men), the combined model yielded a larger AUC compared to the clinical model (AUC 0.911 vs 0.802, p = 0.037). CT radiomics analysis is effective in differentiating cardiac tumors and thrombi. In conclusion, the combination of clinical, conventional CT, and radiomics features demonstrated an additional benefit in differentiating between cardiac tumor and thrombi compared to clinical data and conventional CT features alone.

Radiomics Feature Analysis Using Native T1 Mapping for Discriminating Between Cardiac Tumors and Thrombi

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES

Accurate differential diagnosis is essential because cardiac tumors and thrombi have different prognoses and therapeutic approaches. Native T1 map provides an objective T1 time quantifications of cardiac mass without the need for a contrast agent. We examined the diagnostic performance of radiomics features for differentiating cardiac tumors from thrombi using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging T1 mapping technique compared to that of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) imaging.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This retrospective study included 22 cardiac tumors and 21 thrombi of 41 patients who underwent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging from December 2013 to May 2018. Fifty-six radiomics features were extracted from native T1 images. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator method was used for feature selection and rad score extraction. The diagnostic performance of the rad score was compared to that of the native T1 value (mean T1) and LGE ratio.

RESULTS

The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the rad score was higher than that of the mean T1 and LGE ratio (0.98 vs. 0.86 vs. 0.82, p = 0.001). With the optimal cut-off value, the rad score showed sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 95.4%, 95.2%, and 95.2%, respectively. Combination of the rad score and mean T1 showed a significantly higher diagnostic performance than mean T1 (p = 0.019) or LGE ratio (p = 0.022).

CONCLUSION

The rad score derived from native T1 maps can differentiate thrombi from tumors better than the mean T1 or LGE ratio. This is valuable for determining a treatment strategy for cardiac lesions in patients who cannot tolerate contrast agents.

Dual-Energy Heart CT: Beyond Better Angiography-Review

Heart CT has undergone substantial development from the use of calcium scores performed on electron beam CT to modern 256+-row CT scanners. The latest big step in its evolution was the invention of dual-energy scanners with much greater capabilities than just performing better ECG-gated angio-CT. In this review, we present the unique features of dual-energy CT in heart diagnostics.

Intimal Sarcoma of the Great Vessels

Intimal sarcomas of the pulmonary artery and aorta are rare entities with a poor prognosis. In many instances, pulmonary artery sarcomas are misinterpreted as acute or chronic pulmonary thromboembolism, whereas aortic intimal sarcomas are often misdiagnosed as protuberant atherosclerotic disease or intimal thrombus. Discernment of intimal sarcomas from these and other common benign entities is essential for the timely initiation of aggressive therapy. The most useful imaging modalities for assessment of a suspected intimal sarcoma include CT angiography, fluorine 18-fluorodeoxyglucose PET, and MRI. The authors discuss the clinical features, current treatment options, characteristic imaging findings, and underlying pathologic features of intimal sarcomas. The authors emphasize imaging discernment of intimal sarcomas and how their differential diagnosis is informed by knowledge of radiologic-pathologic correlation. The most reliable distinguishing imaging features are also emphasized to improve accurate and timely diagnosis. Online supplemental material is available for this article. ^©RSNA, 2021.

Masses in right side of the heart: spectrum of imaging findings

Primary heart tumors are rare, benign tumors represent the majority of these. If a cardiac mass is found, the probability that it is a metastasis or a so-called “pseudo-mass” is extremely higher than a primary tumor. The detection of a heart mass during a transthoracic echocardiography (TE) is often unexpected. The TE assessment can be difficult, particularly if the mass is located at the level of the right chambers. Cardiac Computed Tomography (CCT) can be useful in anatomical evaluation and Cardiac Magnetic Resonance (CMR) for masses characterization as well. We provide an overview of right cardiac masses and their imaging futures. (www.actabiomedica.it)

Multi Modality Imaging Features of Cardiac Myxoma

Primary cardiac neoplasms are rare entities of which approximately 75% are benign and the remaining 25% malignant. Myxomas are the most common benign primary cardiac tumor (30%) and most commonly arise in the left atrium from the interatrial septum at the fossa ovalis. However, they also can originate in any cardiac chamber. Clinical presentation and patient symptomatology are determined by size, location, and mobility of the myxoma. This review will discuss the clinical presentation, natural history, pathology, and multimodality imaging features of cardiac myxomas.

The diagnostic performance of magnetic resonance imaging for differentiating the nature of cardiac masses: A systematic review protocol

BACKGROUND

Cardiac masses are rare, but lead to high risk of stroke and death. Because of the different treatment methods, it is significant for clinicians to differentiate the nature of masses. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging has high intrinsic soft-tissue contrast and high spatial and temporal resolution and can provide evidence for differential diagnosis of cardiac masses. However, there is no evidence-based conclusion as to its accuracy. Therefore, the purpose of our study is to perform a systematic review on this issue and provide useful information for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

METHODS

We will perform a systematic search in EMBASE, Cochrane Library, PubMed and Web of Science for diagnostic studies using CMR to detect cardiac masses from inception to October, 2019. Two authors will independently screen titles and abstracts for relevance, review full texts for inclusion and conduct detail data extraction. The methodological quality will be assessed using the QUADAS-2 tool. If pooling is possible, we will use bivariate model for diagnostic meta-analysis to estimate summary sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, and diagnostic odds ratio of CMR, as well as different sequences of CMR. Estimates of sensitivity and specificity from each study will be plotted in summary receive operating curve space and forest plots will be constructed for visual examination of variation in test accuracy. If enough studies are available, we will conduct sensitivity analysis and subgroup analysis.

RESULTS

The results of this systematic review and meta-analysis will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.

CONCLUSION

To our knowledge, this will be the first systematic review on the accuracy of CMR in the differential diagnosis of cardiac masses. This study will provide evidence and data to form a comprehensive understanding of the clinical value of CMR for cardiac masses patients.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethics approval and patient consent are not required, as this study is a systematic review.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42019137800.

Negative CT Contrast Agents for the Diagnosis of Malignant Osteosarcoma

The current positive computed tomography (CT) contrast agents (PCTCAs) including clinical iodides, present high CT density value (CT-DV). However, they are incapable for the accurate diagnosis of some diseases with high CT-DV, such as osteosarcoma. Because bones and PCTCAs around osteosarcoma generate similar X-ray attenuations. Here, an innovative strategy of negative CT contrast agents (NCTCAs) to reduce the CT-DV of osteosarcoma is proposed, contributing to accurate detection of osteosarcoma. Hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles, loading ammonia borane molecules and further modified by polyethylene glycol, are synthesized as NCTCAs for the diagnosis of osteosarcoma. The nanocomposites can produce H2 in situ at osteosarcoma areas by responding to the acidic microenvironment of osteosarcoma, resulting in nearly 20 times reduction of CT density in osteosarcoma. This helps form large CT density contrast between bones and osteosarcoma, and successfully achieves accurate diagnosis of osteosarcoma. Meanwhile, The NCTCAs strategy greatly expands the scope of CT application, and provides profound implications for the precise clinical diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of diseases.

Multimodality Imaging in the Evaluation of Intracardiac Masses

Intracardiac masses are classified as neoplastic or non-neoplastic. Prognosis varies based on the diagnosis of the mass since treatment options differ greatly. As novel imaging techniques emerge, a multimodality approach to the evaluation of intracardiac masses becomes an important part of non-invasive evaluation prior to potential surgical planning or oncological treatment. The purpose of this article is to compare the available imaging modalities-echocardiography, cardiovascular magnetic resonance, cardiac computed tomography, nuclear imaging, and emerging novel hybrid imaging techniques for future clinical applications-and to review the characteristic features seen on those modalities for the most common intracardiac masses.