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Cantinotti M, Marchese P, Franchi E, Santoro G, Assanta N, Giordano R. Four-Dimensional Flow Echocardiography: Blood Speckle Tracking in Congenital Heart Disease: How to Apply, How to Interpret, What Is Feasible, and What Is Missing Still. Healthcare (Basel) 2024; 12:263. [PMID: 38275542 PMCID: PMC10815034 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare12020263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Blood speckle tracking echocardiography (BSTE) is a new, promising 4D flow ultrafast non-focal plane imaging technique. The aim of the present investigation is to provide a review and update on potentialities and application of BSTE in children with congenital heart disease (CHD) and acquired heart disease. A literature search was performed within the National Library of Medicine using the keywords "echocardiography", "BST", and "children". The search was refined by adding the keywords "ultrafast imaging", "CHD", and "4D flow". Fifteen studies were finally included. Our analysis outlined how BSTE is highly feasible, fast, and easy for visualization of normal/abnormal flow patterns in healthy children and in those with CHD. BSTE allows for visualization and basic 2D measures of normal/abnormal vortices forming the ventricles and in the main vessel. Left ventricular vortex characteristics and aortic flow patterns have been described both in healthy children and in those with CHD. Complex analysis (e.g., energy loss, vorticity, and vector complexity) are also highly feasible with BSTE, but software is currently available only for research. Furthermore, current technology allows for BSTE only in neonates and low-weight children (e.g., <40 kg). In summary, the feasibility and potentialities of BSTE as a complementary diagnostic tool in children have been proved; however, its systemic use is hampered by the lack of (i) accessible tools for complex quantification and for acquisition at all ages/weight, (ii) data on the diagnostic/prognostic significance of BSTE, and (iii) consensus/recommendation papers indicating when and how BSTE should be employed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massimiliano Cantinotti
- Fondazione G. Monasterio CNR-Regione Toscana, 54100 Massa, Italy; (M.C.); (P.M.); (E.F.); (G.S.); (N.A.)
| | - Pietro Marchese
- Fondazione G. Monasterio CNR-Regione Toscana, 54100 Massa, Italy; (M.C.); (P.M.); (E.F.); (G.S.); (N.A.)
- Istituto di Scienze Della Vita (ISV), Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, 56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - Eliana Franchi
- Fondazione G. Monasterio CNR-Regione Toscana, 54100 Massa, Italy; (M.C.); (P.M.); (E.F.); (G.S.); (N.A.)
| | - Giuseppe Santoro
- Fondazione G. Monasterio CNR-Regione Toscana, 54100 Massa, Italy; (M.C.); (P.M.); (E.F.); (G.S.); (N.A.)
| | - Nadia Assanta
- Fondazione G. Monasterio CNR-Regione Toscana, 54100 Massa, Italy; (M.C.); (P.M.); (E.F.); (G.S.); (N.A.)
| | - Raffaele Giordano
- Adult and Pediatric Cardiac Surgery, Department of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, University of Naples “Federico II”, 80131 Naples, Italy
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Grünwald A, Korte J, Wilmanns N, Winkler C, Linden K, Herberg U, Groß-Hardt S, Steinseifer U, Neidlin M. Intraventricular Flow Simulations in Singular Right Ventricles Reveal Deteriorated Washout and Low Vortex Formation. Cardiovasc Eng Technol 2021; 13:495-503. [PMID: 34850371 PMCID: PMC9197806 DOI: 10.1007/s13239-021-00598-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Purpose Patients with a functionally univentricular heart represent one of the most common severe cardiac lesions with a prevalence of 3 per 10,000 live births. Hemodynamics of the singular ventricle is a major research topic in cardiology and there exists a relationship between fluid dynamical features and cardiac behavior in health and disease. The aim of the present work was to compare intraventricular flow in single right ventricle (SRV) patients and subjects with healthy left hearts (LV) through patient-specific CFD simulations. Methods Three-dimensional real-time echocardiographic images were obtained for five SRV patients and two healthy subjects and CFD simulations with a moving mesh methodology were performed. Intraventricular vortex formation and vortex formation time (VFT) as well as the turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) and ventricular washout were evaluated. Results The results show significantly lower values for the VFT and the TKE in SRV patients compared with healthy LV subjects. Furthermore, vortex formation does not progress to the apex in SRV patients. These findings were confirmed by a significantly lower washout in SRV patients. Conclusions The study pinpoints the intriguing role of intraventricular flows to characterize performance of SRVs that goes beyond standard clinical metrics such as ejection fraction. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13239-021-00598-9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Grünwald
- Department of Cardiovascular Engineering, Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Jana Korte
- Department of Cardiovascular Engineering, Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Nadja Wilmanns
- Institute of General Mechanics, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Christian Winkler
- Department of Pediatric Cardiology, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Katharina Linden
- Department of Pediatric Cardiology, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Ulrike Herberg
- Department of Pediatric Cardiology, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Sascha Groß-Hardt
- Department of Cardiovascular Engineering, Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Ulrich Steinseifer
- Department of Cardiovascular Engineering, Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Michael Neidlin
- Department of Cardiovascular Engineering, Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
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Marchese P, Cantinotti M, Van den Eynde J, Assanta N, Franchi E, Pak V, Santoro G, Koestenberger M, Kutty S. Left ventricular vortex analysis by high-frame rate blood speckle tracking echocardiography in healthy children and in congenital heart disease. IJC HEART & VASCULATURE 2021; 37:100897. [PMID: 34786451 PMCID: PMC8579140 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijcha.2021.100897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2021] [Revised: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Background High-frame rate blood speckle tracking (BST) echocardiography is a new technique for the assessment of intracardiac flow. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of left ventricular (LV) vortices in healthy children and in those with congenital heart disease (CHD). Methods Characteristics of LV vortices were analyses based on 4-chamber BST images from 118 healthy children (median age 6.84 years, range 0.01-17 years) and 43 children with CHD (median age 0.99 years, range 0.01-14 years). Both groups were compared after propensity matching. Multiple linear regression was used to identify factors that independently influence vortex characteristics. Results Feasibility of vortex imaging was 93.7% for healthy children and 95.6% for CHD. After propensity matching, there were no overall significant differences in vortex distance to apex, distance to interventricular septum (IVS), height, width, sphericity index, or area. However, multiple regression analysis revealed significant associations of LV morphology with vortex characteristics. Furthermore, CHD involving LV volume overload and CHD involving LV pressure overload were both associated with vortices localized closer to the IVS. Conclusions LV vortex analysis using high-frame rate BST echocardiography is feasible in healthy children and in those with CHD. As they are associated with LV morphology and are modified in some types of CHD, vortices might yield diagnostic and prognostic value. Future studies are warranted to establish applications of vortex imaging in the clinical setting.
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Key Words
- -i, indexed to BSA
- AV, atrioventricular
- BMI, body mass index
- BSA, body surface area
- BST, blood speckle tracking
- Blood speckle imaging
- Bpm, beats per minute
- CHD, congenital heart disease
- CI, correlation index
- Congenital
- ED, end-diastolic
- Echocardiography
- Fps, frame per second
- Heart defects
- ICC, intraclass correlation coefficient
- IQR, interquartile range
- IVS, interventricular septum
- LV, left ventricle/ventricular
- LVEDA, left ventricular end-diastolic area
- LVEDD, left ventricular end-diastolic dimension
- LVEDV, left ventricular end-diastolic volume
- LVEF, left ventricular ejection fraction
- LVESD, left ventricular end-systolic dimension
- LVESV, left ventricular end-systolic volume
- LVOT, left ventricular outflow tract
- LVPO, CHD involving left ventricle pressure overload
- LVSV, left ventricular stroke volume
- LVVO, CHD involving left ventricular volume overload
- Left ventricle
- MV, mitral valve
- Pediatrics
- RVPO, CHD involving right ventricular pressure overload
- RVVO, CHD involving right ventricular volume overload
- TGA, transposition of the great arteries
- Vortex imaging
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Affiliation(s)
- Pietro Marchese
- Fondazione G. Monasterio CNR-Regione Toscana, Massa and Pisa, Italy.,Adult Institute of Clinical Physiology, Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Jef Van den Eynde
- Taussig Heart Center, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Nadia Assanta
- Fondazione G. Monasterio CNR-Regione Toscana, Massa and Pisa, Italy
| | - Eliana Franchi
- Fondazione G. Monasterio CNR-Regione Toscana, Massa and Pisa, Italy
| | - Vitali Pak
- Fondazione G. Monasterio CNR-Regione Toscana, Massa and Pisa, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Santoro
- Fondazione G. Monasterio CNR-Regione Toscana, Massa and Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Shelby Kutty
- Taussig Heart Center, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Mele D, Smarrazzo V, Pedrizzetti G, Capasso F, Pepe M, Severino S, Luisi GA, Maglione M, Ferrari R. Intracardiac Flow Analysis: Techniques and Potential Clinical Applications. J Am Soc Echocardiogr 2019; 32:319-332. [DOI: 10.1016/j.echo.2018.10.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
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Kim IC, Hong GR, Pedrizzetti G, Shim CY, Kang SM, Chung N. Usefulness of Left Ventricular Vortex Flow Analysis for Predicting Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Chronic Heart Failure: A Quantitative Vorticity Imaging Study Using Contrast Echocardiography. ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE & BIOLOGY 2018; 44:1951-1959. [PMID: 29980452 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2018.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2018] [Revised: 05/03/2018] [Accepted: 05/14/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The goal of the study described here was to evaluate whether left ventricular vortex flow parameters, as assessed by contrast echocardiography, enhance prediction of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) in patients with chronic heart failure and systolic dysfunction. A total of 75 patients with contrast echocardiography and systolic dysfunction (ejection fraction ≤45%) were prospectively enrolled and underwent vortex flow analysis with particle image velocimetry using contrast echocardiography. Vortex flow parameters, including kinetic energy fluctuation (KEF), were evaluated. Patients were followed up for a primary endpoint of MACE that comprised hospital admission for cardiovascular causes and cardiac deaths. Across a median 277-d follow-up, 29 patients (38.7%) experienced MACE. Among these, the incidence of diabetes and the E/e' ratio were significantly higher in patients with MACE than in those without, whereas the hemoglobin level and ejection fraction were significantly lower. KEF was significantly lower in patients with MACE. In the multivariate analysis, higher KEF was associated with a lower risk of MACE (hazard ratio = 0.18, 95% confidence interval: 0.04-0.97, p = 0.046). The addition of KEF to a model with conventional parameters (e.g., age, diabetes, ejection fraction and the E/e' ratio) significantly improved the model's discrimination. Elevations in the quantitative left ventricular vortex flow parameter, KEF, as determined by contrast echocardiography, are associated with a lower risk of MACE and improved functional status among patients with chronic heart failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- In-Cheol Kim
- Division of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea; Division of Cardiology, Keimyung University, Dongsan Medical Center, Daegu, Korea
| | - Geu-Ru Hong
- Division of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
| | | | - Chi Young Shim
- Division of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Seok-Min Kang
- Division of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Namsik Chung
- Division of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
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Meyers BA, Goergen CJ, Vlachos PP. Development and Validation of a Phase-Filtered Moving Ensemble Correlation for Echocardiographic Particle Image Velocimetry. ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE & BIOLOGY 2018; 44:477-488. [PMID: 29195751 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2017.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2017] [Revised: 09/09/2017] [Accepted: 10/15/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
A new processing method for echocardiographic particle image velocimetry (EchoPIV) using moving ensemble (ME) correlation with dynamic phase correlation filtering was developed to improve velocity measurement accuracy for routine clinical evaluation of cardiac function. The proposed method was tested using computationally generated echocardiogram images. Error analysis indicated that ME EchoPIV yields a twofold improvement in bias and random error over the current standard correlation method (βPairwise = -0.15 vs. βME = -0.06; σPairwise = 1.00 vs. σME = 0.49). Subsequently a cohort of eight patients with impaired diastolic filling underwent similar evaluation. Comparison of patient EchoPIV velocity time series with corresponding color M-mode velocity time series revealed better agreement for ME EchoPIV compared with standard PIV processing (RME = 0.90 vs. RPairwise = 0.70). Further time series analysis was performed to measure filling propagation velocity and 1-D intraventricular pressure gradients. Comparison against CMM values indicated that both measurements are completely decorrelated for pairwise processing (R2Vp = 0.15, R2IVPD = 0.07), whereas ME processing correlates decently (R2Vp = 0.69, R2IVPD = 0.69). This new approach enables more robust processing of routine clinical scans and can increase the utility of EchoPIV for the assessment of left ventricular function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brett A Meyers
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Craig J Goergen
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Pavlos P Vlachos
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA.
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Tang C, Zhu Y, Zhang J, Niu C, Liu D, Liao Y, Zhu L, Peng Q. Analysis of left ventricular fluid dynamics in dilated cardiomyopathy by echocardiographic particle image velocimetry. Echocardiography 2017; 35:56-63. [PMID: 29082600 DOI: 10.1111/echo.13732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Chouchou Tang
- Imaging and Nuclear Medicine; Ultrasound Department; the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University; Changsha Hunan Province China
- Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Ultrasound Room; Infection Department; the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University; Changsha Hunan Province China
| | - Yizhong Zhu
- Internal Medicine; First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University; Guangzhou Guangdong Province China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Imaging and Nuclear Medicine; Ultrasound Department; the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University; Changsha Hunan Province China
| | - Chengcheng Niu
- Imaging and Nuclear Medicine; Ultrasound Department; the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University; Changsha Hunan Province China
| | - Dan Liu
- Imaging and Nuclear Medicine; Ultrasound Department; the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University; Changsha Hunan Province China
| | - Yacong Liao
- Imaging and Nuclear Medicine; Ultrasound Department; the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University; Changsha Hunan Province China
| | - Lijun Zhu
- Imaging and Nuclear Medicine; the First Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University; Guangzhou Guangdong Province China
| | - Qinghai Peng
- Imaging and Nuclear Medicine; Ultrasound Department; the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University; Changsha Hunan Province China
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Inverse Problem for Color Doppler Ultrasound-Assisted Intracardiac Blood Flow Imaging. COMPUTATIONAL AND MATHEMATICAL METHODS IN MEDICINE 2016; 2016:6371078. [PMID: 27313657 PMCID: PMC4893431 DOI: 10.1155/2016/6371078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2016] [Accepted: 04/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
For the assessment of the left ventricle (LV), echocardiography has been widely used to visualize and quantify geometrical variations of LV. However, echocardiographic image itself is not sufficient to describe a swirling pattern which is a characteristic blood flow pattern inside LV without any treatment on the image. We propose a mathematical framework based on an inverse problem for three-dimensional (3D) LV blood flow reconstruction. The reconstruction model combines the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations with one-direction velocity component of the synthetic flow data (or color Doppler data) from the forward simulation (or measurement). Moreover, time-varying LV boundaries are extracted from the intensity data to determine boundary conditions of the reconstruction model. Forward simulations of intracardiac blood flow are performed using a fluid-structure interaction model in order to obtain synthetic flow data. The proposed model significantly reduces the local and global errors of the reconstructed flow fields. We demonstrate the feasibility and potential usefulness of the proposed reconstruction model in predicting dynamic swirling patterns inside the LV over a cardiac cycle.
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A Reconstruction Method of Blood Flow Velocity in Left Ventricle Using Color Flow Ultrasound. COMPUTATIONAL AND MATHEMATICAL METHODS IN MEDICINE 2015; 2015:108274. [PMID: 26078773 PMCID: PMC4452383 DOI: 10.1155/2015/108274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2014] [Accepted: 12/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Vortex flow imaging is a relatively new medical imaging method for the dynamic visualization of intracardiac blood flow, a potentially useful index of cardiac dysfunction. A reconstruction method is proposed here to quantify the distribution of blood flow velocity fields inside the left ventricle from color flow images compiled from ultrasound measurements. In this paper, a 2D incompressible Navier-Stokes equation with a mass source term is proposed to utilize the measurable color flow ultrasound data in a plane along with the moving boundary condition. The proposed model reflects out-of-plane blood flows on the imaging plane through the mass source term. The boundary conditions to solve the system of equations are derived from the dimensions of the ventricle extracted from 2D echocardiography data. The performance of the proposed method is evaluated numerically using synthetic flow data acquired from simulating left ventricle flows. The numerical simulations show the feasibility and potential usefulness of the proposed method of reconstructing the intracardiac flow fields. Of particular note is the finding that the mass source term in the proposed model improves the reconstruction performance.
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Correction: visualization of the intracavitary blood flow in systemic ventricles of Fontan patients by contrast echocardiography using particle image velocimetry. Cardiovasc Ultrasound 2012; 10:18. [PMID: 22537255 PMCID: PMC3413595 DOI: 10.1186/1476-7120-10-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2012] [Accepted: 04/26/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
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