title: Detection of right ventricular myocardial fibrosis using quantitative CT attenuation of the right ventricular myocardium in the late phase on 320 slice CT in subjects with pulmonary hypertension.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Right ventricular myocardial (RVM) fibrosis may be a significant indicator of prognosis in pulmonary hypertension (PH). To detect the presence of RVM fibrosis in PH subjects, we employed ECG gated 320-slice CT.
  
  
  METHODS
  62 confirmed PH subjects (16 males; 55±16years; 45 chronic thromboembolic PH (CTEPH) who underwent conventional non-surgical medical therapy; and 17 pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH)) underwent ECG-gated 320-slice CT. On CT, RV fibrosis was defined as contrast defect in the early phase and conversely abnormal enhancement in the late phase.
  
  
  RESULTS
  RVM fibrosis was observed in 14 subjects (23%) on CT (CTEPH 22%; PAH 29%; P=0.91). CT attenuation of RVM in the late phase was significantly greater in subjects with RVM fibrosis than in those without (P=0.025). ROC curves of CT attenuation of RVM in the early and late phase, and ratio of CT attenuation of RVM in the early phase/late phase showed AUCs of 0.55, 0.70, and 0.65, respectively. The best cutoff points of 79.5 HU (sensitivity of 50% and specificity of 69% for CT attenuation of RVM in the early phase, P=0.59), 99.5 HU (sensitivity of 50% and specificity of 88% for CT attenuation of RVM in the late phase, P=0.025), and 1.416 (sensitivity of 29% and specificity of 94% for ratio of CT attenuation of RVM in the early phase/late phase, P=0.092) were used to distinguish subjects±RVM fibrosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Quantitative-measurement of CT attenuation of RVM in the late phase may be able to detect presence of RVM fibrosis in PH subjects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba City, Chiba 260-8670, Japan.
authors.forename: Koya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ozawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba City, Chiba 260-8670, Japan.. Electronic address: nobusada@w8.dion.ne.jp.
authors.forename: Nobusada
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Funabashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba City, Chiba 260-8670, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takaoka
authors.affiliation: Department of Respirology, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba City, Chiba 260-8670, Japan.
authors.forename: Nobuhiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tanabe
authors.affiliation: Department of Respirology, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba City, Chiba 260-8670, Japan.
authors.forename: Koichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tatsumi
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba City, Chiba 260-8670, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004562:Electrocardiography; D004719:Endomyocardial Fibrosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012372:ROC Curve; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
keywords: 320 slice CT; Pulmonary hypertension; Quantitative-measurement of CT attenuation of RV myocardium; RV fibrosis