semi-automatic-graphical-tool-for-measuring-coronary-artery-spatially

Semi-Automatic Graphical Tool for Measuring Coronary Artery Spatially Weighted Calcium Score from Gated Cardiac Computed Tomography Images

The current standard for measuring coronary artery calcification to determine the extent of atherosclerosis is by calculating the Agatston score from ...

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

 F-MRI is gaining widespread interest for cell tracking and quantification of immune and inflammatory cells in vivo. Different fluorinated compounds can be discriminated based on their characteristic MR spectra, allowing in vivo imaging of multiple  F compounds simultaneously, so-called multicolor  F-MRI. We introduce a method for multicolor  F-MRI using an iterative sparse deconvolution method to separate different  F compounds and remove chemical shift artifacts arising from multiple resonances.

An iterative sparse deconvolution method for simultaneous multicolor  F-MRI of multiple contrast agents.

Automated, accurate, objective, and quantitative medical image segmentation has remained a challenging goal in computer science since its inception. This study applies the technique of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to the task of segmenting carotid arteries to aid in the assessment of pathology.

Segmentation of carotid arterial walls using neural networks.

The purpose of this study is to review the published literature for the range of radiographic findings present in patients suffering from coronavirus disease 2019 infection. This novel corona virus is currently the cause of a worldwide pandemic. Pulmonary symptoms and signs dominate the clinical picture and radiologists are called upon to evaluate chest radiographs (CXR) and computed tomography (CT) images to assess for infiltrates and to define their extent, distribution and progression. Multiple studies attempt to characterize the disease course by looking at the timing of imaging relative to the onset of symptoms. In general, plain CXR show bilateral disease with a tendency toward the lung periphery and have an appearance most consistent with viral pneumonia. Chest CT images are most notable for showing bilateral and peripheral ground glass and consolidated opacities and are marked by an absence of concomitant pulmonary nodules, cavitation, adenopathy and pleural effusions. Published literature mentioning organ systems aside from pulmonary manifestations are relatively less common, yet present and are addressed in this review. Similarly, publications focusing on imaging modalities aside from CXR and chest CT are sparse in this evolving crisis and are likewise addressed in this review. The role of imaging is examined as it is currently being debated in the medical community, which is not at all surprising considering the highly infectious nature of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2.

Review of radiographic findings in COVID-19.

Electronic cigarette (EC) use is popular among youth, touted as a safer alternative to smoking and promoted as a tool to aid in smoking cessation. EC cardiovascular safety however is not well established. The aim of this study was to examine cardiovascular consequences of EC use by evaluating their effect on the entire atherosclerotic cascade in young adults using noninvasive combined positron emission tomography (PET)/magnetic resonance imaging (MR) and comparing EC use with age matched smokers of traditional cigarettes and nonsmoking controls.

Atherosclerosis inflammation and burden in young adult smokers and vapers measured by PET/MR.

In recent years, cardiovascular immuno-imaging by positron emission tomography (PET) has undergone tremendous progress in preclinical settings. Clinically, two approved PET tracers hold great potential for inflammation imaging in cardiovascular patients, namely FDG and DOTATATE. While the former is a widely applied metabolic tracer, DOTATATE is a relatively new PET tracer targeting the somatostatin receptor 2 (SST2). In the current study, we performed a detailed, head-to-head comparison of DOTATATE-based radiotracers and [F]F-FDG in mouse and rabbit models of cardiovascular inflammation. For mouse experiments, we labeled DOTATATE with the long-lived isotope [Cu]Cu to enable studying the tracer's mode of action by complementing in vivo PET/CT experiments with thorough ex vivo immunological analyses. For translational PET/MRI rabbit studies, we employed the more widely clinically used [Ga]Ga-labeled DOTATATE, which was approved by the FDA in 2016. DOTATATE's pharmacokinetics and timed biodistribution were determined in control and atherosclerotic mice and rabbits by ex vivo gamma counting of blood and organs. Additionally, we performed in vivo PET/CT experiments in mice with atherosclerosis, mice subjected to myocardial infarction and control animals, using both [Cu]Cu-DOTATATE and [F]F-FDG. To evaluate differences in the tracers' cellular specificity, we performed ensuing ex vivo flow cytometry and gamma counting. In mice subjected to myocardial infarction, in vivo [Cu]Cu-DOTATATE PET showed higher differential uptake between infarcted (SUV 1.3, IQR, 1.2-1.4, N = 4) and remote myocardium (SUV 0.7, IQR, 0.5-0.8, N = 4, p = 0.0286), and with respect to controls (SUV 0.6, IQR, 0.5-0.7, N = 4, p = 0.0286), than [F]F-FDG PET. In atherosclerotic mice, [Cu]Cu-DOTATATE PET aortic signal, but not [F]F-FDG PET, was higher compared to controls (SUV 1.1, IQR, 0.9-1.3 and 0.5, IQR, 0.5-0.6, respectively, N = 4, p = 0.0286). In both models, [Cu]Cu-DOTATATE demonstrated preferential accumulation in macrophages with respect to other myeloid cells, while [F]F-FDG was taken up by macrophages and other leukocytes. In a translational PET/MRI study in atherosclerotic rabbits, we then compared [Ga]Ga-DOTATATE and [F]F-FDG for the assessment of aortic inflammation, combined with ex vivo radiometric assays and near-infrared imaging of macrophage burden. Rabbit experiments showed significantly higher aortic accumulation of both [Ga]Ga-DOTATATE and [F]F-FDG in atherosclerotic (SUV 0.415, IQR, 0.338-0.499, N = 32 and 0.446, IQR, 0.387-0.536, N = 27, respectively) compared to control animals (SUV 0.253, IQR, 0.197-0.285, p = 0.0002, N = 10 and 0.349, IQR, 0.299-0.423, p = 0.0159, N = 11, respectively). In conclusion, we present a detailed, head-to-head comparison of the novel SST2-specific tracer DOTATATE and the validated metabolic tracer [F]F-FDG for the evaluation of inflammation in small animal models of cardiovascular disease. Our results support further investigations on the use of DOTATATE to assess cardiovascular inflammation as a complementary readout to the widely used [F]F-FDG.

Article	Year
An iterative sparse deconvolution method for simultaneous multicolor F-MRI of multiple contrast agents. Magnetic resonance in medicine\| PubMed ID: 31441541	2020
Segmentation of carotid arterial walls using neural networks. World journal of radiology\| PubMed ID: 31988700	2020
Review of radiographic findings in COVID-19. World journal of radiology\| PubMed ID: 32913561	2020
Atherosclerosis inflammation and burden in young adult smokers and vapers measured by PET/MR. Atherosclerosis\| PubMed ID: 33896592	2021
Systematically evaluating DOTATATE and FDG as PET immuno-imaging tracers of cardiovascular inflammation. Scientific reports\| PubMed ID: 35418569	2022

Sonum Naidu

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