Lymphatic abnormalities are found in many patients after functional single-ventricle palliation. T2-weighted unenhanced MRI is capable of anatomic assessment of the lymphatic system in this patient population and has promise for guiding treatment in the future.

Background:The Fontan operation is performed for surgical palliation of single ventricle physiology. This operation is usually preceded by a superior cavopulmonary connection (SCPC); lymphatic abnormalities after SCPC may be demonstrated at MRI and prior to the Fontan operation.Purpose: To determine if the degree of neck and thoracic lymphatic abnormalities at T2-weighted MRI in patients after superior cavopulmonary connection (SCPC) correlated with surgical outcomes from the Fontan procedure. Materials and Methods:Patients for whom SCPC was performed for palliation of single ventricle disease who underwent chest MRI between July 2012 and May 2015 at a single institution were retrospectively reviewed. T2-weighted images were scored as lymphatic type 1 (little or no T2 mediastinal and supraclavicular signal) to type 4 (T2 signal into both the mediastinum and the lung parenchyma). Fontan takedown, duration of post-Fontan hospitalization and pleural effusion, postoperative plastic bronchitis, need for transplant, and mortality were tabulated. The relationship between lymphatic type and clinical outcomes was evaluated by using analysis of variance (ANOVA), the Kruskal-Wallis H test, and the Fisher exact test.Results: A total of 83 patients (mean age, 7.9 years 6 2.6) were evaluated. Among these 83 patients, 53 (64%) were classified with type 1 or 2 lymphatic abnormalities, 17 (20%) with type 3, and 12 (16%) with type 4. The rate of failure of Fontan completion was higher in patients with type 4 than in type 1 or 2 (54% vs 2%, respectively; P = .004). Need for cardiac transplant (one of 13 [8%]) and death (three of 13 [23%]) occurred only in type 4. Median postoperative length of stay was longer for patients with type 4 than for those with types 1 or 2 (29 days vs 9 days, respectively; P , .01). Conclusion:Greater MRI-based severity of lymphatic abnormalities in patients prior to planned Fontan procedure was associated with failure of Fontan completion and longer postoperative stay.

BackgroundCardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is increasingly used to diagnose myocarditis in adults but its use in children is not well-established. We sought to describe the presentation, CMR protocol and findings, and outcomes in a multicenter cohort of children with myocarditis.MethodsThirteen hospitals retrospectively identified patients meeting the following inclusion criteria: 1) diagnosis of myocarditis by the managing physicians, 2) age <21 years, 3) CMR examination within 30 days of presentation, and 4) no congenital heart disease. Clinical data and test results, including CMR findings, were abstracted from the medical record.ResultsFor the 143 patients meeting inclusion criteria, the median age was 16.0 years (range, 0.1-20.3) and 139 (97 %) were hospitalized at the time of CMR. The median time from presentation to CMR was 2 days (0-28). The median left ventricular ejection fraction at CMR was 56 % (10-74), with 29 (20 %) below 45 %. The median right ventricular ejection fraction was 54 % (15-72), with 11 (8 %) below 40 %. There was significant variability among centers in the types of tissue characterization techniques employed (p < 0.001). Overall, late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) was used in 100 % of studies, followed by T2-weighted imaging (T2W) in 69 %, first-pass contrast perfusion (FPP) in 48 %, and early gadolinium enhancement (EGE) in 28 %. Abnormalities were most common with LGE (81 %), followed by T2W (74 %), EGE (55 %), and FPP (8 %). The CMR study was interpreted as positive for myocarditis in 117 patients (82 %), negative in 18 (13 %), and equivocal in 7 (5 %), yielding a sensitivity of 82 %. At a median follow-up of 7.1 months (0-87), all patients were alive and 5 had undergone cardiac transplantation. CMR parameters at presentation associated with persistent left ventricular dysfunction were larger left ventricular end-diastolic volume and lower left and right ventricular ejection fraction but not abnormal LGE.ConclusionsDespite significant practice variation in imaging protocol among centers, CMR had a high sensitivity for the diagnosis of myocarditis in pediatric patients. Abnormalities were most often seen with LGE followed by T2W, EGE, and FPP. These findings should be useful in designing future prospective studies.

Background-Systemic-to-pulmonary collateral flow (SPCF) is common in single-ventricle patients with superior cavopulmonary connections (SCPC). Because no validated method to quantify SPCF exists, neither its hemodynamic burden nor its clinical impact can be systematically evaluated. We hypothesize that (1)

STratifying Resilience and Depression Longitudinally (STRADL) is a population-based study built on the Generation Scotland: Scottish Family Health Study (GS:SFHS) resource. The aim of STRADL is to subtype major depressive disorder (MDD) on the basis of its aetiology, using detailed clinical, cognitive, and brain imaging assessments. The GS:SFHS provides an important opportunity to study complex gene-environment interactions, incorporating linkage to existing datasets and inclusion of early-life variables for two longitudinal birth cohorts. Specifically, data collection in STRADL included: socio-economic and lifestyle variables; physical measures; questionnaire data that assesses resilience, early-life adversity, personality, psychological health, and lifetime history of mood disorder; laboratory samples; cognitive tests; and brain magnetic resonance imaging. Some of the questionnaire and cognitive data were first assessed at the GS:SFHS baseline assessment between 2006-2011, thus providing longitudinal measures of depression and resilience. Similarly, routine NHS data and early-life variables are linked to STRADL data, further providing opportunities for longitudinal analysis. Recruitment has been completed and we consented and tested 1,188 participants.

By use of cardiac MRI and CT, the anomalous course of round coronary ostia was confirmed and visualized in a pediatric cohort with intraseptal anomalous left coronary artery. The data provide the basis for understanding the benign clinical course and showing that surgery is unnecessary for this coronary anomaly.

OBJECTIVES: To determine flow distribution in the cavopulmonary connections of Fontan patients with and without bilateral superior vena cavae. No large series exists that establishes the flow distributions in Fontan patients, which would be an important resource for everyday clinical use and may impact future surgical reconstruction. METHODS: We studied 105 Fontan patients (ages 2 - 24 years) with through-plane phase contrast velocity mapping to determine flow rates in the inferior and superior vena cava, and left and right pulmonary arteries. Superior caval anastomosis type included 40 bidirectional Glenns (of which 15 were bilateral) and 53 hemi-Fontans, while Fontan type included 69 intra-atrial baffles, 28 extracardiac conduits, and 4 atriopulmonary connections. RESULTS: Total caval flow was 2.9±1.0 l/min/m2, with an inferior vena cava contribution of 59%±15%. Total pulmonary flow was 2.5±0.8 l/min/m2, statistically less than caval flow and not explained by fenestration presence. The right pulmonary artery contribution (55%±13%) was, statistically greater than the left. In patients with bilateral superior cavae, the right cava accounted for 52%±14% of the flow, with no difference in pulmonary flow splits (50%±16% to the right). Age and body surface area correlated with percent inferior caval contribution (r = 0.60 and 0.74 respectively). Superior vena cava anastomosis and Fontan type did not significantly affect pulmonary flow splits. CONCLUSIONS: Total Fontan cardiac index was 2.9 l/min/m2, with normal pulmonary flow splits (55% to right lung). Inferior vena cava contribution to total flow increases with body surface area and age, consistent with data from healthy children.

Background Systemic-pulmonary collateral (SPC) flow occurs commonly in single ventricle patients after superior cavo-pulmonary connection, with unclear clinical significance. We sought to evaluate the association between SPC flow and acute post-Fontan clinical outcomes using a novel method of quantifying SPC flow by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). Methods and Results All patients who had SPC flow quantified by CMR prior to Fontan were retrospectively reviewed to assess for acute clinical outcomes after Fontan completion. Forty-four subjects were included who had Fontan completion between May, 2008 and September, 2010. SPC flow prior to Fontan measured 1.5 ± 0.9 L/min/m2, accounting for 31 ± 11% of total aortic flow and 44 ± 15% of total pulmonary venous flow. There was a significant linear association between natural log-transformed duration of hospitalization and SPC flow as a proportion of total aortic (rho=0.31, p=0.04) and total pulmonary venous flow (rho=0.29, p=0.05). After adjustment for Fontan type and presence of a fenestration, absolute SPC flow was significantly associated with hospital duration ≥ 7 days (OR=9.2, p=0.02) and chest tube duration ≥ 10 days (OR=22.7, p=0.009). Similar associations exist for SPC flow as a percentage of total aortic (OR=1.09, p=0.048 for hospitalization ≥ 7 days; OR=1.24, p=0.007 for chest tube duration ≥ 10 days) and total pulmonary venous flow (OR=1.07, p=0.048 for hospitalization ≥ 7 days; OR=1.18, p=0.006 for chest tube duration ≥ 10 days). Conclusions Increasing SPC flow before Fontan, as measured by CMR, is associated with increased duration of hospitalization and chest tube following Fontan completion.