Quantification of epicardial adipose tissue in obese patients using an open-bore MR scanner

Abstract

Background Our aim was to evaluate the reproducibility of epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) volume, measured on scans performed using an open-bore magnetic resonance scanner. Methods Consecutive patients referred for bariatric surgery, aged between 18 and 65 years who agreed to undergo cardiac imaging (MRI), were prospectively enrolled. All those with cardiac pathology or contraindications to MRI were excluded. MRI was performed on a 1.0-T open-bore scanner, and EAT was segmented on all scans at both systolic and diastolic phase by two independent readers (R1 with four years of experience and R2 with one year). Data were reported as median and interquartile range; agreement and differences were appraised with Bland-Altman analyses and Wilcoxon tests, respectively. Results Fourteen patients, 11 females (79%) aged 44 (41–50) years, underwent cardiac MRI. For the first and second readings, respectively, EAT volume was 86 (78–95) cm3 and 85 (79–91) cm3 at systole and 82 (74–95) cm3 and 81 (75–94) cm3 at diastole for R1, and 89 (79–99) cm3 and 93 (84–98) cm3 at systole and 92 (85–103) cm3 and 93 (82–94) cm3 at diastole for R2. R1 had the best reproducibility at diastole (bias 0.3 cm3, standard deviation of the differences (SD) 3.3 cm3). R2 had the worst reproducibility at diastole (bias 3.9 cm3, SD 12.1 cm3). The only significant difference between systole and diastole was at the first reading by R1 (p = 0.016). The greatest bias was that of inter-reader reproducibility at diastole (-9.4 cm3). Conclusions Reproducibility was within clinically acceptable limits in most instances.

Echocardiogram image segmentation and cardiac adipose tissue estimation using spectral analysis and deep learning

“…Currently, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) are the preferred modalities for quantifying CAT due to their high contrast and resolution 10 . These image modalities can provide measurements of CAT thickness in a three-dimensional representation 11 . However, the use of MRI and CT for routine CAT assessment is limited by cost, accessibility, and risks from repeated radiation exposure 12 .…”

Trajectory correction enables free-running chemical shift encoded imaging for accurate cardiac proton-density fat fraction quantification at 3T

“…This framework has demonstrated its capacity for motion-resolved high-resolution CMR, particularly to target demanding coronary imaging [18] , five-dimensional (5D)-Flow MRI [19] , and more recently fat-fraction mapping at 1.5T [20] . Interestingly, epicardial fat imaging requires high-resolution imaging, and its visualization is commonly preferred in systole [21] , due to the myocardium pulling the thin fat layer away from the pericardium sack, thus enhancing EAT delineation and reducing partial volume effects. We hypothesized that the free-running framework lays the ground for high-resolution quantitative cardiac CSE-CMR at 3T.…”