Search

Abstract Background Intensive endurance exercise may induce a broad spectrum of right ventricular (RV) adaptation/remodelling patterns. Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) has also been described in cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) of some endurance athletes and its clinical meaning remains controversial. Our aim was to characterize the features of contrast CMR and the observed patterns of the LGE distribution in a cohort of highly trained endurance athletes. Methods Ninety-three highly trained endurance athletes (> 12 h training/week at least during the last 5 years; 36 ± 6 years old; 53% male) and 72 age and gender-matched controls underwent a resting contrast CMR. In a subgroup of 28 athletes, T1 mapping was also performed. Results High endurance training load was associated with larger bi-ventricular and bi-atrial sizes and a slight reduction of biventricular ejection fraction, as compared to controls in both genders (p

In recent years, lung US has evolved from a marginal tool to an integral component of diagnostic chest imaging. Contrast-enhanced US (CEUS) can improve routine gray-scale imaging of the lung and chest, particularly in diagnosis of peripheral lung diseases (PLDs). Although an underused tool in many centers, and despite inherent limitations in evaluation of central lung disease caused by high acoustic impedance between air and soft tissues, lung CEUS has emerged as a valuable tool in diagnosis of PLDs. Owing to the dual arterial supply to the lungs via pulmonary and bronchial (systemic) arteries, different enhancement patterns can be observed at lung CEUS, thereby enabling accurate differential diagnoses in various PLDs. Lung CEUS also assists in identifying patients who may benefit from complementary diagnostic tests, including image-guided percutaneous biopsy. Moreover, lung CEUS-guided percutaneous biopsy has shown feasibility in accessible subpleural lesions, enabling higher histopathologic performance without significantly increasing either imaging time or expenses compared with conventional US. The authors discuss the technique of and basic normal and pathologic findings at conventional lung US, followed by a more detailed discussion of lung CEUS applications, emphasizing specific aspects of pulmonary physiology, basic concepts in lung US enhancement, and the most commonly encountered enhancement patterns of different PLDs. Finally, they discuss the benefits of lung CEUS in planning and guidance of US-guided lung biopsy. © RSNA, 2024 Supplemental material is available for this article.