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To assess the variation in left atrial (LA) and biventricular strain and its prognostic value in the course of suspected myocarditis, this retrospective study included 55 patients with clinically suspected myocarditis who underwent cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) examinations at baseline and follow-up periods. Cine images were used for feature tracking analysis. Paired Student's t test, McNemar's test, and Cox proportional hazard regression were used for statistical analysis. The LA total emptying fraction was the only functional index that showed a statistically significant improvement. The initial LA peak's late negative strain rate (SRa) was the only parameter with a significant predictive power of major adverse cardiac events under univariable (hazard ratio [HR] 2.396, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.044–5.498, p = 0.039) and multivariable Cox survival analysis when adjusted by LA strain parameters (HR 5.072, 95% CI 1.478–17.404, p = 0.010), LA strain and functional parameters (HR 7.197, 95% CI 1.679–30.846, p = 0.008), and LA and biventricular strain and functional parameters (HR 10.389, 95% CI 2.250–47.977, p = 0.003). Thus, our findings indicate that CMR strain is useful for monitoring LA and ventricular function in suspected myocarditis, that LA function may recover preceding ventricular function changes, and that LA strain may serve as an incremental tool to predict adverse outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to explore computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of patients diagnosed with primary cardiac angiosarcoma. The study involved the analysis of 12 patients diagnosed with primary cardiac angiosarcoma who underwent non-contrast (8/12) or contrast-enhanced CT (10/12) or MRI (4/12). Imaging appearances, including the tumor location and adjacent infiltration, were analyzed. All 12 lesions were located in the right atrium with a broad base. Adjacent invasion including the tricuspid valve and right ventricle (2/12), inferior or superior vena cava (2/12), pericardium (10/12), and right coronary artery (7/12) was common. On unenhanced CT scans, tumors in two patients were homogeneous in density, whereas the others were inhomogeneous. Ten patients showed heterogeneous enhancement. The enhancement pattern showed no direct correlation with the differentiation degree of the tumor. Four lesions manifested as heterogeneous intensity, with hyperintense hemorrhage foci on both T1- and T2-weighted MRI. Three showed rim enhancement and one showed patchy enhancement. Primary cardiac angiosarcoma often involves the right side of the heart with infiltration of peripheral structures. CT features include typical inhomogeneous density on unenhanced scans and heterogeneous centripetal enhancement on enhanced scans. A cauliflower-like appearance on both T1- and T2-weighted MRI is common. The characteristic enhancement pattern of MRI remains to be determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]