Clinical Research Directory

Validation of Myocardial Perfusion and Extracellular Volume Assessment Using Photon-Counting Computed Tomography (PCCT) Compared With Cardiac Magnetic Resonance (CMR) in Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI)

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide, responsible for about 30% of all deaths. This substantial burden highlights the need for accurate diagnostic tools that help doctors detect heart disease early and understand it more fully. Recent advances in medical imaging offer promising opportunities to improve how heart conditions are diagnosed and treated. One important development in computed tomography (CT), a widely used imaging technique, is photon counting computed tomography (PCCT). PCCT produces clearer and more detailed images of the heart while using lower radiation doses and smaller amounts of contrast agent, the dye injected into the bloodstream to make body tissues more visible. As PCCT is still a relatively new technology, its full potential in clinical heart imaging has not yet been fully explored. This study includes patients with narrowing of the aortic valve, a condition that reduces blood flow from the heart and often requires treatment. These patients undergo cardiac CT before receiving a minimally invasive valve replacement procedure called transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). The study evaluates two diagnostic applications of PCCT: Functional assessment: Blood flow to the heart muscle is examined during stress imaging, when the heart works harder, to determine whether narrowed coronary arteries significantly limit blood supply. Tissue characterization: The heart muscle is analyzed to detect scarring or fibrosis by measuring the extracellular volume (ECV), the space between cells. If successful, PCCT could provide detailed anatomical, functional, and tissue information in a single non invasive examination, offering a "one stop shop" for comprehensive heart assessment.

Improved Detection of Myocardial Fibrosis: a Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study

Myocardial fibrosis, or scarring, is a common endpoint in many cardiomyopathies and is associated with adverse outcomes, and precise tools to measure myocardial fibrosis are needed. Focal and diffuse myocardial fibrosis can be diagnosed by cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging. However, the CMR procedure is complex and time-consuming and require the use of intravenous gadolinium based contrast agents. A wide range of biomarkers have been associated with the diagnosis and prognosis of cardiovascular disease. In the current study the investigators will assess whether novel and established circulating myocardial biomarkers associate with myocardial fibrosis assessed by CMR. The investigators will also assess whether novel or improved CMR sequences as well as machine learning algorithms improve image quality and the detection of myocardial fibrosis.