Objective:To investigate the values of right ventricular free wall longitudinal strain (RVFWLS) by three-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (3D-STE) in predicting the degree of RV myocardial fibrosis (MF) in patients with end-stage heart failure (HF).Methods:A total of 102 consecutive patients with end-stage HF undergoing heart transplantation were enrolled in the Union Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology from June 2018 to December 2019. Echocardiographic examinations were performed in these patients before heart transplantation. The conventional RV function parameters were obtained, including fractional area change, tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion(TAPSE), myocardial performance index, tricuspid lateral annular systolic velocity(Tricuspid s′). Two-dimensional (2D) RVFWLS was calculated by two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2D-STE). Right ventricular (RV) end-diastolic volume (RVEDV), RV end-systolic volume (RVESV), RV stroke volume (RVSV), RV ejection fraction (RVEF) and 3D-RVFWLS were measured by 3D-STE. The degree of MF was quantified using Masson′s trichrome stain in RV myocardial samples after heart transplantation. Patients were divided into mild, moderate, and severe groups according to the degree of MF on histology, then echocardiographic parameters were compared among the 3 groups. Pearson correlation analysis and the multiple linear regression analysis between echocardiographic parameters and RV MF were analyzed.Results:Compared with patients with mild and moderate MF, 3D-RVFWLS, 2D-RVFWLS and conventional parameters of RV function were significantly decreased in patients with severe MF.RV MF strongly correlated with 3D-RVFWLS ( r=-0.71, P<0.01), modestly correlated with 2D-RVFWLS ( r=-0.53, P<0.01), and weakly correlated with RVFAC, TAPSE, RVEF, Tricuspid s′, RVSV ( r=-0.47, -0.44, -0.35, -0.29, -0.38; all P<0.01). 3D-RVFWLS correlated best with the degree of MF compared with 2D-RVFWLS and conventional RV function parameters ( r=-0.71 vs r=-0.29~-0.53, all P<0.05). A stepwise multivariate analysis showed that 3D-RVFWLS was independently associated with RV MF (β=1.554, P<0.01, adjusted R2=0.539). Conclusions:3D-RVFWLS can provide an important imaging reference for detecting the degree of RV MF in patients with end-stage HF.

Purpose Based on liver lesions,to investigate the feasibility and influencing factors of virtual non-contrast(VNC)replacing true non-contrast(TNC)in tri-phase derived from Revolution CT.Materials and Methods A total of 62 patients who underwent TNC and tri-phase(arterial,venous,and delayed phases)spectral enhanced liver scans were retrospectively enrolled in Zhongda Hospital Affiliated to Southeast University from December 2021 to April 2022.Liver lesions with a diameter of≥5 mm were measured and categorized into Group 1(≤20 Hu)and Group 2(>20 Hu)according to the CT values of TNC,then were respectively further categorized into group a(≤20 Hu across all three phases of enhancement)and group b(>20 Hu in at least one phase of enhancement)based on the degree of enhancement.CT attenuation,maximum diameter and detection rates of lesions were compared between TNC and three-phase VNC groups.Multivariate regression analysis was used to investigate the influencing factors of the density difference between VNC and TNC.Results A statistically significant difference in the attenuation of lesions was observed among the each groups(χ2/F=14.712,18.603,7.334,all P<0.01).Except for VNCV and VNCD in Group-1a which had no significant difference with TNC(both P>0.05),the attenuation of other VNCs were lower than TNC in category-a and greater than TNC in category-b(all P<0.05).Maximal diameter presented strong correlation and no significant difference in VNCA and VNCV compared to TNC in each group(all P>0.05;all r>0.8 and P<0.001).A significant difference in the detection rate of the lesions was observed among the groups(χ2=47.660,P<0.001),VNCV images displayed the higher detection rate than VNCA and VNCD(all P<0.05).The density difference between VNC and TNC was positively correlated with CT values of the corresponding enhancement phase(r2adjusted=0.209,0.142,0.062,P<0.001).Conclusion Based on Revolution CT,VNCV is the optimal phase to replace TNC and can be mitigated by CT value of the lesions in venous-phase.