Correlation between left ventricular fractal dimension and impaired strain assessed by cardiac MRI feature tracking in patients with left ventricular noncompaction and normal left ventricular ejection fraction

• Published in: European radiology 2022-04, Vol.32 (4), p.2594-2603
• Main Authors: Yu, Shiqin, Chen, Xiuyu, Yang, Kai, Wang, Jiaxin, Zhao, Kankan, Dong, Wenhao, Yan, Weipeng, Su, Guohai, Zhao, Shihua
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cardiac; Complexity; Correlation; Diagnostic Radiology; Ejection fraction; Fractal analysis; Fractal geometry; Fractals; Heart; Humans; Imaging; Internal Medicine; Interventional Radiology; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Cine - methods; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Muscle contraction; Neuroradiology; Radiology; Retrospective Studies; Stroke Volume; Tracking; Ultrasound; Ventricle; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left - diagnostic imaging; Ventricular Function, Left
• ISSN: 0938-7994; 1432-1084
• DOI: 10.1007/s00330-021-08346-2

Objectives To investigate the correlation between the extent of excessive trabeculation assessed by fractal dimension (FD) and myocardial contractility assessed by cardiac MRI feature tracking in patients with left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC) and normal left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Methods Forty-one LVNC patients with normal LVEF (≥ 50%) and 41 healthy controls were retrospectively included. All patients fulfilled three available diagnostic criteria on MRI. Cardiac MRI feature tracking was performed on cine images to determine left ventricular (LV) peak strains in three directions: global radial strain (GRS), global circumferential strain (GCS), and global longitudinal strain (GLS). The complexity of excessive trabeculation was quantified by fractal analysis on short-axis cine stacks. Results Compared with controls, patients with LVNC had impaired GRS, GCS, and GLS (all p