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Ann Thorac Surg 1998;65:943-950
© 1998 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

MRI-Radiofrequency Tissue Tagging in Patients With Aortic Insufficiency Before and After Operation

^a Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
^b the Cardiovascular Division, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
^c Department of Radiology, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Address reprint requests to Dr Pasque, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, One Barnes Hospital Plaza, 3103 Queeny Tower, St. Louis, MO 63110

Presented at the Thirty-third Annual Meeting of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, San Diego, CA, Feb 3–5, 1997.

Background. Magnetic resonance imaging tissue tagging is a relatively recent methodology that describes ventricular systolic function in terms of intramyocardial ventricular deformation. Because the analysis involves the use of many intramyocardial points to describe systolic deformation, it is theoretically more sensitive at describing subtle differences in regional myocardial fiber shortening when compared with conventional measures of ventricular function such as wall thickening. The objectives of this study were (1) to define sensitive indices of ventricular systolic deformation to assist the clinician in the surgical evaluation of patients with aortic insufficiency, and (2) to quantify differences in regional systolic deformation before and after surgery for aortic insufficiency.

Methods. Magnetic resonance imaging with tissue tagging was performed on 10 normal volunteers and 8 patients with chronic severe aortic insufficiency. Follow-up postoperative studies (5.4 ± 1.1 months) were obtained in 6 patients who underwent Ross procedure (1 patient), David procedure (1), and St. Jude aortic valve replacement (4).

Results. There was no significant difference in fractional area change, overall circumferential shortening, or overall radial thickening among the normal group, the preoperative aortic insufficiency group, or the postoperative aortic insufficiency group. However, on a regional basis, there was a decrease in posterior wall circumferential strains in the postoperative aortic insufficiency group (29% ± 13% preoperative aortic insufficiency (n = 6) versus 24% ± 12% postoperative aortic insufficiency (n = 6), p = 0.02).

Conclusions. On regional analysis, there was a small but significant decrease in posterior wall circumferential shortening after operation. Magnetic resonance imaging tissue tagging is a sensitive and clinically applicable method of quantifying regional ventricular wall function before and after intervention for aortic insufficiency.