Evaluation of myocardial fibrosis and cardiac function in fibrotic lung diseases by mri

The aim of this study was to evaluate cardiac fibrosis and cardiac function in fibrotic lung disease with magnetic resonance imaging. Thirty-five patients with fibrotic lung disease and 17 healthy volunteers were prospectively evaluated. Myocardial T1 relaxation value, lung parenchymal T1 relaxation value, diastolic dysfunction and extracellular volume were measured in the patient and control groups. T1 mapping measurements of the lungs were made from fibrotic parenchyma and from morphologically normal parenchyma in the patient group. The mean age was 61.69 years in the patient group and 32 years in the control group. The mean age was statistically significantly higher in the patient group than in the control group. Myocardial T1 relaxation values were statistically significantly higher in the patient group compared to the control group (p<0.001). The T1 relaxation value of the lung parenchyma from the area thought to have fibrosis in the lung parenchyma in the patient group was statistically significantly higher than the T1 relaxation value of the lung parenchyma in the control group (p<0.001). When the T1 relaxation value of the lung parenchyma of the patient group was compared with the T1 relaxation value of the lung parenchyma of the control group, it was found that the T1 relaxation value of the patient group was significantly higher (p=0.0056). The mean extracellular volume (ECV) values of the left ventricular wall in the patient group was 26.91%. When compared with the reference values determined in the literature, the ECV value was statistically significantly higher (p=0,0246). Diastolic dysfunction was found in 22 patients in the patient group and no diastolic dysfunction was observed in the control group. 8 In the current study at which we evaluated the relationship between pulmonary fibrosis and myocardial fibrosis in patients with fibrotic lung disease, the fact that myocardial T1 relaxation values and ECV were high in the patient group suggests that pulmonary diseases with fibrosis may affect the myocardium as in other systemic diseases involving the heart. However, there are not enough studies on this subject in the literature. With the development of cardiac MRI techniques, we think that the effect of fibrotic lung diseases on myocardial fibrosis can be more clearly demonstrated with more comprehensive studies.