The Journal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography: 2020 Year in review

Abstract

The purpose of this review is to highlight the most impactful, educational, and frequently downloaded articles published in the Journal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (JCCT) for the year 2020. The JCCT reached new records in 2020 for the number of research submissions, published manuscripts, article downloads and social media impressions. The articles in this review were selected by the Editorial Board of the JCCT and are comprised predominately of original research publications in the following categories: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), coronary artery disease, coronary physiology, structural heart disease, and technical advances. The Editorial Board would like to thank each of the authors, peer-reviewers and the readers of JCCT for making 2020 one of the most successful years in its history, despite the challenging circumstances of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords: COVID-19; Cardiac CT; Cardiac computed tomography; Coronary CT angiography; Coronary artery calcium; Journal of cardiovascular computed tomography; Structural heart disease.

Fig. 1

Shows a 53-year-old male, active smoker (40 pack/years), atypical chest pain. Coronary calcium score (CCS) was zero and non-calcified lesion in the mid CX (arrows) with positive remodeling and low-attenuation fibroatheroma (92 HU) and high-grade stenosis was found. (VRT left and cMRP right). Patient died due to acute transmural myocardial infarction 23 days after CTA prior to ICA. Left dominant supply. Reproduced from reference # 21.

Fig. 2

Pericoronary fat attenuation and volume quantification on pre- and post contrast CT. Fat was defined as −30 to −190 HU and from 10 to 50 ​mm distal to the RCA origin at a radial distance equal to the vessel diameter. Reproduced from reference # 25.

Fig. 3

Example of a wall shear stress (WSS) profile of the left anterior descending coronary artery from a patient demonstrating lumen and external elastic membrane boundaries, superimposed virtual histology intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)–derived necrotic core data (red dots), and areas of variable WSS. The magnified segment of the vessel demonstrates the high-resolution spatial location of the IVUS images (thickness ​= ​0.5 mm) superimposed on the WSS profile. Time-averaged WSS values were circumferentially averaged for each IVUS segment to provide quantitative hemodynamic data to correlate with plaque progression data. Reproduced from reference #32. (For interpretation of the references to colour in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the Web version of this article.)

Fig. 4

Annular area and perimeter as measured at the insertion point of the 3 cusps (blue contour), and supra-annular measurement obtained using the intercommisural distance (green arrow) from which a circle is defined to allow perimeter and area calculation (green contour). Reproduced from reference #36. (For interpretation of the references to colour in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the Web version of this article.)

Fig. 5

Assessment of left ventricular global longitudinal strain with feature tracking multi-detector row computed tomography. Left ventricular 2-chamber (panel A), 3-chamber (panel B) and 4-chamber (panel C) views formatted via multiplanar reconstruction and processed with the help of QStrain available on Medis Suite CT. After analysing using QStrain, dynamic MDCT 3D images (panel D), Bull’s eye (panel E) and strain plots (panel F) are derived. Abbreviations: EF-Ejection fraction, GLS-Global longitudinal strain, MDCT-Multidetector row computed tomography. Reproduced from reference # 38.