Mechanical haemolytic anaemia assessed with four-dimensional flow cardiac magnetic resonance

Wataru Uchida; Yoshiyuki Tokuda; Yasuo Takehara; Akihiko Usui

doi:10.1093/ejcts/ezz031

Mechanical haemolytic anaemia assessed with four-dimensional flow cardiac magnetic resonance

Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2019 Oct 1;56(4):813-814. doi: 10.1093/ejcts/ezz031.

Authors

Wataru Uchida¹, Yoshiyuki Tokuda¹, Yasuo Takehara², Akihiko Usui¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Cardiac Surgery, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan.
² Department of Fundamental Development for Advanced Low Invasive Diagnostic Imaging, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan.

PMID: 30770716
DOI: 10.1093/ejcts/ezz031

Abstract

A 66-year-old woman developed marked haemolytic anaemia 2 years after total aortic arch replacement using a branched Dacron graft. Echocardiography confirmed bicuspid aortic valve stenosis. A four-dimensional flow magnetic resonance imaging revealed a jet flow arising from the aortic valve along with the vortex and turbulent flow inside the kinked prosthetic graft at the ascending aorta. She underwent a reoperation to replace the aortic valve and correct the kinking. The estimated energy loss after intervention was relieved to 2.9 mJ/cardiac cycle from 4.3 mJ/cardiac cycle before intervention. The patient's anaemia resolved immediately after the reoperation.

Keywords: 4-dimensional flow cardiac magnetic resonance; Graft kink; Haemolytic anaemia; Turbulent flow.

Publication types

Case Reports

MeSH terms

Aged
Anemia, Hemolytic / diagnostic imaging*
Aorta, Thoracic / surgery
Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation
Cardiac Imaging Techniques / methods*
Female
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods*
Postoperative Complications / diagnosis*