Initial Intravascular Ultrasound Without a Routine Early Baseline Study in the Evaluation of Cardiac Transplant Vasculopathy has Prognostic Valve
Highlights
- • Abnormal minimal intimal thickening (MMIT) on IVUS has been shown to have prognostic value.
- • We evaluated whether performing first IVUS more than 6 months after transplantation without a baseline IVUS study has similar prognostic value
- • The all-cause mortality showed prognostic value.
- • The overall MACE rate was also effected 8.4% (9/107) in patients with MIT of < 0.5 mm vs. 24.4% (10/41) in patients with MMIT of > 0.5 mm [HR: 6.7; 95% CI: 1.30-9.42; p = 0.009].
Abstract
Background
Abnormal minimal intimal thickening (MIT) on intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) defined as difference of ≥0.5 mm between baseline and one-year post-transplantation has been shown to have prognostic value. The goal of this retrospective cohort study was to evaluate whether abnormal MIT found on routine IVUS studies in cardiac transplant patients after 6 months without an early baseline study (modified MIT or MMIT), has any prognostic value. Furthermore, we evaluated the prognostic effect of serial IVUS performed beyond one year.