Increased right atrial volume measured with cardiac magnetic resonance is associated with worse clinical outcome in patients with pre‐capillary pulmonary hypertension

摘要

Aims Pre‐capillary pulmonary hypertension (PH pre‐cap ) has a poor prognosis, especially when caused by pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) associated with systemic sclerosis (SSc‐PAH). Whether cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR)‐based quantification of atrial volumes in PH pre‐cap is beneficial in risk assessment is unknown. The aims were to investigate if (i) atrial volumes using CMR are associated with death or lung transplantation in PH pre‐cap , (ii) atrial volumes differ among four unmatched major PH pre‐cap subgroups, and (iii) atrial volumes differ between SSc‐PAH and idiopathic/familial PAH (IPAH/FPAH) when matched for pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR). Methods and results Seventy‐five PH pre‐cap patients (57?±?19?years, 53 female, 43 de novo) with CMR and right heart catheterization were retrospectively included. Short‐axis stacks of cine images were analysed, and right and left atrial maximum (RAV max and LAV max ) and minimum volume (RAV min and LAV min ) were indexed for body surface area. Increased (mean?+?2 SD) and reduced (mean?–?2?SD) volumes were predefined from CMR normal values. Transplantation‐free survival was lower in patients with increased RAV max than in those with normal [hazard ratio (HR)?=?2.1, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1–4.0] but did not differ between those with reduced LAV max and normal (HR 2.0, 95% CI 0.8–5.1). RAV max and RAV min showed no differences among unmatched or matched groups ( P ?=?ns). When matched for PVR, LAV max , LAV min , and pulmonary artery wedge pressure were reduced in SSc‐PAH compared with IPAH/FPAH (95% CI 0.3–21.4, 95% CI 0.8–19.6, and 95% CI 2–7, respectively). Conclusions Patients with PH pre‐cap and increased right atrial volume measured with CMR had worse clinical outcome. When matched for PVR, left atrial volume was lower in SSc‐PAH than in IPAH/FPAH, consistent with left‐sided underfilling, indicating a potential differentiator between the groups.