ABSTRACTIntroduction: Epicardial lipomatosis (EL) is an increase in adipose tissue in theepicardial space. This study aimed to evaluate cardiac magnetic resonanceimaging (CMR) findings and their effects on cardiac functions in patients withEL.Methods: A total of 33 adult patients with detected EL were evaluatedretrospectively. Patients were evaluated with right ventricular (RV) enddiastolic diameter (ED), RV ejection fraction (EF), left ventricular (LV) ED,LVEF, LV stroke volume, LV cardiac output, and LV cardiac index.Measurements were repeated intraobserver. Maximum epicardial fat thickness(EP) was measured from the thickest place in 2 and 4 chamber images. Datawere compared with paired student t-test after the Kolmogorov-Smirnovnormality test. EP and ventricular measurements were compared usingPearson's correlation coefficient.Results: The RVED (r = 0.39), right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) (r =0.35), and LVED (r = 0.31) data showed a moderate inverse correlation to theincreased EP. A low correlation was found between the increased EP and otherfunctional data of the right and left ventricles (r < 0.3). Intra-observer variabilitywas (2.9 and 6.8%).Conclusion: The increase in epicardial fat thickness was determined to have alow and moderate effect on the right and left heart functions.
Introduction: Epicardial lipomatosis (EL) is an increase in adipose tissue in theepicardial space. This study aimed to evaluate cardiac magnetic resonanceimaging (CMR) findings and their effects on cardiac functions in patients withEL.Methods: A total of 33 adult patients with detected EL were evaluatedretrospectively. Patients were evaluated with right ventricular (RV) enddiastolic diameter (ED), RV ejection fraction (EF), left ventricular (LV) ED,LVEF, LV stroke volume, LV cardiac output, and LV cardiac index.Measurements were repeated intraobserver. Maximum epicardial fat thickness(EP) was measured from the thickest place in 2 and 4 chamber images. Datawere compared with paired student t-test after the Kolmogorov-Smirnovnormality test. EP and ventricular measurements were compared usingPearson's correlation coefficient.Results: The RVED (r = 0.39), right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) (r =0.35), and LVED (r = 0.31) data showed a moderate inverse correlation to theincreased EP. A low correlation was found between the increased EP and otherfunctional data of the right and left ventricles (r < 0.3). Intra-observer variabilitywas (2.9 and 6.8%).Conclusion: The increase in epicardial fat thickness was determined to have alow and moderate effect on the right and left heart functions.