Echo Research and Practice最新文献

Background: The prevalence, clinical characteristics, management and long-term outcomes of patients with atrial secondary mitral regurgitation (ASMR) are not well described.

Methods: We performed a retrospective, observational study of consecutive patients with grade III/IV MR determined by transthoracic echocardiography. The aetiology of MR was grouped as being either primary (due to degenerative mitral valve disease), ventricular SMR (VSMR: due to left ventricular dilatation/dysfunction), ASMR (due to LA dilatation), or other.

Results: A total of 388 individuals were identified who had grade III/IV MR; of whom 37 (9.5%) had ASMR, 113 (29.1%) had VSMR, 193 had primary MR (49.7%), and 45 (11.6%) were classified as having other causes. Compared to MR of other subtypes, patients with ASMR were on average older (median age 82 [74-87] years, p < 0.001), were more likely to be female (67.6%, p = 0.004) and usually had atrial fibrillation (83.8%, p = 0.001). All-cause mortality was highest in patients with ASMR (p < 0.001), but similar to that in patients with VSMR once adjusted for age and sex (hazard ratio [HR] 0.81, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.52-1.25). Hospitalisation for worsening heart failure was more commonly observed in those with ASMR or VSMR (p < 0.001) although was similar between these groups when age and sex were accounted for (HR 0.74, 95% CI 0.34-1.58). For patients with ASMR, the only variables associated with outcomes were age and co-morbidities.

Conclusions: ASMR is a prevalent and distinct disease process associated with a poor prognosis, with much of this related to older age and co-morbidities.

Background: Deformation imaging represents a method of measuring myocardial function, including global longitudinal strain (GLS), peak atrial longitudinal strain (PALS) and radial strain. This study aimed to assess subclinical improvements in left ventricular function in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) by comparing GLS, PALS and radial strain pre and post procedure.

Methods: We conducted a single site prospective observational study of 25 patients undergoing TAVI, comparing baseline and post-TAVI echocardiograms. Individual participants were assessed for differences in GLS, PALS and radial strain in addition to changes in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (%).

Results: Our results revealed a significant improvement in GLS (mean change pre-post of 2.14% [95% CI 1.08, 3.20] p = 0.0003) with no significant change in LVEF (0.96% [95% CI - 2.30, 4.22], p = 0.55). There was a statistically significant improvement in radial strain pre and post TAVI (mean 9.68% [95% CI 3.10, 16.25] p = 0.0058). There was positive trend towards improvements in PALS pre and post TAVI (mean change of 2.30% [95% CI - 0.19, 4.80] p = 0.068).

Conclusion: In patients undergoing TAVI, measuring GLS and radial strain provided statistically significant information regarding subclinical improvements in LV function, which may have prognostic implications. The incorporation of deformation imaging in addition to standard echocardiographic measurements may have an important role in guiding future management in patients undergoing TAVI and assessing response.

Background: There is limited data regarding reference ranges for aortic dimensions in African populations. This study aims to establish normal reference ranges for echocardiographic dimensions and circumferential strain (CS) of the proximal thoracic aorta in a healthy sub-Saharan African population.

Methods: This was a secondary analysis of data from a prospective cross-sectional study of 88 participants conducted at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital (2017-2019). Aortic measurements were obtained as per the 2015 American Society of Echocardiography guidelines using a Philips iE33 system. Circumferential Strain was measured using Philips QLAB version 11.0 software offline semi-automated analysis of speckle-based strain 2-D speckle-tracking software (Amsterdam, The Netherlands).

Results: Mean age was 37.22 ± 10.79 years (41% male). The mean diameter at the aortic annulus, sinuses, sino-tubular junction (STJ) and ascending aorta (AAO) were 19.11 ± 2.38 mm, 27.40 ± 6.11 mm, 25.32 ± 3.52 mm and 25.36 ± 3.38 mm, respectively. Males had larger absolute and indexed aortic diameters at all levels when compared to females. The mean aorta CS was 11.97 ± 5.05%. There was no significant difference in CS based on gender (12.19 ± 5.04% vs 11.51 ± 5.02%, P = 0.267). On multivariate linear regression analysis, male sex was the most significant predictor of increased diameter at the level of the aortic annulus (r = 0.17, P = 0.014), body surface area was the most significant predictor at the sinuses (r = 0.17, P = 0.014) and AAO (r = 0.30, P < 0.001), while age was the most significant predictor at the STJ (r = 0.27, P = 0.004). There was a negative correlation between age and aortic CS (r = - 0.12, P < 0.001). The most important predictor of aorta CS was age, on multivariate analysis (r = - 0.19, P = 0.024).

Conclusions: This study provides normal reference ranges for dimensions of the proximal aorta and circumferential strain (CS) in a sub-Saharan African population according to age, sex, and body habitus. It serves as a platform for future larger studies and allows for risk stratification of cardiovascular disease in an African population.

Background: Speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) has been used as an adjunct diagnostic modality in patients with eosinophilic myocarditis. Its serial dynamic nature, however, has never been reported before.

Case presentation: A 17-year-old boy presented in cardiogenic shock state. His full blood count revealed an absolute eosinophilic count of 11.18 × 10³/μL. An emergency 2D echocardiogram (2DE) showed global left ventricular hypokinesia with LVEF = 9.0% by Simpson's method and a large amount of pericardial effusion. STE showed a global longitudinal strain (GLS) of - 4.1%. Because of his poor clinical status and presence of marked hypereosinophilia and the possibility of eosinophilic myocarditis (EM), parenteral pulse therapy with methylprednisolone and inotropes was started with subsequent improvement within the next 48 h. Over the next few days, he had his first cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR), which showed late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) in different cardiac regions. After two weeks of therapy, he left the hospital in a stable condition, with LVEF = 38.0%, and GLS = - 13.9%. He did well during his two months of outpatient follow-ups and was found to have an absolute eosinophil count of 0.0% on several occasions. Unfortunately, he was re-admitted because of treatment non-compliance with almost the same, albeit milder, symptoms. The WBC count was 18.1 × 10³ per microliter, and the eosinophilic count was 5.04 × 10³/μL (28%). Heart failure treatment and high-dose prednisolone were started. After 15 days of admission, he got better and was discharged. During both hospital admissions and several months of follow-up, he had multiple 2DEs, STE, and two CMR studies. None of his STEs were identical to the prior studies and were dynamic with frequent wax and wanes throughout the admissions and follow-ups. Thus a single admission-time STE study was not sufficient enough to properly predict the patient's outcome. Follow-up STEs showed new sites of myocardial involvement despite the absence of eosinophilia.

Conclusion: The use of STE in this patient, proved to have an added value in the evaluation and stratification of the left ventricular function in patients with EM and can be used as a diagnostic adjunct to CMR for diagnosis of EM.

Introduction: Anomalous origin of the right coronary artery from the pulmonary artery (ARCAPA) is a rare coronary artery malformation with an incidence of 0.002% in patients undergoing coronary angiography. It can lead to an increased risk of myocardial infarction (MI) and sudden cardiac death, even in asymptomatic patients.

Methods: We conducted a review of published cases of ARCAPA using PubMed and Scopus databases and included patients over 18 years old with adequate echocardiographic data.

Results: We evaluated 28 patients with ARCAPA with a mean age of 42.8 from 1979 to 2021. Patients were diagnosed mostly by angiography and echocardiography, the most performed treatment was reimplantation (15, 53.6%) and the main echocardiographic findings were dilated coronary arteries (9, 32.1%), coronary collaterals (8, 28.6%), and retrograde flow from right coronary arteries to main pulmonary trunk (7, 25%).

Conclusion: Although ARCAPA is rare and not as deadly as the anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery (ALCAPA) still there is a chance of serious outcomes, therefore surgical treatment should be performed upon diagnosis. Angiography is the gold standard for diagnosis, but echocardiography can be a convenient, non-invasive, and most reliable method as the primary step whenever ARCAPA is suspected.

Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is widely utilised within many aspects of clinical practice, as such the demand placed on echocardiography services is ever increasing. In an attempt to provide incremental value for patients and standardise patient care, the British Society of Echocardiography in collaboration with the British Heart Valve Society have devised updated guidance for the indications and triaging of adult TTE requests for TTE services to implement into clinical practice.

Mitral valve disease is common. Mitral regurgitation is the second most frequent indication for valve surgery in Europe and despite the decline of rheumatic fever in Western societies, mitral stenosis of any aetiology is a regular finding in all echo departments. Mitral valve disease is, therefore, one of the most common pathologies encountered by echocardiographers, as both a primary indication for echocardiography and a secondary finding when investigating other cardiovascular disease processes. Transthoracic, transoesophageal and exercise stress echocardiography play a crucial role in the assessment of mitral valve disease and are essential to identifying the aetiology, mechanism and severity of disease, and for helping to determine the appropriate timing and method of intervention. This guideline from the British Society of Echocardiography (BSE) describes the assessment of mitral regurgitation and mitral stenosis, and replaces previous BSE guidelines that describe the echocardiographic assessment of mitral anatomy prior to mitral valve repair surgery and percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty. It provides a comprehensive description of the imaging techniques (and their limitations) employed in the assessment of mitral valve disease. It describes a step-wise approach to identifying: aetiology and mechanism, disease severity, reparability and secondary effects on chamber geometry, function and pressures. Advanced echocardiographic techniques are described for both transthoracic and transoesophageal modalities, including TOE and exercise testing.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is common, inherited and characterised by unexplained thickening of the myocardium. The British Society of Echocardiography (BSE) has recently published a minimum dataset for transthoracic echocardiography detailing the core views needed for a standard echocardiogram. For patients with confirmed or suspected HCM, additional views and measurements are necessary. This guideline, therefore, supplements the minimum dataset and describes a tailored, stepwise approach to the echocardiographic examination, and echocardiography's position in the diagnostic pathway, before advising on the imaging of disease complications and invasive treatments.