This manuscript presents a rare case of a complex pulmonary venous malposition with an intact atrial septum and ventricular septum. The study demonstrates the diagnostic utility of echocardiography and computed tomography in the evaluation of complex congenital heart disease.
Cardiovascular (CV) diseases caused 20.5 million deaths in 2021, making up nearly one-third of global mortality. This highlights the need for practical prognostic markers to better classify patients and guide treatment, especially in ischemic heart disease (IHD), which represents one of the leading causes of CV mortality. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is a key, non-invasive imaging tool widely used in cardiology for diagnosing and managing a range of CV conditions. It is the first choice for diagnosing and monitoring patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Alongside well-established echocardiographic measures, new techniques have proven useful for predicting adverse events in IHD patients, such as three-dimensional (3D) and tissue Doppler imaging (TDI), and speckle tracking technology. This review aims to explore the latest echocardiographic tools that could provide new prognostic markers for patients in the acute phase and during follow-up after an acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We focus on new imaging methods like TDI, myocardial work index (MWI), speckle-tracking strain, and 3D technologies using TTE, which are easy to use and widely available at all stages of coronary artery disease (CAD).
Purpose: There are limited reports on the potential link between Lp(a) and ARDM. Thus, we examined the relationship between Lp(a) and ARDM among hypertensive patients.
Methods: We used echocardiography to measure ARDM in 513 consecutively hospitalized patients. namely, the aortic valve annulus (Ava), sinuses of Valsalva (SV), sinotubular junction (STJ), and ascending aorta (AA) in 513 consecutive inpatients. We also examined the Lp(a), and other laboratory profiles of all participants.
Results: Lp(a) exhibited a positive and independent relationship with the SV diameter (coefficient [β] = 0.330, p = 0.002) and STJ (coefficient [β] = 0.253, p = 0.023), regardless of age, sex, height, or other clinical factors among hypertensive, but not nonhypertensive patients. We also demonstrated that a marked rise in Lp(a) levels was independently associated with SV dilatation (SVD) (OR: 1.006, 95% CI: 1.002-1.009, p = 0.002) and AA dilatation (AAD) (OR: 1.006, 95% CI: 1.000-1.011, p = 0.035) in patients with hypertension. In the subgroup analysis, elevated Lp(a) levels were significantly associated with SV dilatation in all subgroups, and with AAD in males and patients aged 65 years or younger (p < 0.05). The restricted cubic spline analysis indicated a linear association between Lp(a) levels and the risk of both SV and AAD (p < 0.05).
Conclusions: Herein, we were the first to report that among hypertensive patients, elevated Lp(a) concentrations were intricately linked to the ARDMs at SV and STJ. Moreover, we revealed that the Lp(a) level was a stand-alone indicator of SVD and AAD.
We present a case of a 72-year-old female patient with dyspnea and lipothymia. Echocardiography demonstrates an intracavitary cystic mass that fills almost all left atria causing supravalvular obstruction. The magnetic resonance image revealed a 53 × 47 × 48 mm heterogeneous mass with regular edges, tissue characterization suggested myxoma. The patient underwent surgical resection, histopathologic study was compatible with sarcoma. This case underscores the importance of multimodal imaging for an accurate approach and early diagnosis of cardiac intracavitary masses.
Mitral regurgitation (MR) is one of the most common valvular heart diseases worldwide. Echocardiography remains the first line and most effective imaging modality for the diagnosis of mitral valve (MV) pathology and quantitative assessment of MR. The advent of three-dimensional echocardiography has significantly enhanced the evaluation of MV anatomy and function. Furthermore, recent advancements in cardiovascular imaging software have emerged as step-forward tools, providing a powerful support for acquisition, analysis, and interpretation of cardiac ultrasound images in the context of MR. This review aims to provide an overview of the contemporary workflow for echocardiographic assessment of MR, encompassing standard echocardiographic techniques and the integration of semiautomated and automated ultrasound solutions. These novel approaches include advancements in segmentation, phenotyping, morphological quantification, functional grading, and chamber quantification.
We presented the experience of a tertiary care center for maternal and fetal diseases and assessed the findings fetuses with double-inlet left ventricle (DILV) regarding fetal echocardiography, prenatal course including fetal growth and death, and postnatal outcome.
In this retrospective study, patients diagnosed with DILV via prenatal ultrasound in the maternal–fetal medicine department between 2015 and 2023 were included to evaluate important aspects of prenatal diagnosis and course, as well as postnatal management and outcome.
There were 33 DILV cases prenatally diagnosed and postnatally confirmed. Genetic abnormality was detected in two (8%) of 25 fetuses that had undergone genetic tests. Pulmonary artery obstruction was observed in 10 (30.3%) fetuses; pulmonary stenosis was found in nine, and pulmonary atresia in one. Aortic arc abnormalities were found in 11 (33.3%) fetuses. The great arteries were malpositioned in the 29 (87.8%) fetuses. The median duration of follow-up for the infants was 12 (2–96) months, and 22 (66.6%) of 33 cases survived. Among the 27 (81.8%) live births, 24 infants required univentricular palliation.
Remarkable implications of this study were that unless extra-cardiac and genetic anomalies accompany DILV, the probability of a chromosomal anomaly is low; that univentricular repair could be performed in almost all cases; and that the major causes of poor prognosis may be related to the restrictive bulboventricular foramen and severe aortic obstruction. Although long-term survival rates after univentricular repair appear to be high, these patients require long-term follow-up and repeated surgical procedures.
The left atrium (LA) dilates and its function decreases as a chronic secondary change in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). LA strain is a more sensitive measure of LV filling pressure than LA volume and can be used to predict the functional capacity in HCM.
To analyze LA strain in patients with HCM and its correlation with exercise tolerance.
A total of 113 patients with HCM were enrolled. All patients underwent detailed clinical evaluation, 24-h Holter monitoring, exercise stress testing, two-dimensional echocardiography with LA strain analysis using speckle tracking imaging. Assessment of functional capacity was done in terms of metabolic equivalents (METs). HCM patients with METS >6.0 were included in Group A while those with METS ≤ 6.0 were included Group B. Correlation of various parameters of LA strain (left atrial reservoir strain [LASr], left atrial conduit strain [LAScd], and left atrial contraction strain [LASct]) was done with functional capacity.
The mean age of the study population was 47 ± 10.77 years with the majority of them being males (71.9%). Group B patients had significantly lower LASr (12.95% ± 8.61% vs. 22.16% ± 16%; p < 0.001), LAScd (−7.28% ± 6.29% vs. −12.74% ± 8.40%; p < 0.001), and LASct (−7.44 ± 4.46 vs. −11.19 ± 6.53; p < 0.001). Multivariable linear regression analysis reported LASr to be an independent predictor of METs and had a quadratic relationship with log-odds with negative linear and positive quadratic coefficients. LASr was the strongest echocardiographic predictor of reduced METS with an AUC of 0.78 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.68–0.88), sensitivity of 71.8%, and specificity of 82.9%.
LA strain parameters are associated with functional capacity in patients with HCM with lower LA strain values being associated with poor functional capacity.
We describe a rare case of a male adolescent with anomalous aortic origin of the left coronary artery from the right sinus with intraseptal course (L-ACAO-IS), which was diagnosed at transthoracic echocardiography. The case we presented confirms how echocardiography is accurate in the diagnosis of even challenging coronary artery origin anomalies such as L-ACO-IS. Coronary artery origin evaluation should be an integral part of echocardiography examinations in infants, children, and young adults, especially those undergoing physical activity. We also remark the importance of using multiple views including short axis, long axis, and modified (anteriorized) 4-chamber view which is very helpful for a better evaluation of coronary artery origin and their proximal course.
京公网安备 11010802042870号
京ICP备2023020795号-1
扫码关注我们
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：