Circulation. Cardiovascular imaging
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Circ Cardiovasc Imaging · Jan 2014
Transesophageal echocardiography in cryptogenic stroke and patent foramen ovale: analysis of putative high-risk features from the risk of paradoxical embolism database.
Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is associated with cryptogenic stroke (CS), although the pathogenicity of a discovered PFO in the setting of CS is typically unclear. Transesophageal echocardiography features such as PFO size, associated hypermobile septum, and presence of a right-to-left shunt at rest have all been proposed as markers of risk. The association of these transesophageal echocardiography features with other markers of pathogenicity has not been examined. ⋯ We found no evidence that the proposed transesophageal echocardiography risk markers of large PFO size, hypermobile septum, and presence of right-to-left shunt at rest are associated with clinical features suggesting that a CS is PFO-attributable. Additional tools to describe PFOs may be useful in helping to determine whether an observed PFO is incidental or pathogenically related to CS.
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Circ Cardiovasc Imaging · Jan 2014
Validation of noninvasive indices of global systolic function in patients with normal and abnormal loading conditions: a simultaneous echocardiography pressure-volume catheterization study.
Noninvasive indices based on Doppler echocardiography are increasingly used in clinical cardiovascular research to evaluate left ventricular global systolic chamber function. Our objectives were to clinically validate ultrasound-based methods of global systolic chamber function to account for differences between patients in conditions of abnormal load, and to assess their sensitivity to load confounders. ⋯ Current ultrasound methods have limited accuracy to characterize global left ventricular systolic chamber function in a given patient. The Doppler-derived peak ejection intraventricular pressure difference should be preferred for this purpose because it best correlates with the reference index and is more robust in conditions of abnormal load.
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Circ Cardiovasc Imaging · Jan 2014
Prognostic value of cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging measurements corrected for age and sex in idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension.
There are limited data on the prognostic value of cardiovascular magnetic resonance measurements in idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension, with no studies investigating the impact of correction of cardiovascular magnetic resonance indices for age and sex on prognostic value. ⋯ Consideration should be given to correcting cardiovascular magnetic resonance measures for age, sex, and body surface area, particularly given the changing demographics of patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension. Corrected right ventricular end-systolic volume is a strong prognostic marker in idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension, independent of invasively derived measurements, mean right atrial pressure cardiac index, and mixed venous oxygen saturations.
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Circ Cardiovasc Imaging · Jan 2014
Investigation of global and regional myocardial mechanics with 3-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography and relations to hypertrophy and fibrosis in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
In hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), heterogeneous myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis are responsible for abnormalities of left ventricular (LV) function. We aimed to characterize LV global and regional myocardial mechanics in HCM, according to segmental hypertrophy and fibrosis. ⋯ Both hypertrophy and fibrosis contribute to regional impairment of myocardial shortening in HCM. The extent of hypertrophy is the primary factor altering global myocardial mechanics. Circumferential myocardial shortening seems to be directly involved in preservation of LV systolic performance in HCM.
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Circ Cardiovasc Imaging · Nov 2013
Comparative StudyAssessment of mitral valve area during percutaneous mitral valve repair using the MitraClip system: comparison of different echocardiographic methods.
Quantification of the mitral valve area (MVA) is important to guide percutaneous mitral valve repair using the MitraClip system. However, little is known about how to best assess MVA in this specific situation. ⋯ Transmitral gradients by continuous-wave Doppler are quick, feasible in all patients, and superior to direct peri-interventional assessment of MVA. A postinterventional transmitral gradient by continuous-wave Doppler of ≥5 mm Hg best predicted elevated transmitral gradients at discharge.