Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography : official publication of the American Society of Echocardiography
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J Am Soc Echocardiogr · Aug 2005
Comparative StudyImpact of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with pulmonary hypertension on both left ventricular systolic and diastolic performance.
The effects of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) on right ventricular (RV) systolic and diastolic functions and left ventricular (LV) diastolic function have been shown. Whereas LV myocardial performance index (LVMPI), which incorporates ejection and isovolumic relaxation and contraction times and is an index of global ventricular function, has not yet been evaluated in COPD. ⋯ Both LV systolic and diastolic functions are impaired in COPD, especially in patients with pulmonary hypertension. This impairment is independently associated with pulmonary arterial systolic pressure, RVMPI, and forced expiratory volume in 1 second.
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J Am Soc Echocardiogr · Aug 2005
Biphasic Doppler pattern of the descending thoracic aorta: a new echocardiographic finding in patients with aortic valve stenosis.
A total of 59 patients (> or = 65 years of age) with normal left ventricular function (ejection fraction > 50%) and varying degrees of aortic valve structure and hemodynamics (normal to severely stenotic) were screened; 50 were subsequently enrolled. Continuous wave Doppler echocardiography in the descending thoracic aorta showed two general patterns: (1) in aortic stenosis, the pattern consisted of two peak systolic velocity components (S1 and S2); and (2) in normal aortic valve function, the pattern was a uniphasic signal with a single peak systolic velocity component. ⋯ Sensitivity was 96% in uniphasic signals during normal aortic valve function by conventional 2-dimensional and Doppler criteria. This article introduces characteristics of this Doppler velocity profile as a new diagnostic finding of aortic valve stenosis.
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J Am Soc Echocardiogr · Aug 2005
Comparative StudyImproved semiautomated quantification of left ventricular volumes and ejection fraction using 3-dimensional echocardiography with a full matrix-array transducer: comparison with magnetic resonance imaging.
Our goals were to: (1) develop a technique for 3-dimensional (3D) direct, model-independent quantitative assessment of left ventricular (LV) volume and ejection fraction based on semiautomated detection of LV endocardial surface from transthoracic near real-time full matrix-array 3D echocardiographic (FM3DE) imaging; (2) evaluate the accuracy of LV volumes obtained with this technique, using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurements as the reference for comparison; and (3) determine the effects of contrast enhancement on the accuracy of FM3DE measurements. A total of 46 patients underwent 2-dimensional echocardiography, FM3DE, and cardiac MRI. End-diastolic volume, end-systolic volume, and ejection fraction were derived from endocardial borders manually traced from 2-dimensional echocardiographic images and from semiautomatically detected LV cavity from FM3DE data. ⋯ LV volumes and ejection fraction computed from FM3DE resulted in higher levels of agreement with MRI than conventional 2-dimensional echocardiography, with lower interobserver variability. With contrast enhancement, FM3DE significantly underestimated LV volumes and showed increased interobserver variability. Semiautomated LV endocardial surface detection from FM3DE images is feasible and results in fast and accurate assessment of LV function.
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J Am Soc Echocardiogr · Aug 2005
Case ReportsIntermittent coronary sinus occlusion complicating coronary sinus cannulation during coronary artery bypass operation.
Coronary sinus (CS) thrombosis is a rare event, usually complicating invasive procedures that cause trauma to the CS. Based on anecdotal case reports, this pathology is frequently associated with serious complications and is commonly fatal. ⋯ This complication was further complicated by myocardial infarction, left ventricular free wall rupture, and pseudoaneurysm formation. The characteristic echocardiographic findings and a review of the literature on this rare complication are presented.
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J Am Soc Echocardiogr · Aug 2005
Case ReportsPartial or total anomalous pulmonary venous drainage caused by malposition of septum primum: echocardiographic description of a rare variant of anomalous pulmonary venous drainage.
We describe the echocardiographic findings in 9 patients, a rare variant of partial and total anomalous pulmonary venous drainage directly to the morphologic right atrium, caused by malposition of septum primum. Displacement of septum primum to the morphologic left atrium was present in all 9 cases leading to partial or complete anomalous drainage of pulmonary veins to the morphologic right atrium. However, all pulmonary veins were connecting normally to the morphologic left atrium. The views that best demonstrated the deviation of septum primum were subxiphoid coronal, apical 4-chamber, and parasternal long-axis.