Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography : official publication of the American Society of Echocardiography
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J Am Soc Echocardiogr · Dec 2015
Impact of Body Size on Inferior Vena Cava Parameters for Estimating Right Atrial Pressure: A Need for Standardization?
Inferior vena cava (IVC) diameter and its respiratory change, as determined using echocardiography, are commonly used to assess right atrial pressure (RAP). Despite the widespread use of the IVC approach for RAP assessment, the relations among body surface area (BSA), IVC diameter, and respirophasic change remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of BSA on IVC parameters for predicting elevated RAP. ⋯ Body size, measured as BSA, is important to consider when IVC diameter is used to assess RAP. The optimal cutoff point of IVCDmax was 21 mm for patients with larger BSAs and 17 mm for those with smaller BSAs. However, the cutoff point of IVC collapsibility was not influenced by the difference of BSA.
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J Am Soc Echocardiogr · Nov 2015
Randomized Controlled TrialImproving the accuracy of effective orifice area assessment after transcatheter aortic valve replacement: validation of left ventricular outflow tract diameter and pulsed-wave Doppler location and impact of three-dimensional measurements.
Echocardiographic calculation of effective orifice area (EOA) after transcatheter aortic valve replacement is integral to the assessment of transcatheter heart valve (THV) function. The aim of this study was to determine the most accurate method for calculating the EOA of the Edwards SAPIEN and SAPIEN XT THVs. ⋯ The most accurate EOA after implantation of a balloon-expandable THV is calculated using preimplantation LVOT diameter and VTI.
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J Am Soc Echocardiogr · Oct 2015
Comparative StudyNovel Approach to Three-Dimensional Echocardiographic Quantification of Right Ventricular Volumes and Function from Focused Views.
Echocardiographic assessment of the right ventricle is difficult because of its complex shape. Three-dimensional echocardiographic (3DE) imaging allows more accurate and reproducible analysis of the right ventricle than two-dimensional methodology. However, three-dimensional volumetric analysis has been hampered by difficulties obtaining consistently high-quality coronal views, required by the existing software packages. The aim of this study was to test a new approach for volumetric analysis without coronal views by using instead right ventricle-focused three-dimensional acquisition with multiple short-axis views extracted from the same data set. ⋯ The new software is fast, reproducible, and accurate compared with CMR over a wide range of RV size and function. Because right ventricle-focused 3DE acquisition is feasible in most patients, this approach may be applicable to a broader population of patients who can benefit from RV volumetric assessment.
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J Am Soc Echocardiogr · Oct 2015
ReviewEarly Bioprosthetic Valve Failure: Mechanistic Insights via Correlation between Echocardiographic and Operative Findings.
Bioprosthetic valves are increasingly implanted, with generally consistent and durable results. Early bioprosthetic valve failure is uncommon, and most clinicians are unfamiliar with the spectrum of early structural complications involving bioprostheses. In this review, the authors organize causes of early bioprosthetic valve failure according to possible pathogenesis, demonstrate the correlation between echocardiographic and anatomic findings, and discuss potential treatments. ⋯ Next, they discuss excessive pannus formation, a hitherto rarely described cause of early bioprosthetic valve failure. Finally, the authors address early structural valve deterioration mediated by calcification or primary tears. Illustrative examples with relevant echocardiographic and operative findings are provided.
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J Am Soc Echocardiogr · Oct 2015
Comparative StudyHead-to-Head Comparison of Global Longitudinal Strain Measurements among Nine Different Vendors: The EACVI/ASE Inter-Vendor Comparison Study.
This study was planned by the EACVI/ASE/Industry Task Force to Standardize Deformation Imaging to (1) test the variability of speckle-tracking global longitudinal strain (GLS) measurements among different vendors and (2) compare GLS measurement variability with conventional echocardiographic parameters. ⋯ Reproducibility of GLS measurements was good and in many cases superior to conventional echocardiographic measurements. The small but statistically significant variation among vendors should be considered in performing serial studies and reflects a reference point for ongoing standardization efforts.