Transcatheter aortic-valve implantation (TAVI) is an established treatment option in patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis. Intermediate and long-term follow up data of these patients is limited. Data was taken from a large all-comer single center prospective registry (2008 to 2019).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSince the diagnosis of cardiac amyloidosis (CA) is often delayed, echocardiographic findings are frequently indicative of advanced cardiomyopathy. We aimed to describe early echocardiographic features in patients subsequently diagnosed with CA. Preamyloid diagnosis echocardiographic studies were screened for structural and functional parameters and stratified according to the pathogenetic subtype (immunoglobulin light-chain [AL] or amyloid transthyretin [ATTR]).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: We aimed to characterize patients with systemic amyloidosis stratified by a prior diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and to describe early echocardiographic parameters concomitant with CTS.
Methods And Results: Patients with suspected amyloidosis during CTS diagnosis were excluded. Our cohort included 108 patients with systemic amyloidosis of which 36% had a prior CTS at a median of 4 years (interquartile range [IQR] 2.
The output settings of echocardiographic systems should be set to the full (original) frame rate and lossless compression (e.g., run-length encoding) in order to transmit echocardiographic videos so that they retain their original quality.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Late tricuspid regurgitation is a common finding in patients with rheumatic valvular disease after mitral valve replacement surgery. However, the long-term benefit of concomitant tricuspid valve annuloplasty has not been established in this population.
Methods: This was a single-center retrospective study in a tertiary hospital.
Data regarding characteristics of young patients with mitral annular calcification (MAC) and its associations with other cardiovascular risk factors are scarce. Hence, we sought to characterize patients aged <50 years with MAC and to examine whether in these patients, MAC is also associated with cardiovascular risk factors. Consecutive patients who underwent an echocardiographic study were prospectively entered into a database.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe aim of this study was to assess the association between mitral annular calcium (MAC) and flail mitral leaflets in a cohort of patients with degenerative mitral valve disease. A retrospective study was conducted of consecutive patients with degenerative mitral valve disease who underwent echocardiography at Rabin Medical Center from 2003 to 2012. Special focus was attended to the presence and grade of MAC and characterization of valve pathology (myxomatous vs nonmyxomatous, prolapse vs flail).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Mitral regurgitation (MR) causes increased morbidity and mortality in heart failure patients and is often associated with augmented surgical risk.
Objectives: To assess the preliminary results oftranscatheter mitral valve leaflet repair (TMLR) in a single academic center.
Methods: Data were collected prospectively in the cardiology department of Rabin Medical Center in 2012.
Functional mitral regurgitation (MR) is common in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy. We present a case of an 83-year-old patient with ischemic heart disease and ischemic cardiomyopathy, who was repeatedly admitted for pulmonary edema and underwent a percutaneous trans-septal MitraClip procedure. During coronary angiography, a severe left main stenosis was demonstrated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground And Aim Of The Study: While the role of intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography (IOTEE) in valve repair surgery is well documented, its value in patients undergoing valve replacement is debatable. The study aim was to assess the impact of IOTEE on the management of a large cohort of patients referred for aortic valve replacement (AVR).
Methods: The departmental echocardiography database for patients undergoing AVR with IOTEE between April 1999 and September 2006 at the authors' institution was reviewed.
Aims: Assessing the quality of wall motion (WM) on echocardiograms remains a challenge. Previously, we validated an automated application used by experienced echocardiographers for WM classification based on longitudinal two-dimensional (2D) strain. The aim of this study was to show that the use of this automatic application was independent of the user's experience.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The purpose of this multicenter study was to determine the reliability of visual assessments of segmental wall motion (WM) abnormalities and global left ventricular function among highly experienced echocardiographers using contemporary echocardiographic technology in patients with a variety of cardiac conditions.
Methods: The reliability of visual determinations of left ventricular WM and global function was calculated from assessments made by 12 experienced echocardiographers on 105 echocardiograms recorded using contemporary echocardiographic equipment. Ten studies were reread independently to determine intraobserver reliability.
Background: Identification and quantification of segmental left ventricular wall motion abnormalities on echocardiograms is of paramount clinical importance but is still performed by a subjective visual method. We constructed an automatic tool for assessment of wall motion based on longitudinal strain.
Methods And Results: Echocardiograms of 105 patients (3 apical views) were blindly analyzed by 12 experienced readers.
The incidence of aortic valve stenosis is growing rapidly in the elderly. Nonetheless, many symptomatic patients are not referred for surgery usually because of high surgical risk. Unfortunately, percutaneous balloon valvuloplasty is unsatisfactory due to high recurrence rates.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis review focuses on recent advances in the treatment of aortic-valve stenosis with special emphasis on medical treatment for preventing disease progression, and on novel surgical and percutaneous approaches.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAortic valve disease is currently the commonest valve disease. The prevalence of aortic stenosis reaches 2% to 5% of very elderly patients. It is the second commonest indication for cardiac surgery, and the commonest indication for valve surgery today.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Pregnancy is contraindicated in cases of pulmonary hypertension, a highly morbid disease affecting young women of childbearing age.
Cases: We describe the pregnancies of 3 patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (idiopathic, Eisenmenger syndrome, and related to systemic lupus erythematosus). They received epoprostenol and low-molecular-weight heparin throughout pregnancy.
Study Objectives: Assessment of global myocardial performance by a single index (ie, the myocardial performance index [MPI]) has been suggested as an appealing alternative to the individual assessment of systolic and diastolic left ventricular (LV) function We sought to test the prognostic value of MPI in comparison to clinical characteristics and echocardiographic parameters of LV filling and ejection in acute myocardial infarction (AMI).
Patients: Four hundred seventeen consecutive patients with AMI were examined within 24 h of hospital admission.
Interventions: Doppler echocardiographic measures of systolic, diastolic, and global myocardial performance were assessed within 24 h of hospital admission.