Additive prognostic and diagnostic value of diastolic exercise parameters in patients referred for exercise echocardiography.

Aims: Exercise echocardiography (ExE) may evaluate left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic function. We aimed to assess the value of diastolic parameters at exercise [early LV inflow velocity to early tissue Doppler annulus velocity (E/e')] in patients with normal or abnormal resting diastolic function (DF) referred for a clinically indicated ExE.

Methods And Results: LV systolic and DF according to ASE/EACVI guidelines and mitral regurgitation (MR) were evaluated at rest in 772 patients (age 67 ± 12 years) with preserved LV ejection fraction (LVEF ≥ 50%).

An unusual presentation of prosthetic valve endocarditis: Utility of 3D transillumination rendering.

Prosthetic valve endocarditis is a rare but serious complication of cardiac valve replacement, and echocardiography plays a fundamental role in its diagnosis and management. However, there is not much information about the use of the 3D transillumination rendering in this context. In this report, we present an unusual case of prosthetic valve endocarditis that exemplifies the utility of this new tool.