Long-term prognostic value of peak exercise echocardiogram in patients hospitalized with acute chest pain.

Introduction: Peak exercise echocardiogram (EEcho) has shown reasonable sensitivity and specificity in detecting significant coronary artery disease (CAD). The objective was to evaluate the prognostic value of EEcho in patients hospitalized for acute chest pain (CP) and its additional prognostic information regarding exercise electrocardiogram test (EECG).

Methods: Prospective observational study performed between May 2011 and September 2013, including 250 patients consecutively admitted for acute CP with normal cardiac biomarkers and nondiagnostic electrocardiogram.

Three-dimensional versus two-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography in mitral valve repair.

Objectives: We sought to compare the diagnostic performance of 3-dimensional (3D) versus 2-dimensional (2D) echocardiography in patients with regurgitant mitral valve.

Background: An accurate assessment of morphology and function of the mitral valve is essential for surgical repair. Two-dimensional echocardiography has certain spatial limitations that could be overcome by 3D imaging.

[Streptococcus agalactiae infective endocarditis].

Streptococcus agalactiae infective endocarditis Streptococcus agalactiae is an unusual cause of infectious endocarditis. We describe the clinical characteristics, therapy and evolution of this infection in four patients diagnosed between 1996 and 2003. All four cases had native valve involvement and vegetations.