Vitamin-K antagonist versus dual antiplatelet therapy in management of isolated and non-obstructive atherosclerotic coronary artery ectasia.

Background: Treatment of isolated and non-obstructive atherosclerotic coronary artery ectasia (CAE) is still controversial.

Aim: To assess the efficacy and safety of vitamin-K antagonist (VKA) versus dual antiplatelet (DAPT) therapy in management of patients with isolated and non-obstructive atherosclerotic CAE.

Methods: We prospectively enrolled 79 patients diagnosed on elective coronary angiography to have either isolated CAE or non-obstructive atherosclerotic CAE.

Three-dimensional echocardiographic assessment of left ventricular geometric changes following acute myocardial infarction.

Acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is associated with left ventricular (LV) structural and functional consequences. We aimed to elucidate LV geometric changes following STEMI using three-dimensional (3D) echocardiography (3DE) and to assess their functional implications using two-dimensional (2D) speckle tracking echocardiography (STE). The study included 71 patients with STEMI who underwent baseline and 6-month follow-up 2D- and 3DE.

Impact of balloon predilatation in patients with reduced versus preserved ejection fraction during transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Background: Although there is a trend toward direct transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), still balloon predilatation is necessary in some cases, especially in patients with severe calcification. However, predilatation including rapid ventricular pacing may have adverse outcomes, especially in patients with reduced ejection factor (EF).

Objective: To evaluate the impact of predilatation on in-hospital outcomes in patients with reduced versus preserved EF underwent TAVI.

Aortic Elasticity Indices as Predictors of Coronary Artery Disease Severity Assessed by SYNTAX Score.

Background: Aortic elastic properties have been related to coronary artery disease (CAD) morbidity and mortality. We aimed to assess the relation of aortic elasticity indices to the severity and complexity of CAD assessed using the SYNTAX Score (SS), evaluating which of these indices have better predictivity for CAD severity.

Materials And Methods: We prospectively enrolled 150 individuals who underwent elective coronary angiography for suspected CAD, out of them 29 (19.

Impact of Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome on Clinical, Echocardiographic, and Computed Tomographic Outcomes Among Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation.

Background: Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) is a systemic insult that has been described with many interventional cardiac procedures. The outcomes of patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) are thought to be influenced by this syndrome not only on short-term, but also on long-term.

Objective: We assessed the association of SIRS to different clinical, echocardiographic, and computed tomographic (CT) outcomes after TAVI.

Role of 2-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography in diagnosis of right ventricular involvement in patients with inferior wall myocardial infarction undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Diagnosis of right ventricular (RV) infarction in the setting of acute inferior wall myocardial infarction (IWMI) has important prognostic implications. We sought to assess the role of 2-D speckle tracking echocardiography (2-D STE) for the assessment of RV involvement in acute IWMI. We included 100 consecutive patients with a diagnosis of recent IWMI, of which 73 had an RCA culprit lesion, undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI).

Subclinical left ventricular systolic dysfunction by two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography and its relation to ambulatory arterial stiffness index in hypertensive patients.

Background: Increased arterial stiffness is associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality among hypertensive patients.

Objectives: To assess the relationship between ambulatory arterial stiffness index (AASI) and subclinical left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction assessed by 2-D speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE).

Methods: We enrolled 70 consecutive patients with hypertension.

Automated quantitative coronary computed tomography correlates of myocardial ischaemia on gated myocardial perfusion SPECT.

Purpose: Automated software tools have permitted more comprehensive, robust and reproducible quantification of coronary stenosis, plaque burden and plaque location of coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) data. The association between these quantitative CTA (QCT) parameters and the presence of myocardial ischaemia has not been explored. The aim of the present investigation was to evaluate the association between QCT parameters of coronary artery lesions and the presence of myocardial ischaemia on gated myocardial perfusion single-photon emission CT (SPECT).

Automated quantification of coronary plaque with computed tomography: comparison with intravascular ultrasound using a dedicated registration algorithm for fusion-based quantification.

Aims: Previous studies have used semi-automated approaches for coronary plaque quantification on multi-detector row computed tomography (CT), while an automated quantitative approach using a dedicated registration algorithm is currently lacking. Accordingly, the study aimed to demonstrate the feasibility and accuracy of automated coronary plaque quantification on cardiac CT using dedicated software with a novel 3D coregistration algorithm of CT and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) data sets.

Methods And Results: Patients who had undergone CT and IVUS were enrolled.

Feasibility of diastolic function assessment with cardiac CT: feasibility study in comparison with tissue Doppler imaging.

Objectives: This study aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of multidetector row computed tomography (CT) for assessment of diastolic function in comparison with 2-dimensional (2D) echocardiography using tissue Doppler imaging (TDI).

Background: Diastolic left ventricular (LV) function plays an important role in patients with cardiovascular disease. 2D echocardiography using TDI has been used most commonly to evaluate diastolic LV function.