Long-term outcomes and reverse remodelling in recently diagnosed unexplained left ventricular systolic dysfunction.

Aims: In patients with recently diagnosed non-ischaemic LV systolic dysfunction, left ventricular reverse remodelling (LVRR) and favourable prognosis has been documented in studies with short-term follow-up. The aim of our study was to assess the long-term clinical course and stability of LVRR in these patients.

Methods And Results: We prospectively studied 133 patients (37 women; 55 [interquartile range 46, 61] years) with recently diagnosed unexplained LV systolic dysfunction, with heart failure symptoms lasting <6 months and LV ejection fraction <40% persisting after at least 1 week of therapy.

[The benefit of magnetic resonance for diagnosing cardiomyopathy and myocarditis].

Magnetic resonance is becoming an increasingly used examination in cardiology, since it greatly improves the accuracy of diagnosing of many heart diseases. At present magnetic resonance is the gold standard in assessing the volumes of the heart chambers and the systolic function of both ventricles. The possibility of detecting tissue characteristics to refine the diagnostics of different types of myocardial pathology is of essential importance.

Absence of Borrelia burgdorferi in the myocardium of subjects with normal left ventricular systolic function: a study using PCR and electron microscopy.

Background: Several studies have demonstrated the presence of the Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb) genome in the myocardium of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). To further support a causal relationship between the presence of Bb in the heart muscle and the development of DCM, demonstration of the absence of Bb in the myocardium of subjects with normal left ventricular (LV) systolic function is needed.

Aim: To determine the prevalence of Bb by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and electron microscopy (EM) in individuals with normal LV systolic function and no history suggestive of myocarditis.

The Role of Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Cardiac Computed Tomography in the Assessment of Left Atrial Anatomy, Size, and Function.

In the last decade, there has been increasing evidence that comprehensive evaluation of the left atrium is of utmost importance. Numerous studies have clearly demonstrated the prognostic value of left atrial volume for long-term outcome. Furthermore, advances in catheter ablation procedures used for the treatment of drug-refractory atrial fibrillation require the need for detailed knowledge of left atrial and pulmonary venous morphology as well of atrial wall characteristics.

A high frequency of viral agents yet absence of Borrelia burgdorferi is seen within the myocardium of subjects with normal left ventricular systolic function: an electron microscopy study.

A wide range of viral agents is associated with the development of acute myocarditis and its possible chronic sequela, dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). There is also increasing evidence that Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb) is associated with DCM in endemic regions for Bb infection. This study sought to use electron microscopy to prospectively analyze the presence of viruses and Bb within the myocardium of 40 subjects with preserved left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction and 40 patients with new-onset unexplained DCM during the same time period.

Needle fragment embolism into the right ventricle: a rare cause of chest pain case report and literature review.

Chest pain in young adults is usually self-limited and of benign etiology. However, rare causes of chest pain must be considered in patients for whom initial diagnostic tests are negative, particularly if unusual risk factors are identified. The authors present a rare case describing a 27-year-old male intravenous drug user who developed transient chest pain most likely secondary to pericardial irritation caused by a needle fragment that embolized from a peripheral vein to his right ventricle.