Atrioventricular nodal ablation is an effective management strategy for atrial fibrillation in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is common in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and can be challenging to manage. Atrioventricular nodal (AVN) ablation may be an effective management strategy for AF in these patients.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of AVN ablation in HCM patients who have failed medical therapy and/or catheter ablation for AF.

A comprehensive multi-index cardiac magnetic resonance-guided assessment of atrial fibrillation substrate prior to ablation: Prediction of long-term outcomes.

Introduction: Multiple cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR)-derived indices of atrial fibrillation (AF) substrate have been shown in isolation to predict long-term outcome following catheter ablation. Left atrial (LA) fibrosis, LA volume, LA ejection fraction (EF), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), LA shape (sphericity) and pulmonary vein anatomy have all been shown to correlate with late AF recurrence. This study aimed to validate and assess the relative contribution of multiple indices in a long-term single-center study.

Cardiovascular effects of space radiation: implications for future human deep space exploration.

Background: A manned mission to Mars has been contemplated by the world's largest space agencies for a number of years. The duration of the trip would necessitate a much longer exposure to deep space radiation than any human has ever been exposed to in the past. Concern regarding cancer risk has thus far stalled the progress of deep space exploration; however, the effect of space radiation on the cardiovascular system is significantly less well understood.

A randomized prospective mechanistic cardiac magnetic resonance study correlating catheter stability, late gadolinium enhancement and 3 year clinical outcomes in robotically assisted vs. standard catheter ablation.

Aims: To prospectively compare cardiac magnetic resonance late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) findings created by standard vs. robotically assisted catheter ablation lesions and correlate these with clinical outcomes.

Methods And Results: Forty paroxysmal atrial fibrillation patients (mean age 54 ± 13.

Oscillatory behavior of ventricular action potential duration in heart failure patients at respiratory rate and low frequency.

Oscillations of arterial pressure occur spontaneously at a frequency of approximately 0.1 Hz coupled with synchronous oscillations of sympathetic nerve activity ("Mayer waves"). This study investigated the extent to which corresponding oscillations may occur in ventricular action potential duration (APD).

A Method to Standardize Quantification of Left Atrial Scar From Delayed-Enhancement MR Images.

Delayed-enhancement magnetic resonance imaging (DE-MRI) is an effective technique for detecting left atrial (LA) fibrosis both pre and postradiofrequency ablation for the treatment of atrial fibrillation. Fixed thresholding models are frequently utilized clinically to segment and quantify scar in DE-MRI due to their simplicity. These methods fail to provide a standardized quantification due to interobserver variability.

Blastoschizomyces capitatus pneumonia in an immuno-competent female.

Pulmonary infection due to Blastoschizomyces capitatus is less common. It is an emerging fungal pathogen. We describe a case of Blastoschizomyces capitatus pneumonia in an otherwise healthy female and review the clinical presentation, microbiological characteristics, and treatment for B.