Role of Speckle Tracking Echocardiography in Dilated Cardiomyopathy: A Review.

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is an important cause of the heart failure. Timely diagnosis and optimal management decrease morbidity and mortality in heart failure patients. Although transthoracic echocardiography is used as the diagnostic test of choice in these patients, new modalities like speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) have promising results in diagnosing these patients in the earlier course of the disease.

Feature tracking cardiac magnetic resonance imaging: A review of a novel non-invasive cardiac imaging technique.

Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally. Early diagnostic markers are gaining popularity for better patient care disease outcomes. There is an increasing interest in noninvasive cardiac imaging biomarkers to diagnose subclinical cardiac disease.

Supersized Atheroma Causing Acquired Coarctation of Aorta Leading to Heart Failure.

Calcified atheromatous aortic lesion causing significant narrowing of the aorta is an uncommon clinical entity. This calcified atheroma leads to obstruction of the lumen of the aorta simulating acquired coarctation of aorta causing impaired perfusion of lower limbs, visceral ischemia, and hypertension. We report a case of 58-year-old patient who presented with dyspnea on exertion, orthopnea, paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea, 25-lb weight gain, lower extremity edema, and chest pain.

Tako-tsubo syndrome as a consequence of transient ischemic attack.

An 82-year-old woman presented to the emergency department with chest pain after sustaining a transient ischemic attack 1 week prior to presentation. Electrocardiography revealed ST-segment elevation in leads I, II, aVF, and V3 through V6. Coronary angiography demonstrated nearly normal coronaries but left ventriculography showed apical akinesis and basal hyperkinesis.

Papillary fibroelastoma involving the left ventricular wall.

A 71-year-old white woman presented to her primary care physician for a routine visit and was found to have a new, previously undocumented cardiac murmur. A subsequent transthoracic echocardiogram revealed a 1 cm mobile mass arising from the lateral free wall of the left ventricle. Transesophageal echocardiography later confirmed these findings.