Cardiac function evaluated by two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging in fetuses with congenital heart disease of ventricular afterload increase.

Aims: To study myocardial deformation in fetuses with ventricular afterload increase compared with gestational age-matched controls using speckle tracking echocardiography.

Methods And Results: Eighty-nine fetuses were retrospectively selected from the pregnancy screen by echocardiography. There are 41 fetuses with gestational age-matched normal heart served as the control group, 25 fetuses with congenital heart disease (CHD) leading to left ventricular (LV) afterload increase as group LVA and 23 fetuses with CHD leading to right ventricular(RV) afterload increases as group RVA.

Echocardiographic assessment of simultaneously measured left ventricular filling pressures in patients with normal left ventricular ejection fraction.

Background: Assessment of left ventricular (LV) diastolic function is part of routine echocardiographic examinations. Accuracy of the 2016 ASE/EACVI algorithm to detect LV diastolic dysfunction in patients with a normal LV ejection fraction (LVEF) has been examined but simultaneous measurements of LV pressures and echocardiographic parameters of diastolic function are sparse.

Methods: The accuracy of multiple echo parameters of diastolic dynamics and the 2016 guidelines were assessed by simultaneous transthoracic echocardiography and LV pressure recordings in 120 patients (derivation cohort) and 60 patients (validation cohort) with suspected coronary artery disease and normal LVEF.

Serial assessment of focal myocardial function after percutaneous coronary intervention for ST-elevation myocardial infarction: Value of layer-specific speckle tracking echocardiography.

Background: Ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) frequently follows successful PCI for STEMI and is recognized by multiple modalities. Multilayer speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) has the potential of detecting myocardial dysfunction in different myocardial layers. Our objective was to describe the changes in layer-specific myocardial function over the 24 hours after successful PCI for ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

Solitary neurofibroma of the heart.

Solitary neurofibroma of the heart is extremely unusual. Few reports of neurofibroma in the left ventricle have been published. In this case report, we present the results of transthoracic echocardiography, myocardial contrast echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, and histopathologic examination of a patient with a neurofibroma of the heart.

Subclinical left ventricular systolic dysfunction detected by two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography in patients with pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma and preserved ejection fraction.

Background: Excessive catecholamine leads to pressure overload and left ventricular (LV) remodeling. The goal of this study was to explore subclinical LV systolic dysfunction and the mechanism of preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in patients with pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma using two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography.

Methods: A total of 48 patients with pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma and preserved LVEF and 38 age- and gender-matched volunteers were studied.

Prognostic value of acoustic cardiography in patients with chronic heart failure.

Background: Rapid risk stratification in patients with heart failure is critically important but challenging. The aim of our study is to ascertain whether acoustic cardiography can identify heart failure (HF) patients at high risk for mortality.

Methods: A total of 474 HF patients were enrolled into our study (76±11years old).

Prevalence of atrial septal pouch and risk of ischemic stroke.

Background: It has been postulated that atrial septal pouch (ASP) may favor the stasis of blood and predispose to thromboembolic complications. We sought to evaluate the prevalence of ASP, and its association with ischemic stroke.

Methods: We retrospectively studied 500 patients, who underwent transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) due to clinical indications.

Evaluation of left ventricular function by three-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography in patients with myocardial bridging of the left anterior descending coronary artery.

Background: To understand the influence of myocardial bridging (MB) on left ventricular (LV) function, myocardial function was studied in patients with MB of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) using three-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE).

Methods: Left anterior descending coronary artery MB was diagnosed by coronary angiography in 82 subjects. Patients were divided into three groups according to the percentage of systolic narrowing of the compressed segment: 30% to 49% was defined as group I (24 patients), 50% to 74% as group II (28 patients), and ≥75% as group III (30 patients).

Left atrial function as assessed by speckle-tracking echocardiography in hypertension.

We investigated left atrial (LA) function in relation to hypertension using 2-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE) in subjects with preserved left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction, while accounting for LA enlargement and LV mass and diastolic function.We performed standard 2-dimensional and Doppler echocardiography and LA volumetric measurements and STE strain imaging in hypertensive patients (systolic/diastolic blood pressure ≥140/90 mmHg, or use of antihypertensive drugs, n = 124) and age- and sex-matched normotensive subjects (n = 124). We measured the peak LA velocity, strain, and strain rate during systole and early and late diastole, respectively.

Early diastolic dyssynchrony in relation to left ventricular remodeling and function in hypertension.

Background: Cardiac synchronization is important in maintaining myocardial performance, but the mechanism of diastolic dyssynchrony leading to failing myocardium is unclear. We aim to study the relation of left ventricular (LV) diastolic dyssynchrony with diastolic dysfunction in patients with hypertension.

Methods: Two-D, three-D and Doppler echocardiography were performed using the GE Vivid E9 system on 230 subjects.