Real-time three-dimensional echocardiography for rheumatic mitral valve stenosis evaluation: an accurate and novel approach.

Objectives: Our aim was to assess which echo-Doppler method has the best agreement with the mitral valve area (MVA) invasively evaluated by the Gorlin's formula. We also evaluated the feasibility and reproducibility of real-time three-dimensional echocardiography (RT3D) for the estimation of MVA and the Wilkins score in patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis (RMVS).

Background: Real-time three-dimensional echocardiography is a novel technique that allows us to visualize the mitral valvular anatomy in any desired plane orientation.

Identifying patients without favourable long-term outcome among those with medically stabilized unstable angina and a negative dipyridamole stress echocardiogram.

Aims: Patients with medically stabilized unstable angina and a negative stress echocardiogram have a favourable outcome as a whole. This study sought to identify which subsets of patients are associated with serious events at long-term within this population.

Methods And Results: We studied and followed-up 128 patients (mean 2.

Negative predictive value of dipyridamole vs. dobutamine stress echocardiography in the long-term follow-up of patients undergoing major vascular surgery.

Introduction: Perioperative cardiovascular complications are a significant cause of post-surgical morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing major vascular surgery (MVS). Dobutamine stress echocardiography is the most important method of detecting coronary artery disease in these patients. Although dipyridamole stress echocardiography (SE-DIP) and dobutamine stress echo (SE-DOB) have demonstrated similar negative predictive value (NPV) in the early postoperative period in patients undergoing MVS, there are few data concerning the negative predictive value of SE-DIP in the long-term follow-up of this subgroup of patients.

Evaluation of myocardial perfusion with grey-scale ultra-harmonic and multiple-frame triggering. The need for quantification.

Background And Objective: Contrast echocardiography has been recently introduced as a new technique for evaluating myocardial perfusion in a qualitative basis. The objective of this study was to test whether a visual subjective evaluation of myocardial perfusion by myocardial contrast echocardiography adequately matches the data obtained with an off-line quantification of myocardial perfusion.

Methods: Sixty-one myocardial segments were evaluated by myocardial contrast echocardiography with Ultra-harmonic and Multiframe Triggering in 11 patients 3-7 days after an anterior myocardial infarction, using SH-U 563A (Levovistâ, Schering AG, Berlin, Germany) as contrast agent.

Myocardial perfusion in real-time using power modulation. In vivo evidence for microcirculatory damage after acute myocardial infarction.

Background And Objectives: In addition to the myocardium, the microvasculature may be also damaged in acute myocardial infarction. The aim was to evaluate the capability of myocardial contrast echocardiography in the detection of microvasculature damage after myocardial infarction.

Patients And Methods: Twelve patients with recent acute myocardial infarction and five control subjects with normal coronary arteries and without history of myocardial infarction were studied.

[Infective endocarditis in patients with chronic liver disease: clinical and prognostic assessment].

Introduction And Objectives: Chronic liver disease increases the susceptibility to bacterial infections and infective endocarditis. Our aim was to determine the clinical and microbiological features and the prognosis in patients with chronic liver disease who also had infective endocarditis.

Patients And Method: One hundred and seventy-four consecutive inpatients at our institution were recruited and followed.

Myocardial contrast echocardiography in the assessment of patients with chronic coronary artery disease.

Unlabelled: The development of new contrast agents and new imaging methods has lead to an emerging field of applications for myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) in patients suffering from chronic ischemic heart disease. Echo contrast allows the assessment of myocardial perfusion (MP) by imaging the coronary microcirculation. Several echocardiographic modalities are available, the main difference between them being the acoustic power needed to perform the study.

Relationship between the changes in myocardial perfusion and left ventricular ejection fraction after acute myocardial infarction. Study with myocardial contrast echocardiography.

Background And Objective: Myocardial contrast echocardiography has recently been proposed as a valid technique in the evaluation of myocardial perfusion after myocardial infarction. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relation between changes in myocardial perfusion assessed by myocardial contrast echocardiography and left ventricular ejection fraction after myocardial infarction.

Patients And Methods: We prospectively studied 17 patients with acute myocardial infarction, on whom two echocardiographic studies were performed, at 48-72 hours and at 6 months.

[Imaging diagnosis in acute aortic syndromes].

Acute aortic dissection is a clinical emergency. Its prognosis is related mainly with prompt and accurate diagnosis, as well as rapid treatment. In this paper we review the importance of different imaging techniques in the diagnosis of patients with acute aortic syndrome.

[Risk stratification using combined ECG, clinical, and biochemical assessment in patients with chest pain without ST-segment elevation. How long should we wait? ].

Introduction: We use clinical, ECG, and biochemical data to stratify risk in patients with chest pain without ST segment elevation. However, the prognostic performance of these studies in relation to time from onset of symptoms is unknown.

Patients And Method: In a single-center, prospective study, 321 consecutive patients who had been admitted in the emergency room with a suspected acute coronary syndrome without ST segment elevation were included in the study.

Ablation of electrograms with an isolated, delayed component as treatment of unmappable monomorphic ventricular tachycardias in patients with structural heart disease.

Objectives: We sought to evaluate the feasibility of identifying and ablating the substrate of unmappable ventricular tachycardia (VT).

Background: Noninducible and nonstable VT cannot be ablated by the conventional approach.

Methods: We studied 24 patients with documented monomorphic VT.

[Safety and usefulness of transesophageal echocardiography in the acute phase of myocardial infarction].

Introduction And Objectives: The usefulness and safety of transesophageal echocardiography have been assessed in other studies but there is no report in which these factors have been evaluated in the acute phase of myocardial infarction. Patients and method. Transesophageal echocardiography was performed 56 times in 55 patients in the first week after a myocardial infarction.

[Utility of the serum biochemical markers CPK, CPK MB mass, myoglobin, and cardiac troponin T in a chest pain unit. Which marker determinations should be requested and when?].

Background: The prognostic value of biochemical markers in relation to time since onset of chest pain was evaluated in an emergency room with a chest pain unit.

Methods: In a single-center, prospective study we included 321 consecutive patients admitted to the emergency room with suspected unstable angina IIIB and an evolution of less than 12 hours. Blood samples were collected for CPK, CPK MB mass, myoglobin, and cardiac troponin T assays 6, 12, and 18 h after the onset of pain.

Primary angioplasty reduces the risk of left ventricular free wall rupture compared with thrombolysis in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of primary angioplasty (PA) over the risk of free wall rupture (FWR) in reperfused acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

Background: It has been suggested that PA reduces the risk of FWR compared with thrombolysis. However, few studies have evaluated this issue, and there are no data demonstrating this hypothesis.