Left atrium reverse remodeling in patients with mitral valve stenosis after percutaneous valvuloplasty: a 2- and 3-dimensional echocardiographic study.

Introduction And Objectives: The left atrium is clinically relevant in patients with mitral valve stenosis. The objective of this study was to analyze the effects of percutaneous balloon valvuloplasty on left atrium volumes and the left atrium emptying fraction in symptomatic mitral valve stenosis patients using 2-dimensional and real-time 3 -dimensional transthoracic echocardiography.

Methods: We carried out a prospective study of 28 consecutive symptomatic mitral valve stenosis patients, aged 22-72 (39 [11.

B-type natriuretic peptide assessment in the diagnosis of rejection after pediatric heart transplant.

Background: Rejection is one of the major causes of mortality following pediatric heart transplant. B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) has been studied as a method for the diagnosis of acute rejection, especially in adult patients undergoing heart transplant.

Objective: To correlate serum BNP levels with acute rejection as diagnosed by endomyocardial biopsy in patients of the pediatric heart transplant group.

Doppler flow evaluation can anticipate abnormal left lung perfusion after transcatheter closure of patent ductus arteriosus.

Aims: Coil protrusion into the left pulmonary artery (LPA) has been described after transcatheter closure of the patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). The possible impact of such a finding in lung perfusion has not been completely clarified. We evaluated Doppler flow velocities and lung perfusion in patients submitted to that procedure.