Global left ventricular myocardial work index and medium-term adverse cardiovascular events after ST-elevation myocardial infarction.

Background: Left ventricular global longitudinal strain (GLS) has incremental prognostic value over ejection fraction (EF) in patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), but it is also load dependent. It has been recently demonstrated that Myocardial work (MW), integrating blood pressure with GLS, predicts long-term all-cause mortality. We aimed to further explore the prognostic value of MW for cardiovascular endpoints in patients with STEMI.

Three-dimensional echocardiography for the evaluation of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients: relation to symptoms and exercise capacity.

Patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy may exhibit impaired functional capacity, associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Systolic function is one of the determinants of functional capacity. Early identification of systolic disfunction may identify patients at risk for adverse outcomes.

Evaluation of left atrial strain imaging and integrated backscatter as predictors of recurrence in patients with paroxysmal, persistent, and long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation undergoing catheter ablation.

Background: Impaired left atrial (LA) strain predicts atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence after catheter ablation (CA), but currently there is no cut-off to guide patient selection for CA. Integrated backscatter (IBS) is a promising tool for noninvasive quantification of myocardial fibrosis. The aim of this study was to compare LA strain and IBS between paroxysmal, persistent, and long-standing persistent AF and evaluate their association with AF recurrence after CA.

Sacubitril/Valsartan Improves Left Atrial and Ventricular Strain and Strain Rate in Patients with Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction.

Background: Data on the impact of sacubitril/valsartan (SV) therapy on phasic left atrial (LA) and left ventricular (LV) strain in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) are limited. The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in two-dimensional speckle tracking (2D-STE) parameters with SV therapy in HFrEF patients.

Methods: Prospective evaluation of HFrEF patients receiving optimized medical therapy.

Microvascular Dysfunction Is Associated With Impaired Myocardial Work in Obstructive and Nonobstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: A Multimodality Study.

Background Two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography has been shown to correlate with microvascular dysfunction, a hallmark of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). We hypothesized that there is an association between myocardial work and left ventricular ischemia, with incremental value to global longitudinal strain, in patients with HCM. Methods and Results We performed a prospective assessment of patients with HCM, undergoing 2-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography and stress perfusion cardiac magnetic resonance.

Multimodality imaging of a cardiac angiosarcoma presenting with atrial flutter.

A 39-year-old female patient presents to the emergency department with palpitations and dyspnoea, with the admission electrocardiogram revealing atrial flutter. Step-by-step multimodality imaging techniques, including transthoracic echocardiography, computed tomography, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, and intracardiac echocardiography-guided tissue biopsy, led to the final diagnosis of a right atrial angiosarcoma.

Malignant Primary and Metastatic Cardiac Tumors: A Single-Center 27-Year Case Review.

Background: Malignant primary cardiac tumors are exceedingly rare, and despite surgical exeresis or chemotherapy, their prognosis remains poor. Cardiac invasion by metastatic tumors, while more common, also entails an unsatisfactory outcome. This study aimed to review patients diagnosed with malignant primary and secondary cardiac tumors in a tertiary center between 1995 and 2022.

Late gadolinium enhancement in the left ventricular wall is associated with atrial fibrillation in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Purpose: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). The aim of this study was to evaluate the relation between AF and left ventricular (LV) late gadolinium enhancement (LGE).

Methods: 55 patients with HCM were retrospectively included.

Impact of repaired aortic coarctation in left ventricular myocardial work.

Aims: Myocardial strain analysis enables more precise assessment of cardiac performance but is relatively load dependent. New tools have been developed with afterload adjustment. Our objective was to assess myocardial work (MW) in patients with repaired aortic coarctation (rACo).

Long term follow-up of Marfan Syndrome - experience of an adult congenital heart disease centre.

Background: Marfan Syndrome (MFS) is one of the most common connective tissue disorders. The aim of this study was to characterize an adult population with MFS and evaluate its long-term prognosis.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of adult patients with MFS followed up during the past 40 years in a tertiary congenital heart disease outpatient clinic was performed.

Paravalvular leak closure: Still a challenge with unpredictable results.

Introduction: Paravalvular leak (PVL) is a common serious complication associated with prosthetic valve implantation.

Objective: The aim of this study was to report our single-center experience in a retrospective review and to analyze possible predictors of success.

Methods: We performed 33 percutaneous PVL closures in 26 patients (54% female, mean age 65±13 years).

Short- and long-term outcome after alcohol septal ablation in obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: Experience of a reference center.

Introduction: In obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), alcohol septal ablation (ASA) can lead to gradient reduction and symptom improvement. We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of ASA in a long-term outcome study.

Methods: We analyzed patients who underwent ASA over a seven-year period in a tertiary center.

Longitudinal strain by two-dimensional speckle tracking to assess ventricular function in adults with transposition of the great arteries: Can serial assessment be simplified?

Introduction: Transposition of the great arteries (TGA) is a rare form of congenital heart disease in which most patients reach adulthood. Right ventricular dysfunction is the most severe residual complication in long-term follow-up, both in patients treated by atrial switch and in those with congenitally corrected TGA. New echocardiographic tools such as longitudinal strain by two-dimensional (2D) speckle tracking may improve assessment of ventricular function in these patients.

Response and outcomes of cardiac resynchronization therapy in patients with renal dysfunction.

Purpose: Renal dysfunction is often associated with chronic heart failure, leading to increased morbi-mortality. However, data regarding these patients after cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is sparse. We sought to evaluate response and long-term mortality in patients with heart failure and renal dysfunction and assess renal improvement after CRT.

What happens to non-responders in cardiac resynchronization therapy?

Introduction And Objectives: Left ventricular reverse remodeling (LVRR) is strongly related to the long-term prognosis of patients undergoing cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). The aim of this study was to assess the long-term clinical outcome of patients without LVRR at six months after CRT implantation and to determine the prognostic impact of clinical response in this population.

Methods: We analyzed 178 consecutive patients who underwent successful CRT device implantation (age 64±11 years; 69% male; 89% in New York Heart Association [NYHA] functional class III; 35% with ischemic cardiomyopathy).

Usefulness of right ventricular and right atrial two-dimensional speckle tracking strain to predict late arrhythmic events in adult patients with repaired Tetralogy of Fallot.

Objective: To determine whether right ventricular and/or atrial speckle tracking strain is associated with previous arrhythmic events in patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot.

Methods And Results: We studied right ventricular and atrial strain in 100 consecutive patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot referred for routine echocardiographic evaluation. Patients were divided into two groups, one with previous documentation of arrhythmias (n=26) and one without arrhythmias, in a median follow-up of 22 years.

Bicuspid aortic valve outcomes.

Background: Bicuspid aortic valve is the most common CHD. Its association with early valvular dysfunction, endocarditis, thoracic aorta dilatation, and aortic dissection is well established.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the incidence and predictors of cardiac events in adults with bicuspid aortic valve.

Benefits of cardiac resynchronization therapy in "very dilated cardiomyopathy".

Introduction: Recent clinical trials have studied parameters that could predict response to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) in patients with advanced heart failure. Left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVEDD) is regarded as a possible predictor of response to CRT.

Objective: To study the response to CRT in patients with very dilated cardiomyopathy, i.

Noncompaction cardiomyopathy--a review of eight cases.

Left ventricular noncompaction is a genetic disorder that is thought to be related to an arrest in endomyocardial development. It is characterized by the presence of a prominent trabecular meshwork and deep recesses. In order to better characterize this recently described disorder, whose prognosis remains unclear, we review eight cases diagnosed at our hospital, describing their clinical, electrocardiographic and echocardiographic features as well as therapy and follow-up.

Giant interatrial septal aneurysms mimicking quistic masses. Two cases with different therapeutic options.

With the recent technical improvement in echocardiography imaging (second harmonics) the number of interatrial septum aneurysms (ASA) increased and are easily recognized. We assist to an overdiagnosing number of cases and diagnostic criteria emerged to face this problem. In the great majority of the cases ASA are small and inoffensive, but as ASA is considered a risk factor for cardioembolism when associated with persistence of foramen oval (PFO), an examination by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) for exclusion of PFO makes the sense and is a common testing in patients with cryptogenic stroke.

Echocardiographic variables predictive of appropriate therapies for ventricular tachyarrhythmia in patients undergoing combined cardiac resynchronization therapy.

Introduction: The significant risk of sudden arrhythmic death in patients with congestive heart failure and electromechanical ventricular dyssynchrony has led to increased use of combined cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (CRT-D) devices.

Objectives: To evaluate the echocardiographic variables in patients undergoing CRT-D that predict the occurrence of appropriate therapies (AT) for ventricular tachyarrhythmia.

Methods: We analyzed 38 consecutive patients (mean age 60 +/- 12 years, 63% male) with echocardiographic evaluation before and 6 months after CRT-D implantation.