Incremental value of left ventricular systolic and diastolic function to determine outcome in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: the echocardiographic substudy of the OASIS-6 trial.

Background: The echocardiographic substudy of the OASIS-6 trial evaluated the prognostic implications of left ventricle (LV) systolic and diastolic dysfunction early postacute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in patients treated with fondaparinux versus usual care.

Methods: Comprehensive echocardiograms were performed a median of 6 days after the index STEMI in 528 patients, 258 randomized to fondaparinux and 270 to usual care (unfractionated heparin or placebo), to assess LV systolic and diastolic function, LV mass, and LV end-systolic and end-diastolic volumes. A total of 245 (46.

Absolute myocardial flow quantification with (82)Rb PET/CT: comparison of different software packages and methods.

Purpose: In clinical cardiac (82)Rb PET, globally impaired coronary flow reserve (CFR) is a relevant marker for predicting short-term cardiovascular events. However, there are limited data on the impact of different software and methods for estimation of myocardial blood flow (MBF) and CFR. Our objective was to compare quantitative results obtained from previously validated software tools.

Relationship of delayed enhancement by magnetic resonance to myocardial perfusion by positron emission tomography in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Background: Presence of delayed enhancement (DE) on cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) is associated with worse clinical outcomes in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. We investigated the relationship between DE on CMR and myocardial ischemia in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Methods And Results: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients (n=47) underwent CMR for assessment of DE and vasodilator stress ammonia positron emission tomography to quantify myocardial blood flow and coronary flow reserve.

Cardiac PET/CT misregistration causes significant changes in estimated myocardial blood flow.

Unlabelled: Misregistration of cardiac PET/CT data can lead to misinterpretation of regional myocardial perfusion. However, the effect of misregistration on the quantification of myocardial blood flow (MBF) has not been studied.

Methods: Cardiac (82)Rb-PET/CT scans of 10 patients with normal regional myocardial perfusion were analyzed.

Intracardiac shunt with hypoxemia caused by right ventricular dysfunction following pericardiocentesis.

Significant hypoxemia can result from right-to-left intracardiac shunting through a patent foramen ovale, an atrial septal defect or a ventricular septal defect. Pulmonary embolus, congenital heart disease and pericardial tamponade are well-recognized causes of right-to-left shunting. However, right-to-left shunting can also follow pericardiocentesis.

The Venture-balloon crush technique to treat a severely angulated bifurcation lesion via the radial approach--lessons learned.

We present the first described use of the Venture (St. Jude Medical Inc.) catheter to accomplish balloon crush stenting of a severely angulated bifurcation via the radial approach.

Ostial RCA intervention: guiding catheter challenges and use of a buddy wire to perform focused-force angioplasty on a severely calcific ostial right coronary lesion.

Ostial coronary disease presents a challenge from multiple perspectives with regard to percutaneous intervention. We present a novel case of a technically challenging ostial right coronary artery calcified lesion with a bar of calcium at the aorto-ostial junction which prevented intubation with multiple guiding catheters. We describe the use of a buddy wire as a technique for focused-force angioplasty with slow incremental balloon inflation of increasing diameter for plaque modification prior to stenting in a situation where rotational atherectomy and cutting balloon angioplasty were not an option.