Constrictive pericarditis heart failure in a patient with atrial fibrillation: A diagnostic challenge.

Constrictive pericarditis is an infrequent cause of heart failure. Diagnosis is challenging and requires a high level of suspicion. Subtle echocardiographic findings, as the pericardial bounce, could be the clue to diagnosis.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Study of Cardiac Masses: A Case Series.

Cardiac masses are currently studied using multimodality imaging. For diagnosis, different imaging techniques that can provide complementary information are used. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become a fundamental tool for this type of pathology owing to its ability to provide tissue characterization, spatial accuracy, and the anatomic relationships of the different structures.

Practical Echocardiographic Approach of the Regurgitant Mitral Valve Assessment.

Mitral regurgitation is the second-most frequent valvular heart disease in Europe after degenerative aortic stenosis. It is associated with significant morbidity and mortality, and its prevalence is expected to increase with population aging. Echocardiography is the first diagnostic approach to assess its severity, constituting a challenging process in which a multimodality evaluation, integrating quantitative, semiquantitative and qualitative methods, as well as a detailed evaluation of the morphology and function of both left ventricle and atria is the key.

Infectious Endocarditis Caused by on Bicuspid Aortic Valve.

We report the case of a 53-year-old man with psoriatic arthritis, suffering from a malignant and recidivant myoepithelioma in his right axilla and arm, and undergoing two surgeries, with the last one being performed a month prior to actual admission. After the last surgery, he was admitted to hospital with fever without a source. After physical examination, laboratory tests, blood cultures and transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography, he was diagnosed with infectious endocarditis (IE) on a bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) caused by (PA).

Ultrasound Assessment in Cardiogenic Shock Weaning: A Review of the State of the Art.

Cardiogenic shock (CS) is associated with a high in-hospital mortality despite the achieved advances in diagnosis and management. Invasive mechanical ventilation and circulatory support constitute the highest step in cardiogenic shock therapy. Once established, taking the decision of weaning from such support is challenging.

Role of Exercise Testing and Speckle Tracking Echocardiography in Paradoxical Severe Aortic Stenosis.

Introduction The clinical behavior and prognosis of patients with asymptomatic paradoxical low-gradient aortic stenosis (PLGAS) still remain controversial. Some authors consider PLGAS as an echocardiographically poorly quantified moderate AS (MAS). We aimed to investigate the clinical behavior of PLGAS by comparing it with that of asymptomatic high-gradient aortic stenosis (HG-AS) and MAS using transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) with speckle tracking imaging (STI) and cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET).

Electrocardiogram and left atrial abnormality: Design of an observational study to clarify diagnostic criteria.

Background: The criteria applied for diagnosis of left atrial (LA) abnormality using electrocardiogram (ECG) have high specificity but low sensitivity. In fact, some authors have suggested classifying P-wave anomalies associated with LA abnormality and interatrial block as "atrial abnormalities." The most widely known ECG criteria for LA abnormality include P-wave duration, morphology and voltage of P wave in inferior leads, presence of P-wave terminal force in V (PtfV ), and P-wave axis and area.

Long-Term Radiotherapy-Induced Cardiac Complications: A Case Report.

BACKGROUND Tumor disease has improved survival due to therapeutic advances and early diagnosis. However, anti-neoplastic treatment involves generating harmful side effects in the body, both in the short-term and in the long-term. One of the most important side effects is cardiovascular disease after radiotherapy, which in addition to being influenced by classic cardiovascular risk factors, can be also be influenced by anti-neoplastic therapy, and represents the main cause of death after a second cancer.

Severe aortic regurgitation in a quadricuspid aortic valve: A false rheumatic disease.

The quadricuspid aortic valve (QAV) is a malformation that leads to severe valve failure later in life. Malformation and displacement of coronary ostia are found in 10% of patients. In this context, transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) are the essential imaging tests for the preoperative assessment for cardiac surgery.

Role of echocardiography in a patient with suspected acute pulmonary embolism: a case report.

Background: Approximately half of pulmonary embolism cases are diagnosed in an emergency context. The classic symptoms of pulmonary embolism are absent in intensive care unit patients who are under sedation and on mechanical ventilation. In this scenario, after the development of sudden, severe hypotension, pulmonary embolism must be considered and included in a differential diagnosis according to the cause of admission.

Clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment of ischemic mitral regurgitation: a review.

Ischemic mitral regurgitation (IMR) is a frequent complication after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) associated with a worse prognosis. The pathophysiological mechanisms of IMR are not fully understood, but it is known to be a complex process in which ventricular remodelling is the main causal factor. The various imaging techniques in cardiology and echocardiography fundamentally have contributed significantly to clarify the mechanisms that cause and progressively aggravate IMR.

Advanced interatrial block is a surrogate for left atrial strain reduction which predicts atrial fibrillation and stroke.

Background: The association between advanced interatrial block (aIAB) and atrial fibrillation (AF) is known as "Bayes' Syndrome." There is little information on the prognostic role that new speckle tracking echocardiographic (STE) imaging techniques could play in it. We have examined the relationship between left atrial (LA) STE and the prediction of new-onset AF and/or stroke in IAB patients.

Congenital multiple coronary arteriovenous fistulas.

Coronary arteriovenous fistulas are congenital or acquired abnormalities characterized by abnormal communication between the coronary circulation and cardiac chambers or other vessels. Frequently, patients are asymptomatic and their diagnosis can be carried out incidentally by echocardiography. Knowing the echocardiographic findings characteristic of this malformation will prevent the diagnosis from going unnoticed.

Interatrial block and atrial remodeling assessed using speckle tracking echocardiography.

Background: To evaluate the possibility of left atrial (LA) remodeling using speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) in patients with interatrial block (IAB).

Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study with three groups of patients: 56 without IAB, 21 with partial IAB (pIAB), and 22 with advanced IAB (aIAB). Transthoracic echocardiographic (TTE) STE was performed and clinical and echocardiographic findings were analyzed.

Compression of the right coronary artery by an aortic pseudoaneurysm after infective endocarditis: an unusual case of myocardial ischemia.

A 61-year-old male with a prosthetic St Jude aortic valve size 24 presented with heart failure symptoms and minimal-effort angina. Eleven months earlier, the patient had undergone cardiac surgery because of an aortic root dilatation and bicuspid aortic valve with severe regurgitation secondary to infectious endocarditis by and coronary artery disease in the left circumflex coronary artery. Then, a prosthesis valve and a saphenous bypass graft to the left circumflex coronary artery were placed.

Valve Calcification in Aortic Stenosis: Etiology and Diagnostic Imaging Techniques.

Aortic stenosis is the most common valvulopathy in the Western world. Its prevalence has increased significantly in recent years due to population aging; hence, up to 8% of westerners above the age of 84 now have severe aortic stenosis (Lindroos et al., 1993).

Bayes Syndrome and Imaging Techniques.

Interatrial block (IAB) is due to disruption in the Bachmann region (BR). According to whether interatrial electrical conduction is delayed or completely blocked through the BR, it can be classified as IAB of first, second or third degree. On the surface electrocardiogram, a P wave ≥ 120 ms (partial IAB) is observed or associated to the prolongation of the P wave with a biphasic (positive / negative) morphology in the inferior leads (advanced IAB).

β-Blockers, Cocaine, and the Unopposed α-Stimulation Phenomenon.

Cocaine abuse remains a significant worldwide health problem. Patients with cardiovascular toxicity from cocaine abuse frequently present to the emergency department for treatment. These patients may be tachycardic, hypertensive, agitated, and have chest pain.