Granulomatosis With Polyangiitis Causing Severe Aortic Regurgitation.

Cardiac granulomatosis with polyangiitis is a rare necrotizing vasculitis impacting small to medium vessels. We present a case of granulomatosis with polyangiitis causing acute aortic valve regurgitation. Imaging reveals valve thickening, inflammation without destruction.

Cardiac Damage in Early Aortic Stenosis: Is the Valve to Blame?

Background: Despite the close association between aortic stenosis (AS) and cardiac damage (CD), it is unclear if CD is limited to patients with moderate and severe AS and which factors affect its progression. Although altered valvular hemodynamic status may drive the development of CD in AS, commonly occurring comorbidities may contribute.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of and factors associated with CD in mild AS.

Persistence of left atrial thrombus in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and atrial fibrillation.

Background: We recently demonstrated that patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) have an increased risk of left atrial (LA) thrombus. In this study, we aimed to evaluate thrombus management, thrombus persistence, and thromboembolic events for HCM and non-HCM patients with AF and LA thrombus.

Methods: From a cohort of 2,155 AF patients undergoing transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) for any indication, this study included 122 patients with LA thrombus (64 HCM patients and 58 non-HCM controls).

An intervention strategy to improve genetic testing for dilated cardiomyopathy in a heart failure clinic.

Purpose: Despite its clinical implications in screening and therapy, genetic testing in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is underused. This study evaluated implementing a practice intervention in a heart failure clinic to automate and streamline the process of genetic testing.

Methods: Eligible patients with DCM were compared for frequency of pretest genetic education and testing during pre- and postintervention periods.

Wide complex tachycardia discrimination tool improves physicians' diagnostic accuracy.

Background: Timely and accurate discrimination of wide complex tachycardias (WCTs) into ventricular tachycardia (VT) or supraventricular WCT (SWCT) is critically important. Previously we developed and validated an automated VT Prediction Model that provides a VT probability estimate using the paired WCT and baseline 12-lead ECGs. Whether this model improves physicians' diagnostic accuracy has not been evaluated.