Exercise training in athletes with bicuspid aortic valve does not result in increased dimensions and impaired performance of the left ventricle.

Background. Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is one of the most common congenital heart disease (0.9%-2%) and is frequently found in the athletes and in the general population.

Cryptogenic myocardial infarction in young patients: which is the optimal diagnostic and therapeutic management?

A 31-year-old athlete was admitted to our hospital for previous inferior myocardial infarction (MI), diagnosed by transthoracic echocardiography, myocardial scintigraphy, and cardiac magnetic resonance, while coronary angiography revealed normal coronary arteries. Laboratory investigations excluded acquired or inherited thrombophilia, immunologic disorders, cardiotropic agents infection, and drug abuse. Antiplatelet therapy was started but, after 15 days, he was rehospitalized with diagnosis of multiple left renal infarctions.

Real-time evaluation of longitudinal peak systolic strain (speckle tracking measurement) in left and right ventricles of athletes.

Background: Strain, and particularly Longitudinal Peak Systolic Strain (LPSS), plays a role in investigating the segmental and overall contractility of the heart which is a particularly interesting feature in athletes in whom regular training determines several morphological and functional modifications in both the ventricles, that normally work at different loads. Speckle tracking techniques assess the LPSS of LV and RV from B-mode imaging in real time, with uniform accuracy in all segments, and can verify the possible dissimilar segmental contributions of the two chambers to overall myocardial contraction. The aim of the study is to quantify the LPSS in real time in both the ventricles in order to estimate any possible different deformation properties in them during a systolic period.

Speckle tracking for left ventricle performance in young athletes with bicuspid aortic valve and mild aortic regurgitation.

Aims: Longitudinal peak systolic strain (LPSS) quantifies regional and global heart function. Few data are available on left ventricle (LV) performance in young athletes with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV), where a pattern of mild aortic insufficiency is relatively frequent, and the ejection fraction (EF) is often normal for a long time. We report the measurement of LV strain in young BAV athletes.