Outcomes of Routine Intracardiac Echocardiography to Guide Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the safety and hospital charges between intracardiac echocardiography (ICE)- and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE)-guided left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO).

Background: TEE has been the gold standard imaging modality to guide LAAO. Although ICE has emerged as an alternative to guide LAAO, data on the safety, and cost effectiveness of its routine remain limited.

Sex-dependent difference in the relationship between adipose-tissue cholesterol efflux and estradiol concentrations in young healthy humans.

Background: Impaired adipose tissue function and lower levels of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) have been implicated in the development of vascular dementia, and metabolic diseases such as hypertension, atherosclerosis, type 2 diabetes (T2D) and metabolic syndrome. Interestingly, both the substrate fluxes in adipose tissue and HDL-C concentration differ between men and women. Moreover, adipose tissue cholesterol efflux has been implicated in modulation of HDL-C levels.

Real time three-dimensional echocardiography for the evaluation of cardiomyopathy.

Cardiomyopathy refers to a set of diseases that are characterized by myocardial dysfunction. Classically, two-dimensional echocardiography has been used in the diagnosis of these disorders and to help guide their management. Three-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography is now increasingly being used in the diagnosis, management, and prognostication of intrinsic cardiomyopathies.

Comparison of the prognostic value of normal regadenoson with normal adenosine myocardial perfusion imaging with propensity score matching.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that patients with normal regadenoson myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) have a low rate of cardiac events, similar to patients with normal adenosine MPI.

Background: Regadenoson, a new selective adenosine A(2A) receptor agonist, is now a widely used stress agent for MPI. The low rate of cardiac events in patients with normal adenosine MPI is well-documented, but the prognostic implications of a normal regadenoson MPI have not been examined and compared with those with adenosine.

Real time three-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography in congenital heart disease.

Diagnosing congenital heart disease (CHD) depends heavily on imaging. Traditionally, two-dimensional (2D) echocardiography has been the most widely used but since this imaging modality utilizes a 2D technique to evaluate three-dimensional (3D) structures it suffers from inherent limitations. The more recently developed 3D echocardiography is poised to be superior in providing comprehensive evaluation prior to intervention on such complex conditions.

Incremental value of live/real time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography over the two-dimensional technique in the assessment of sinus of valsalva aneurysm rupture.

We present an adult patient with rupture of the right sinus of Valsalva aneurysm in whom the two-dimensional transesophageal echocardiogram failed to show the rupture. On the other hand, live/real time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography clearly delineated the site of rupture into the pericardium and mediastinum.

Transesophageal echocardiographic detection of thrombus superimposed on metastatic left atrial tumor.

We present a 32-year-old male with metastatic thymic carcinoma invading the left atrium in whom two-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography was able to differentiate a thrombus superimposed on the tumor.