MRI in Patients with Cardiovascular Implantable Electronic Devices and Fractured or Abandoned Leads.

Purpose To examine the clinical effect of lead length and lead orientation in patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) and lead fragments or abandoned leads undergoing 1.5-T MRI. Materials and Methods This Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act-compliant retrospective study included patients with CIEDs and abandoned leads or lead fragments undergoing 1.

The stress clot: Mid-cavitary variant takotsubo cardiomyopathy with left ventricular thrombus.

Pregnancy and the post-partum period are known hypercoagulable states. Mid-cavitary variant Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TCM) is uncommon and seen in only about 14% of all Takotsubo cases. Left ventricular thrombus (LVT) in the setting of mid-cavitary TCM is extremely rare, occurring in approximately 1% of cases.

Massive Device-Related Thrombus After LAA Occlusion: Intraoperative Insights Into Mechanism.

In patients with a contraindication to oral anticoagulation, the left atrial appendage occlusion devices are an approved alternative. Device-related thrombus is a recognized complication, but underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood. In this case series, the authors describe potentially the same mechanism of thrombosis with intraoperative images of incomplete endothelialization.

Virulent endocarditis due to : A systematic review of the literature.

Background: (HPI) belongs to the HACEK ( spp., spp., spp.

Blood Cancer and the Heart: Light Chain Cardiomyopathy in Refractory Multiple Myeloma.

We report a case of a 57-year-old woman with a history of multiple myeloma (MM) and light chain (AL) amyloidosis who presented due to worsening dyspnea on exertion. Her MM has been refractory to multiple chemotherapy regimens and two autologous bone marrow transplantation. Diagnostic evaluations including serum kappa and lambda chains, echocardiogram, pyrophosphate cardiac scan, and cardiac magnetic resonance were indicative of a progression to AL cardiomyopathy.

Global and Regional Variations in Transthyretin Cardiac Amyloidosis: A Comparison of Longitudinal Strain and Tc-Pyrophosphate Imaging.

There are limited data on the head-to-head comparison of Tc-pyrophosphate (Tc-PYP) and echocardiographic strain imaging in the assessment of transthyretin (TTR) cardiac amyloidosis. At Mayo Clinic Arizona, patients who had undergone both a Tc-PYP scan and a transthoracic echocardiogram within a 90-d period were retrospectively identified for chart review and strain imaging analysis. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to their Tc-PYP results (PYP-positive [PYP+] or PYP-negative [PYP]) for the comparison.

Prevalence and Outcomes of Pericardial Effusion in Kidney Transplant Candidates.

Pericardial disease is a recognized manifestation of cardiovascular disease in the end-stage renal disease (ESRD) population, and can manifest as pericardial effusion, though the prognosis of pericardial disease in ESRD patients is unclear. In the modern era of renal replacement therapy, little is known about the prevalence and the implications of pericardial effusion in ESRD patients, its echocardiographic characteristics, and risk factors. We conducted a retrospective chart review on subjects > than 18 years of age with known ESRD who were undergoing outpatient evaluation for renal transplantation at Mayo Clinic Arizona between January 2001 and December 2015 and had baseline echocardiogram completed within 3 months of their initial evaluation.

Urinary Voiding as a Tool to Reduce Radiation Exposure in the Nuclear Stress Lab.

Nuclear stress testing is being increasingly justified in the cardiovascular risk stratification of patients. Radiation is an important consideration, and attempts to minimize exposure should be implemented. Efficiency and cost effectiveness are cornerstones in the delivery of quality patient care and should also be considered when implementing change.

Cardiorespiratory Fitness (Peak Oxygen Uptake): Safe and Effective Measure for Cardiovascular Screening Before Kidney Transplant.

Background: Significant heterogeneity exists in practice patterns and algorithms used for cardiac screening before kidney transplant. Cardiorespiratory fitness, as measured by peak oxygen uptake (VO), is an established validated predictor of future cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in both healthy and diseased populations. The literature supports its use among asymptomatic patients in abrogating the need for further cardiac testing.

Effects of Pectus Excavatum Repair on Right and Left Ventricular Strain.

Background: The cardiopulmonary benefits of pectus excavatum repair have been debated. Echocardiographic speckle-tracking strain and strain rate have been used to evaluate and detect subclinical myocardial dysfunction in patients receiving cardiotoxic chemotherapy, and patients with valvular heart disease. This technology was applied to evaluate the effects of pectus excavatum surgery on left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) function.

Worsening left ventricular apical peak strain early after right ventricular pacing.

We aimed to determine the effect of short-term right ventricle pacing (RV) on left ventricle (LV) mechanics using speckle tracking analysis. Conventional echocardiography and two-dimensional strain imaging was studied in 38 patients, mean age 81.6 ± 7.

Aortic stenosis and perioperative risk: the other obstructive defect .

Whilst the prevalence of aortic valve stenosis (AS) increases with age (1), surgery restores age-corrected survival to near normal. In parallel with senescence, comorbidities are present, one such example being chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which causes significant disability and is the third leading cause of death in the United Sates (2). The presence of COPD is associated with increased perioperative complications, and serve as a reason to deny a patient surgical intervention because of the increased surgical risk (3).

Effect of recommendations on interobserver consistency of diastolic function evaluation.

Objectives: We sought the impact of recent recommendations on observer concordance on interpretation of diastolic stage and assessment of filling pressure.

Background: Worsening stages of diastolic dysfunction are associated with worsening outcome. However, the echocardiographic classification of diastolic function is complex, and parameters may be discordant.