Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging for assessment of mitral stenosis before and after percutaneous balloon valvuloplasty in comparison to two- and three-dimensional echocardiography.

Background: The experience with cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) in mitral stenosis (MS) is limited in contrast to mitral regurgitation.

Purpose: To compare CMR versus 2D and 3D transthoracic (TTE) and 3D transesophgeal (TEE) echocardiography in assessment of rheumatic MS before and after percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty (PBMV).

Material And Methods: Twenty consecutive symptomatic patients with MS were evaluated prospectively and independently by CMR, TTE, and TEE pre-PBMV, and by CMR and TTE post-PBMV.

Association between left atrial appendage morphology evaluated by trans-esophageal echocardiography and ischemic cerebral stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation.

The left atrial appendage (LAA) represents one of the major sources of cardiac thrombi responsible for embolic stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). The aim of the present study was to evaluate LAA structure and functions by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in patients with AF to investigate the possible association between the different LAA morphologies and the patients' history of ischemic cerebral stroke. We included 50 patients with non-valvular AF (29 chronic, 21 paroxysmal), 24 patients (13 men) without stroke; and 26 patients (9 men) with a history of ischemic stroke.

A novel technique for multi-track percutaneous balloon mitral valvoplasty.

Percutaneous balloon mitral valvoplasty (PBMV) has become the treatment of choice for severe pliable rheumatic mitral stenosis. The multi-track system is a recent variation of the double-balloon technique and is easier owing to the use of a monorail balloon and a simple, single-guidewire approach. In the present study, we used the double-coil Inoue metal wire with a multi-track balloon instead of the conventional multi-track wire.

Interictal electrocardiographic and echocardiographic changes in patients with generalized tonic-clonic seizures.

Partial and generalized seizures often affect autonomic functions during seizures, and interictal and postictal periods. We investigated possible interictal electrocardiographic abnormalities in patients with generalized tonic-clonic seizures (GTCS), together with evaluating any structural heart changes by echocardiography in these patients in comparison with healthy controls. We studied 120 definite GTCS patients (76 males and 44 females) who are neither diabetic nor under any medical treatment, and 60 healthy controls with a mean age of 25.

Microvascular angina. The possible role of inflammation, uric acid, and endothelial dysfunction.

Microvascular angina is a condition characterized by angina-like chest pain and normal coronary angiography. Endothelial dysfunction and systemic inflammation with elevated serum high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels play a role in its pathogenesis. This study aimed to explore the possible relation between CRP, brachial flow-mediated dilatation (FMD), and microvascular angina.