Clinical features of the systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve among patients without hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Background: The prevalence and clinical features of the systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve (SAM) without hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) have not been studied well.

Methods: Records of 9180 sequential patients who underwent echocardiography at Tokyo Women's Medical University Hospital were reviewed. SAM patients were divided into those with HCM (HCM; n=60, 68%) and those without HCM (non-HCM; n=28, 32%).

Large mitral valve aneurysm with infective endocarditis.

A 63-year-old man with infective endocarditis (IE) was admitted to our hospital after experiencing acute heart failure. A two-dimensional transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography revealed vegetation attached to both aortic and mitral valves, a very large mitral valve aneurysm, a severe mitral regurgitation jet issuing from a mitral valve perforation and severe aortic regurgitation. Three days after admission, both the aortic and mitral valves were replaced.

Left atrial appendage flow velocity and time from P-wave onset to tissue Doppler-derived A' predict atrial fibrillation recurrence after radiofrequency catheter ablation.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with atrial remodeling. We investigate the abilities of preprocedural echocardiographic parameters reflecting atrial remodeling to predict AF recurrence after radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) for paroxysmal AF (PAF).

Methods: Preprocedural echocardiographic parameters were measured during sinus rhythm in 105 patients with PAF undergoing RFCA.

Impact of atrial remodeling on the outcome of radiofrequency catheter ablation of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

Background:  Both the left atrial volume index (LAVI) and estimated total atrial conduction time measured using tissue Doppler imaging of the atria (PA-TDI duration) are echocardiographic parameters reflecting atrial remodeling. We investigated their prognostic value for atrial tachyarrhythmia (AF/AT) recurrence after radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF).

Methods And Results:  We analyzed the data for 100 consecutive patients with drug-refractory PAF who underwent RFCA.

Long-term outcome and preprocedural predictors of atrial tachyarrhythmia recurrence following pulmonary vein antrum isolation-based catheter ablation in patients with non-paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

Background: Although various empiric adjunctive ablation techniques are widely performed with pulmonary vein antrum isolation (PVAI) to enhance the procedural efficacy of catheter ablation in non-paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (NPAF) patients, they are not required in all NPAF patients.

Methods And Results: Eighty consecutive NPAF patients refractory to antiarrhythmic drugs underwent a PVAI-based ablation. Structural heart disease was present in 40% of patients and systolic dysfunction in 21%.

Risk stratification of patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndromes by assessing global longitudinal strain.

Noninvasive detection of left main/three-vessel diseases (LM/3VD) among patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndromes (NSTEACS) has been difficult using echocardiography. However, two-dimensional (2D) strain/strain-rate analysis is more sensitive in quantitatively assessing contractile abnormality. Accordingly, we aimed to clarify the usefulness of 2D strain/strain-rate analysis for risk stratification of NSTEACS.