Clinical Utility of the Transthoracic Echocardiogram for Isolated Lacunar Infarcts: A Single-Center Experience.

Background: Stroke is a prominent and financially burdensome disease. Lacunar strokes are traditionally attributed to small vessel disease rather than cardioemboli, which typically occlude larger arteries. Thus, the benefit of screening for potential sources of cardioemboli in lacunar stroke patients is unclear.

Absent hyperdense middle cerebral artery sign is associated with poor functional outcome after mechanical thrombectomy.

Background: The hyperdense middle cerebral artery sign on computed tomography indicates proximal middle cerebral artery occlusion. Recent reports suggest an association between the hyperdense sign and successful reperfusion. The prognostic value of the hyperdense middle cerebral artery sign in patients receiving mechanical thrombectomy has not been extensively studied.

Quantitative Assessment of Hyperdense Sign Measured by Hounsfield Units is Associated with Unsuccessful Mechanical Thrombectomy.

Purpose: Despite advancement in mechanical thrombectomy (MT) techniques, 10-30% of MT for large vessel occlusions (LVO) are unsuccessful. Current prediction models fail to address the association between patient-specific factors and reperfusion. We aimed to evaluate objective, easily reproducible, admission clinical and radiological biomarkers that predict unsuccessful MT.

Safety and efficacy of the use of large bore intermediate suction catheters alone or in combination for the treatment of acute cerebral venous sinus thrombosis: A multicenter experience.

Background And Purpose: Systemic anticoagulation is the standard treatment for cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST). Several endovascular techniques have been described as salvage therapy for anticoagulation refractory CVST cases. We aim to evaluate the safety and feasibility of endovascular aspiration thrombectomy using the new generation, large bore suction catheters alone or in combination with stentriever devices for the treatment of CVST.

Ventricular Tachycardia (VT) Substrate Characteristics: Insights from Multimodality Structural and Functional Imaging of the VT Substrate Using Cardiac MRI Scar, I-Metaiodobenzylguanidine SPECT Innervation, and Bipolar Voltage.

Postischemic adaptation results in characteristic myocardial structural and functional changes in the ventricular tachycardia (VT) substrate. The aim of this study was to compare myocardial structural and functional adaptations (late gadolinium enhancement/abnormal innervation) with detailed VT mapping data to identify regional heterogeneities in postischemic changes. Fifteen patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy and drug-refractory VT underwent late gadolinium enhancement cardiac MRI (CMR), I-metaiodobenzylguanidine SPECT, and high-resolution bipolar voltage mapping to assess fibrosis (>3 SDs), abnormal innervation (<50% tracer uptake), and low-voltage area (<1.

Validation of a novel CARTOSEG™ segmentation module software for contrast-enhanced computed tomography-guided radiofrequency ablation in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Introduction: Visualization of left atrial (LA) anatomy using image integration modules has been associated with decreased radiation exposure and improved procedural outcome when used for guidance of pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) in atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation. We evaluated the CARTOSEG™ CT Segmentation Module (Biosense Webster, Inc.) that offers a new CT-specific semiautomatic reconstruction of the atrial endocardium.

Is cold blood cardioplegia absolutely superior to cold crystalloid cardioplegia in aortic valve surgery?

Background: Experimental evidence suggests that blood cardioplegia (BCP) may be superior to cold crystalloid cardioplegia (CCP) for myocardial protection. However, robust clinical data are lacking. We compared postoperative outcome of patients undergoing aortic valve replacement (AVR) using cold anterograde-retrograde intermittent BCP versus anterograde (CCP).

Early Results of a Novel Mitral Valve Repair Procedure: The Interpapillary Polytetrafluoroethylene Bridge Formation.

Background: Surgical repair of ischemic mitral regurgitation (IMR) associated with chordal rupture in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy is challenging as it aims to correct several structural pathologies at once. There are ongoing studies evaluating multiple approaches, however long term results are still scarce.

Methods And Results: 19 patients with IMR underwent mitral valve repair with interpapillary polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) bridge and neochordae formation at the Zala County Teaching Hospital.

Cardiac Repair and Regeneration: The Value of Cell Therapies.

Ischaemic heart disease is the predominant contributor to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality; one million myocardial Infarctions occur per year in the USA, while more than five million patients suffer from chronic heart failure. Recently, heart failure has been singled out as an epidemic and is a staggering clinical and public health problem associated with significant mortality, morbidity and healthcare expenditures, particularly among those aged ≥65 years. Death rates have improved dramatically over the last four decades, but new approaches are nevertheless urgently needed for those patients who go on to develop ventricular dysfunction and chronic heart failure.

[Acute Clostridium difficile gastroenteritis at the department of infectious diseases].

Introduction: Clostridium difficile infection is known as the primary cause of nosocomial gastroenteritis, which accounts for approximately 20-25% of all diarrhea. Infection can lead to a potentially fatal disease and the incidence of that is increasing worldwide.

Aim: The aim of the authors was to examine retrospectively the growing importance of Clostridium difficile infections at the Infectology Department of the University of Szeged, Hungary.