Left atrial function in patients with light chain amyloidosis: A transthoracic 3D speckle tracking imaging study.

Background: Systemic light chain amyloidosis (AL) is characterized by the extracellular deposition of amyloid fibrils. Transthoracic echocardiography is the modality of choice to assess cardiac function in patients with AL. Whereas left ventricular (LV) function has been well studied in this patient population, data regarding the value of left atrial (LA) function in AL patients are lacking.

Impact of Pulmonary Hypertension on Outcome in Patients with Severe Aortic Stenosis and Preserved Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction.

Aims: The prognostic impact of elevated pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) remains controversial in aortic stenosis (AS) and few studies focused on patients with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). We aimed to investigate the impact of pulmonary hypertension (PH), invasively derived, on survival in severe AS with preserved LVEF.

Methods And Results: Between 2000 and 2010, 749 patients (74 ± 8 years, 57% males) with preserved LVEF and severe AS without other valvular heart disease underwent cardiac catheterization.

Prevalence and prognostic impact of left-sided valve thickening in systemic light-chain amyloidosis.

Background: Left heart valve thickening (LVT) was described in patients with light-chain amyloidosis (AL). This phenomenon reflects likely infiltration of the valve by amyloid proteins. However, the prevalence of LVT and its prognostic value have not been investigated in patients with AL.