Left Atrial Volume Determinants in Patients with Non-Ischemic Dilated Cardiomyopathy.

Background: Left atrial volume (LAV) is a predictor of prognosis in patients with heart failure.

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the determinants of LAV in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).

Methods: Ninety patients with DCM and left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction ≤ 0.

Criteria for mitral regurgitation classification were inadequate for dilated cardiomyopathy.

Background: Mitral regurgitation (MR) is common in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). It is unknown whether the criteria for MR classification are inadequate for patients with DCM.

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the agreement among the four most common echocardiographic methods for MR classification.

3D Echo pilot study of geometric left ventricular changes after acute myocardial infarction.

Background: Left ventricular remodeling (LVR) after AMI characterizes a factor of poor prognosis. There is little information in the literature on the LVR analyzed with three-dimensional echocardiography (3D ECHO).

Objective: To analyze, with 3D ECHO, the geometric and volumetric modifications of the left ventricle (VE) six months after AMI in patients subjected to percutaneous primary treatment.

Relation between three-dimensional and two-dimensional echocardiography and biochemical analysis in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction percutaneously treated.

Objective: The prognosis of patients with acute myocardial infarction depends on multiple features that can demonstrate myocardial injury degree (such as serum markers of cardiac necrosis), and also on adaptive mechanisms relative to the acute event. The aim of the study was to assess the relation between biochemical and echocardiographic findings from three-dimensional echocardiographic (3D Echo) analysis and echocardiographic two-dimensional (2D Echo) left ventricular ejection fraction in patients with ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction, submitted to primary percutaneous treatment.

Methods: A prospective study with 2D Echo and 3D Echo of 23 patients (17 males, mean age of 57 ± 13 years) with ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction, primarily percutaneously treated (stent).