An Echocardiographic Study of a Rare Cause of Mitral Regurgitation: Hypoplastic Posterior Mitral Valve Leaflet.

Background: The precise etiology of hypoplasia of the posterior mitral valve leaflet (PMVL) remains incompletely elucidated; however, it has been hypothesized to stem from genetic mutations occurring during fetal development. Herein, we present the anatomical characteristics of the mitral valve and associated cardiac pathologies in patients with hypoplastic PMVL.

Methods: This single-center retrospective study involved patients who presented between 2015 and 2021 at a tertiary healthcare facility.

Multimodality Imaging in Cardiomyopathies.

Cardiomyopathy, which is shortly defined as a disease of the myocardium, has a broad definition that includes many different diagnoses. Recent advances in cardiac imaging techniques, including basic and advanced echocardiography, computed tomography, nuclear medicine, and cardiac magnetic resonance, allow for a more accurate evaluation of volumes and thickness of cardiac chambers, systolic and diastolic function of the ventricules, and tissue structure. Multimodality imaging often provides the first clinical suspicion for specific etiologies, especially when the medical and family history is unclear, by identification of red flags of underlying systemic diseases.

A Metric Shedding Light on the Relationship Between White Coat Hypertension and Anxiety: The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety.

Background: To investigate the relationship between anxiety and white coat hypertension (WCH) using the hospital anxiety and depression scale-anxiety (HADS-A) score.

Methods: Participants lacking a pre-existing diagnosis of hypertension but displaying increased office blood pressure were included in this study. Subsequently, they were classified as either newly diagnosed sustained hypertension (SustHT) or white coat hypertension (WCH) patients, as determined by 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring measurements.

Quantitative Analysis of Right Atrial Functions by 2D-Speckle Tracking Echocardiography During Healthy Pregnancy.

Background: The role of speckle tracking in the assessment of right atrial (RA) deformation parameters has not been investigated yet. The purpose of this article is to establish the effects of normal pregnancy on RA mechanical changes obtained by 2-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography.

Methodology: A total of 49 healthy pregnant women were included in the study.

Outcomes of conservative management in patients with nutcracker syndrome.

Objective: This study aims to evaluate outcomes in nutcracker syndrome patients with tolerable symptoms and treated conservatively without invasive interventions.

Methods: This prospective study included patients treated conservatively. Promoting weight gain, the endpoint of the study was spontaneous resolution of symptoms.

Treatment of Nutcracker Syndrome with Left Renal Vein Transposition and Endovascular Stenting.

Background: Nutcracker syndrome is a rare condition that occurs as a result of the entrapment of the left renal vein (LRV) between the aorta and the superior mesenteric artery. It is typically associated with symptoms such as left flank pain, hematuria, proteinuria, and pelvic congestion. The current treatment approach may be conservative in the presence of tolerable symptoms, and surgical or hybrid and stenting procedures in the order of priority in the presence of intolerable symptoms.

Early Systolic Lengthening Is Associated with SYNTAX Score in Patients with Non-ST-Elevation Acute Coronary Syndrome.

Background: Early systolic lengthening is a echocardiographic strain parameter previously used to determine the lesion severity in patients with stable coronary artery disease. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the relationship between early systolic lengthening and anatomic SYNTAX score in troponin (-) and (+) groups among patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

Methods: A total of 95 patients diagnosed with non-ST-elevation ACS were included in the prospective, non-randomized, single-center study.

Long-Term Results of Thoracofemoral Bypass in the Initial Treatment of Juxtarenal Total Aortic Occlusion.

Background: Thoracofemoral bypass has been applied mostly secondary to previous procedures in the treatment of aortoiliac occlusive disease. However, its application as an initial treatment is less common, and long-term outcomes remain uncertain. The aim of this analysis was to review the 16-year experience and long-term outcomes of 31 consecutive patients who underwent thoracofemoral bypass as the primary procedure.

Hoarseness as a Predictor for Pulmonary Arterial Aneurysm and Extrinsic Left Main Coronary Artery Compression in Patients with Severe Pulmonary Hypertension.

Objective: Pulmonary artery (PA) enlargement is a common finding in patients with severe pulmonary hypertension (PH) and may be associated with extrinsic compression of the left main coronary artery (LMCA-Co) and/or compression of the left recurrent laryngeal nerve resulting in hoarseness named as Ortner syndrome (OS). In this study, we evaluated the diagnostic impact of OS in predicting the PA aneurysm and significant LMCA-Co in patients with PH.

Methods: Our study population comprised retrospectively evaluated 865 with PH confirmed with the right heart catheterization between 2006 and 2022.

Endoscopic Thoracic Sympathectomy in the Treatment of Vasospastic Angina Resistant to Medical Therapy.

Background: In this study, we aimed to investigate the clinical follow-up results of endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy (ETS) in the treatment of vasospastic angina (VSA) resistant to maximal medical therapy.

Methods: A total of 80 patients with VSA who presented to our hospital between 2010 and 2022 were included in our study. Among them, 6 patients who did not respond to medical therapy underwent ETS.

Remembering the Occam's Razor: Could Simple Electrocardiographic Findings Provide Relevant Predictions for Current Hemodynamic Criteria of Pulmonary Hypertension?

Background: We evaluated the predictive value of electrocardiographic (ECG) findings for pulmonary hemodynamics assessed by right heart catheterization (RHC).

Methods: Our study population comprised 562 retrospectively evaluated patients who underwent RHC between 2006 and 2022. Correlations between ECG measures and pulmonary arterial systolic and mean pressures (PASP and PAMP) and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) were investigated.

Cardiohepatic syndrome and its prognostic predictive ability in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension.

With the development of progressive right ventricular dysfunction, pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is one of the causes of type 2 cardiohepatic syndrome (CHS). Risk assessment, timely and effective management are crucial to improve survival in PAH. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the presence of CHS at diagnosis and its association with prognosis in patients with PAH.

Long-term experience of the modified David V re-implantation technique for valve-sparing aortic root replacement.

Objective: The modified David V technique is one of the valve-sparing aortic root replacement (V-SARR) techniques, which is an alternative to traditional composite valve graft root replacement techniques. We aimed to analyse our long-term experience with the modified David V re-implantation technique for the treatment of aortic root aneurysm and significant aortic valve insufficiency.

Methods: From March 2009 to November 2021 the modified David V re-implantation technique, one of the V-SARR techniques, was performed on 48 patients in our centre.

Reappraisal of the Transthoracic Echocardiographic Algorithm in Predicting Pulmonary Hypertension Redefined by Updated Pulmonary Artery Mean Pressure Threshold.

Background: Although an adopted echocardiography algorithm based on tricuspid regurgitation jet peak velocity and suggestive findings for pulmonary hypertension has been utilized in the non-invasive prediction of pulmonary hypertension probability, the reliability of this approach for the updated hemodynamic definition of pulmonary hypertension remains to be determined. In this study, for the first time, we aimed to evaluate the tricuspid regurgitation jet peak velocity and suggestive findings in predicting the probability of pulmonary hypertension as defined by mean pulmonary arterial pressure > 20 mm Hg and > 25 mm Hg, respectively.

Methods: Our study group was comprised of the retrospectively evaluated 1300 patients (age 53.

A New Index for the Prediction of In-Hospital Mortality in Patients with Acute Pulmonary Embolism: The Modified Shock Index.

Background: Pulmonary embolism severity index, its simplified version, and shock index have been used for risk stratification in acute pulmonary embolism. In this study, we proposed a modification in severity index and evaluated the correlates and prognostic value of modification in severity index in this setting.

Methods: The study group comprised retrospectively evaluated 181 patients with acute pulmonary embolism.

Comparison of Medical Treatments According to the Characteristics of Idiopathic Premature Ventricular Contractions: Beta-blockers or Calcium Channel Blockers?

Objective: Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) are a common arrhythmic condition. The first approach in patients with symptomatic and frequent PVC is medical treatment, primarily beta-blockers (BB) or calcium channel blockers (CCB), but it is still unclear which of the two should be chosen. This study investigated which drug treatment would be beneficial according to patient and electrocardiography (ECG) characteristics in patients with idiopathic PVC.

The Consistent Effectiveness and Safety of Macitentan Therapies Across Idiopathic and Congenital Heart Disease-Associated PulmonaryArterial Hypertension: A Single-Center Experience.

Background: In this single-center study, we evaluated efficacy and safety issues and predictors of survival in patients with idiopathic and congenital heart disease-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension who were under macitentan therapies.

Method: Our study retrospectively evaluated 221 patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension enrolled in our single-center study, and mono, dual, and triple macitentan therapies were noted in 30, 115, and 76 patients, respectively. The longitudinal changes in clinical, neurohumoral, and echocardiographic measures of pulmonary arterial hypertension were evaluated.

Maternal and Fetal Outcomes in Pregnant Women with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: A Single-Center Experience and Review of Current Literature.

Background: Although pregnancy in women with pulmonary arterial hypertension has been considered a high-risk condition, current data regarding pregnancy with pulmonary arterial hypertension are scarce. In this study, we aimed to evaluate our single-center data on maternal and fetal outcomes in pregnant women with PAH and review currently available risk-based management strategies.

Methods: Our single-center study group comprised 35 women who became pregnant after the diagnosis of pulmonary arterial hypertension or in whom pulmonary arterial hypertension was diagnosed within early post-partum period.

Eosinophil-to-Monocyte Ratio as a Candidate for a Novel Prognostic Marker in Acute Pulmonary Embolism: Is it a Consumptive Mechanism?

Background: The role of eosinophils in thrombotic processes is well known, and the prognostic value of eosinophil to monocyte ratio had been determined in patients with ST elevated myocardial infarction and acute ischemic stroke in recent studies. We aimed to evaluate the impact of the eosinophil-to-monocyte ratio on short- and long-term allcause mortality in patients with pulmonary embolism, which is another clinical condition closely related to the thrombotic pathway.

Methods: In this study, a total of 212 retrospectively evaluated patients with intermediate-high risk and high-risk pulmonary embolism who underwent catheter-directed therapies with ultrasound-assisted thrombolysis or rheolytic thrombectomy (Angiojet©) and intravenous thrombolytic treatment were included.

Prognostic Impact of Nutritional Indices in Candidates for Heart Transplantation.

Objective: No study has thus far evaluated the association of controlling nutritional status (CO NUT) score and prognostic nutritional index (PNI) with prognosis in candidates listed for heart transplantation (HT). Therefore, in this study, we aimed to investigate the impact of these nutritional indices on prognosis in these candidates.

Methods: In this retrospective study, a total of 195 candidates for HT were included.

Systemic immune-inflammation index predicts in-hospital and long-term outcomes in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

Objective: This study examines the predictive value of the novel systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

Methods: A total of 1660 patients with STEMI who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) were enrolled in the study. In-hospital and 3-year outcomes were compared between the four groups (Q1-4).

Prognostic Importance of Pulmonary Artery Pulsatility Index and Right Ventricular Stroke Work Index in End-Stage Heart Failure Patients.

Background: Right ventricular (RV) failure is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with left ventricular (LV) end-stage heart failure (ESHF). Pulmonary artery pulsatility index (PAPi) and RV stroke work index (RVSWI) are invasive parameters related to RV function. This study aimed to investigate the prognostic impact of PAPi and RVSWI in these patients.