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JACC Cardiovasc Imaging 2019 Apr 10. Epub 2019 Apr 10.

DeBakey Heart and Vascular Center, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas.

Clin Case Rep 2019 Apr 19;7(4):841-843. Epub 2019 Feb 19.

Department of Cardiology Hospital Universitario de Canarias Tenerife Spain.

The quadricuspid aortic valve (QAV) is a malformation that leads to severe valve failure later in life. Malformation and displacement of coronary ostia are found in 10% of patients. In this context, transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) are the essential imaging tests for the preoperative assessment for cardiac surgery. Read More

J Cardiovasc Imaging 2019 Apr;27(2):105-118

Valvular Heart Disease Center, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

Background: Although bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is one of the most common congenital heart diseases, clinical outcome data regarding BAV are still limited. We evaluated clinical characteristics and mid-term clinical outcomes of asymptomatic Korean patients with bicuspid aortic valve.

Methods: We initiated a prospective registry in 2014 at a tertiary referral hospital. Read More

Eur Heart J 2019 Apr 11. Epub 2019 Apr 11.

Department of Cardiology, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, CIBER-CV, Vall d'Hebron institut de Recerca, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Paseo Vall d'Hebron 119-129, 08035 Barcelona, Spain.

Aims: Life expectancy in Marfan syndrome patients has improved thanks to the early detection of aortic dilation and prophylactic aortic root surgery. Current international clinical guidelines support the use of aortic root diameter as a predictor of complications. However, other imaging markers are needed to improve risk stratification. Read More

Acute Med Surg 2019 Apr 28;6(2):185-187. Epub 2019 Jan 28.

Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine Chiba Japan.

Case: Pseudoaneurysm of the sinus of Valsalva (PSV) caused by trauma is rare. Surgical intervention is the standard treatment approach for traumatic PSV, as it has a high risk of rupture and is potentially fatal.We hereby report a 59-year-old man with traumatic PSV due to a traffic accident. Read More

Cardiovasc Pathol 2019 Jan 19;41:1-7. Epub 2019 Jan 19.

National Clinical Research Center of Cardiovascular Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People's Republic of China; Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People's Republic of China. Electronic address:

Background: The anatomy of the aortic valves plays an important role in the progression of aortic valve disease (AVD) and determination of the appropriate treatment strategy. We described and compared AVD phenotypes according to detailed anatomical classifications and assessed the accuracy of imaging diagnostics using surgical diagnosis as the gold standard.

Methods And Results: The study enrolled 602 patients (mean age 55. Read More

Int J Cardiol 2019 Mar 27. Epub 2019 Mar 27.

Heart Center, Segeberger Kliniken, Bad Segeberg, Germany.

Background: The management of patients with mitral regurgitation (MR) undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is challenging. We sought to investigate the evolution and long-term prognostic impact of residual post-TAVR MR.

Methods: The severity of MR was assessed at baseline and at 30 days and six months post-TAVR. Read More

Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Imaging 2019 Apr 1. Epub 2019 Apr 1.

Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, ZA Leiden, The Netherlands.

Aims: Pressure overload in aortic stenosis (AS) and both pressure and volume overload in aortic regurgitation (AR) induce concentric and eccentric hypertrophy, respectively. These structural changes influence left ventricular (LV) mechanics, but little is known about the time course of LV remodelling and mechanics after aortic valve surgery (AVR) and its differences in AS vs. AR. Read More

J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2019 Feb 27. Epub 2019 Feb 27.

Section of Congenital Heart Surgery, Heart Institute, Children's Hospital Colorado, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colo.

Objectives: Ross and Ross-Konno operations are associated with the inherent risk of residual ventricular septal dysfunction and injury to the conduction system. However, comprehensive biventricular functional outcomes on magnetic resonance imaging after Ross and Ross-Konno procedures are unknown. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the degree of electrical and mechanical dyssynchrony using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in patients late after Ross and Ross-Konno operations. Read More

Heart Lung Circ 2019 Mar 8. Epub 2019 Mar 8.

Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands. Electronic address:

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a safe and efficient alternative for surgical valve aortic replacement in patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis who are inoperable or have a high risk for surgery. Randomised clinical trials have shown that TAVR is not inferior to surgical aortic valve replacement in intermediate-risk patients and ongoing trials will demonstrate the effects of TAVR in asymptomatic severe aortic stenosis patients and in patients with heart failure and moderate aortic stenosis. Continuous developments in procedural and post-procedural management along with increased operator experience and technical improvements and ongoing advances in imaging modalities (particularly in three-dimensional techniques), have reduced the procedural risks and the incidence of complications such as paravalvular aortic regurgitation. Read More

J Vasc Surg 2019 Mar 25. Epub 2019 Mar 25.

Department of Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Arnaud de Villeneuve Hospital, Montpellier, France.

Objective: The aim of this retrospective analysis was to evaluate the outcomes of physician-modified double fenestrated stent grafts for total endovascular aortic arch repair: one proximal large fenestration for the brachiocephalic trunk and the left common carotid artery and one distal fenestration for the left subclavian artery (LSA).

Methods: From January 2017 through February 2018, 17 patients (88.2% elective) underwent thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) with double homemade fenestrated stent graft for total endovascular aortic arch repair to maintain supra-aortic trunk patency. Read More

J Orthop Case Rep 2018 Nov-Dec;8(6):68-73

Department of Orthopedics, Institute of Biomedical Science, Tokushima University Graduate School, 3-18-15 Kuramoto, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan.

Introduction: There have been reports of true aneurysm of the posterior tibial artery, but only three reports have described true aneurysm of the posterior tibial artery at the ankle, and there has been only one report of tarsal tunnel syndrome caused by true aneurysm of this artery. In this case report, we describe a rare case of true septic aneurysm of the posterior tibial artery presenting as tarsal tunnel syndrome which was found after anterior arthroscopic debridement of a septic ankle in a 55-year-old man.

Case Report: 13 years earlier, this patient had undergone aortic valve replacement for severe aortic regurgitation caused by infective endocarditis with aortic valve vegetations. Read More

Radiographics 2019 Mar 22:180091. Epub 2019 Mar 22.

From the Departments of Medical Imaging (A.A., N.C., G.A., S.S., V.M., M.Z.), Cardiology (P.G.), and Vascular Medicine (A.S.), Saint Joseph Hospital, 185 rue Raymond Losserand, 75014 Paris, France; and Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Necker Enfants Malades Hospital, Paris, France (D.S.).

In-plane phase-contrast (PC) imaging is now a routine component of MRI of regional blood flow in the heart and great vessels. In-plane PC MRI provides a volumetric, isotropic, time-resolved cine sequence that enables three-directional velocity encoding, a technique known as four-dimensional (4D) flow MRI. Recent advances in 4D flow MRI have shortened imaging times, while progress in big-data processing has improved dataset pre- and postprocessing, thereby increasing the feasibility of 4D flow MRI in clinical practice. Read More

J Cardiovasc Magn Reson 2019 Mar 18;21(1):20. Epub 2019 Mar 18.

Department of Pediatric Cardiology, University Medical Center Utrecht / Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Background: Aortic regurgitation (AR) and subclinical left ventricular (LV) dysfunction expressed by myocardial deformation imaging are common in patients with transposition of the great arteries after the arterial switch operation (ASO). Echocardiographic evaluation is often hampered by reduced acoustic window settings. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging provides a robust alternative as it allows for comprehensive assessment of degree of AR and LV function. Read More

JACC Cardiovasc Imaging 2019 Mar 8. Epub 2019 Mar 8.

Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Saarland University Medical Center, Homburg/Saar, Germany.

Reconstructive surgery of the aortic valve is being increasingly used in patients with aortic regurgitation and/or aortic aneurysm. Its success depends on restoring normal aortic valve and root form. Echocardiography is the most reliable and precise imaging technique because it defines abnormal morphology and function, essential for selecting appropriate substrates and guiding the surgical strategy. Read More

JACC Cardiovasc Imaging 2019 Mar 13. Epub 2019 Mar 13.

Department of Internal Medicine II, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. Electronic address:

Objectives: The aim of the present long-term study was to assess the incidence and mode of valve hemodynamic deterioration (VHD) of bioprosthetic aortic valves, as well as associated factors.

Background: Modern definitions of bioprosthetic valve deterioration recommend the use of echocardiography for the assessment of transprosthetic gradients and valvular regurgitation.

Methods: A total of 466 consecutive patients (mean age 73. Read More

J Cardiovasc Transl Res 2019 Mar 15. Epub 2019 Mar 15.

Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Accuracy of aortic regurgitation (AR) quantification by magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in the presence of a transcatheter heart valve (THV) remains to be established. We evaluated the accuracy of cardiac MR velocity mapping for quantification of antegrade flow (AF) and retrograde flow (RF) across a THV and the optimal slice position to use in cardiac MR imaging. In a systematic and fully controlled laboratory ex vivo setting, two THVs (Edwards SAPIEN XT, Medtronic CoreValve) were tested in a porcine model (n = 1) under steady flow conditions. Read More

J Am Coll Cardiol 2019 Mar;73(9):1078-1088

CHU Lille, Université de Lille, Inserm U1011 - EGID, Institut Pasteur de Lille, Lille, France; CHU Lille, Hematology and Transfusion, Lille, France. Electronic address:

For decades, numerous observations have shown an intimate relationship between von Willebrand factor (VWF) multimer profile and heart valve diseases (HVD). The current knowledge of the unique biophysical properties of VWF helps us to understand the longstanding observations concerning the bleeding complications in patients with severe HVD. Not only does the analysis of the VWF multimer profile provide an excellent evaluation of HVD severity, it is also a strong predictor of clinical events. Read More

Echocardiography 2019 04 4;36(4):722-731. Epub 2019 Mar 4.

Institut Universitaire de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de Québec - Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada.

Background: Significant mitral regurgitation (MR) is associated with poorer outcomes in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Factors associated with MR improvement have not been studied thoroughly.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of consecutive patients treated with TAVR with more than mild MR at baseline. Read More

Echocardiography 2019 04 4;36(4):761-765. Epub 2019 Mar 4.

Department of Internal Medicine, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas.

Background: Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is the most prevalent adult congenital heart defect. BAV causes lifelong progressive disease that can be prevented by early diagnosis and long-term surveillance, but may be compromised by misclassification of valve morphology.

Methods: The study population was derived from the UTHealth Bicuspid Aortic Valve Registry, which includes serial images on more than 200 participants over a mean follow-up interval of 2. Read More

Int J Cardiovasc Imaging 2019 Feb 28. Epub 2019 Feb 28.

Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

The management of asymptomatic patients with severe aortic regurgitation (AR) and preserved left ventricular (LV) systolic function remains controversial. We evaluated the predictive value of exercise stress echocardiography (ESE) in asymptomatic severe AR with preserved LV systolic function for identifying high risk patients who might benefit from early referral for surgery. Symptom-limited treadmill ESE was performed in 67 asymptomatic patients with severe AR (effective regurgitant orifice area > 30 mm, regurgitant volume > 60 ml) and preserved LV systolic function without LV dilatation [ejection fraction (EF) ≥ 50% and LV end-systolic diameter ≤ 50 mm]. Read More

Int Heart J 2019 Mar 22;60(2):336-344. Epub 2019 Feb 22.

Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Disease.

Data involving combined mitral and aortic valve procedure via the right mini-thoracotomy approach are very limited. This single-center propensity-matching study aimed to evaluate early clinical outcomes of patients who underwent combined mitral and aortic valve procedure via right mini-thoracotomy versus full median sternotomy.From January 2013 to December 2016, 926 eligible patients in our center were identified for this study. Read More

J Am Soc Echocardiogr 2019 Apr 20;32(4):431-475. Epub 2019 Feb 20.

West Virginia University Heart & Vascular Institute, Morgantown, West Virginia.

ESC Heart Fail 2019 04 18;6(2):446-448. Epub 2019 Feb 18.

Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Chiba-Nishi General Hospital, Matsudo, Japan.

Although aortic valve (AV) replacement is a curative procedure for severe aortic stenosis, prosthetic heart valves have many disadvantages and cause serious complications. A new promising surgical procedure-aortic valve neocuspidization (AVNeo)-has recently been developed; it is an original method of AV reconstruction with autologous pericardium. It has been reported to yield excellent medium-term results with respect to durability and complications. Read More

Kyobu Geka 2019 Feb;72(2):156-159

Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Seirei Hamamatsu General Hospital, Hamamatsu, Japan.

Ross procedure has been found to have a lower incidence of infective endocarditis compared to other aortic replacement procedure using prosthetic valves. We report a case of 25-year-old man who underwent Ross procedure for congenital aortic stenosis and regurgitation when he was 7 years old. He presented with fever and was highly suspected of infective endocarditis. Read More

Heart 2019 Feb 16. Epub 2019 Feb 16.

Department of Cardiology, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Maranon, Madrid, Spain.

Objective: To obtain reference values of aortic valve area (AVA) in a large population and to infer the risk of overestimating aortic stenosis (AS) when focusing on flow-corrected indices of severity.

Methods: We prospectively measured indices of AS in all consecutive echocardiograms performed in a large referral cardiac imaging laboratory for 1 year. We specifically analysed the distribution of AVA, indexed AVA and velocity ratio (Vratio) in patients with and without AS, the latter defined as the coexistence of valvular outflow obstruction (Vmax ≥2. Read More

JACC Cardiovasc Imaging 2019 Feb 11. Epub 2019 Feb 11.

Division of Cardiology, Cook County Health and Hospitals System, Chicago, Illinois.

JACC Cardiovasc Imaging 2019 Feb 11. Epub 2019 Feb 11.

Valve Center, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Heart and Vascular Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio. Electronic address:

Objectives: This study sought to determine whether baseline left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LV-GLS) and changes in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in a subgroup of subjects at post-operative follow-up added prognostic value in patients undergoing aortic valve (AV) surgery.

Background: In patients with chronic severe aortic regurgitation (AR) and preserved LVEF, sensitive markers are needed to decide timing of AV surgery.

Methods: This was an observational study in 865 patients (asymptomatic/mildly symptomatic, 52 ± 15 years of age, 79% men) with ≥3+ chronic AR and preserved LVEF of ≥50% who underwent AV surgery between 2003 and 2015. Read More

Front Physiol 2018 30;9:1921. Epub 2019 Jan 30.

Department of Ultrasound, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.

The bicuspid aortic valve, a kind of heart disease that comes from parents, has been paid attention around the world. Although most bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) patients will suffer from some complications including aortic stenosis, aortic regurgitation, endocarditis, and heart dysfunction in the late stage of the disease, there is none symptom in the childhood, which restrains us to diagnose and treatment in the onset phase of BAV. Hemodynamic abnormalities induced by the malformations of the valves in BAV patients for a long time will cause BAV-associated aortopathy: including progress aortic dilation, aneurysm, dissection and rupture, cardiac cyst and even sudden death. Read More

Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Imaging 2019 Jan 31. Epub 2019 Jan 31.

Department of Cardiology, Hospital Universitario Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Av. de los Reyes Católicos, 2, 28040 Madrid, Spain.

Aims: To determine the prevalence and characteristics of bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) among elite athletes and to analyse the effect of long-term exercise training on their aortas.

Methods And Results: Consecutive BAV and tricuspid aortic valve (TAV) elite athletes from a population of 5136 athletes evaluated at the Sports Medicine Center of the Spanish National Sports Council were identified using echocardiography. A total of 41 BAV elite athletes were matched with 41 TAV elite athletes, and 41 BAV non-athletic patients from three Spanish tertiary hospitals. Read More

J Magn Reson Imaging 2019 Feb 4. Epub 2019 Feb 4.

Pediatric Cardiology and Congenital Heart Disease, German Heart Center at Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.

Background: Alterations in wall shear stress (WSS) assessed using 4D flow MRI have been shown to play a role in various vascular pathologies, such as bicuspid aortic valve aortopathy. Most studies have focused on systolic WSS, whereas altered diastolic hemodynamics in regurgitant semilunar valvular lesions have not so far been well characterized.

Purpose: To investigate diastolic WSS in aortic and pulmonary regurgitation. Read More

Circ Cardiovasc Imaging 2019 Feb;12(2):e007928

The Heart Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, OH (A.Z.B.).

Background: The 2012 World Heart Federation Criteria are the current gold standard for the diagnosis of latent rheumatic heart disease (RHD). Because data and experience using these criteria have grown, there is opportunity to simplify and develop outcome prediction tools. We aimed to develop a simple echocardiographic score applicable for RHD screening with potential to predict disease progression. Read More

Int J Cardiol 2019 Apr 11;280:53-56. Epub 2019 Jan 11.

Unité Médico-Chirurgicale de Cardiologie Congénitale et Pédiatrique, Centre de référence Malformations Cardiaques Congénitales Complexes - M3C, Paris, France; Radiology Department, Hôpital Universitaire Necker Enfants Malades, Paris, France.

Introduction: Neo-aortic root dilatation and regurgitation are common progressive long-term complications of the arterial switch operation (ASO) for transposition of the great arteries (TGA) with increasing clinical burden. While several risk factors have been identified, most are constitutional. The acute aortic angle commonly seen after ASO might alter aortic dynamics and facilitate progression of the neo-aortic root dilatation and aortic regurgitation, but insufficient data is available. Read More

JACC Cardiovasc Imaging 2019 Jan 16. Epub 2019 Jan 16.

Pôle de Recherche Cardiovasculaire, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Université Catholique de Louvain and the Divisions of Cardiology and Cardiothoracic Surgery, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address:

Objectives: The present study examines whether improvements have reduced the negative impact of guideline triggers on postoperative outcomes.

Background: European and American guidelines for the management of severe aortic regurgitation (AR) define the triggers for AR surgery. These triggers are based on the results of studies performed in the 1990s analyzing outcomes of patients who underwent AR surgery in the 1980s. Read More

Braz J Cardiovasc Surg 2018 Nov-Dec;33(6):634-637

Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa (UEPG), Ponta Grossa, PR, Brazil.

This paper presents a case study of a 30-year-old male patient with dyspnea on exertion had echocardiographic diagnosis of aortic subvalvar stenosis. Discrete mitral regurgitation and aortic valve dysplasia with mild to moderate insufficiency and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy were also noted. During surgery, a rare condition was identified: presence of papillary muscle anomaly associated with the subaortic membrane as a cause of obstruction of the left ventricular outflow tract. Read More

Braz J Cardiovasc Surg 2018 Nov-Dec;33(6):573-578

Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Okan University, Medicine Faculty Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.

Introduction: The aim of this study is to investigate the change in the dimension of sinus of Valsalva in patients who underwent supracoronary ascending aorta replacement with aortic valve replacement.

Methods: A total of 81 patients who underwent supracoronary ascending aorta replacement with aortic valve replacement were included. Ten of 81 patients died during the follow-up. Read More

Cureus 2018 Oct 31;10(10):e3531. Epub 2018 Oct 31.

Internal Medicine, Cleveland Clinic - Fairview Hospital, Cleveland, USA.

Acute aortic dissection is a deadly disease that should be recognized promptly. We report an exceptional case of a 44-year-old African American female who presented with a rapidly progressing severe frontal headache. Initial computed tomography of the brain was negative. Read More

Circ Cardiovasc Imaging 2019 Dec;12(1):e008341

Department of Medicine and Therapeutics (W.K.C., G.T., K.K.H.K., L.T., A.P.W.L., L.S.T.), Faculty of Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong, SAR.

Int Heart J 2019 Mar 10;60(2):482-488. Epub 2019 Jan 10.

Department of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Technology, Yuanpei University of Medical Technology.

Unicuspid aortic valve (UAV) is an extremely rare form of congenital cardiac malformation, leading to aortic stenosis (AS), aortic regurgitation (AR), or both. We report the case of a 55-year-old man with unicommissural UAV associated with severe AS and mild AR using different multimodality imaging approaches. The excised UAV isolated after aortic valve replacement exhibited an eccentric "teardrop" opening with a slit-shaped unicommissural structure. Read More

J Cardiothorac Surg 2019 Jan 9;14(1). Epub 2019 Jan 9.

Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Yokohama Sakae Kyosai Hospital, 132 Katsura-cho, Sakae-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 247-8581, Japan.

Background: Atrioventricular groove hematomas during mitral valve surgery range from simple hematomas to complex atrioventricular disruptions that cause frank rupture with massive bleeding and subsequent mortality. A small or moderate-sized hematoma is reported to be present in the left atrioventricular groove in 10 to 30% of all patients immediately after mitral valve replacement. Despite the fact that atrioventricular groove hematomas are inherently unstable and unpredictable, conservative strategies are recommended due to the high mortality associated with additional surgical repair. Read More

Heart Surg Forum 2018 11 7;21(6):E443-E447. Epub 2018 Nov 7.

Department of Cardiac Surgery, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100029, China.

Background: We sought to analyze the pathological characteristics of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) with concomitant mitral valve abnormalities and to discuss the surgical treatment strategies.

Methods: The clinical data of 26 HOCM patients treated from January 2014 to March 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 19 males and 7 females with a mean age of 47 ± 16 years (range, 10-70 years). Read More

Ann Cardiothorac Surg 2018 Nov;7(6):780-786

Department of Cardiac Surgery, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.

The IRIS mitral annuloplasty ring is a transcatheter, transfemoral and transseptal-delivered complete, semi-rigid annuloplasty ring. The IRIS system mimics surgical annuloplasty by reducing the mitral septal-lateral dimension and improving leaflet coaptation. We report the early experience with the IRIS system in seven patients. Read More

J Cardiothorac Surg 2018 Dec 29;13(1):133. Epub 2018 Dec 29.

Department of Cardiac Surgery, Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100037, China.

Background: The totally thoracoscopic procedure for mitral valve (MV) disease is a minimally invasive method. We investigated the procedure's feasibility, safety and effectiveness when it was performed by an experienced operator.

Methods: We retrospectively analysed 53 consecutive patients with MV disease treated between December 2014 and April 2017 by minimally invasive procedures. Read More

Echocardiography 2019 02 28;36(2):406-410. Epub 2018 Dec 28.

Echocardiography Laboratory, Mount Sinai Heart Institute, Columbia University Division of Cardiology, Miami Beach, Florida.

A quadricuspid aortic valve is an uncommon valve lesion. Its physical manifestations vary, and it may be associated with other cardiac lesions. Echocardiography is the imaging modality of choice, with computerized tomography or cardiac magnetic resonance imaging being utilized as adjunctive imaging modalities in certain cases. Read More

Clin Exp Rheumatol 2018 Nov-Dec;36(6 Suppl 115):103-109. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Department of Echocardiography, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, and Beijing Institute of Heart Lung and Blood Vessel Diseases, Beijing, China.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to analyse the spectrum of echocardiographic findings in patients with cardiovascular involvement in Behçet's disease (BD) and followed up the post-operative complications.

Methods: We enrolled 26 BD patients who underwent first cardiac surgery in Anzhen Hospital, Beijing, China. Medical records and echocardiographic findings were retrospectively analysed. Read More

Curr Opin Cardiol 2019 Mar;34(2):173-177

Division of Cardiac Surgery, St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Purpose Of Review: The purpose of this study is to review the contemporary evidence surrounding aortic bioprosthetic valve deterioration, with a focus on early failure of surgically implanted valves.

Recent Findings: Structural valve deterioration (SVD) remains the most frequent cause of premature bioprosthetic aortic valve failure. However, recent evidence suggests that SVD represents a spectrum, and that clinically silent hemodynamic valve deterioration frequently precedes and predisposes to overt SVD. Read More

N Engl J Med 2018 Dec;379(24):2362-2372

From the Departments of Medicine (E.M.I., A.A.S., A.E.S.), Radiology (N.M.M.), and Pathology (K.J.T.), Massachusetts General Hospital, and the Departments of Medicine (E.M.I., A.A.S., A.E.S.), Radiology (N.M.M.), and Pathology (K.J.T.), Harvard Medical School - both in Boston.

BMJ Case Rep 2018 Dec 4;11(1). Epub 2018 Dec 4.

Internal Medicine, Aventura Hospital and Medical Center, Aventura, Florida, USA.

Septic shock is the most common type of shock in the intensive care unit with an associated mortality close to 50%. Infective endocarditis (IE) is a rare cause of septic shock but carries significant morbidity and mortality. Group B IE (GBS-IE) is an invasive infection with an incidence of approximately 1. Read More

Circ Cardiovasc Imaging 2018 Dec;11(12):e007611

The Labatt Family Heart Center, Department of Pediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto, ON, Canada (L.M., M.K.F.).

Background: The study objective was to assess the severity, progression rate, and risk factors for aortic root dilatation (ARD) in pediatric tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) and to study its relationship to complications including aortic regurgitation.

Methods And Results: Seven hundred sixty-eight TOF patients were studied with echocardiography (median age at repair 6.1 months; interquartile range, 4. Read More

JACC Cardiovasc Imaging 2019 Apr 12;12(4):602-604. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Department of Anesthesiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.