Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Basic Res Cardiol 2020 May 25;115(4):40. Epub 2020 May 25.

Department of Cardiology, Drum Tower Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Medical School of Nanjing University, No. 321 Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, 210008, China.

Microvascular obstruction (MVO) after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) is identified as an independent risk factor for poor prognosis in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The inflammatory response induced by ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) injury is considered one of the main mechanisms of MVO. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a unique stromal cell type that confers an immunomodulatory effect in cardiac disease. Read More

J Cell Mol Med 2020 May 22. Epub 2020 May 22.

Department of Cardiology/Cardiac Catheterization Lab, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha City, Hunan Province, China.

Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) remodelling is closely related to the pathogenesis of atrial fibrillation (AF). We investigated whether metformin (MET) prevents AF-dependent EAT remodelling and AF vulnerability in dogs. A canine AF model was developed by 6-week rapid atrial pacing (RAP), and electrophysiological parameters were measured. Read More

Expert Rev Cardiovasc Ther 2020 May 22:1-15. Epub 2020 May 22.

Sidra Heart Center, Sidra Medicine , Doha, Qatar.

Introduction: Atrial septal defect (ASD) is one of the most common congenital heart diseases (CHD) in children and adults. This group of malformations includes several types of atrial communications allowing shunting of blood between the systemic and the pulmonary circulations. Early diagnosis and treatment carries favorable outcomes. Read More

Int J Cardiovasc Imaging 2020 May 21. Epub 2020 May 21.

Department of Cardiology, Dr. Siyami Ersek Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery Research and Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.

Measurement of pulmonary venous flow (PVF) parameters can be used to estimate left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) on transthoracic echocardiography. Despite that, 2016 American Society of Echocardiography (ASE)/European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI) algorithm gave a secondary role to PVF to assess left ventricular filling pressure. We aimed to test correlations between several PVF parameters, including novel measurements, with LVEDP and to analyze whether PVF parameters have an incremental usefulness over ASE/EACVI algorithm to estimate LVEDP. Read More

Catheter Cardiovasc Interv 2020 May 21. Epub 2020 May 21.

Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Città della Salute e della Scienza, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.

Background: The PARIS risk score (PARIS-rs) and percutaneous coronary intervention complexity (PCI-c) predict clinical and procedural residual ischemic risk following PCI. Their accuracy in patients undergoing unprotected left main (ULM) or bifurcation PCI has not been assessed.

Methods: The predictive performances of the PARIS-rs (categorized as low, intermediate, and high) and PCI-c (according to guideline-endorsed criteria) were evaluated in 3,002 patients undergoing ULM/bifurcation PCI with very thin strut stents. Read More

Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg 2020 May 21. Epub 2020 May 21.

Department of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery, National Heart Institute, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Objectives: This study aims to review our institutional experience of ductal stenting (DS) on the growth of pulmonary arteries (PAs) and surgical outcomes of PA reconstruction in this subset of patients.

Methods: This is a retrospective study done in neonates and infants up to 3 months of age with duct-dependent pulmonary circulation who underwent DS from January 2014 to December 2015. Post-stenting PA growth, surgical outcomes of PA reconstruction, post-surgical re-interventions, morbidity and mortality were analysed. Read More

ASAIO J 2020 May 13. Epub 2020 May 13.

Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC.

Patients with left ventricular assist device (LVAD) have poor exercise tolerance. We aimed to characterize relationship between right ventricular (RV) afterload and exercise capacity, RV reserve, and adaptation to load. Twelve well-compensated LVAD subjects underwent right heart catheterization at rest and during symptom-limited exercise. Read More

Circ Cardiovasc Imaging 2020 May 15;13(5):e009825. Epub 2020 May 15.

Division of Cardiology, Heart Institute, Children's Hospital Colorado, University of Colorado, Aurora (D.A.B., S.S.P., D.D.I).

Background Ventricular septal flattening, frequently present in pulmonary hypertension (PH), can be quantified using eccentricity index (EI). EI has not been evaluated by concurrent echocardiography and cardiac catheterization and traditionally does not account for postsystolic septal flattening, often seen in PH. We evaluated left ventricular shape, including a novel measure of maximal EI to account for postsystolic septal flattening, to establish the relationship with concurrent invasive hemodynamics. Read More

J Interv Cardiol 2020 25;2020:2985435. Epub 2020 Apr 25.

Department of Cardiology, Coronary Heart Disease Center, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100037, China.

Background/aim: The relation between complex percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), high bleeding risk (HBR), and adverse events after coronary artery implantation of drug-eluting stents has been incompletely characterized. This study sought to investigate the ischemic and bleeding events after complex PCI including stratification according to HBR estimated by PARIS bleeding risk score.

Methods: Between January 2013 and December 2013, 10,167 consecutive patients undergoing PCI were prospectively enrolled in Fuwai PCI Registry. Read More

Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg 2020 May 9. Epub 2020 May 9.

Heart Valves Surgery Department, Meshalkin National Medical Research Center, Novosibirsk, Russia.

Objectives: There is very little evidence comparing the safety and efficacy of alcohol septal ablation versus septal myectomy for a septal reduction in patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy. This study aimed to compare the immediate and long-term outcomes of these procedures.

Methods: Following propensity score matching, we retrospectively analysed outcomes in 105 patients who underwent myectomy and 105 who underwent septal ablation between 2011 and 2017 at 2 reference centres. Read More

J Physiol 2020 May 5. Epub 2020 May 5.

University of Michigan, 2800 Plymouth Road, NCRC B10/A126, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, United States.

Key Points: Right heart catheterization (RHC) data from clinical records of heart transplant patients are used to identify patient specific models of the cardiovascular system These patient specific cardiovascular models represent a snapshot of cardiovascular function at a given post-transplant recovery timepoint. This approach is used to describe cardiac function in ten heart transplant patients, five of which had multiple right heart catheterizations allowing an assessment of cardiac function over time. These patient predict cardiovascular function in the form of right and left ventricular pressure-volume loops and ventricular power, an important metrics in the clinic of cardiac function. Read More

Physiol Rep 2020 May;8(9):e14347

Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) results in right ventricular (RV) pressure overload and eventual failure. Current research efforts have focused on the RV while overlooking the left ventricle (LV), which is responsible for mechanically assisting the RV during contraction. The objective of this study is to evaluate the biomechanical and gene expression changes occurring in the LV due to RV pressure overload in a mouse model. Read More

Heart Surg Forum 2020 03 5;23(2):E101-E106. Epub 2020 Mar 5.

School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC.

Background: Anomalous left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery (ALCAPA), a very rare congenital cardiac anomaly, is associated with a high mortality rate among infants who are not diagnosed or treated in a timely manner. Surgical intervention with the reconstruction for a two-coronary-system circulation is the main treatment; however, there have been very few reported cases from Taiwan. In this study, we aim to describe the clinical manifestations, diagnostic methods, surgery types, and surgical outcomes in patients with ALCAPA from a single Taiwanese medical center. Read More

Pediatr Cardiol 2020 May 3. Epub 2020 May 3.

Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, 49 N Dunlap Ave, FOB #348, Memphis, TN, 38103, USA.

The objectives of this study were to construct femoral artery (FA) and femoral vein (FV) nomograms in children aged 0-4 years and to construct probability curves for the occurrence of arterial access complications based on the size of the FA. The FV and FA are commonly accessed during cardiac catheterizations in children with congenital heart diseases (CHD). However, nomograms for vessel dimensions based on child's age or size are not available. Read More

Eur Heart J Case Rep 2020 Apr 21;4(2):1-6. Epub 2020 Feb 21.

Department of Pediatric Cardiology and Congenital Heart Disease, German Heart Center Munich, Techniche Universität München, Munich, Germany.

Background: Coronary artery fistula (CAF) is a congenital anomaly of the coronaries that can lead to significant intracardiac shunting and myocardial ischaemia.

Case Summary: We describe the case of a 15-year-old male with an incidentally documented precordial cardiac murmur. An evidently dilated coronary sinus (CS) on transthoracic echocardiography prompted further investigation. Read More

Eur Heart J Case Rep 2020 Apr 12;4(2):1-6. Epub 2020 Mar 12.

Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Davis Heart & Lung Research Institute, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, 473 W 12th Ave, Suite 200, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.

Background: Atypical haemolytic uraemic syndrome (aHUS) is a life-threatening, genetic disease of complement-mediated thrombotic microangiopathy that typically presents as anaemia, thrombocytopenia, and renal failure. Cardiomyopathy is seen in up to 10% of aHUS cases, but the aetiology is not well-understood.

Case Summary: A 63-year-old man recently was diagnosed with a thrombotic microangiopathy most consistent with aHUS by renal biopsy after presentation with acute renal failure requiring haemodialysis. Read More

Intern Med 2020 Apr 30. Epub 2020 Apr 30.

Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Japan.

A 73-year-old Japanese man was admitted with an asymptomatic pulmonary artery aneurysm. However, chest X-ray and contrast-enhanced thoracic computed tomography revealed a protrusion at the second left branch that in fact was a pulmonary artery aneurysm with a diameter of 50 mm. Transesophageal echocardiography showed a bicuspid pulmonary valve, and cardiac catheterization revealed pulmonary stenosis with a pressure gradient of 45 mmHg, but no other heart diseases were noted. Read More

Heart Fail Rev 2020 Apr 28. Epub 2020 Apr 28.

University of Milan-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) represents an important cardiovascular entity with increasing prevalence and relatively high mortality. The agreement about diagnostic algorithm for HFpEF is still missing. Echocardiographic approach remains the cornerstone in HFpEF diagnosis. Read More

Hypertension 2020 Jun 27;75(6):1397-1408. Epub 2020 Apr 27.

From the Cardiovascular Department, John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle, Australia (M.S.A., S.S., A.J.B., A.L.S., N.J.C.).

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) due to left heart disease (LHD) is the most common type of PH and is defined as mean pulmonary artery systolic pressure of >20 mm Hg and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure >15 mm Hg during right heart catheterization. LHD may lead to elevated left atrial pressure alone, which in the absence of intrinsic pulmonary vascular disease will result in PH without changes in pulmonary vascular resistance. Persistent elevation in left atrial pressure may, however, also be associated with subsequent pulmonary vascular remodeling, vasoconstriction, and an increase in pulmonary vascular resistance. Read More

J Clin Ultrasound 2020 Apr 25. Epub 2020 Apr 25.

Cardiac Surgery, Papardo Hospital, Messina, Italy.

Anomalous origin of the right coronary artery (RCA) from the left sinus of Valsalva is a rare but clinically relevant congenital anomaly, since the RCA may be subjected to cyclical compression due to its interarterial course. At least in the past, most patients experienced bad outcomes before being diagnosed with a malignant variant. Chronic (often subclinical) myocardial ischemia and possible arrhythmias are common complications. Read More

Am J Cardiol 2020 Apr 2. Epub 2020 Apr 2.

Cardiac Sciences Program, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Electronic address:

With the routine use of primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), the rate of short-term complications is low and the optimal length-of-stay in the coronary care unit (CCU) following reperfusion is unknown. We hypothesized that the rate of complications would not differ between two groups of stable patients admitted to the CCU following primary-PCI for STEMI: (1) those for whom a minimum 24-hour stay was enforced (≥24 hour Standard Stay) and (2) those with no minimum length-of-stay (Physician-guided Stay). Data were collected retrospectively. Read More

Children (Basel) 2020 Apr 13;7(4). Epub 2020 Apr 13.

University of Texas-Houston McGovern Medical School, Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital, 6410 Fannin Street, UTPB Suite # 425, Houston, TX 77030, USA.

The author's contribution up to 1990 was reviewed in part I and the echo contributions from 1991 to 2020 will be reviewed in part II. These include defining the relationship between the quantity of shunt across the atrial septal defect (ASD) and the diameter of ASD by echo and angio on the one side and the stretched diameter of the ASD on the other; echocardiographic assessment of balloon-stretched diameter of secundum ASDs; development of echocardiographic predictors of accomplishment of percutaneous closure of ASDs with the buttoned device, highlighting limitations of echocardiography in comprehensive assessment of mixed type of total anomalous pulmonary venous connection; description of follow-up echocardiographic results of transcatheter closure of ASD with buttoned device; review of ultrasound studies; depiction of collaborative echocardiographic and Doppler studies; echocardiographic appraisal of the outcome of balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty; editorials; ventricular septal aneurysm causing pulmonary outflow tract obstruction in the morphologic left ventricle in corrected transposition of the great arteries; dependability of echocardiographic assessment of angiographic minimal diameter of the ductus; occurrence of supravalvular pulmonary artery stenosis after a Nuss procedure; echocardiographic assessment of neonates who were suspected of having heart disease; role of echocardiographic studies in the appraisal of patent ductus arteriosus in the premature babies; and the role of pressure recovery in explaining differences between simultaneously measured Doppler and cardiac catheterization pressure gradients across outflow tract stenotic lesions. Read More

World J Pediatr Congenit Heart Surg 2020 May;11(3):372-373

Pediatric Cardiac Surgery, Dr. Siyami Ersek Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Training and Research Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey.

An eight-year-old boy with tricuspid atresia was found to have atretic coronary sinus ostium during cardiac catheterization. Single-stage extracardiac fenestrated Fontan operation was performed with surgical unroofing of the coronary sinus into the left atrium to avoid the risk of cardiac congestion. Read More

JACC Case Rep 2020 Apr 10. Epub 2020 Apr 10.

Interventional Cardiology Unit, Cardiovascular Department, Fondazione Poliambulanza Istituto Ospedaliero, Brescia, Italy.

The correct management of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 and acute coronary syndrome is still uncertain. We describe the percutaneous treatment of an unprotected left main coronary artery in a patient who is positive for coronavirus disease 2019 with unstable angina, dyspnea and fever. Particular attention will be dedicated to the measures adopted in the catheterization laboratory to protect the staff and to avoid further spread of the infection. Read More

Medicina (Kaunas) 2020 Apr 9;56(4). Epub 2020 Apr 9.

Department of Cardiology, Medical Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, LT 44307 Kaunas, Lithuania.

: Non-invasive imaging of the heart has an important place in the diagnosis and management of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The aim of this study was to establish the thresholds of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI)-derived biventricular deformation, function parameters, and levels of N-terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) for the prediction of survival of pre-capillary pulmonary hypertension (PHprecap) patients. : In total, 64 incident PHprecap cases, who underwent CMRI, were consecutively enrolled in a prospective cohort study. Read More

J Appl Physiol (1985) 2020 May 2;128(5):1123-1129. Epub 2020 Apr 2.

Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, Dallas, Texas.

Women are at higher risk for developing heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). We examined the utility of peak exercise blood pressure (BP) in identifying preclinical features of HFpEF, namely vascular and cardiac stiffness in middle-aged women. We studied 47 healthy, nonobese middle-aged women (53 ± 5 yr). Read More

ASAIO J 2020 Mar 27. Epub 2020 Mar 27.

From the Department of Cardiovascular Diseases.

There is a paucity of data describing the invasive assessment of afterload and influence on cardiac output in patients supported on left ventricular assist device (LVAD) therapy. From 2015 to 2018, patients on LVAD therapy were evaluated with simultaneous left/right heart catheterization ramp study for speed optimization. Hemodynamic parameters from 31 patients without significant aortic insufficiency were analyzed. Read More

Sichuan Da Xue Xue Bao Yi Xue Ban 2020 Mar;51(2):207-212

Department of Rheumatology, the First Affiliated Hospital, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230031, China.

Objective: To observe the changes of cardiac function in arthritic rats and the effect of triptolide on it.

Methods: Forty rats were divided in random into normal control (NC) group, model control (MC) group, leflunomide (LEF) group and triptolide (TP) group. Except for the normal group, rats in the other three groups were injected with Freund's complete adjuvant to create arthritic inflammation in the right hind paws, and the interventional drug was administered on the 12th day after the inflammation. Read More

Eur J Heart Fail 2020 Mar;22(3):389-390

Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory and Cardiology, Cardio-thoracic Department, Civil Hospitals; Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences, and Public Health, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.

J Cardiovasc Magn Reson 2020 Mar 26;22(1):20. Epub 2020 Mar 26.

Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA.

Background: Today's standard of care, in the congenital heart disease (CHD) population, involves performing cardiac catheterization under x-ray fluoroscopy and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging separately. The unique ability of CMR to provide real-time functional imaging in multiple views without ionizing radiation exposure has the potential to be a powerful tool for diagnostic and interventional procedures. Limiting fluoroscopic radiation exposure remains a challenge for pediatric interventional cardiologists. Read More

Herz 2020 May;45(3):252-266

Department of Cardiology and Angiology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany.

Takotsubo syndrome (TS) is an acute cardiac condition characterized by transient wall motion abnormalities mostly of the left ventricle. First described in 1990, TS has gained substantial attention during the past 15 years. However, the disease is still underdiagnosed. Read More

Pacing Clin Electrophysiol 2020 May 2;43(5):444-455. Epub 2020 May 2.

Hoffman Heart and Vascular Institute, St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Hartford, Connecticut.

Background: Utilization of catheter ablation of ventricular tachycardia (VT) has steadily increased in recent years. Exploring short-term outcomes is vital in health care planning and resource allocation.

Methods: The Nationwide Readmissions Database from 2010 to 2014 was queried using the ICD-9 codes for VT (427. Read More

Int J Cardiovasc Imaging 2020 Jul 19;36(7):1213-1225. Epub 2020 Mar 19.

Mathematical Biology and Physiology, Department of Electronics and Telecommunications, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy.

The echocardiographic estimation of right atrial pressure (RAP) is based on the size and inspiratory collapse of the inferior vena cava (IVC). However, this method has proven to have limits of reliability. The aim of this study is to assess feasibility and accuracy of a new semi-automated approach to estimate RAP. Read More

Cureus 2020 Feb 5;12(2):e6888. Epub 2020 Feb 5.

Cardiology, Corpus Christi Medical Center, Corpus Christi, USA.

Ventricular tachycardia (VT) is characterized as a ventricular rhythm with a QRS >120 milliseconds (ms) and >100 beats-per-minute (BPM) in the absence of an aberrant conduction. It is classified as sustained when lasting >30 seconds. Risk factors associated with the development of VT include increasing age and coronary artery disease with concurrent left ventricular dysfunction, other forms of structural heart disease and acquired or congenital abnormalities in the cardiac sodium, potassium or calcium channels. Read More

ESC Heart Fail 2020 Mar 18. Epub 2020 Mar 18.

Department of Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Nephrologic, Anesthesiologic and Geriatric Sciences, La Sapienza University, Viale del Policlinico 155, Rome, 00161, Italy.

Myocardial infection by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) may manifest with inflammatory cardiomyopathy, coronary syndrome X, and rarely with infarct-like myocarditis. The aim of the report is to describe a case of myocardial EBV infection causing acute myocarditis with heart failure, necrotizing coronary vasculitis, and multiple left ventricular (LV) aneurysms. A 67-year-old woman presented with fever, chest pain, and heart failure. Read More

J Heart Lung Transplant 2020 Feb 24. Epub 2020 Feb 24.

Division of Cardiology, Mount Sinai Hospital/University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address:

Background: The objectives of this study were to describe right ventricular-pulmonary arterial elastance coupling hemodynamic phenotypes and their frequency in patients with advanced heart failure and to evaluate the association of elastance-based indices with all-cause mortality, cardiac transplantation, and left ventricular assist device therapy.

Methods: This study included 175 patients with heart failure undergoing right heart catheterization to evaluate candidacy for advanced therapies and 21 healthy controls. We modified a single-beat approach to elastance to account for the magnitude of pulmonary arterial pressure and estimated right ventricular end-systolic elastance (E), pulmonary arterial elastance (E), and the E:E ratio. Read More

Hypertension 2020 May 16;75(5):1305-1314. Epub 2020 Mar 16.

From the Department of Physiology (J.M.O., N.D.F., C.S.P., T.D.L., N.W.G., J.D.G., X.Y.), Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans.

Cigarette smoking is the single most important risk factor for the development of cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases; however, the role of nicotine in the pathogenesis of these diseases is incompletely understood. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of chronic nicotine inhalation on the development of cardiovascular and pulmonary disease with a focus on blood pressure and cardiac remodeling. Male C57BL6/J mice were exposed to air (control) or nicotine vapor (daily, 12 hour on/12 hour off) for 8 weeks. Read More

Cardiovasc Pathol 2020 Jan 15;47:107204. Epub 2020 Jan 15.

Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.

Background: Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy is characterized by transient left ventricular systolic dysfunction, which often mimics a myocardial infarction and is usually triggered by emotional or physical stress. There are four variants of Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy, based on the affected left ventricular area.

Case: We report a 75-year-old female with a past medical history of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and chronic kidney disease who presented with chest pain that had started after a stressful, emotional event. Read More

J Comput Assist Tomogr 2020 Mar 11. Epub 2020 Mar 11.

From the The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.

Objective: To identify left ventricular (LV) myocardial mechanics predictors of LV outflow tract obstruction (LVOTO) in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).

Methods: Thirty-nine adults with HCM and 21 controls underwent cardiovascular magnetic resonance. The feature tracking (FT) analysis results of HCM patients with and without LVOTO and controls were compared. Read More

Heart Vessels 2020 Mar 11. Epub 2020 Mar 11.

Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita 15, Nishi 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8638, Japan.

Background: A v wave on pulmonary artery wedge (PAW) pressure sometimes augments and appears on pulmonary artery (PA) pressure wave in patients with heart failure (HF). However, the significance of PA v wave in HF remains to be elucidated.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed pressure waveforms in 61 HF patients (left ventricular ejection fraction 35 ± 15%). Read More

Front Pediatr 2020 20;8:51. Epub 2020 Feb 20.

Shandong Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis, Treatment and Behavioral Interventions of Mental Disorders, Institute of Mental Health, Jining Medical University, Jining, China.

Isolated congenital coronary artery fistula (ICCAF) is an exceedingly rare anomaly in which there is a direct abnormal connection between a coronary artery and other cardiac chambers or any of great vessels. The left circumflex artery (LCX) is the least common source of ICCAF. Here we reported a rare case of large ICCAF originated from the LCX in a 9-year-old boy. Read More

Comput Math Methods Med 2020 14;2020:4720908. Epub 2020 Feb 14.

Department of Cardiac Surgery, Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of South China Structural Heart Disease, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangzhou, China.

The objective of this study was to compare the effects of different shunt diameters and pulmonary artery (PA) stenosis grades on the hemodynamics of central shunts to determine an optimal surgical plan and improve the long-term outcomes of the operation. A 3D anatomical model was reconstructed based on the patient's clinical CT data. 3D computational fluid dynamics models were built with varying degrees of stenosis (the stenosis ratio was represented by the ratio of blood flow through the main pulmonary artery to cardiac output, ranging from 0 to 30%; the smaller the value of , the more severe the pulmonary artery stenosis) and varying shunt diameters (3, 3. Read More

Chest 2020 Mar 6. Epub 2020 Mar 6.

Pulmonary Circulation Center, Division of Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN. Electronic address:

A physiological approach to the analysis of hemodynamic data in pulmonary hypertension (PH) has the advantage of reducing the large number (well over 100) of potential causal illnesses into four simple mechanisms. A fifth condition is composed of mixtures of the four basic mechanisms. This approach was beautifully described by Paul Wood, the great cardiologist whose name is given to the units of pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR), Wood units. Read More

Am J Emerg Med 2020 Feb 26. Epub 2020 Feb 26.

Department of Emergency and Hospital Medicine, United States of America.

Background: Patients who experience trauma, particularly thoracic trauma, may be at risk for missed cardiac injury.

Case Report: We present a case of a 36-year-old male presenting to the Emergency Department (ED) as a trauma after a high-speed motor vehicle crash. After computed tomography (CT) scans revealed a right hemopneumothorax and multiple orthopedic injuries, the patient was admitted to the trauma neuroscience intensive care unit (TNICU), where telemetry revealed ST elevations. Read More

Eur Heart J Case Rep 2020 Feb 10;4(1):1-4. Epub 2020 Feb 10.

Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Children's Heart Center Linz, Kepler University Hospital, Krankenhausstrasse 26-30, 4020 Linz, Austria.

Background: In patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) premature closure or restriction of the interatrial communication causes severe cyanosis directly after birth with rapid deterioration in clinical state. An ex-utero intrapartum treatment (EXIT) procedure, extracorporal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), and emergency interventional cardiac catheterization or cardiac surgery has to be anticipated and prepared. We report the first case performing foetal atrial septum stenting in such a patient directly before birth to enable uncomplicated interatrial shunting postnatally. Read More

Med Sci Monit 2020 Mar 4;26:e920982. Epub 2020 Mar 4.

Departmentof Ultrasound, Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China (mainland).

BACKGROUND Left ventricle diastolic malfunction (LVDMf) is a valvular cardiovascular disease. Here, we assessed the correlation between right ventricle (RV) load and function (L&F) and diastolic malfunction (DMf) in symptomless valvular cardiovascular disease patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS We enrolled 59 subjects who underwent right-heart catheterization, assessing their echocardiographic analysis results while performing exercises in supine position, comparing results at rest and during maximum exercise. Read More

Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol 2019 05;12(5):e007044

Yunnan Arrhythmia Research Center, Division of Cardiology, the First People’s Hospital of Yunnan Province, the Affiliated Hospital of Kunming University of Science and Technology, People’s Republic of China (X.Z., X.K., X.G., H.X., F.W., H.W., L.W., L.D., J.Z., J.F.).

Background: Although contact force (CF)–sensing catheters improve procedural effectiveness and safety of atrial fibrillation ablation, recent reports documented a higher incidence of atrioesophageal fistula formation relative to ablation with non–CF-sensing catheters.The present study was to assess whether restricting CF to <20 g reduced risk for esophageal injury (EI) in patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing circumferential pulmonary vein isolation.

Methods: This prospective, single-center, randomized study enrolled 89 consecutive patients (mean age, 57. Read More

Future Cardiol 2020 May 3;16(3):165-169. Epub 2020 Mar 3.

Department of Cardiovascular Disease, Interventional Cardiology, Mount Sinai Heart at Mount Sinai Beth Israel, New York, NY 10003, USA.

Techniques for vascular intervention have been evolving in the past decades. Trans-radial artery access (TRA) has been emerging and is favorable over trans-femoral access in recent years due to the lower risk of bleeding complications, vascular injury, early mobilization, shorter hospitalization and lesser cost. TRA has its own limitations such as radial artery stenosis, dissection, spasm and crossover. Read More

Eur Heart J Case Rep 2019 Dec 24;3(4):1-5. Epub 2019 Oct 24.

Madina Cardiac Center, Khaled Bin Waleed ST, PO 6176, Madina, Saudi Arabia.

Background: Percutaneous implantation of aortic valve for severe aortic stenosis (AS) in the presence of pedunculated mobile left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) mass not reported before. In this case report, we address the feasibility of this procedure.

Case Summary: An 80-year-old patient who presented with presyncope, transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE), and transoesophageal echocardiography (TOE) revealed severe calcific AS and LVOT mass measuring 2. Read More