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Acta Clin Belg 2020 Jul 4:1-6. Epub 2020 Jul 4.

Department of Cardiology, Brugmann University Hospital , Brussels, Belgium.

Background Trichinellosis is a parasitic infection caused by nematodes of the genus , and its principal mode of transmission is the consumption of raw or undercooked contaminated meat. Cardiac involvement in trichinellosis is unusual, yet it represents the most frequent cause of death. Here, we report a case in which -associated myocarditis simulated a myocardial infarction. Read More

Eur Heart J Case Rep 2020 Jun 1;4(3):1-5. Epub 2020 Jun 1.

Cardiology Department, Reims University Hospital, Avenue du Général Koenig, 51092 Reims, France.

Background: Endomyocardial fibrosis (EMF) is a rare cause of restrictive cardiomyopathy, mainly found in tropical/subtropical country. Endomyocardial fibrosis causes severe congestive symptoms and may lead to end-stage heart failure.

Case Summary: A French Caucasian 44-year-old man without noticeable medical history and who had never travelled outside of France was hospitalized for a first episode of acute heart failure revealing an atypical appearance of the left ventricle. Read More

Eur Heart J Case Rep 2020 Jun 27;4(3):1-4. Epub 2020 Apr 27.

Department of Cardiology, Pulmonology, Hypertension, and Nephrology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Shitsukawa, Toon, Ehime 791-0295, Japan.

Background: For relief of cold symptoms, methylephedrine is considered to be safer than ephedrine, particularly when used at the predetermined dose. It is often present in various over-the-counter (OTC) drugs for cold, including paediatric cough syrups.

Case Summary: A 52-year-old man presented with worsening dyspnoea and anorexia for 2 weeks. Read More

BMC Infect Dis 2020 Jun 22;20(1):440. Epub 2020 Jun 22.

Medical Microbiology, Innlandet Hospital Trust, Lillehammer, Norway.

Background: Infection with the Cryptococcus neoformans yeast fungus is largely restricted to patients with HIV, sarcoidosis or immunosuppressive therapies. In sarcoidosis, there is intense local immune response in granuloma lesions, coupled with a paradoxical systemic anergy. An analysis of cryptococcal infection in sarcoidosis may therefore shed light on whether opportunistic pathogens preferentially engage immune-privileged tissues. Read More

J Cardiovasc Magn Reson 2020 06 22;22(1):46. Epub 2020 Jun 22.

University Medical Center Göttingen, Department of Cardiology and Pneumology, Georg-August University, Robert-Koch-Str. 40, 37099, Göttingen, Germany.

Background: Myocardial fibrosis is a major determinant of outcome in aortic stenosis (AS). Novel fast real-time (RT) cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) mapping techniques allow comprehensive quantification of fibrosis but have not yet been compared against standard techniques and histology.

Methods: Patients with severe AS underwent CMR before (n = 110) and left ventricular (LV) endomyocardial biopsy (n = 46) at transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Read More

J Cardiol Cases 2020 Jun 28;21(6):220-223. Epub 2020 Mar 28.

Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Nagano Chuo Hospital, Nagano City, Japan.

Idiopathic restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM) is rare, and its natural history is not well known. Its prognosis in infants is extremely poor, whereas patients with RCM occurring in middle age have comparatively good prognoses. Here, we report a case of idiopathic RCM with the disease onset at 10 years old. Read More

J Hum Genet 2020 Jun 5. Epub 2020 Jun 5.

Department of Neurology, National Center Hospital, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Japan.

Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) is caused by specific mutations in the DMD gene that causes progressive muscle weakness and primarily affects skeletal and cardiac muscle. Although cardiac involvement is a significant cause of mortality in BMD, the genetic-phenotype correlation for skeletal and cardiac muscles has not been elucidated. Here, we described a 39-year-old man with BMD, who presented with subtle skeletal muscle weakness in the right leg in his 20s and underwent left ventricular restoration for severe dilated cardiomyopathy at the age of 29. Read More

Glob Heart 2020 Feb 12;15(1):15. Epub 2020 Feb 12.

Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, US.

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the second common cause of death in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) accounting for about 35% of all deaths, after a composite of communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional diseases. Despite prior perception of low NCDs mortality rates, current evidence suggests that SSA is now at the dawn of the epidemiological transition with contemporary double burden of disease from NCDs and communicable diseases. In SSA, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the most frequent causes of NCDs deaths, responsible for approximately 13% of all deaths and 37% of all NCDs deaths. Read More

Curr Radiopharm 2020 Jun 2. Epub 2020 Jun 2.

Nuclear Medicine Unit, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa. Italy.

Sarcoidosis is a systemic inflammatory disease of unknown etiology, pathologically characterized by non-caseating granulomas involving several organs and tissues. This pathological process can eventually affect the heart during his course leading to fibrosis associated with systolic dysfunction, conduction disturbance, and even sudden cardiac death. Due to this prognostic impact, diagnosis is crucial to optimize clinical management. Read More

Cardiovasc Diagn Ther 2020 Apr;10(2):279-288

Instituto Nacional de Saúde, Maputo, Mozambique.

Endomyocardial fibrosis (EMF) is a poverty-related disease of unknown origin that afflicts predominantly young people of certain rural areas in low-income countries and can be used to expose global disparities in cardiovascular research. Despite affecting predominantly young people and causing high morbidity and mortality, efforts to understand its mechanisms and natural history have been hampered by the incapacity to detect the early stages of the disease in endemic areas. Dietary, environmental and infectious factors seem to combine in susceptible individuals to give rise to an inflammatory process that leads to endomyocardial damage and scar formation. Read More

Cardiovasc Diagn Ther 2020 Apr;10(2):208-222

Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, China.

Background: Endomyocardial fibrosis (EMF) is a neglected cardiovascular disease of poverty which carries a poor prognosis with no specific treatment affecting mainly children and young adults. Here, we report our 10-year experience in the therapeutic management and surgical treatment for EMF.

Methods: From February 2009 to 2019 March, 55 patients diagnosed with EMF from our cardiology unit underwent surgical repair at our department's pediatric surgical division. Read More

Can J Cardiol 2020 May 13. Epub 2020 May 13.

Service of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Department, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland; University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland.

We describe a case of tropical right ventricular (RV) endomyocardial fibrosis. By CMR, a typical pattern of RV dilatation with apical obliteration was found, and late gadolinium enhancement of the obliterated part was present, confirming fibrosis. By T1-mapping, myocardial extracellular volume was elevated suggesting associated intramyocardial interstitial fibrosis and highlighting the importance of tissue characterisation to diagnose this condition. Read More

J Vet Cardiol 2020 Apr 3;28:55-61. Epub 2020 Apr 3.

Division of Clinical Veterinary Sciences, The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.

A left ventricular accessory chamber is a complex and uncommon phenotype consisting in a subdivision of the left ventricle by a thick-walled muscle bundle or septum into two cavities. Multiple aetiologies such as congenital double-chambered left ventricle and acquired endomyocardial form of restrictive cardiomyopathy have been reported. The endomyocardial form of restrictive cardiomyopathy, owing to its structural heterogeneity, can present a similar phenotype to the congenital abnormality with intraventricular lesions bridging the ventricular septum and left ventricular free wall. Read More

Adv Clin Exp Med 2020 Mar;29(3):285-293

Department of Cardiac and Vascular Diseases, John Paul II Hospital, Kraków, Poland.

Background: Left ventricular reverse remodeling (LVRR) determines clinical status and outcomes in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). The extent of myocardial fibrosis is connected to the systolic function of the heart. The recent discovery of the contribution of microRNAs (miRs) to the regulation of cardiac remodeling, LVRR and fibrosis warrants exploration. Read More

ESC Heart Fail 2020 Jun 18;7(3):938-941. 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

Eur J Prev Cardiol 2020 Mar 3:2047487320909670. Epub 2020 Mar 3.

Department of Cardiology, Campus Virchow (CVK), Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany.

Myocarditis is an important cause of arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death (SCD) in both physically active individuals and athletes. Elite athletes seem to have an increased risk for viral infection and subsequent myocarditis due to increased exposure to pathogens (worldwide traveling/international competition) or impaired immune system (continuing training during infections/resuming training early thereafter, strenuous exercise training or competition, and exercising in extreme weather conditions). Initial clinical presentation is variable, but athletes characteristically express non-specific symptoms of fatigue, muscle soreness, increased heart rate at rest, as well as during exercise and reduced overall exercise capacity. Read More

Eur Heart J 2020 Mar;41(12):1298-1306

Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Hatter Institute for Cardiovascular Research in Africa, University of Cape Town, 3 Anzio road, Observatory 7925, Cape Town, South Africa.

The principle of 'sick individuals vs. sick population', a concept pioneered by Geoffrey Rose 35 years ago, is particularly applicable to heart failure (HF). This perspective article summarizes and expands on the Geoffrey Rose lecture given at the European Society of Cardiology meeting held in conjunction with the World Congress of Cardiology, in Paris, 2019. Read More

PLoS One 2020 24;15(2):e0229158. Epub 2020 Feb 24.

Centro de Bioingeniería, Grupo de Dinámica Cardiovascular, Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Medellín, Colombia.

Cardiac functions can be altered by changes in the microstructure of the heart, i.e., remodeling of the cardiac tissue, which may activate pathologies such as hypertrophy, dilation, or cardiac fibrosis. Read More

Eur Heart J 2020 May;41(20):1903-1914

Clinic of Cardiology and Pneumology, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37099 Göttingen, Germany.

Aims : Myocardial fibrosis (MF) might represent a key player in pathophysiology of heart failure in aortic stenosis (AS). We aimed to assess its impact on left ventricular (LV) remodelling, recovery, and mortality after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in different AS subtypes.

Methods And Results : One hundred patients with severe AS were prospectively characterized clinically and echocardiographically at baseline (BL), 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years following TAVI. Read More

Echocardiography 2020 Mar 11;37(3):456-461. Epub 2020 Feb 11.

Department of Cardiology, Mehmet Akif Ersoy Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.

Endomyocardial fibrosis (EMF) is a globally unattended disease with significant rates of morbidity and mortality. It has a higher prevalence in tropical and subtropical countries compared to the rest of the world. Endomyocardial fibrosis can affect the atrioventricular valves, along with all four chambers of the heart, but spares the myocardium. Read More

J Cardiol Cases 2020 Feb 7;21(2):54-58. Epub 2019 Oct 7.

Institute for Biotechnology, Asahi University School of Dentistry, Mizuho, Japan.

We encountered an unfamiliar finding during electron microscopic examination of an endomyocardial biopsy obtained from a 55-year-old woman suffering from heart failure due to dilated phase hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Many cardiomyocytes contained large vacuoles that were mainly empty except for small amounts of amorphous substrate. These were not autophagic vacuoles, as they lacked limiting membranes. Read More

Radiographics 2020 Mar-Apr;40(2):336-353. Epub 2020 Jan 31.

From Diagnósticos da America (DASA), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (F.P.d.C., C.F.A.); Americas Serviços Médicos, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (F.P.d.C.); and Division of Cardiology, Duke University Medical Center, Duke Medical Pavilion, 10 Medicine Circle, Room 1E63, DUMC 3934, Durham, NC 27710 (C.F.A.).

Endomyocardial fibrosis (EMF) affects approximately 12 million persons worldwide and is an important cause of restrictive cardiomyopathy in the developing world, with the highest prevalence reported in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and South America. EMF is characterized by apical filling with fibrotic tissue of one or both ventricles, often associated with thrombus, calcification, and atrioventricular valve regurgitation, leading to typical symptoms of restrictive heart failure. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is the first-line modality for assessment of EMF, basically owing to its widespread availability. Read More

J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2020 Mar 3;31(3):692-701. Epub 2020 Feb 3.

Department of Cardiac Electrophysiology and Arrhythmology, IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital and Vita-Salute University, Milan, Italy.

Introduction: No studies so far addressed the role of invasive programmed ventricular stimulation (PVS) in myocarditis patient's arrhythmic risk stratification.

Methods And Results: We present a single-center prospective study on 96 consecutive adult patients (44 ± 13 years, 70.1% males) with myocarditis and ventricular arrhythmias (VA) at index hospitalization. Read More

Rheumatology (Oxford) 2020 Jan 28. Epub 2020 Jan 28.

Rheumathology Division, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli - IRCCS, Rome, Italy.

Objective: To outline the clinical, histological and prognostic features of systemic sclerosis (SSc) endomyocardial biopsy-proven myocarditis with respect to those of diverse endomyocardial biopsy-proven virus-negative myocarditis (VNM).

Methods: We retrospectively analysed data from three cohorts of endomyocardial biopsy-proven myocarditis: SSc-related VNM (SSc-VNM); isolated VNM (i-VNM); and VNM related to other systemic autoimmune diseases (a-VNM). The degree of myocardial fibrosis was expressed as relative percentage and fibrotic score (0-3). Read More

ESC Heart Fail 2020 Apr 23;7(2):493-502. Epub 2020 Jan 23.

Department of Internal Medicine, Asahi University School of Dentistry, 1851 Hozumi, Mizuho, 501-0296, Japan.

Aims: Although distinct DNA methylation patterns have been reported, its localization and roles remain to be defined in heart failure. We investigated the cellular and subcellular localization of DNA methylation and its pathophysiological significance in human failing hearts.

Methods And Results: Using left ventricular (LV) endomyocardial biopsy specimens from 75 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM; age: 58 ± 14 years old, %female: 32%) and 20 patients without heart failure (controls; age: 56 ± 17 years old, %female: 45%), we performed immunohistochemistry and immunoelectron microscopy for methylated DNA, 5-methylcytosine (5-mC). Read More

Lupus 2020 Feb 10;29(2):199-204. Epub 2020 Jan 10.

Division of Rheumatology, Columbia University, New York, USA.

Background: Endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) is considered the gold standard for diagnosing myocardial involvement in most inflammatory conditions, including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, EMBs are rarely performed, and most of the myocardial histopathology reports in SLE consist of postmortem data. We therefore sought to describe the histopathologic findings of contemporary EMBs in SLE performed in clinical practice. Read More

BMC Cardiovasc Disord 2019 12 19;19(1):302. Epub 2019 Dec 19.

Department of Internal Medicine 3, University Hospital St. Poelten, Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, Dunantplatz 1, 3100, St. Poelten, Austria.

Background: Endomyocardial fibrosis (EMF) represents the most common cause of restrictive cardiomyopathy worldwide. Despite a high prevalence in tropical regions, it occasionally occurs in patients who have never visited these areas. While researches have proposed various possible triggers for EMF, etiology and pathogenesis remain largely unknown. Read More

BMC Cardiovasc Disord 2019 12 26;19(1):313. Epub 2019 Dec 26.

Department of Cardiology, Cangzhou Central Hospital, Cangzhou, 061000, Hebei, China.

Background: Endomyocardial fibrosis (EMF) is a rare condition and a major cause of death in tropical countries. The etiology of EMF remains elusive, and no specific treatment has been developed yet, therefore it carries poor prognosis.

Case Presentation: An 81-year-old male Chinese patient with a history of long-standing exertional breathlessness, presented with worsening symptoms rapidly evolving to orthopnea. Read More

Pediatr Transplant 2020 02 9;24(1):e13628. Epub 2019 Dec 9.

Heart Center, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, WA, USA.

Bortezomib is approved for the treatment of multiple myeloma but increasingly used in heart transplant (HTx) recipients with antibody-mediated rejection (AMR). Severe pulmonary toxicity is a rare complication in multiple myeloma patients treated with bortezomib, but has not been described in a solid organ transplant recipient. A 20-year-old man 7 years post-HTx presented with acute rejection with hemodynamic compromise. Read More

J Card Surg 2020 Feb 28;35(2):460-463. Epub 2019 Nov 28.

IRCCS-ISMETT Istituto Mediterraneo per i Trapianti e Terapie ad Alta Specializzazione, Palermo, Italy.

Aims: The case we report, shows a successful treatment of right ventricle endomyocardial fibrosis.

Materials And Methods: Surgical therapy by endocardial decortication seems to be beneficial for many patients with advanced disease who are in functional-therapeutic class III or IV. The operative mortality rate is high, but successful surgery has a clear benefit on symptoms and seems to favourably affect survival as well. Read More

Am J Clin Pathol 2020 02;153(3):294-302

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to review and illustrate the sometimes diagnostically challenging features of cardiac sarcoidosis. We emphasize variable phenotypes presented at explant and biopsy evaluation and review literature regarding ancillary clinical and pathologic studies to enhance diagnostic accuracy.

Methods: A literature review was performed and two cardiac sarcoidosis cases were illustrated. Read More

Int J Cardiol Heart Vasc 2020 Feb 14;26:100437. Epub 2019 Nov 14.

Department of Cardiology, National Defense Medical College, Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan.

Background: Oxidative posttranslational modifications (OPTM) impair the function of Sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum (SR) calcium (Ca) ATPase (SERCA) 2 and trigger cytosolic Ca dysregulation. We investigated the extent of OPTM of SERCA2 in patients with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM).

Methods And Results: Endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) was obtained in 40 consecutive patients with NICM. Read More

Curr Cardiol Rep 2019 11 22;21(11):148. Epub 2019 Nov 22.

Imperial College London, London, UK.

Purpose Of Review: This review aims at highlighting the need to better understand the pathogenesis and natural history of endomyocardial fibrosis when set against its changing endemicity and disease burden, improvements in diagnosis, and new options for clinical management.

Recent Findings: Progress in imaging diagnostic techniques and availability of new targets for drug and surgical treatment of heart failure are contributing to earlier diagnosis and may lead to improvement in patient survival. Endomyocardial fibrosis was first described in Uganda by Davies more than 70 years ago (1948). Read More

Egypt Heart J 2019 Nov 19;71(1):24. Epub 2019 Nov 19.

Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt.

Background: Endomyocardial fibrosis (EMF) is a form of restrictive cardiomyopathy that is diagnosed mainly in children and young adults and is geographically found in Africa, Latin America, and Asia. It is a condition with high morbidity and mortality, unknown etiology, and no definitive treatment. Although its main clinical presentation is congestive heart failure with or without related supraventricular arrhythmia like atrial fibrillation, it very rarely presents with ventricular arrhythmias and tachycardias (VA, VT). Read More

Int J Cardiovasc Imaging 2020 Mar 13;36(3):533-542. Epub 2019 Nov 13.

Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland.

In search of a non-invasive alternative detection of early-stage cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV), in this preliminary study we tested the hypothesis that interstitial fibrosis quantified with cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) can serve as a biomarker for the detection of CAV. Late-stage CAV was detected with routine X-ray coronary angiography (XRCA), while a coronary intima-media thickness ratio (IMTR) > 1 on optical coherence tomography (OCT) was used to detect early-stage CAV. Interstitial fibrosis was quantified in the endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) and indirectly with CMR as the T relaxation time and extracellular volume (ECV). Read More

Exp Ther Med 2019 Oct 16;18(4):3172-3176. Epub 2019 Aug 16.

Department of Cardiac Surgery, The Second Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730030, P.R. China.

MicroRNA-663 (miRNA-663) regulates the expression of transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1), which participates in the pathogenesis of myocardial fibrosis. Therefore, microRNA-663 may also serve a role in myocardial fibrosis. The present study aimed to determine whether miRNA-663 participates in myocardial fibrosis via interaction with TGF-β1. Read More

Eur Heart J 2019 Dec;40(48):3951

Royal Free Hospital NHS Trust & University College London, UK.

JACC Cardiovasc Imaging 2020 May 18;13(5):1221-1234. Epub 2019 Sep 18.

Oxford Centre for Clinical Magnetic Resonance Research, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.

Myocardial fibrosis, either focal or diffuse, is a common feature of many cardiac diseases and is associated with a poor prognosis for major adverse cardiovascular events. Although histological analysis remains the gold standard for confirming the presence of myocardial fibrosis, endomyocardial biopsy is invasive, has sampling errors, and is not practical in the routine clinical setting. Cardiac imaging modalities offer noninvasive surrogate biomarkers not only for fibrosis but also for myocardial edema and infiltration to varying degrees, and have important roles in the diagnosis and management of cardiac diseases. Read More

Nature 2019 09 11;573(7774):430-433. Epub 2019 Sep 11.

Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.

Fibrosis is observed in nearly every form of myocardial disease. Upon injury, cardiac fibroblasts in the heart begin to remodel the myocardium by depositing excess extracellular matrix, resulting in increased stiffness and reduced compliance of the tissue. Excessive cardiac fibrosis is an important factor in the progression of various forms of cardiac disease and heart failure. Read More

Medicina (B Aires) 2019 ;79(4):284-286

Servicio de Salud Mental, Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas Alfredo Lanari, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Endomyocardial fibrosis is a restrictive cardiomyopathy with high morbidity and mortality rates, prevalent in the sub-Saharan Africa region but infrequent in our population. It has a close relation with blood hypereosinophilia. Hypoxic hepatitis is frequently observed in intensive care units and its diagnosis is clinical. Read More

Heart Rhythm 2020 Feb 28;17(2):230-237. Epub 2019 Aug 28.

Dipartimento di Scienze Cardiovascolari e Toraciche, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy; Istituto di Cardiologia, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore Rome, Rome, Italy.

Background: Ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) are the most common cause of death in athletes. The differences in the electroanatomic substrate in athletes and nonathletes with complex VA are unknown.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the electroanatomic substrate of complex VA in athletes vs nonathletes. Read More

Heart Fail Rev 2019 Aug 14. Epub 2019 Aug 14.

Federal University of Bahia, UFBA, Salvador, Brazil.

Endomyocardial fibrosis (EMF) is a neglected idiopathic disorder, predominant in tropical and subtropical regions of the developing world. It is characterized by fibrotic thickening of the endocardium and myocardium of one or both ventricles. EMF was an important cause of heart failure which accounted for up to 20% of the cases in endemic areas of Africa (rural community in Mozambique), but during the last few years, incidents of the disease have decreased considerably. Read More

PLoS One 2019 12;14(8):e0220837. Epub 2019 Aug 12.

Department of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.

Objectives: Is global longitudinal strain (GLS) a more accurate non-invasive measure of histological myocardial fibrosis than left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in a hypertensive rodent model.

Background: Hypertension results in left ventricular hypertrophy and cardiac dysfunction. Speckle-tracking echocardiography has emerged as a robust technique to evaluate cardiac function in humans compared with standard echocardiography. Read More

J Cardiopulm Rehabil Prev 2019 11;39(6):373-380

Clinical Unit of Cardiomyopathy, Heart Institute (InCor) (Drs Sayegh and Mady), Cardiovascular Rehabilitation and Exercise Physiology Unit, Heart Institute (InCor-HC-FMUSP) (Drs dos Santos, de Oliveira, and Alves and Messrs Rondon and de Souza), and Clinical Unit of Heart Failure, Heart Institute (InCor) (Dr Salemi), University of São Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Purpose: Endomyocardial fibrosis (EMF) is a restrictive cardiomyopathy associated with low functional capacity and high mortality rates. Exercise training has been proved to be a nonpharmacological treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the effects of exercise rehabilitation in EMF patients. Read More

Eur Heart J 2019 Oct;40(40):3364-3365

Department of Cardiology, Hospital General Universitario de Elche, Carrer Almazara, 11. 03203 Elche, Spain.

Ann Transl Med 2019 Jun;7(11):247

Department of Infectious Diseases, Hospital Infection Management, Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), including inhibitors of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4), programmed death-1 (PD-1) and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) have demonstrated prominent clinical benefits in a variety of cancers and have been rapidly applied to treat a variety of carcinomas such as melanoma, non-small-cell lung cancer, and head and neck cancer. Meanwhile, the occurrence of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) has been increasing. In this case, we report a 45-year-old man with metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma suffering from pulmonary fibrosis and myocarditis on the 4th day after receiving pembrolizumab treatment which belongs to anti-PD-1 drugs. Read More

J Gen Fam Med 2019 Jul 3;20(4):157-158. Epub 2019 Apr 3.

Department of Internal Medicine Saitama Citizens Medical Center Saitama Japan.

Endomyocardial fibrosis (EMF) is a rare restrictive cardiomyopathy in developed countries. The prognosis of EMF depends on severity of heart failure, and it is generally poor as there is no proven specific effective therapy. We have experienced a rare case of EMF in an elderly Japanese man. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2019 Jul;98(27):e16183

Department of Echocardiography, First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang.

Rationale: Apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (AHCM) is a rare form of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy which affects predominantly the apex of the left ventricle. Generally, left ventricular enlargement is not present in AHCM; additionally, endomyocardial fibrosis, and calcification are also rare.

Patient Concerns: A 61-year-old female (Case 1) and a 60-year-old female (Case 2) both presented with the symptoms of atypical chest pain, dyspnoea, exercise intolerance, palpitations. Read More

Heart Lung Circ 2019 Sep 10;28(9):1427-1435. Epub 2019 Jun 10.

Royal Darwin Hospital, Darwin, NT, Australia; Menzies School of Health Research, Darwin, NT, Australia. Electronic address:

The majority of global cardiovascular disease burden occurs in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) and indigenous populations. Although common diseases, such as ischaemic heart disease, cause significant burden, there are also neglected diseases. Forgotten by many, these diseases-including rheumatic heart disease, endomyocardial fibrosis and Chagas cardiomyopathy-continue to take a tremendous toll on a large proportion of the world's population. Read More

Int J Cardiol 2019 10 20;292:141-147. Epub 2019 Jun 20.

Department of Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Nephrologic, Anesthesiologic and Geriatric Sciences, La Sapienza University, Italy; Cellular and Molecular Cardiology Lab, IRCCS L. Spallanzani, Rome, Italy.

Background: Primary aldosteronism (PA) causes a cardiomyopathy (CM) which substrate and evolution after aldosterone normalization are unreported.

Methods: Four male patients with aldosterone-secreting adrenal adenoma and cardiomyopathy (PACM, group A) were evaluated with 2D-echo, Magnetic Resonance (CMR), coronary angiography and left ventricular endomyocardial biopsy. Biopsy samples were processed for histology, electron microscopy, immunohistochemistry, and Western Blot analysis of myocardial aldosterone receptors and aquaporin 1 and 4. Read More