Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Stroke 2020 Apr 4;51(4):1100-1106. Epub 2020 Mar 4.

Departments of Medicine and Pathology, University of Vermont Medical Center, Burlington (M.C.).

Background and Purpose- In previous studies, isolated nonspecific ST-segment and T-wave abnormalities (NSSTTAs), a common finding on ECGs, were associated with greater risk for incident coronary artery disease. Their association with incident stroke remains unclear. Methods- The REGARDS (Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke) study is a population-based, longitudinal study of 30 239 white and black adults enrolled from 2003 to 2007 in the United States. Read More

Clin Case Rep 2020 Jan 9;8(1):211-212. Epub 2019 Dec 9.

Department of Cardiovascular Surgery Hamamatsu Rosai Hospital Hamamatsu Japan.

We experienced a very rare case of isolated single coronary artery, in which the left main coronary artery passes between the aorta and pulmonary artery. It is the most potentially serious among the coronary artery anomalies, because it has the risk of myocardial infarction and sudden death in young ages. Read More

Curr Med Imaging Rev 2019 ;15(4):427-429

Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ondokuz Mayis University, Samsun, Turkey.

Background: Hypoplastic coronary artery disease is a rare congenital coronary artery anomaly. It is often detected incidentally, and its true incidence in the general population is not known.

Discussion: Symptoms of HCAD are syncope, palpitations, dyspnea, and chest pain. Read More

Eur Heart J Case Rep 2019 Dec 8;3(4):1-4. Epub 2019 Oct 8.

Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Surgery, Pediatric Heart Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Steinwiesstrasse 75, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland.

Background: Anomalous left coronary artery from pulmonary artery (ALCAPA) is a rare coronary abnormality. Although it exists usually as an isolated abnormality, ALCAPA has been described with aortic pathologies like coarctation or aortopulmonary window.

Case Summary: An 18-day-old female was admitted to the paediatric intensive care unit because of a heart murmur and weak femoral pulses. Read More

Anatol J Cardiol 2019 Nov;22(6):5013

Department of Cardiology, Medical Sciences University, Bağcılar Training and Research Hospital; İstanbul-Turkey.

Eur Heart J Case Rep 2019 Sep 11;3(3):ytz104. Epub 2019 Jul 11.

Department of Cardiology, St. Mary's Hospital, 56 Franklin Street, Waterbury, CT, USA.

Background: Cardiac myxomas are the most common benign primary tumour of the heart. Clinical presentation is variable and ranges from constitutional symptoms to clinical features due to intracardiac obstruction, such as mitral stenosis, coronary embolization, or systemic embolization. Surgical resection is the only effective treatment to prevent its debilitating and catastrophic complication. Read More

J Card Surg 2019 Nov 19;34(11):1356-1358. Epub 2019 Sep 19.

Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.

Background: While anatomical variations in the cardiac circulation are quite commonly encountered, isolated congenital coronary artery anomalies are rare. These conditions are only reported in 1% of patients who underwent coronary angiogram and 0.3% of patients at autopsy. Read More

J Clin Imaging Sci 2019 14;9:29. Epub 2019 Jun 14.

Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.

Objective: Partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection (PAPVC) is one of the rare congenital cardiac diseases with a prevalence of 0.4-0.7% of autopsies. Read More

Eur Heart J Case Rep 2019 Jun;3(2)

MacNeal Hospital, 3231 S. Euclid Ave, Suite 203, Berwyn, IL, USA.

Background: A painless presentation of aortic dissection is rare in about 5% of cases. A few case reports discussed about involvement of coronary arteries causing bradycardia. In our case, we are presenting a rare presentation of aortic dissection with initial presentation as bradycardia without involvement of coronary arteries and without cardiac symptoms. Read More

Pediatr Radiol 2019 12 22;49(13):1823-1839. Epub 2019 Aug 22.

Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery Department, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.

Computed tomography (CT) has a well-established diagnostic role in the assessment of coronary arteries in adults. However, its application in a pediatric setting is still limited and often impaired by several technical issues, such as high heart rates, poor patient cooperation, and radiation dose exposure. Nonetheless, CT is becoming crucial in the noninvasive approach of children affected by coronary abnormalities and congenital heart disease. Read More

Rev Med Liege 2019 Jul;74(7-8):378-381

Service de Cardiologie, CHU Liège, Belgique..

The quadricuspid aortic valve is a rare congenital anomaly that could be silent for a long time. It is mostly isolated but it may also be associated with other malformations, especially anomalies of the coronary artery insertion. It can lead to aortic regurgitation with several degrees of severity, and it should be diagnosed as soon as possible to avoid left ventricular dysfunction and its morbi-mortality. Read More

Nutrients 2019 Jul 25;11(8). Epub 2019 Jul 25.

Department of Molecular Biology, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología "Ignacio Chávez", 14080 Mexico City, Mexico.

(1) Background: the composition of high-density lipoproteins (HDL) becomes altered during the postprandial state, probably affecting their functionality vis-à-vis the endothelium. Since acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in women is frequently associated with endothelial dysfunction, it is likely that HDL are unable to improve artery vasodilation in these patients. Therefore, we characterized HDL from women with ACS in fasting and postprandial conditions. Read More

World J Pediatr Congenit Heart Surg 2019 07;10(4):515-517

1 Division of Cardiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.

Anatomic single coronary arteries are quite rare but can be a potential cause of sudden cardiac death. We present the first case of a pediatric patient with an anatomic single right coronary artery (Lipton type R1 or Shirani-Roberts type IIA), of a type which has been associated with adult-onset ischemic cardiac disease. We review the evaluation and management of this young patient. Read More

Curr Pharm Biotechnol 2019 ;20(10):825-844

Laboratory of Hygiene and Environmental Protection, Department of Medicine, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, 68100, Greece.

Background: Cardiovascular Diseases (CVD) are, currently, the major contributor to global mortality and will continue to dominate mortality rates in the future. Hyperlipidemia refers to the elevated levels of lipids and cholesterol in the blood, and is also identified as dyslipidemia, manifesting in the form of different disorders of lipoprotein metabolism. These abnormalities may lead to the development of atherosclerosis, which can lead to coronary artery disease and stroke. Read More

Echocardiography 2019 07 19;36(7):1421-1422. Epub 2019 Jun 19.

Jaipur Heart Institute, Jaipur, India.

Raghib syndrome is a rare developmental complex consisting of termination of the left superior vena cava in the left atrium, absence of the coronary sinus, and an atrial septal defect commonly located at the posterior-inferior angle of the atrial septum. This complex was considered unique to Raghib syndrome; however, cases with a normal atrial septum have been reported where the orifice of the unroofed coronary sinus functions as the inter-atrial communication. Our patient demonstrated an isolated persistent left superior vena cava draining into the left atrium through unroofed coronary sinus and presence of ostium primum atrial septal defect. Read More

Oman Med J 2019 May;34(3):257-261

Takahashi Clinic, Osaka, Japan.

Isolated septal myocardial infarction is an uncommon condition with diagnostic difficulty due to small infarction size and anatomical variations. We report a case of isolated septal myocardial infarction, in which the diagnosis was confirmed not by electrocardiographic, echocardiographic, or angiographic findings, but by nuclear imaging. A 46-year-old man with chest discomfort exhibited ST-segment elevations in leads V and V, and borderline abnormalities of the septal wall motion on echocardiography. Read More

Sci Rep 2019 05 20;9(1):7623. Epub 2019 May 20.

Cardiovascular Center, Department of Medicine, Med College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a leading cause of death worldwide and frequently associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. Detailed understanding of abnormalities in mitochondrial function that occur in patients with CAD is lacking. We evaluated mitochondrial damage, energy production, and mitochondrial complex activity in human non-CAD and CAD hearts. Read More

Echocardiography 2019 05 19;36(5):1009-1013. Epub 2019 Apr 19.

Department of Sonography, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China.

Coronary artery fistula (CAF) is a rare malformation and is seldom reported during pregnancy. Right coronary artery fistula commonly drains into the right ventricle, right atrium, or pulmonary artery. We describe here a rare case of fetal CAF draining into the left ventricle using cross-sectional and color Doppler echocardiography. Read More

Am J Cardiol 2019 06 9;123(11):1812-1815. Epub 2019 Mar 9.

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

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is an important cause of myocardial infarction and sudden cardiac death, particularly in young to middle-aged women. Coronary vasospasm is another condition believed to be associated with SCAD; however, this has only been shown in isolated case reports to date. We sought to examine the association of SCAD and coronary vasospasm by reporting the experience of coronary vasospasm testing in patients with a history of previous SCAD in a large, tertiary referral center. Read More

J Echocardiogr 2019 09 23;17(3):123-128. Epub 2019 Mar 23.

Department of Cardiology, School of Medicine, Keio University, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan.

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TC) is characterized by transient wall motion abnormalities most commonly involving the left ventricle (LV). Although biventricular TC had been considered uncommon condition, recently biventricular TC has been reported as a new variant observed in 19-42% of all TC presentations. Since biventricular TC has a poor prognosis as compared with isolated TC, it is important to distinguish between isolated LV TC and biventricular TC. Read More

J Vasc Surg 2019 10 2;70(4):1065-1071. Epub 2019 Mar 2.

Department of Cardiology, Vascular Center, Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Coronary Heart Disease Prevention, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China. Electronic address:

Objective: The objective of this study was to report our single-center experience of thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) and concomitant procedures in patients with type B aortic dissection (TBAD) with an isolated left vertebral artery (ILVA) and the early to midterm outcomes in these patients.

Methods: Between March 2011 and June 2018, there were 31 patients (27 men; median age, 55 years; range, 31-66 years) with TBAD and an ILVA who received TEVAR and concomitant procedures in our center. Demographics, coexisting medical conditions, imaging features, operation details, and follow-up outcomes in these patients were retrospectively collected and analyzed. Read More

Catheter Cardiovasc Interv 2019 02 26;93(3):445-447. Epub 2018 Dec 26.

Department of Cardiology, Texas Heart Institute, Houston, Texas.

A 52-year-old man was referred for an anomalous right coronary artery (RCA) originating from the left sinus of Valsalva with an intramural course (R-ACAOS-IM), accompanied by progressive angina and dyspnea. He had been initially advised to have surgical treatment. Computerized axial tomographic angiography showed he had an ectopic origin from the left sinus of a small RCA, with a course between the aorta and pulmonary artery. Read More

Am J Case Rep 2018 Nov 28;19:1416-1421. Epub 2018 Nov 28.

Department of Medical, Oral and Biotechnological Sciences, University 'G. d'Annunzio' of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.

BACKGROUND We present a report of a rare cardiac malformation case as well as a review of the literature. In addition, the diagnostic features are discussed. CASE REPORT The case of a female newborn who died on her third day of life was studied at the Institute of Legal Medicine, University of Chieti-Pescara (Italy). Read More

Heart 2019 05 27;105(9):701-707. Epub 2018 Oct 27.

Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.

Objective: Variations in coronary anatomy, like absent left main stem and left dominant coronary system, have been described in patients with Turner syndrome (TS) and in patients with bicuspid aortic valves (BAV). It is unknown whether coronary variations in TS are related to BAV and to specific BAV subtypes.

Aim: To compare coronary anatomy in patients with TS with/without BAV versus isolated BAV and to study BAV morphology subtypes in these groups. Read More

Circ Cardiovasc Interv 2018 09;11(9):e006772

Department of Cardiovascular Medicine (T.M.W., M.S.T, S.N.H., M.F.E., M.R.B., A.L., M.S., P.J.M.B., C.S.R.), Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.

Background: Risks and mechanisms of extension of conservatively managed spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) remain incompletely understood. Study objectives were to (1) evaluate mechanisms of early SCAD evolution through serial angiographic analysis, and (2) determine predictors of early SCAD progression.

Methods And Results: Retrospective registry study of patients with SCAD managed with an initial conservative strategy (n=240). Read More

Ann Thorac Surg 2019 03 9;107(3):823-828. Epub 2018 Oct 9.

Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio.

Background: Anomalous aortic origin of the coronary arteries (AAOCA) is associated with sudden cardiac death and frequently treated with unroofing of an intramural segment. Most reports on AAOCA are of patients less than 30 years of age. We have reviewed our "older" patients who have undergone surgical repair and report a novel unroofing technique. Read More

Arch Iran Med 2018 09 1;21(9):393-398. Epub 2018 Sep 1.

Tehran Heart Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Background: Coronary artery ectasia (CAE) is identified as dilation of one or more segments of coronary arteries that reaches 1.5 times or more, compared with near segments that are normal. Several etiologies like atherosclerosis, autoimmune diseases and congenital anomalies have been proposed for this condition. Read More

Heart Lung Circ 2019 Aug 18;28(8):1277-1282. Epub 2018 Jul 18.

Department of Cardiac Surgery, Wuhan Asia Heart Hospital, Wuhan, 430022, PR China; Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, PR China. Electronic address:

Background: Minimally invasive cardiac surgery has become a safe and cosmetic alternative to standard median sternotomy. This retrospective study reviews our results and experience with the minimally invasive approach for congenital coronary artery fistula correction, compared with conventional approach.

Methods: From February 2001 to June 2016, 110 patients with isolated coronary artery fistula (CAF) in our centre underwent correction through minimally invasive approach (MIA) (n=65) or standard median sternotomy (SMS) (n=45). Read More

J Cardiothorac Surg 2018 Jun 28;13(1):81. Epub 2018 Jun 28.

Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital affiliated to Shandong University, No.324 Jingwu Road, Shandong, 250021, People's Republic of China.

Background: Aorto-left ventricular tunnel (ALVT) is a rare congenital extracardiac channel that connects the ascending aorta to the left ventricle. To our knowledge, no case has been thus far reported as ALVT with both anomalous origin of right coronary artery (AORCA) and bicuspid aortic valve (BAV).

Case Presentation: We reported a case of a 5-year-old female diagnosed as ALVT with accompanying AORCA and BAV which had been previously misdiagnosed as aortic regurgitation (AR) triggered by BAV. Read More

High Blood Press Cardiovasc Prev 2018 Sep 26;25(3):245-252. Epub 2018 Jun 26.

Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.

An adequate cardiovascular (CV) prevention strategy in women should consider the acknowledgement of sex-specific risk factors, such as hypertension in pregnancy, the concomitant presence of autoimmune diseases and the benefit of evaluating subclinical organ damage and treating hypertension. In accordance to current guidelines, the diagnostic approach does not differ between men and women, although the cardiac response to pressure overload may suggest greater sensitivity in women, and may vary according to age, ethnic background and obesity, that potentiates the effect of hypertension on left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy. Several studies have observed peculiar abnormalities in LV systolic and diastolic function according to gender. Read More

Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann 2018 Jul 3;26(6):476-478. Epub 2018 Jun 3.

Miller Children's and Women's Hospital, Memorial Heart and Vascular Institute, Long Beach, CA, USA.

The presence of an isolated left subclavian artery arising from the pulmonary artery in a patient with d-transposition of the great arteries is exceedingly rare. Prior to undertaking repair of this congenital cardiac anomaly, identification of an isolated left subclavian artery originating from the pulmonary artery is imperative in order to plan the appropriate intervention to prevent the development of subclavian artery steal or vertebrobasilar insufficiency. We describe the case of a 5 day-old girl in whom an isolated left subclavian artery arising from the pulmonary artery was detected after surgical entry for repair of transposition of the great arteries. Read More

Echocardiography 2018 07 11;35(7):1056-1059. Epub 2018 May 11.

Cardiology Department, Heraklion University Hospital, Crete, Greece.

Anomalous origin of the left coronary artery arising from the pulmonary artery (ALCAPA or Bland-White-Garland syndrome) is a rare but serious congenital coronary artery anomaly, with a poor prognosis without surgical repair. There are two types of ALCAPA syndrome: infant type and adult type. We present a rare case of a 63-year-old female patient, with isolated left anterior descending artery origin from the pulmonary artery. Read More

Cardiol Ther 2018 Jun 6;7(1):119-123. Epub 2018 Feb 6.

Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA.

Introduction: Single coronary artery is a rare anomaly, which is usually associated with other cardiac congenital abnormalities.

Case Report: A 56-year-old female presented with unstable angina. The patient reported complaints of typical chest pain on exertion few months prior to presentation, which progressed to become at rest. Read More

Arch Argent Pediatr 2018 Feb;116(1):e102-e105

Kanuni Sultan Suleyman Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.

Isolated anomalous origin of the right coronary artery from the main pulmonary artery is a rare congenital anomaly, and few cases have been reported in the pediatric age group. Here in, we report an asymptomatic case of a 2-month-old male infant who has been diagnosed as anomalous origin of the right coronary artery from the main pulmonary artery during the evaluation for cardiac abnormalities. For a suspicion on echocardiography, cardiac catheterization and coronary angiography performed to verify the diagnosis of anomalous origin of the right coronary artery from the main pulmonary artery. Read More

Am J Cardiol 2018 02 28;121(4):513-519. Epub 2017 Nov 28.

Department of Cardiology, Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.

With the advent of 3-dimensional echocardiography, visualization of the mitral valve has greatly improved. Recently, there has been an increase in reporting of a distinct entity called the "trileaflet mitral valve" using 3-dimensional echocardiography. It is controversial whether this is a new entity or an improved visualization of isolated mitral valve clefts or trifoliate left atrioventricular valve in the setting of an atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD) with intact septum. Read More

Int J Cardiol 2018 Feb 14;252:150-155. Epub 2017 Nov 14.

Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310009, China; Provincial Key Lab of Cardiovascular Research, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310009, China. Electronic address:

Background: Bicuspid Aortic Valve (BAV) is the most common congenital heart disease, affecting >1% of the general population. Up to date, three genes, NOTCH1, GATA5 and SMAD6, have been linked to the isolated form of BAV. However, potential genetic determinants remain largely unknown in most BAV patients. Read More

Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2018 01 7;495(1):292-299. Epub 2017 Nov 7.

Department of Cardiology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China. Electronic address:

Background: Cardiomyocyte autophagy and apoptosis are crucial events underlying the development of cardiac abnormalities and dysfunction after myocardial infarction (MI). A better understanding of the cell signaling pathways involved in cardiac remodeling may support the development of new therapeutic strategies for the treatment of heart failure (HF) after MI.

Methods: A cardiac MI injury model was constructed by ligating the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery. Read More

PLoS Genet 2017 Oct 30;13(10):e1007068. Epub 2017 Oct 30.

Division of Evolution and Genome Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine, and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom.

The coronary vasculature is an essential vessel network providing the blood supply to the heart. Disruptions in coronary blood flow contribute to cardiac disease, a major cause of premature death worldwide. The generation of treatments for cardiovascular disease will be aided by a deeper understanding of the developmental processes that underpin coronary vessel formation. Read More

Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Imaging 2018 04;19(4):459-460n

Department of Cardiology, Heart Valve Clinic, CHU Sart Tilman, University of Liège Hospital, GIGA Cardiovascular Sciences, Liège, Belgium.

Aims: To develop a document by Brazilian Cardiovascular Imaging Department (DIC) and the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI) to review and summarize the most recent evidences about the non-invasive assessment of patients with Chagas disease, with the intent to set up a framework for standardized cardiovascular imaging to assess cardiovascular morphologic and functional disturbances, as well as to guide the subsequent process of clinical decision-making.

Methods And Results: Chagas disease remains one of the most prevalent infectious diseases in Latin America, and has become a health problem in non-endemic countries. Dilated cardiomyopathy is the most severe manifestation of Chagas disease, which causes substantial disability and early mortality in the socially most productive population leading to a significant economical burden. Read More

Circ Res 2017 Sep;121(7):855-873

From the Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY (T.M.L., W.K.C., L.J.A.); Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, The Children's Hospital at Montefiore, Bronx, NY (D.T.H., J.M.L.); Department of Pediatrics, Stollery Children's Hospital, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada (P.K.); Department of Pediatrics, The Heart Institute, Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, Memphis, TN (J.A.T.); Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis (S.M.W.); Department of Cardiology, Boston Children's Hospital, MA (S.D.C.); Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, OH (J.L.J., E.M.M.); Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, PA (J.W.R.); Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO (C.D.C.); Department of Pediatrics, Primary Children's Hospital, Salt Lake City, UT (A.K.L.); Department of Pediatrics, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital, Chicago, IL (P.T.T.); and Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine and Children's Hospital of Michigan, Detroit (J.D.C., H.R., A.H., S.E.L.).

Pediatric cardiomyopathies are rare diseases with an annual incidence of 1.1 to 1.5 per 100 000. Read More

Case Rep Cardiol 2017 16;2017:3972830. Epub 2017 Jul 16.

Hospital N.S. Conceição, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.

Acute coronary syndrome with precordial ST segment elevation is usually related to left anterior descending artery occlusion, although isolated right ventricular infarction has been described as a cause of ST elevation in V1-V3 leads. We present a case of a patient with previous inferior wall infarction and new acute ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) due to proximal right coronary thrombotic occlusion resulting in right ventricular infarction with precordial ST elevation and sinus node dysfunction. The patient was treated with successful rescue angioplasty achieving resolution of acute symptoms and electrocardiographic abnormalities. Read More

Clin Interv Aging 2017 14;12:1123-1129. Epub 2017 Jul 14.

Department of Cardiac Surgery.

Background: Preoperative spirometry provides measurable information about the occurrence of respiratory disorders. The aim of this study was to assess the association between preoperative spirometry abnormalities and the intensification of early inflammatory responses in patients following coronary artery bypass graft in extracorporeal circulation.

Material And Methods: The study involved 810 patients (625 men and 185 women) aged 65. Read More

Heart 2018 03 27;104(5):385-393. Epub 2017 Jul 27.

Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.

Objective: In patients with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV), coronary anatomy is variable. High take-off coronary arteries have been described, but data are scarce, especially when associated with complex congenital heart disease (CHD). The purpose of this study was to describe coronary patterns in these patients. Read More

Pediatr Cardiol 2017 Oct 15;38(7):1370-1376. Epub 2017 Jul 15.

Paediatric Cardiology, A.O.R.N. "Ospedali dei Colli", 2nd University of Naples, Naples, Italy.

Significant and balanced PA growth following arterial duct (AD) stenting has already been consistently reported in literature. However, to date, no data are available about the role of this approach as palliation of congenital heart disease with a duct-dependent discontinuous pulmonary artery (dPA). The aim of this study was to evaluate the fate of a dPA of ductal origin following trans-catheter AD stabilization. Read More

J Am Soc Echocardiogr 2017 Sep 23;30(9):896-903. Epub 2017 Jun 23.

Division of Pediatric Cardiology, University of Nebraska College of Medicine, Children's Hospital and Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska.

Background: Anomalous left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery (ALCAPA) is a rare condition that can be difficult to diagnose by echocardiography alone. The purpose of this study was to describe the clinical and echocardiographic presentation of ALCAPA, create a set of critical echocardiographic diagnostic criteria, and report outcomes.

Methods: A retrospective review was conducted of all patients diagnosed with isolated ALCAPA at two major cardiac centers between 1990 and 2015. Read More

Ann Thorac Surg 2017 Nov 23;104(5):1620-1628. Epub 2017 Jun 23.

Department of Cardiac Surgery, Polish Mother's Memorial Hospital, Łódź, Poland.

Background: Coronary anomalies are frequently present in children with transposition of the great arteries (TGA). Such anomalies significantly increase the complexity of arterial switch operations and may have an effect on postoperative outcomes. In this study, we aimed to assess the frequency of coronary anomalies in children with TGA and describe their effect on postoperative outcomes. Read More

Atherosclerosis 2017 Aug 15;263:127-136. Epub 2017 Jun 15.

Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy. Electronic address:

Background And Aims: The pathogenic events responsible for the reduction of endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) number and function seen in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) are poorly understood. Here we investigate the hypothesis that increased concentrations of urea associated with CRF increase ROS production directly in EPCs, causing abnormalities associated with coronary artery disease risk.

Methods: Human EPCs were isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of healthy donors and cultured in the presence or absence of 20 mmol/L urea. Read More