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Cardiovasc Pathol 2018 Dec 7;39:30-37. Epub 2018 Dec 7.

School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland. Electronic address:

Background And Aim Of The Study: Calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD) is a progressive disease starting from mild valvular sclerosis and progressing to severe aortic stenosis (AS) with calcified valves. The origin of the calcification is proposed to be mesenchymal cells which have differentiated towards an osteoblastic phenotype. Podoplanin is a glycoprotein expressed in the endothelium of lymphatic vessels and in osteoblasts and osteocytes, mesenchymal cells, as well as in many carcinomas and aortic atherosclerotic lesions. Read More

Echocardiography 2019 Jan 6. Epub 2019 Jan 6.

Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, Bangalore, India.

Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APLS) is a rare disorder characterized by a hypercoagulable state. Manifestations include arterial or venous thrombosis, recurrent fetal wastage, coronary artery disease, valvular heart disease, dilated cardiomyopathy, pulmonary artery hypertension, and intracardiac thrombus. Most commonly mitral valve is affected followed by aortic and then tricuspid valve. Read More

Indian Heart J 2018 Dec 19;70 Suppl 3:S68-S73. Epub 2018 May 19.

IGMC, Shimla, HP, India.

Objective: To report the prevalence, risk factors and consequences of atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients of rheumatic heart disease (RHD).

Methods: The Himachal Pradesh- Rheumatic Fever/Rheumatic Heart Disease (HP-RF/RHD) Registry database of 1918 patients was analyzed. AF was diagnosed with 12-lead ECG recording at entry in to the registry. Read More

Kyobu Geka 2018 Dec;71(13):1118-1121

Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Tokyo Metropolitan Hiroo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.

We experienced an explantation of Wada-Cutter prosthetic tilting disk valve of 47 years after implantation. The patient was 53 years old female who underwent the 1st operation for Ebstein's anomaly, which included tricuspid valve replacement (TVR), closure of atrial septal defect (ASD) and posterior annulorrhaphy when she was 6 years old. She was doing well after the 1st operation without symptom,but dyspnea and systemic edema worsened recently though increased admission of diuretics. Read More

J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2019 Jan 27;157(1):318-326.e1. Epub 2018 Sep 27.

Herma Heart Center, Division of Congenital Heart Surgery, Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wis.

Objectives: Because data for neonates are limited, optimal management of critical aortic stenosis remains controversial (balloon valvotomy [BV] or open valvoplasty [OV]). In a center with balanced experience in both methods, we hypothesized that OV can provide a better individualized approach than blunt BV and better serve long-term outcomes.

Methods: A retrospective review of data and follow-up (survival, freedom from operation/replacement) of all neonates, suitable for biventricular repair, undergoing aortic valve procedure (1989-2015), was performed. Read More

Rev Port Cardiol 2018 Dec 13;37(12):991-998. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Cardiology Department, Hospital de Santa Maria, CHLN, CCUL, Centro Académico de Medicina de Lisboa, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal.

Introduction: Valvular heart disease (VHD) is increasing worldwide, mostly because of aging. Percutaneous valve intervention is the preferred therapeutic option in high-risk patients.

Objective: To characterize the profiles of patients with VHD admitted to the cardiology ward at a tertiary referral center. Read More

J Crit Care 2018 Dec 8;50:201-206. Epub 2018 Dec 8.

Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States; Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States.

Background: The association of pulmonary hypertension (PH) in patients with sepsis is lesser understood.

Methods: This was a retrospective study of adult patients admitted to the intensive care unit during 2007-2014 for sepsis and septic shock, with echocardiography performed <72 h. PH was defined as tricuspid regurgitation peak velocity (TRV) > 3 m/s on Doppler echocardiography. Read More

JACC Cardiovasc Imaging 2018 Dec 6. Epub 2018 Dec 6.

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

Environ Int 2019 Jan 12;122:381-388. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, College of Public Health, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA.

Background: Natural gas drilling may pose multiple health risks, including congenital anomalies, through air pollutant emissions and contaminated water. Two recent studies have evaluated the relationship between natural gas activity and congenital anomalies, with both observing a positive relationship.

Objectives: We aimed to evaluate whether residence near natural gas wells is associated with critical congenital heart defects (CCHD), neural tube defects (NTD), and oral clefts in Oklahoma, the third highest natural gas producing state in the US. Read More

Neth Heart J 2018 Dec 13. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Department of Cardiology, Amsterdam University Medical Centre, location AMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Aim: To determine differences in surgical procedures and clinical characteristics at the time of surgery between native bicuspid aortic valves (BAV) and tricuspid aortic valves (TAV) in patients being followed up after aortic valve surgery (AVS).

Methods: In this retrospective cohort study in a non-academic hospital, we identified patients who had a surgeon's report of the number of native valve cusps and were still being followed up. We selected patients with BAV and TAV, and used multivariable regression analyses to identify associations between BAV-TAV and pre-specified clinical characteristics. Read More

Heart 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Lancashire Cardiac Centre, Blackpool, UK.

Objective: The objective of this multicentre study was to compare short-term and midterm outcomes between sternotomy and minimally invasive approaches for mitral valve surgery.

Methods: Data for all mitral valve procedures with or without concomitant tricuspid atrial fibrillation surgery were analysed from three UK hospitals between January 2008 and December 2016. To account for selection bias between minimally invasive approach and sternotomy, one-to-one propensity score calliper matching without replacement was performed. Read More

Pediatr Cardiol 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Division of Paediatric Cardiology, Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, 102, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China.

There is paucity of long-term data on adult survivors after biventricular repair of pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum (PAIVS) and pulmonary stenosis (PS). This study aimed to determine the cardiac and non-cardiac outcomes of adult survivors after biventricular repair of PAIVS and PS. The cardiac, neurodevelopmental and liver problems of 111 adults, 40 with PAIVS and 71 with PS, were reviewed. Read More

Rom J Morphol Embryol 2018 ;59(3):903-909

Department of Internal Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, Romania;

A 46-year-old female diagnosed several years ago with arterial hypertension and an ischemic stroke with significant recovery was admitted for dyspnea on usual physical activity and fatigue. Physical examination revealed signs of heart failure with crackles on both lung bases, distented jugular veins, accentuated pulmonic valve closure (P2) and tricuspid regurgitation murmur. Echocardiography identified a large tumor in the left atrium, suggestive of atrial myxoma, which caused a severe functional mitral stenosis and produced severe pulmonary hypertension. Read More

J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2018 Oct 3. Epub 2018 Oct 3.

Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

Objective: Carcinoid heart disease is characterized by tricuspid valve regurgitation and varying degrees of pulmonary valve regurgitation or stenosis. Valve replacement procedures may be complicated by systemic effects of carcinoid syndrome, as well as hepatic dysfunction and right heart failure. This study was performed to identify factors that might be associated with improving early mortality rates and late outcomes. Read More

J Vet Cardiol 2018 Dec 18;20(6):405-414. Epub 2018 Oct 18.

Department of Biostatistics and Clinical Epidemiology, Université Paris-Est, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire D'Alfort, 7 Avenue Du Général de Gaulle, 94704, Maisons-Alfort cedex, France.

Introduction: The objectives of this study were to characterize the epidemiological, clinical, and echocardiographic features of French bulldogs (FBs) with congenital pulmonic stenosis and document their survival times and risk factors for cardiac death (CD).

Animals: This study included 66 FBs with congenital pulmonic stenosis.

Methods: Prospective cohort study including a survival analysis to assess time to CD. Read More

Eur Radiol 2018 Nov 28. Epub 2018 Nov 28.

Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leicester and Cardiovascular Theme, NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre, Glenfield Hospital, Groby road, Leicester, LE3 9QP, UK.

Objectives: To compare aortic size and stiffness parameters on MRI between bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) and tricuspid aortic valve (TAV) patients with aortic stenosis (AS).

Methods: MRI was performed in 174 patients with asymptomatic moderate-severe AS (mean AVAI 0.57 ± 0. Read More

Catheter Cardiovasc Interv 2018 Nov 25. Epub 2018 Nov 25.

Department of Cardiology, Detroit Medical Center, Detroit, Michigan.

Objectives: To determine whether concomitant tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is associated with increased mortality in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) undergoing transcatheter aortic-valve implantation (TAVI), we performed a meta-analysis of currently available studies.

Methods: MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched through May 2018. We included comparative or cohort studies enrolling patients with AS undergoing TAVI and reporting early (in-hospital or 30-day) and late (including early) all-cause mortality in patients stratified by baseline TR grade. Read More

Catheter Cardiovasc Interv 2018 Nov 20. Epub 2018 Nov 20.

St Antonius Hospital, Nieuwegein, The Netherlands.

Objective: The aim of this study was to describe the early use of dedicated patient specific computer modeling in patients with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), in predicting procedure feasibility and patient related outcome.

Background: Dedicated patient specific computer modeling, used for optimizing TAVI procedures, is currently validated for the prediction of contact pressure, valve morphology and paravalvular leakage (PVL). The simulation of TAVI procedures is increasingly used in patients with tricuspid aortic valve stenosis. Read More

Heart Fail Clin 2019 Jan;15(1):77-85

Division of Cardiology, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street Blake 256, Boston, MA 02114, USA. Electronic address:

Valvular heart disease and heart failure remain important causes of cardiovascular disease among women in the United States. Mitral regurgitation, aortic stenosis, and tricuspid regurgitation are the most common valvular lesions among men and women. This review focuses on gender differences in the epidemiology, treatment, and outcomes of mitral regurgitation, aortic stenosis, and tricuspid regurgitation. Read More

Rev Bras Anestesiol 2018 Nov 13. Epub 2018 Nov 13.

Sichuan University, West China Hospital, Department of Anesthesiology, Chengdu, China. Electronic address:

We presented a 39-year-old female patient with life-threatening hypoxemia after tricuspid valve replacement because of Ebstein's anomaly. And the severe cyanosis is due to bioprosthetic valve stenosis and atrial septal defect. Anesthetic management of a patient with severe obstructive prosthetic valve dysfunction can be challenging. Read More

Echocardiography 2018 12 9;35(12):2113-2116. Epub 2018 Nov 9.

Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital, Cleveland, Ohio.

Cor Triatriatum Dexter (CTD) is a rare congenital anomaly involving the systemic venous valves. Failure of regression of the right-sided sinus venosus valve leads to abnormal septation of the right atrium and a variety of right atrial and tricuspid valve obstructive lesions. The presentation can be varied ranging from asymptomatic to persistent neonatal cyanosis. Read More

Catheter Cardiovasc Interv 2018 Nov 8. Epub 2018 Nov 8.

Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, St. Louis Children's Hospital, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri.

Transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement (TPVR) is now common practice in patients with significant pulmonary regurgitation (PR), stenosis (PS), or mixed pulmonary valve disease. While the Melody valve (Medtronic, Inc.) and its delivery system were specifically designed for use in the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT), Sapien valves (XT and S3, Edwards Lifesciences, Inc. Read More

Indian Heart J 2018 Sep - Oct;70(5):672-679. Epub 2017 Nov 7.

Osmania General Hospital, Hyderabad, Telangana 500012, India.

Background: The impact of successful percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty (PBMV) on left ventricular (LV) function has been a controversial subject. This study aimed to determine the immediate impact of PBMV on biventricular function using recent Tissue Velocity Imaging (TVI) derived load-independent indices.

Methods And Results: A total of 30 patients with severe mitral stenosis (MS) who underwent PBMV at a tertiary center of India from August 2012 to December 2013 were included in the study. Read More

Catheter Cardiovasc Interv 2018 Oct 31. Epub 2018 Oct 31.

Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.

We present a case of a 7-year-old boy with a history of multiple mitral valve interventions and subsequent Melody valve placement in the mitral position, who presented with acute mitral stenosis due to complete fracture of the Melody stent. He was born early with severe mitral and tricuspid insufficiency due to valvular dysplasia, and ended up with 4 sternotomies before the age of 2 due to mitral valve dysfunction and recurrent prosthetic valve thrombosis. He then developed mixed stenosis and regurgitation at age 6, and to avoid another sternotomy, valve-in-valve therapy with off-label use of a 20-mm Melody valve was done with hybrid procedure via trans-apical approach. Read More

EuroIntervention 2018 Dec 20;14(12):e1269-e1275. Epub 2018 Dec 20.

Interventional Cardiology Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.

Aims: The aim of this study was to assess the performance of a self-expanding valve in bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) stenosis.

Methods And Results: An international registry included a total of 712 patients with aortic stenosis treated with the ACURATE neo in bicuspid (n=54; 7.5%) or tricuspid (n=658; 92. Read More

Tex Heart Inst J 2018 08 1;45(4):275-276. Epub 2018 Aug 1.

Am J Med 2019 Jan 25;132(1):81-87. Epub 2018 Oct 25.

Department of Cardiology; Jesselson Integrated Heart Center, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel. Electronic address:

Purpose: We initiated this study to evaluate the prevalence and clinical significance of tricuspid regurgitation in patients with left ventricular dysfunction.

Methods: A single-center analysis of all echocardiographic studies between 2000 and 2013 was performed. Patients with ejection fraction <35% were included, and those with mechanical valves, mitral stenosis, or significant aortic valve pathology were excluded. Read More

Open Heart 2018 7;5(2):e000869. Epub 2018 Oct 7.

Institut Universitaire de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de Québec / Quebec Heart & Lung Institute, Laval University, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of left ventricle non-compaction (LVNC) criteria (or hypertrabeculation) in a cohort of patients with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) and healthy control subjects (CTL) without cardiovascular disease using cardiovascular MR (CMR).

Methods: 79 patients with BAV and 85 CTL with tricuspid aortic valve and free of known cardiovascular disease underwent CMR to evaluate the presence of LVNC criteria. The left ventricle was assessed at end-systole and end-diastole, in the short-axis, two-chamber and four-chamber views and divided into the 16 standardised myocardial segments. Read More

Am J Med Sci 2018 Oct 30;356(4):357-364. Epub 2018 Jun 30.

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

Background: Takayasu arteritis (TA) can involve the aortic root or cardiac valves, resulting in hemodynamic disorders. In this study, we focused on the prevalence and clinical characteristics of TA patients with valve regurgitation.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively assessed the clinical data in the electronic medical records of 1,069 consecutive patients with TA admitted to Fuwai Hospital from January 1992 to August 2017. Read More

Natl Med J India 2018 Jan-Feb;31(1):22-23

Department of Cardiology, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram 695011, Kerala, India.

An isolated right-sided aortic arch with no congenital heart disease is extremely rare. We report an adult woman with longstanding rheumatic heart disease causing severe calcific mitral stenosis, moderate mitral regurgitation and moderate pulmonary hypertension, for which she underwent mitral valve replacement and tricuspid annuloplasty. On preoperative work-up, she was detected to have a right-sided aortic arch with mirror image branching along with a ductal dimple. Read More

BMC Nephrol 2018 Oct 20;19(1):281. Epub 2018 Oct 20.

Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, 88, Olympic-ro 43-gil, Seoul, 05505, Republic of Korea.

Background: We investigated the impact of a transvenous cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) placement on outcomes and arteriovenous vascular access (VA) patency among chronic hemodialysis patients.

Methods: This is a single-center, observational comparative study between chronic hemodialysis patients with ipsilateral and contralateral CIED and VA. Forty-two consecutive patients who underwent both CIED placement and upper-extremity VA for hemodialysis, regardless of the sequence and time interval between these 2 procedures, were identified between January 2001 and December 2017. Read More

Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Imaging 2018 Oct 17. Epub 2018 Oct 17.

Department of Pediatrics, Division of Cardiology, The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Ave, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada.

Aims: The aims of this study were to provide a detailed descriptive analysis of pre-intervention morphologic and functional echocardiographic parameters in a large, unselected, multicentre cohort of neonates diagnosed with critical left heart obstruction and to compare echocardiographic features between the different subtypes of left-sided lesions.

Methods And Results: Pre-intervention echocardiograms for 651 patients from 19 Congenital Heart Surgeons' Society (CHSS) institutions were reviewed in a core lab according to a standardized protocol including >150 morphologic and functional variables. The four most common subtypes of lesions were: aortic atresia (AA)/mitral atresia (MA) (29% of patients), AA/mitral stenosis (MS) (20%), aortic stenosis (AS)/MS (26%), and isolated AS (iAS) (18%). Read More

Kyobu Geka 2018 Oct;71(11):957-960

Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Sendai Cardiovascular Center, Sendai, Japan.

Cabrol technique is one of the modified Bentall procedures. However, it has become nearly obsolete over the years because of reports of stenosis, thrombosis, and occlusion of the interposed graft. A 76-year-old man, who had undergone Cabrol technique 28 years before, presented with worsening exertional dyspnea and, was diagnosed with mitral valve regurgitation and tricuspid valve regurgitation. Read More

Kyobu Geka 2018 Oct;71(11):929-931

Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Hokkaido Ohno Memorial Hospital, Sapporo, Japan.

Infective endocarditis (IE) after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a rare complication, but has a high mortality. An 86-year-old female with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis underwent TAVR at our hospital and she was discharged without complication after 10 days. She was readmitted with high fever and acute heart failure 1 month later. Read More

Dtsch Med Wochenschr 2018 10 4;143(20):1484-1488. Epub 2018 Oct 4.

Helios Kliniken Schwerin, Institut für Pathologie.

History: Case 1: admission to hospital of a 72-year-old male patient due to suspect tumor at the pulmonary valve. At admission the patient was hemodynamically stable with known coronary one vessel heart disease and arterial hypertension.Case 2: admission to hospital of a 74-year-old female patient due to symptoms of de novo angina pectoris with known coronary three vessel heart disease. Read More

J Am Coll Cardiol 2018 Dec 23;72(22):2701-2711. Epub 2018 Sep 23.

Duke Clinical Research Institute, Durham North Carolina.

Background: Prosthesis-patient mismatch (PPM) after surgical aortic valve replacement (AVR) for aortic stenosis is generally associated with worse outcomes. Transcatheter AVR (TAVR) can achieve a larger valve orifice and the effects of PPM after TAVR are less well studied.

Objectives: The authors utilized the Society of Thoracic Surgeons/American College of Cardiology TVT (Transcatheter Valve Therapy) registry to examine the frequency, predictors, and association with outcomes of PPM after TAVR in 62,125 patients enrolled between 2014 and 2017. Read More

J Thorac Oncol 2018 Oct 7;13(10):1602-1605. Epub 2018 Jul 7.

Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota. Electronic address:

Introduction: The prevalence of carcinoid heart disease (CaHD) in bronchopulmonary carcinoid and its relationship with left-sided valvular disease are unknown.

Methods: All patients with a pathologic diagnosis of bronchopulmonary carcinoid and echocardiography performed at our institution between 2001 and 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. Echocardiograms were reviewed for features of CaHD including valvular leaflet thickening and retraction with resulting regurgitation and/or stenosis. Read More

Catheter Cardiovasc Interv 2018 Dec 23;92(7):1334-1337. Epub 2018 Sep 23.

Department of Cardiology, Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, Herma Heart Institute, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Transcatheter valve-in-valve and valve-in-ring implantation has become a common approach to treating patients with failed bioprosthetic tricuspid valves as well as failed surgical repairs of the tricuspid valve where an annuloplasty ring has been utilized. We describe a case where a Melody valve was percutaneously implanted in a native tricuspid valve with severe stenosis following surgical repair without a supporting annuloplasty ring. Read More

Eur J Clin Invest 2018 Dec 8;48(12):e13027. Epub 2018 Oct 8.

Bone and Mineral Research Unit, REDinREN-ISCIII, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain.

Background: Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is a heterogeneous and still not fully understood condition, with diverse genetic aetiology and associated phenotypes ranging from aortic stenosis or regurgitation to aneurysm and dissection. Several genes have been associated with the presence of BAV, notably some members of the GATA family of transcription factors that play important roles in cardiac embryogenesis.

Methods: A case-control study with 122 unrelated and ethnically matched patients with bicuspid and 154 with tricuspid aortic valve was performed. Read More

Pacing Clin Electrophysiol 2018 Nov 3;41(11):1495-1499. Epub 2018 Oct 3.

Heart Center, King Faisal Specialists Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Background: Dysfunction of native tricuspid valves due to transvenous pacing leads is well described. Patients with bioprosthetic tricuspid valve (BTV) who need ventricular pacing are often advised epicardial lead placement to avoid potential damage to the BTV although there are no data to support this.

Objective: The aim of the study was to assess the frequency of BTV dysfunction in patients with permanent transvenous right ventricular pacemaker lead and compare it to patients with epicardial leads. Read More

Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 2018 Sep 11. Epub 2018 Sep 11.

Shanghai Institute of Medical Imaging, Zhongshan Hospital Fudan University, Shanghai, China.

Objectives: A bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is characterized by variable phenotypic manifestations, as well as longitudinal evolution of valve dysfunction and ascending aorta dilatation. The present study investigated the impact of severe aortic stenosis (AS) on the flow patterns and wall shear stress (WSS) distribution in BAV patients with right-left (RL) and right-non-coronary (RN) cusp fusion types, and the study aimed to reveal whether aortic dysfunction could further alter intrinsic aortic haemodynamic aberrations generated by abnormal BAV cusp fusion patterns.

Methods: Four-dimensional flow magnetic resonance imaging was performed in 120 BAV subjects and 20 tricuspid aortic valve controls. Read More

Glob Heart 2018 12 6;13(4):267-274.e2. Epub 2018 Sep 6.

Department of Cardiology, Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India.

Background: Despite the high prevalence of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) in developing countries such as India, data on characteristics, complications, and treatment practices are lacking. The HP-RHD (Himachal Pradesh Rheumatic Heart Disease) registry aimed at reporting these parameters in patients with RHD from a northern state of India.

Methods: A total of 2,005 consecutive patients of RHD were enrolled over a period of 6 years (2011 to 2016) in the present study. Read More

J Oral Biol Craniofac Res 2018 Sep-Dec;8(3):241-244. Epub 2017 Oct 3.

Sharad Pawar Dental College & Hospital, DMIMS, Wardha, India.

Background: Cleft lip and palate is one of the most common congenital craniofacial deformities seen in children. Various congenital anomalies are reported in the literature to be associated with cleft lip and palate. Cardiac anomalies are one of the most common congenital disorders associated in cleft lip and palate patientsIt includes Cyanotic and acyanotic cardiac diseases likel fallot's tetralogy, transposition of greater vessels, atresia of tricuspid, total anomalous pulmonary venous return (TAPVR), truncus arteriosus, ebstein's anomaly, hypoplastic left heart syndrome and pulmonary atresia, patent ductus arteriosus, ventricular septal defect, atrial septal defect, pulmonary stenosis, aortic stenosis and coarctation of aorta. Read More

J Card Surg 2018 10 5;33(10):607-608. Epub 2018 Sep 5.

Division of Cardiac Surgery, The Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts.

J Am Soc Echocardiogr 2018 Oct 11;31(10):1101-1108. Epub 2018 Aug 11.

Department of Cardiology, Tel Aviv Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel. Electronic address:

Background: Severe aortic stenosis (AS) and severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR) may coexist. The aim of this study was to determine the change in right ventricular (RV) function and TR after surgical aortic valve replacement combined with tricuspid valve repair (SAVR+TVr), transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), or conservative management and compare outcomes dependent on RV functional parameters and treatment allocation.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted in 147 consecutive patients with severe AS and TR of baseline and 6-month clinical and echocardiographic parameters, including quantitative estimation of RV size and function (end-diastolic and end-systolic areas, tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion, fractional area change, and Tei index). Read More

Intern Emerg Med 2019 Jan 11;14(1):45-50. Epub 2018 Aug 11.

Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Section of Critical Medical Care and Medical Specialities, University of Florence, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134, Florence, Italy.

Hemodynamic valvular impairment is a frequent determinant of the natural history of bicuspid aortic valve (BAV). The role of elevated Lp(a) levels and LPA Kringle IV type 2 (KIV-2) size polymorphism in influencing aortic valve calcification and stenosis development in patients with tricuspid aortic valve was recognized. In this study, we investigate the association between Lp(a) and LPA KIV-2 repeat number, and the presence of calcification and stenosis in BAV patients. Read More

Heart 2018 Nov 9;104(22):1887-1890. Epub 2018 Aug 9.

Department of Medicine Division of Cardiology, Henry Ford Hospital Heart and Vascular Institute, Detroit, Michigan, USA.

Clinical Introduction: An 82-year-old man with a history of coronary artery bypass surgery, hypertension and small bowel gastrointestinal stromal tumour underwent cardiac risk evaluation prior to surgical resection of his tumour. He was asymptomatic from a cardiovascular perspective, but his activity level was less than four metabolic equivalents. Physical examination was notable for a 2/6 systolic murmur at the apex. Read More

Heart 2019 Jan 9;105(2):117-121. Epub 2018 Aug 9.

Heart and Vascular Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.

Objectives: To evaluate the prognostic value of the ratio between tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE)-pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) as a determinant of right ventricular to pulmonary artery (RV-PA) coupling in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVI).

Background: RV function and pulmonary hypertension (PH) are both prognostically important in patients receiving TAVI. RV-PA coupling has been shown to be prognostic important in patients with heart failure but not previously evaluated in TAVI patients. Read More

Circ J 2018 Sep 8;82(10):2485-2492. Epub 2018 Aug 8.

Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine.

Background: Dilatation of the ascending aorta affects those patients with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV), even after valvular surgery, possibly due to tissue fragility. The goal of the study was the molecular characterization of aorta with BAV compared to that with normal tricuspid aortic valve (TAV). Methods and Results: The subjects were patients who underwent surgery for aortic valve stenosis in 2013 and 2014. Read More