Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography : official publication of the American Society of Echocardiography
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J Am Soc Echocardiogr · Sep 2013
Echo-Doppler assessment of arterial stiffness in pediatric patients with Kawasaki disease.
There is growing evidence to suggest increased arterial stiffness in patients with a history of Kawasaki disease (KD). Pulse-wave velocity (PWV) is the most validated measure of arterial stiffness. The aim of this study was to determine if aortic PWV is increased in children with KD. ⋯ Arterial stiffness was increased in children with KD. There was no association between acute-phase KD coronary involvement and PWV. This implies that patients with KD may be at increased cardiovascular risk in the future.
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J Am Soc Echocardiogr · Aug 2013
Three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiographic evaluation of coronary involvement in patients with acute type A aortic dissection.
Acute Stanford type A aortic dissection (AAD) with coronary involvement is associated with high mortality. However, coronary involvement is not always successfully visualized by computed tomography and two-dimensional (2D) transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that three-dimensional (3D) TEE can detect coronary involvement in patients with AAD. ⋯ Three-dimensional TEE reduced the number of cases evaluated as unclear coronary involvement by computed tomography and 2D TEE. In patients with AAD, 3D TEE allows evaluation of the status of coronary ostia in the operating room.
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J Am Soc Echocardiogr · Aug 2013
Multicenter StudyRelationship between longitudinal strain and symptomatic status in aortic stenosis.
Global longitudinal strain (GLS) and basal longitudinal strain (BLS) assessed using two-dimensional speckle-tracking imaging have been proposed as subtle markers of left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction with potential prognostic value in patients with aortic stenosis (AS). The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between longitudinal strain and symptomatic status in patients with AS. ⋯ In this prospective multicenter cohort of patients with wide ranges of AS severity, symptoms, and LVEFs, BLS but not GLS was independently associated with symptomatic status. However, there was an important overlap among groups, and differences were close to measurements' reproducibility, raising caution regarding the use of longitudinal strain, at least as a single criterion, in the decision-making process for patients with severe asymptomatic AS.
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J Am Soc Echocardiogr · Aug 2013
Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical TrialNew three-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography identifies global impairment of left ventricular mechanics with a high sensitivity in childhood cancer survivors.
The aim of this case-control study was to assess the usefulness of three-dimensional (3D) speckle-tracking echocardiography in the evaluation of global left ventricular (LV) myocardial performance in adolescent and adult survivors of childhood cancers. ⋯ Three-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography enables the derivation of an index of LV global performance that incorporates LV 3D strain, dyssynchrony, and torsion for the sensitive detection of altered LV mechanics in childhood cancer survivors.
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J Am Soc Echocardiogr · Aug 2013
Clinical TrialMyocardial mechanical remodeling after septal myectomy for severe obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
Septal myectomy for symptomatic patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) is a well-established procedure for symptomatic relief. Myocardial mechanics are abnormal in patients with HOCM, demonstrating low longitudinal strain, high circumferential strain, and high apical rotation compared with healthy subjects. The aim of this study was to determine whether functional improvement after myectomy is associated with improved myocardial mechanics. ⋯ In patients with HOCM, surgical myectomy alleviated symptoms, relieved obstruction, and decreased left atrial volume index. Longitudinal strain remained unchanged, but circumferential strain and rotation decreased, demonstrating different mechanical adaptations to chronic elevated afterload seen in patients with severe aortic stenosis undergoing valve replacement. Disease extent (age, posterior wall involvement) and the presence of diastolic dysfunction seem to be related to partial symptomatic response to myectomy.