Left atrial dilatation

UNLABELLED: A man in his 70s with a history of mitral valve replacement (MVR) and long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) presented with effort angina. Coronary angiography revealed severe stenosis of the left main coronary artery (LMCA). As it was an emergent case, PCI (percutaneous coronary intervention) was selected for treatment. Intravascular ultrasonography revealed no atherosclerotic lesions in the LMCA. The LMCA was effectively dilated by the drug-eluting stent. No elevation in intracardiac pressure was observed in cardiac catheterization after PCI...

BACKGROUND: No study has assessed durability of pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) with radiofrequency (RF) and Cryoballoon (CB) in patients with persistent AF. These data are especially lacking for those with significantly diseased left atria (LA). OBJECTIVE: To assess PVI durability in patients with significant LA disease and compare reconnection rates between RF and CB. METHODS: 44 Patients (mean age 63, 77% male, median time since AF diagnosis 22...

When starting a mechanical thrombectomy, manual aspiration with balloon guide catheters inserted into the internal carotid artery (ICA) is an efficient method for thrombus aspiration. However, no complications associated with this procedure have been reported. This study describes the case of a 76-year-old man who presented to our hospital with total aphasia and complete right-sided paralysis due to chronic atrial fibrillation and left occlusion of the ICA. When the balloon guide catheter was inserted and inflated at the origin of the left ICA, the patient's systolic blood pressure suddenly decreased from 114 mm Hg to 44 mm Hg...

AIMS: Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is increasingly performed in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Both AF phenotype and left atrial (LA) volume have been shown to influence ablation outcome. The inter-relationship of the two is incompletely understood. We aimed to investigate the impact of AF phenotype vs. LA volume on outcome after PVI. METHODS AND RESULTS: In a retrospective analysis of a prospective registry of patients undergoing a first PVI, the association of AF phenotype and LA volume index (LAVI) was assessed as well as their impact on AF recurrence during follow-up...

(1) Introduction and Aims: Right ventricular (RV) remodeling significantly impacts the prognosis of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) patients, and right atrial (RA) size and function are still often neglected in DCM patients. Accordingly, our aims were to (i) evaluate right heart subclinical changes and (ii) the prognostic value of RA compared to left atrial (LA) size and function in patients with DCM by advanced echocardiography. (2) Materials and Methods: Sixty-eight patients with DCM (with a mean age of 60 years; 35 men) were evaluated by comprehensive transthoracic echocardiography, compared to 62 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (with a mean age of 61 years; 32 men), and followed up for 12...

Hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) is considered to be a rare myeloproliferative disease that is characterized by persistent eosinophilia with associated multiple-organ damage. The heart is often involved in HES, representing a major cause of morbidity and mortality. HES is a heterogeneous group of disorders; the majority of the cases are idiopathic. Summarizing the findings regarding myocardial, valvular, and vascular abnormalities in a series of patients with HES, most studies found normal left ventricular (LV) volumes with reduced LV global longitudinal strain and LV apical rotation and twist in HES cases, accompanied by increased left atrial (LA) volumes and stroke volumes, reduced peak LA circumferential strain (representing systolic abnormalities), and mitral annular dilation and functional deterioration...

INTRODUCTION: Atrial functional mitral regurgitation (afMR) is common in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). The presence of functional tricuspid regurgitation (fTR), which arises as a secondary effect of afMR, has the potential to impact the effectiveness of procedures aimed at restoring normal heart rhythm. In this study, we sought to evaluate the efficacy of electrical cardioversion (CVE) in AF regarding the presence and degree of fTR in patients with afMR. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis included 521 patients with persistent AF on optimal medical therapy undergoing CVE...

AIMS: Some patients with cardiac dystrophinopathy die suddenly. Whether such deaths are preventable by specific antiarrhythmic management or simply indicate heart failure overwhelming medical therapies is uncertain. The aim of this prospective, cohort study was to describe the occurrence and nature of cardiac arrhythmias recorded during prolonged continuous ECG rhythm surveillance in patients with established cardiac dystrophinopathy and relate them to abnormalities on cardiac MRI. METHODS AND RESULTS: A cohort of 10 patients (36...

OBJECTIVE: Pediatric heart failure is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in childhood. Left ventricular assist devices (L-VAD) are used for bridging to transplantation in patients with indications for heart transplantation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The children included in the study were patients who underwent implantation of an L-VAD due to advanced heart failure at Ege University Faculty of Medicine Hospital between January 2009 and January 2023. RESULTS: Of the 33 patients who underwent L-VAD implantation, 16 (48...

Functional or secondary mitral regurgitation is linked to increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. From a mechanical perspective, secondary mitral regurgitation occurs due to an imbalance between the forces that tether the mitral leaflets and those that close them. This results in incomplete coaptation. Most commonly, functional mitral regurgitation, which occurs in both ischaemic and non-ischaemic disease states, is usually caused by dysfunction and changes in the left ventricle. Atrial functional mitral regurgitation (AFMR) is a disease state that has been more recently recognized...

BACKGROUND: Double chambered right ventricle is a rare congenital heart disease that is characterised by the presence of an anomalous muscle bundle that divides the right ventricle into a low pressure superior (distal) chamber and a high pressure inferior (proximal) chamber. It is found in association with a ventricular septal defect in 90% cases with other associations being tetralogy of Fallot, transposition of great vessels, atrial septal defect and Ebstein's anomaly. On the other hand, subaortic membrane is a form of discrete subaortic stenosis that is characterised by a membranous diaphragm in the subvalvular location of the left ventricular outflow tract...

Conflicting results from 2 randomized clinical trials of transcatheter mitral valve edge-to-edge repair in secondary mitral regurgitation (SMR) have led to the recognition that SMR is a heterogeneous disease entity presenting with different functional and morphological phenotypes. This review summarizes the current knowledge on SMR caused primarily by atrial secondary mitral regurgitation (aSMR) and ventricular SMR pathology. Although aSMR is generally characterized by severe left atrial enlargement in the setting of preserved left ventricular anatomy and function, different patterns of mitral annular distortion cause different phenotypes of aSMR...

CONTEXT: Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is the terminal manifestation of many heart diseases, and atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common type of arrhythmia in DCM. The mutual influence of DCM and AF can ultimately lead to a poor prognosis for patients. OBJECTIVE: The study intended to investigate the risk factors for DCM complicated with AF as well as the expression and clinical value of miR-499 and IL-1β, to provide more research targets for controlling the risk of AF in clinical practice...

INTRODUCTION: Degenerative mitral valve disease (DMVD) is the most common canine heart disease with a high predisposition in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (CKCSs). Mitral regurgitation related to DMVD can lead to left atrial (LA) dilation, which is associated with survival time. Left-atrial-to-aortic (LA:Ao) ratio assessed by two-dimensional echocardiography is commonly used to evaluate LA size. The objectives of this prospective observational study were therefore 1) to compare different echocardiographic methods (i...

• Unroofed CS is a rare cause of atrial-level shunting and right heart dilatation. • Unroofed CS is commonly diagnosed in adulthood. • TTE is the primary modality to recognize and diagnose unroofed CS. • CCT and/or magnetic resonance imaging should be done as complementary studies before CS repair.

BACKGROUND Lymphocytic myocarditis is an inflammatory condition of the heart that may present with a wide spectrum of symptoms and signs, ranging from asymptomatic to life-threatening cardiogenic shock and ventricular arrhythmia. Lymphocytic myocarditis usually presents as chamber dilation. However, increased left ventricular thickness is relatively rare. We present a case of lymphocytic myocarditis with increased left ventricular thickness which mimics the presentation of cardiac amyloidosis. CASE REPORT An 80-year-old Chinese man presented to the emergency room due to recurrent chest tightness...

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is highly prevalent and associated with worse cardiovascular outcomes. The pathophysiology of HFpEF mostly relies on the development of elevated left ventricle filling pressure, diastolic dysfunction, atrial dilatation and impairment. This dynamic process may eventually lead to the development of functional mitral regurgitation, characterized by mitral annular dilatation and consequent leaflet remodelling, in the context of preserved left ventricular ejection fraction...

A 4-month-old Domestic Shorthair cat with no clinical signs was referred for further examination of a heart murmur. An echocardiogram revealed marked right atrial dilation, extending into the left hemithorax. Computed tomography angiography was conducted to investigate further, which revealed a balloon-shaped, contrast-filled cavity on the cranial and left side of the chest that connected to the right atrium through a narrow passage. This was diagnosed as a congenital right atrial diverticulum. Treatment included clopidogrel to reduce the risk of thrombus formation...

Global nonvalvular AF rises, impacting health severely. In Qinghai, China's diverse setting, studying AF among varied ethnic groups is crucial OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to compares cardiac features in AF among Tibetan, Han, and Hui patients to develop tailored prevention and treatment strategies for this region, the goal was to enhance the understanding of AF and provide an empirical basis for developing prevention and treatment strategies specific to this region METHODS: This study included a total of 3445 Tibetan, Han, and Hui patients diagnosed with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation and treated at the Qinghai Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Specialist Hospital, China, between January 2019 and January 2021...

INTRODUCTION: Percutaneous left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) is traditionally performed under general anesthesia with trans-esophageal echocardiography guidance. Intracardiac echo (ICE)-guided LAAO closure is increasing in clinical use. The ICE catheter is crossed into LA via interatrial septum (IAS) after the septum is dilated with LAAO delivery sheath. This step can be time-consuming and requires significant ICE catheter manipulation, which increases the risk of cardiac perforation...