ECG Case of the Month: Heart Failure in a Man from Chile.

A 49-year-old man visiting New Orleans from Chile comes to the hospital complaining of exertional dyspnea for 2 months with the more recent onset of ankle edema. He is a slender man with a blood pressure of 91/60 mmHg, crackles at both lung bases, and markedly distended neck veins. His cardiac rhythm is irregular. A soft murmur of mitral regurgitation and a soft S-3 are heard at the left ventricular apex. All four pedal pulses are easily palpable. Epigastric tenderness is noted on palpation; although the patient has a history of peptic ulcer disease, the tenderness is probably due to an enlarged left lobe of his liver, the result of hepatic congestion from his heart failure. A chest radiograph shows generalized cardiomegaly with an especially large left ventricle. Pulmonary congestion and small bilateral pleural effusions also are noted. The Figure shows the electrocardiogram recorded on admission.

ECG of the month. Irregular rhythm in a 25-year-old man with three prior cardiac operations. Coarse atrial fibrillation with a rapid ventricular response, left anterior fascicular block, left ventricular hypertrophy with repolarization abnormality.

The patient underwent closure of an atrial septal defect at age 3, had a leaking "mitral" valve repaired at age 9, and at age 13 had a "mitral" valve replacement. He began taking warfarin sodium at that time and remained symptom-free until 10 days before his initial visit here when he presented to another hospital with dyspnea and palpitations. Treatment there consisted of lisinopril 10 mg qd, carvedilol 6.25 mg bid, aldactone 25 mg qd, furosemide 40 mg qd, digoxin 0.25 mg qd, and a continuation of warfarin sodium 7.5 mg qd. An echocardiogram showed a left ventricular ejection fraction of 20%. After diuresis, he was referred to our cardiology clinic. On his initial visit here, his heart rate was an irregular 120 beats/min, his blood pressure was 106/77 mmHg, and closing and opening snaps of a normally functioning mechanical mitral valvular prosthesis were heard. He was obese (height, 5' 9"; weight, 272 lbs). An electrocardiogram was recorded (Figure 1).

Percutaneous debulking of tricuspid valve infective endocarditis vegetations using a large bore manual aspiration device - AlphaVac.

Most infectious endocarditis patients can be managed medically. However, non-responders to antibiotics and ongoing sequelae such as septic emboli, may require mechanical interventions. AngioVac (Angiodynamics, Latham, NY, USA) is a percutaneous aspiration device used for removal of thrombi, emboli, masses, and vegetations. Main drawbacks are the requirement for a perfusionist, two large-bore accesses, and meticulous de-airing. These drawbacks make the procedure more time-consuming and possibly increase the risk of complications. AlphaVac (Angiodynamics) omits the motor element, thereby overcoming several of the limitations. In the current report, we describe two cases of percutaneous aspiration of tricuspid valve vegetations using AlphaVac. Learning objective: To consider manual percutaneous aspiration of infective valvular vegetations using the AlphaVac cannula in case of insufficient response to antibiotics or for prevention of emboli.

ECG of the month. Cardiac failure and stroke in a 43-year-old woman. Coarse atrial fibrillation indicating left atrial enlargement and left ventricular hypertrophy with repolarization abnormality.

A 43-year-old woman with a long history of heavy cigarette smoking was in good health until she developed fatigue, dyspnea on exertion, and paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea approximately three months before admission to our hospital. Four weeks before admission, she was admitted to another hospital for the sudden onset of a right hemiparesis. She was noted to be in atrial fibrillation, and cardiac catheterization and angiocardiography revealed triple-vessel coronary arterial disease and moderately severe mitral regurgitation. Because of repeated episodes of paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea, she was referred to our hospital for cardiac surgery. On admission, an electrocardiogram was recorded (Figure).

Left ventricular diastolic size in patients with normal ejection fraction and elevated left filling pressures.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the left-ventricular diastolic chamber size in patients with a normal ejection fraction and elevated left-sided filling pressures. BACKGROUND: The consensus view that patients with normal left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and elevated left-sided filling pressures have a normal left ventricular diastolic size is a point of controversy. METHODS: We reviewed the coded database of echocardiographic studies performed at one institution between July 2007 and July 2008. We performed a retrospective descriptive study of 35 patients with normal ejection fraction (> or = 55%) and elevated left-sided filling pressures. We looked at their left ventricular internal diastolic diameter (LVIDD). RESULTS: Our population had a high prevalence of hypertension (100%), obesity (63%), diabetes (40%), chronic kidney disease (51%), coronary artery disease (25%), anemia (43%), and left ventricular hypertrophy (65%). Clinical diagnosis of heart failure was documented in 63% of the patients. LVIDD was mildly increased in comparison to a normal historical population: 4.85 + or - 0.5 cm for females, 5.3 + or - 0.5 cm for males, as compared to 4.6 + or - 0.3 cm for normal females (P = 0.045) and 5 + or - 0.4 cm for normal males (P < 0.001). However, the distribution of the indexed LVIDDs in these patients was comparable to the normal population (2.6 + or - 0.4 cm/m(2) for the study population, as compared to 2.7 + or - 0.2 cm/m(2) for the normal population, P = 0.16). CONCLUSION: In a population of patients with a normal LVEF and high left ventricular filling pressures, the indexed LV diastolic size is not increased in comparison to a normal population. (Echocardiography 2010;27:501-504).

Ecg of the month. Unusual electrocardiogram 42 years after operation for supravalvular aortic stenosis and 6 years after aortic valve replacement. Sinus rhythm with first degree atrioventricular block.

A 43-year-old man came to the hospital because of increasing dyspnea for two weeks. At age nine months the patient was evaluated for failure to thrive, and a diagnosis of valvular aortic stenosis was made. At operation the aortic stenosis was found to be supravalvular, and the ascending aorta was enlarged with a Teflon patch, the proximal end of which was placed in the noncoronary sinus of Valsalva. The aortic valve was bicuspid but otherwise appeared normal. Postoperatively the patient did well until six years ago when he developed increasing dyspnea on exertion, orthopnea, and paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea. Echocardiography revealed a peak systolic pressure gradient across the aortic valve of 80 mmHg, severe aortic regurgitation, and moderate mitral regurgitation thought to be functional. Coronary arteriograms were normal. The patient underwent aortic valve replacement with a 23 mm Hancock 2 porcine heterograft prosthesis. He again did well postoperatively until a year before the current admission when dyspnea on exertion developed and culminated in two weeks of severe orthopnea and paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea. The electrocardiogram (ECG) recorded on admission is shown in the Figure.

Double-Chambered Right Ventricle in a 49-Year-Old Man.

Most patients with double-chambered right ventricles are diagnosed in childhood, but some escape definitive diagnosis until adulthood, as was the case in the patient described here.

Bradycardia, Syncope, and Left Ventricular Noncompaction Cardiomyopathy.

A 55-year-old man with syncopal episodes was found to have sinus bradycardia at a rate of 37 beats/min, an episode of nonsustained ventricular tachycardia, and left ventricular noncompaction cardiomyopathy. After placement of a dual-chamber cardioverter defibrillator 4 years ago, he has had no further syncopal episodes, and there have been no defibrillator shocks.

Electrocardiograms in a Woman With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

A woman with systemic lupus erythematosus and a regular supraventricular tachycardia continues to have electrocardiographic abnormalities after the spontaneous return of normal sinus rhythm.

Right coronary artery arising from the pulmonary trunk in a 63-year-old man.

Unlike anomalous origin of the left coronary artery (CA) from the pulmonary trunk (PT), right CA from the PT, a rare congenital malformation, may present in adulthood. We herein describe a man with anomalous origin of the right CA from the PT who presented with angina and syncope at age 63.