The use of echocardiography for the evaluation of dyssynchrony.

Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI), is a new imaging tool that allows measurement of dyssynchrony. In several small studies, TDI predicted clinical response and reverse remodeling after cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). Moreover, it allowed detection of mechanical dyssynchrony in heart failure patients with narrow QRS. Using TDI, the selection criteria for CRT might be changed to include heart failure patients with narrow QRS. Furthermore, it will help predict responders to this therapy, hence decreasing the percentage of nonresponders and allowing a more cost-effective use of this new technology.

Percutaneous closure of a left atrial appendage pseudoaneurysm.

Atrial dissections and pseudoaneurysms are rare complications of cardiac surgery. The authors describe the case of a patient after mitral valve replacement who presented with a left atrial appendage pseudoaneurysm. This case represents the first known closure of an atrial pseudoaneurysm with a percutaneous septal occluder device.

Myocardial deformation imaging of the systemic right ventricle by two-dimensional strain echocardiography in patients with d-transposition of the great arteries.

INTRODUCTION: Functional assessment of the systemic right ventricle is often problematic in patients with Dtransposition of the great arteries (D-TGA) due to altered ventricular geometry. The clinical applicability of myocardial deformation imaging by two-dimensional strain (2DS) echocardiography in this setting is still under investigation. METHODS: We evaluated 27 patients with D-TGA (age 30 +/- 6 years, 9 female, 11 with paced rhythm) by standard and 2DS echocardiography; 27 outpatients (age 29 +/- 10 years, 15 female) without structural heart disease served as controls. High-resolution two-dimensional grayscale images were analyzed offline. Global values of peak strain (GS), systolic strain rate (GSRs), and early diastolic strain rate (GSRe) of the systemic ventricle, as well as the systemic ejection fraction (EF), were recorded from apical 4-chamber views. Intraobserver reproducibility was assessed by random-order repeat analysis. RESULTS: Global indices of myocardial deformation (GS, GSRs, GSRe) in the systemic right ventricle were reliably obtained in all 27 patients with D-TGA, and tracking was optimal in 159/162 segments (>98%). Mean GS in patients with D-TGA was -13.2 +/- 3.8% vs. -20.6 +/- 2.6% in controls, p<0.001; mean GSRs -0.59 +/- 0.16 /s vs. -1.10 +/- 0.19 /s, p<0.001; and mean GSRe 0.68 +/- 0.21 /s vs. 1.34 +/- 0.31 /s, p<0.001. Mean systemic EF by single-plane modified Simpson was 37 +/- 11% in patients with D-TGA vs. 60 +/- 7% in controls, p<0.001. GSRs exhibited the highest discriminative value between D-TGA patients and controls. The mean absolute percent error for GS, GSRs, GSRe, and systemic EF in D-TGA patients was 6.9% (p<0.05 vs. EF), 8.9%, 12.3%, 13.1%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Myocardial deformation parameters can be reliably obtained by 2DS echocardiography in patients with D-TGA. Deformation indices of the systemic right ventricle appear to be highly reproducible, and may provide a sensitive means to detect both systolic and diastolic abnormalities in patients with D-TGA.

Evaluation of right intraventricular dyssynchrony by two-dimensional strain echocardiography in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Right ventricular (RV) function has major prognostic implications for patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Intraventricular dyssynchrony might play an important role in RV dysfunction in these patients. METHODS: Thirty-six patients with PAH without right bundle branch block (mean age 44 +/- 14 yr, 24 women) and 39 controls (mean age 43 +/- 18 yr, 26 women) were evaluated. Global and segmental RV longitudinal deformation parameters were recorded by 2-dimensional strain echocardiography from apical 4-chamber views using a 6-segment RV model. The standard deviation of the heart rate-corrected intervals from QRS onset to peak strain for the 6 segments (RV-SD(6)) was used to quantify right intraventricular dyssynchrony. RESULTS: RV-SD(6) was significantly higher in patients with PAH compared with controls (63 +/- 21 vs 25 +/- 15ms, P < .001). Dyssynchrony in patients with PAH was found to derive mainly from delayed contraction of the basal and mid RV free wall. In patients with PAH, RV-SD(6) was strongly correlated with RV fractional area change (beta = -.519, P = .002), RV myocardial performance index (beta = .427, P = .009), and RV global strain (beta = .512, P = .002); in models controlling for RV systolic pressure, RV size, and QRS duration, RV-SD(6) was still an independent predictor of RV fractional area change (beta = -.426, P = .005) and RV global strain (beta = .358, P = .031). RV function was significantly worse in the subgroup of patients with PAH (n = 25) with RV-SD(6) > 55 ms (the upper 95% limit in controls). CONCLUSION: Right intraventricular dyssynchrony, as quantified by 2-dimensional strain echocardiography, is prevalent in PAH and is associated with more pronounced RV dysfunction. The clinical implications of these findings remain to be determined in follow-up studies.