Historical Perspectives in the Evolution of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.

Since the first anatomic description of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in 1958, significant advancements have expanded the understanding of this condition. At the same time, new imaging tools and treatment modalities have contributed to an ever-changing armamentarium for the assessment and treatment of patients with HCM. The historical perspective of HCM discovery and the progress made in the last several decades shed light on the road still ahead, which is expected to lead to better forms of treatment and perhaps even prevention of this, at times, devastating disease.

[A history of the clinical research in cardiology]. / Une histoire de la recherche clinique en cardiologie.

On January 21 1968, nearly an half-century ago, a small Parisian group of cardiologists presented a directional Doppler prototype making possible the detection of forward and backward flows in the arteries. This princeps report, rapidly followed by the Directional Doppler recording of intracardiac flows, has upset the traditional approach to cardiovascular pathophysiology and launched a new examination method that will spread upon the whole word. Single CNRS researcher among this group of clinical cardiologists, Dr Colette Veyrat recalls this early period….

Strain imaging - from Scandinavian research to global deployment.

Knowledge about myocardial function is important for diagnosis, treatment and prediction of the majority of all cardiac diseases. Ejection fraction (EF) by echocardiography has been the preferred diagnostic tool for these purposes, but do have some important limitations. Strain imaging has emerged as a relatively new and important echocardiographic method that will give cardiologists incremental and additional information to EF in several important diseases affecting the myocardium. This paper will give the readers a brief overview on how and when the clinicians can use strain imaging by echocardiography in their daily practice.

A Short History of Cardiac Inspection: A Quest "To See with a Better Eye".

Cardiac examination has evolved over centuries. The goal of cardiac evaluation, regardless the era, is to "see" inside the heart to diagnose congenital and acquired intra-cardiac structural and functional abnormalities. This article briefly reviews the history of cardiac examination and discusses contemporary best, evidence-based methods of cardiac inspection.

Cardiac radiology: centenary review.

During the past century, cardiac imaging technologies have revolutionized the diagnosis and treatment of acquired and congenital heart disease. Many important contributions to the field of cardiac imaging were initially reported in Radiology. The field developed from the early stages of cardiac imaging, including the use of coronary x-ray angiography and roentgen kymography, to nowadays the widely used echocardiographic, nuclear medicine, cardiac computed tomographic (CT), and magnetic resonance (MR) applications. It is surprising how many of these techniques were not recognized for their potential during their early inception. Some techniques were described in the literature but required many years to enter the clinical arena and presently continue to expand in terms of clinical application. The application of various CT and MR contrast agents for the diagnosis of myocardial ischemia is a case in point, as the utility of contrast agents continues to expand the noninvasive characterization of myocardium. The history of cardiac imaging has included a continuous process of advances in our understanding of the anatomy and physiology of the cardiovascular system, along with advances in imaging technology that continue to the present day.

The ten advances that have defined modern cardiology.

Modern cardiology was born early in the twentieth century. Here I list and review what I believe to be the ten most important advances in the twentieth century in this field. They are as follows: electrocardiography, cholesterol-induced atherosclerosis, cardiac catheterization, cardiovascular surgery, coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary angioplasty, the coronary care unit, the development of new cardiovascular drugs, preventive cardiology, cardiac imaging, and implanted cardiac pacemakers/defibrillators.

Of MIs and men--a historical perspective on the diagnostics of acute myocardial infarction.

The history of myocardial infarction (MI) diagnostics has gone through a continuous evolution over the past century, when several new discoveries have contributed to remarkably increase the number of patients appropriately diagnosed with this condition. The tale "of MIs and Men" displays rather a long history, since atherosclerosis was found to be present in humans several centuries before modern civilization and the identification of the most prevalent risk factors. It was only at the end of the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century that the physicians acknowledged that MI is principally sustained by coronary thrombosis, and that the clinical picture of MI could be subsequently confirmed at autopsy. With the first description of the electrocardiogram (ECG) in the 1910s and 1920s, the history of modern MI diagnostics really began. Additional important discoveries followed, which are mainly represented by radiography, echocardiography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging of the heart. Another major breakthrough occurred at the down of the third millennium, with the development of commercial immunoassays for the measurement of cardiac troponin I and T, which represent now the cornerstones for identifying any kind of myocardial injury, thus including MI. The major advancements in the understanding of MI pathophysiology and the progressive introduction of efficient diagnostic tools will be described and discussed in this narrative historical review.