Prosthesis-patient mismatch following aortic and mitral valves replacement - A comprehensive review.

Prothesis-patient mismatch (PPM) occurs when there is a mismatch between the effective orifice area (EOA) of the prosthetic valve and the required cardiac output to meet the need of the patient's body surface area (BSA). The clinical threshold for PPM occurs when the indexed effective orifice area (iEOA) is ≤0.65 cm2/m2 for the aortic valve prosthesis, and ≤ 1.20 cm2/m2 for the mitral valve prosthesis. The wide variation of reported incidence of PPM is most likely attributed to the variation in the methods of calculating iEOA [(for e.g., using continuity equation across the prosthesis versus using projected EOA (generated by the industry)]. Newer generation mechanical valves have shown less PPM than older generation, and stentless bioprosthesis have less PPM than stented prosthesis. Long-term clinical outcome of PPM is associated with adverse cardiovascular events especially in the presence of pre-existing left ventricle dysfunction or with concomitant procedure such as coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Strategies to mitigate the risk of PPM such as aortic root replacement in patients with the small aortic annulus should be utilized. Accurate assessment of the patient's annular size and indexing the effective orifice area (EOA) of the prosthesis to patient's BSA at the time of prosthesis implantation are important steps to preventing future PPM.

Differentiating Constriction from Restriction (from the Mayo Clinic Echocardiographic Criteria).

Constrictive Pericarditis (CP) is a curable and reversible form of severe diastolic heart failure. We aimed to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of published echocardiographic Mayo Clinic Criteria in differentiating 107 patients with surgically proven CP from 30 patients with restrictive cardiomyopathy due to cardiac Amyloidosis. Five principal echocardiographic and Doppler variables were remeasured on preoperative transthoracic echocardiogram namely (1) respiration-related ventricular septal shift; (2) respiratory variation in mitral inflow E pulsed Doppler velocity; 3) tissue Doppler medial mitral annular e' velocity; (4) ratio of medial mitral annular e' to lateral mitral annular e' velocity; and 5) hepatic vein (HV) pulsed Doppler diastolic flow reversal ratio. Etiology of CP included viral/idiopathic or autoimmune (75%), postcardiac surgery (13%) and postradiation (7%). Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that (1) respiration related ventricular septal shift, (2) percentage change in Mitral E velocity, (3) medial e' velocity ≥9 cm/sec, (4) medial e'/lateral e' ratio ≥0.91, (5) HV diastolic reversal ratio ≥0.79 were associated with the diagnosis of CP. Multivariable logistic regression analyses showed that medial e' velocity ≥9 cm/s was independently associated with the diagnosis of CP. Respiration related ventricular septal shift had the highest sensitivity, whereas medial e' velocity ≥9 cm/s has the highest specificity to diagnose CP (Areas under curves 0.99, p 0.001). Combining respiration related ventricular septal shift with medial e' velocity ≥9 cm/s gave a desirable sensitivity (80%) and specificity (92%). Adding reversal ratio to this combination further increased the specificity (97%) but dropped the sensitivity (70%) to diagnose CP.

Echocardiographic Assessment of Degenerative Mitral Stenosis: A Diagnostic Challenge of an Emerging Cardiac Disease.

Degenerative mitral stenosis (DMS) is characterized by decreased mitral valve (MV) orifice area and increased transmitral pressure gradient due to chronic noninflammatory degeneration and subsequent calcification of the fibrous mitral annulus and the MV leaflets. The "true" prevalence of DMS in the general population is unknown. DMS predominantly affects elderly individuals, many of whom have multiple other comorbidities. Transcatheter MV replacement techniques, although their long-term outcomes are yet to be tested, have been gaining popularity and may emerge as more effective and relatively safer treatment option for patients with DMS. Echocardiography is the primary imaging modality for evaluation of DMS and related hemodynamic abnormalities such as increased transmitral pressure gradient and pulmonary arterial pressure. Classic echocardiographic techniques used for evaluation of mitral stenosis (pressure half time, proximal isovelocity surface area, continuity equation, and MV area planimetry) lack validation for DMS. Direct planimetry with 3-dimensional echocardiography and color flow Doppler is a reasonable technique for determining MV area in DMS. Cardiac computed tomography is an essential tool for planning potential interventions or surgeries for DMS. This article reviews the current concepts on mitral annular calcification and its role in DMS. We then discuss the epidemiology, natural history, differential diagnosis, mechanisms, and echocardiographic assessment of DMS.

ST Segment Elevation ECG Changes During Pharmacologic Stress With Regadenoson.

Regadenoson is a pharmacologic stress agent that has been widely adopted as an alternative over other pharmacologic vasodilator agents due to its ease of use, patient tolerance, and safety profile. We report the case of dynamic ST-segment elevation electrocardiogram changes after regadenoson injection during an inpatient single-photon emission computed tomography myocardial perfusion stress test, with subsequent coronary angiography revealing the presence of hemodynamically significant coronary artery disease. Our findings confirm that transient regadenoson-induced ST-segment elevations are a marker for hemodynamically significant disease even in the setting of low-risk SPECT perfusion images.

Long-term progression, prognosis, and treatment of patients with recurrent ocular manifestations of Reiter's syndrome.

PURPOSE: To investigate the spectrum of ocular involvement, to examine the clinical outcome, and to analyze the influence of treatment in patients with chronic ocular manifestations of Reiter's syndrome (RS) referred to a tertiary care ocular immunology service. DESIGN: Retrospective, noncomparative, interventional case series. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-five patients with RS evaluated at the Ocular Immunology and Uveitis Service of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary from 1981 through 2001. METHODS: Charts of patients were reviewed and data on age, gender, follow-up time, ocular symptoms, extraocular involvement, ocular complications, therapy, and visual acuities were recorded. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Visual acuity, ocular complications, disease progression, clinical outcome, and systemic treatment. RESULTS: Twenty-five patients (20 male and 5 female) diagnosed with RS, with a mean age at presentation to our service of 37 years, were studied. The mean follow-up was 48.5 months. Eighty-five percent of patients tested were positive for human leukocyte antigen B27. Sixty-four percent of patients had a positive family history. All patients had oligoarthritis and enthesitis, most commonly affecting the back (56%), Achilles tendon (52%), and sacroiliac joint (24%). Eighty percent had a history of infection, most frequently urethritis (68%). Forty-four percent had a history of mucocutaneous lesions. All patients demonstrated ocular involvement at the time of diagnosis (68% with unilateral and 32% with bilateral disease), 84% had evidence of uveitis, 3% had scleritis, 2% had conjunctivitis, and 1% had pars planitis and iridocyclitis. During follow-up, the ocular complications included conjunctivitis (96%), anterior uveitis (92%), posterior uveitis (64%), keratitis (64%), cataract (56%), intermediate uveitis (40%), scleritis (28%), cystoid macular edema (28%), papillitis (16%), and glaucoma (16%). Systemic treatment for ocular inflammation was initiated in all patients. Ninety-six percent were treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents. Eighty-eight percent were treated with corticosteroids, 64% requiring systemic prednisone. Immunosuppressive therapy was initiated in 52% of patients, with all receiving methotrexate. Seven patients required more than one immunosuppressive agent. The mean initial visual acuity was 20/25 in the right eye and 20/30 in the left eye. The mean final visual acuity was 20/25 in the right eye and 20/25 in the left eye. CONCLUSIONS: Reiter's syndrome may be associated with chronic recurrent ocular inflammation. Systemic therapy (including immunosuppressive treatment) typically is required to control the ocular inflammation and to prevent progressive visual loss.