How many clues make an evidence? An unusual case of aborted cardiac arrest due to mitral valve prolapse.

There is an increasing awareness on the association between mitral valve prolapse (MVP) and sudden cardiac death. Mitral annular disjunction (MAD) is a phenotypic risk feature that can help in risk stratification. We present a case of a 58-year-old woman who experienced an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest caused by ventricular fibrillation interrupted by a direct current shock. No coronary lesions were documented. Echocardiogram showed myxomatous MVP. Nonsustained ventricular tachycardia have been registered during hospital stay. Interestingly, cardiac magnetic resonance revealed MAD and a late gadolinium enhancement area in inferior wall. Finally, a defibrillator has been implanted. For arrhythmic risk stratification of MVP with MAD, multimodality imaging is the diagnostic tool to find out the disease behind many cardiac arrests of unknown cause.

Deformation Imaging by Strain in Chronic Heart Failure Over Sacubitril-Valsartan: A Multicenter Echocardiographic Registry.

AIMS: Sacubitril/valsartan has changed the treatment of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), due to the positive effects on morbidity and mortality, partly mediated by left ventricular (LV) reverse remodelling (LVRR). The aim of this multicenter study was to identify echocardiographic predictors of LVRR after sacubitril/valsartan administration. METHODS AND RESULTS: Patients with HFrEF requiring therapy with sacubitril/valsartan from 13 Italian centres were included. Echocardiographic parameters including LV global longitudinal strain (GLS) and global peak atrial longitudinal strain by speckle tracking echocardiography were measured to find the predictors of LVRR [= LV end-systolic volume reduction ≥10% and ejection fraction (LVEF) improvement ≥10% at follow-up] at 6 month follow-up as the primary endpoint. Changes in symptoms [New York Heart Association (NYHA) class] and neurohormonal activations [N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP)] were also evaluated as secondary endpoints; 341 patients (excluding patients with poor acoustic windows and missing data) were analysed (mean age: 65 ± 10 years; 18% female, median LVEF 30% [inter-quartile range: 25-34]). At 6 month follow-up, 82 (24%) patients showed early complete response (LVRR and LVEF ≥ 35%), 55 (16%) early incomplete response (LVRR and LVEF < 35%), and 204 (60%) no response (no LVRR and LVEF < 35%). Non-ischaemic aetiology, a lower left atrial volume index, and a higher GLS were all independent predictors of LVRR at multivariable logistic analysis (all P < 0.01). A baseline GLS < -9.3% was significantly associated with early response (area under the curve 0.75, P < 0.0001). Left atrial strain was the best predictor of positive changes in NYHA class and NT-proBNP (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Speckle tracking echocardiography parameters at baseline could be useful to predict LVRR and clinical response to sacubitril-valsartan and could be used as a guide for treatment in patients with HFrEF.

Sacubitril/valsartan reduces indications for arrhythmic primary prevention in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction: insights from DISCOVER-ARNI, a multicenter Italian register.

Aims: This sub-study deriving from a multicentre Italian register [Deformation Imaging by Strain in Chronic Heart Failure Over Sacubitril-Valsartan: A Multicenter Echocardiographic Registry (DISCOVER)-ARNI] investigated whether sacubitril/valsartan in addition to optimal medical therapy (OMT) could reduce the rate of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) indications for primary prevention in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) according to European guidelines indications, and its potential predictors. Methods and results: In this observational study, consecutive patients with HFrEF eligible for sacubitril/valsartan from 13 Italian centres were included. Lack of follow-up or speckle tracking data represented exclusion criteria. Demographic, clinical, biochemical, and echocardiographic data were collected at baseline and after 6 months from sacubitril/valsartan initiation. Of 351 patients, 225 (64%) were ICD carriers and 126 (36%) were not ICD carriers (of whom 13 had no indication) at baseline. After 6 months of sacubitril/valsartan, among 113 non-ICD carriers despite having baseline left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) ≤ 35% and New York Heart Association (NYHA) class = II-III, 69 (60%) did not show ICD indications; 44 (40%) still fulfilled ICD criteria. Age, atrial fibrillation, mitral regurgitation > moderate, left atrial volume index (LAVi), and LV global longitudinal strain (GLS) significantly varied between the groups. With receiver operating characteristic curves, age ≥ 75 years, LAVi ≥ 42 mL/m2 and LV GLS ≥-8.3% were associated with ICD indications persistence (area under the curve = 0.65, 0.68, 0.68, respectively). With univariate and multivariate analysis, only LV GLS emerged as significant predictor of ICD indications at follow-up in different predictive models. Conclusions: Sacubitril/valsartan may provide early improvement of NYHA class and LVEF, reducing the possible number of implanted ICD for primary prevention in HFrEF. Baseline reduced LV GLS was a strong marker of ICD indication despite OMT. Early therapy with sacubitril/valsartan may save infective/haemorrhagic risks and unnecessary costs deriving from ICDs.

[Acute aortic dissection: a challenging pitfall on the acute coronary syndrome pathway]. / Dissezione aortica acuta: un trabocchetto insidioso nel percorso della sindrome coronarica acuta.

Acute aortic dissection is a life-threatening condition that is challenging and difficult to recognize since symptoms may mimic other time-dependent conditions like acute coronary syndrome, acute pulmonary embolism or abdominal conditions. We here describe the case of a middle-aged male with thoraco-abdominal pain, positive ECG and troponin tests that demonstrated a large type A aortic dissection at echocardiography done as part of the acute coronary syndrome work-up. This case report reminds clinicians that acute aortic dissection, although rare, should be considered as a differential diagnosis in the work-up of acute coronary syndrome to avoid critical pitfalls, and echocardiography is crucial to rule out it.

Multimodality imaging of a rare pulmonary artery sessile mass: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Primary pulmonary artery masses are unusual entities that mimic pulmonary embolism (PE) in clinical presentation and on imaging studies. It is necessary to perform advanced diagnostic exams, such as transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), to determine the proper diagnosis. In unclear cases, laboratory findings, morphological follow-up, and response to anticoagulant therapy can help to clarify the diagnosis. CASE SUMMARY: A 47-year-old previously healthy man with worsening effort dyspnoea underwent chest computed tomography (CT) for suspicion of PE, which showed a pedunculated eccentric mass at the origin of the pulmonary artery causing severe stenosis. The patient was started on anticoagulation therapy, but, after TEE and cardiac MRI, a neoplastic fibroelastic mass was suspected. Unexpectedly, 18fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)-CT revealed a unique area of glucose uptake in the superior lobe of the left lung and not in the pulmonary artery. The biopsy was consistent with pleomorphic high-grade lung sarcoma. After 3 months of chemotherapy, a CT scan showed progression of the lung disease with no change in the arterial mass, which was therefore confirmed as pulmonary fibroelastoma. DISCUSSION: Due to the rarity of pulmonary artery tumours, they can be initially misdiagnosed as PE or a metastasis of a lung sarcoma. Three-dimensional TEE and cardiac MRI are particularly useful in differentiating tumours from PE.