Case Report: Right atrial mass arising from the Eustachian valve.

A mass in the right atrium (RA) is an unusual finding that warrants further investigation. We report the case of a 72-year-old male patient who underwent a Bentall operation with a biological composite graft and closure of patent foramen ovale 18 months prior to his presentation with an incidental new RA mass during follow-up echocardiography. Transesophageal echocardiography and thoracic CT angiography confirmed a right atrial mass attached to the Eustachian valve and additionally revealed a non-occlusive pulmonary embolism in the inferior lobar artery of the left lung. Despite 2 months of anticoagulation treatment, the size of the mass did not decrease. Further MRI imaging showed a central mass enhancement which raised concerns about a tumoral lesion. Following a discussion with the local Heart Team, management with surgical treatment was decided. The intraoperative findings revealed a 2.5 cm × 2.1 cm mass arising from the Eustachian valve and a non-diagnosed Chiari network in the RA. Both were resected and sent for a frozen section procedure which excluded a malignancy. The final histopathological analysis described fibrotic tissues compatible with an organized thrombus. The patient was discharged on postoperative day 7 without any complications. Although imaging studies are useful for the initial and differential diagnosis of RA masses, it is not always possible to get the final diagnosis without surgery. In case of a suspicion of a potentially malignant pathology, surgical exploration and resection are necessary.

The Impact of Left Ventricular Performance and Afterload on the Evaluation of Aortic Valve Stenosis: A 1D Mathematical Modeling Approach.

The transaortic valvular pressure gradient (TPG) plays a central role in decision-making for patients suffering from severe aortic stenosis. However, the flow-dependence nature of the TPG makes the diagnosis of aortic stenosis challenging since the markers of cardiac performance and afterload present high physiological interdependence and thus, isolated effects cannot be measured directly in vivo. We used a validated 1D mathematical model of the cardiovascular system, coupled with a model of aortic stenosis, to assess and quantify the independent effect of the main left ventricular performance parameters (end-systolic (Ees) and end-diastolic (Eed) elastance) and principal afterload indices (total vascular resistance (TVR) and total arterial compliance (TAC)) on the TPG for different levels of aortic stenosis. In patients with critical aortic stenosis (aortic valve area (AVA) ≤ 0.6 cm2), a 10% increase of Eed from the baseline value was associated with the most important effect on the TPG (-5.6 ± 0.5 mmHg, p < 0.001), followed by a similar increase of Ees (3.4 ± 0.1 mmHg, p < 0.001), in TAC (1.3 ±0.2 mmHg, p < 0.001) and TVR (-0.7 ± 0.04 mmHg, p < 0.001). The interdependence of the TPG left ventricular performance and afterload indices become stronger with increased aortic stenosis severity. Disregarding their effects may lead to an underestimation of stenosis severity and a potential delay in therapeutic intervention. Therefore, a comprehensive evaluation of left ventricular function and afterload should be performed, especially in cases of diagnostic challenge, since it may offer the pathophysiological mechanism that explains the mismatch between aortic severity and the TPG.

Renal dysfunction and outcome in left ventricular non-compaction.

BACKGROUND: While renal function has been observed to inversely correlate with clinical outcome in other cardiomyopathies, its prognostic significance in patients with left ventricular non-compaction cardiomyopathy (LVNC) has not been investigated. The aim of this study was to determine the prognostic value of renal function in LVNC patients. METHODS: Patients with isolated LVNC as diagnosed by echocardiography and/or magnetic resonance imaging in 4 Swiss centers were retrospectively analyzed for this study. Values for creatinine, urea, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) as assessed by the CKD-EPI 2009 formula were collected and analyzed by a Cox regression model for the occurrence of a composite endpoint (death or heart transplantation). RESULTS: During the median observation period of 7.4 years 23 patients reached the endpoint. The ageand gender-corrected hazard ratios (HR) for death or heart transplantation were: 1.9 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.4-2.6) for each increase over baseline creatinine level of 30 µmol/L (p < 0.001), 1.6 (95% CI 1.2-2.2) for each increase over baseline urea level of 5 mmol/L (p = 0.004), and 3.6 (95% CI 1.9-6.9) for each decrease below baseline eGFR level of 30 mL/min (p ≤ 0.001). The HR (log2) for every doubling of creatinine was 7.7 (95% CI 3-19.8; p < 0.001), for every doubling of urea 2.5 (95% CI 1.5-4.3; p < 0.001), and for every bisection of eGFR 5.3 (95% CI 2.4-11.6; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence that in patients with LVNC impairment in renal function is associated with an increased risk of death and heart transplantation suggesting that kidney function assessment should be standard in risk assessment of LVNC patients.

Prognostic Implications of the Novel Pulmonary Hypertension Definition in Patients with Aortic Stenosis after Transcatheter Valve Replacement.

Introduction: Pulmonary hypertension (PH), traditionally defined as a mean pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) ≥ 25 mmHg, is associated with poor outcomes in patients undergoing a transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) for severe aortic stenosis (AS). Recently, a novel definition for PH has been proposed, placing the cut-off value of mean PAP at 20 mmHg, and introducing pulmonary vascular resistance as an exclusive indicator for the pre-capillary involvement. In light of the novel criteria, whether PH still preserves its prognostic significance remains unknown. Methods: The study population consisted of 380 patients with AS, who underwent a right heart catheterization before TAVR. The cohort was divided according to the presence of PH (n = 174, 45.7%) or not. Patients with PH were further divided into the following groups: (1) Pre-capillary PH ((Pre-capPH), n = 46, 12.1%); (2) Isolated post-capillary PH ((IpcPH), n = 78, 20.5%); (3) Combined pre and post-capillary PH ((CpcPH), n = 82, 21.6%). The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality at 1 year. Results: A total of 246 patients (64.7%) exhibited mean PAP > 20 mmHg. Overall, the presence of PH was associated with higher 1-year mortality rates (hazard ratio (HR) 2.8, 95% CI: 1.4−5.8, p = 0.004). Compared to patients with no PH, Pre-capPH and CpcPH (but not IpcPH) were related to higher 1-year mortality (HR 2.7, 95% CI: 1.0−7.2, p = 0.041 and HR 3.9, 95% CI: 1.8−8.5, p = 0.001, respectively). This remained significant even after the adjustment for baseline comorbidities. Conclusions: Pre-interventional PH according to the novel hemodynamic criteria, is linked with poor outcomes in patients undergoing TAVR for severe AS. However, this is mainly driven by patients with mean PAP ≥ 25 mmHg. Patients with a pre-capillary PH component as defined by increased PVR present an even worse prognosis as compared to patients with isolated post-capillary or no PH who present comparable 1-year mortality rates.

Arterial Wave Reflection and Aortic Valve Stenosis: Diagnostic Challenges and Prognostic Significance.

Introduction: Arterial wave reflection is an important component of the left ventricular afterload, affecting both pressure and flow to the aorta. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of wave reflection on transvalvular pressure gradients (TPG), a key parameter for the evaluation of aortic valve stenosis (AS), as well as its prognostic significance in patients with AS undergoing a transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Materials and Methods: The study population consisted of 351 patients with AS (mean age 84 ± 6 years, 43% males) who underwent a complete hemodynamic evaluation before the TAVR. The baseline assessment included right and left heart catheterization, transthoracic echocardiography, and a thorough evaluation of the left ventricular afterload by means of wave separation analysis. The cohort was divided into quartiles according to the transit time of the backward pressure wave (BWTT). Primary endpoint was all-cause mortality at 1 year. Results: Early arrival of the backward pressure wave was related to lower cardiac output (Q1: 3.7 ± 0.9 lt/min vs Q4: 4.4 ± 1.0 lt/min, p < 0.001) and higher aortic systolic blood pressure (Q1: 132 ± 26 mmHg vs Q4: 117 ± 26 mmHg, p < 0.001). TPG was significantly related to the BWTT, patients in the arrival group exhibiting the lowest TPG (mean TPG, Q1: 37.6 ± 12.7 mmHg vs Q4: 44.8 ± 14.7 mmHg, p = 0.005) for the same aortic valve area (AVA) (Q1: 0.58 ± 0.35 cm2 vs 0.61 ± 0.22 cm2, p = 0.303). In multivariate analysis, BWTT remained an independent determinant of mean TPG (beta 0.3, p = 0.002). Moreover, the prevalence of low-flow, low-gradient AS with preserved ejection fraction was higher in patients with early arterial reflection arrival (Q1: 33.3% vs Q4: 14.9%, p = 0.033). Finally, patients with early arrival of the reflected wave (Q1) exhibited higher all-cause mortality at 1 year after the TAVR (unadjusted HR: 2.33, 95% CI: 1.17-4.65, p = 0.016). Conclusion: Early reflected wave arrival to the aortic root is associated with poor prognosis and significant aortic hemodynamic alterations in patients undergoing a TAVR for AS. This is related to a significant decrease in TPG for a given AVA, leading to a possible underestimation of the AS severity.

[Cardiac surgery in the time of COVID19 - A narrative of three very unusual cases and lessons learned]. / Chirurgie cardiaque au temps du Covid-19 - Récit de trois cas très inhabituels et leçons retenues.

COVID19 altered and impacted medical and surgical practice around the world. Standard of care and routine procedures are disrupted. Majors shift in personnel, and ad hoc new team as well as delocalization and working with new infrastructures are further challenges to be dealt with. This review of three very unusual scenarios illustrates pitfalls and dangers harbored in the re-shaped landscape of COVID19 exemplifying the narrow path bridging from the medical and surgical comfort zone to uncharted territory and eventually leading to collateral damage.

Le Covid-19 a profondément modifié et sévèrement impacté les pratiques médicales et chirurgicales à long terme. Les standards de prise en charge et les procédures de routine sont altérés, voire perturbés. Des mutations majeures au niveau du personnel et des équipes de même que la délocalisation ou le travail avec de nouvelles infrastructures sont autant de défis à relever, encore aujourd'hui. Trois scénarios inhabituels illustrent les pièges et les dangers qui se cachent dans le paysage marqué par le Covid-19. Ces exemples démontrent la marge étroite entre la zone de confort médicale et chirurgicale classique et l'appréhension d'une situation inhabituelle qui risque d'entraîner des dommages collatéraux pour les patients.

Recurrent pneumonia post atrial fibrillation ablation: do not forget to look for pulmonary vein stenosis.

A man in his 50s presented with persistent chest pain, haemoptysis, cough and dyspnoea 5 months after undergoing catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF). Several chest CT scans suggested pneumonia. Despite adequate treatment for recurrent pneumonia, symptoms persisted. While reviewing the initial chest CT, a partial venous infarction of the left lower lobe associated with severe left inferior pulmonary vein stenosis (PVS) was diagnosed. Stenting of the left inferior pulmonary vein with a vascular bare metal stent was performed, guided by fluoroscopy and transoesophageal echocardiography. Dual antiplatelet therapy (aspirin/clopidogrel) was introduced for 3 months, followed by long-term aspirin monotherapy. The treatment resulted in relief of his symptoms and the resolution of pulmonary opacities on chest CT. Despite low frequency, AF ablation remains the most common cause of acquired PVS. As highlighted in this case, symptoms are not specific and include recurrent pulmonary infection with delayed management.

Transseptal mitral valve-in-valve implantation in a degenerated mitral bioprosthesis: A case report and literature review.

Transseptal TMViV should be considered for mitral bioprosthesis failure especially when large THV can be implanted. Elevated residual mean gradient and its effect on valve durability and potential valve thrombosis remains an unanswered question.

Normalization of left ventricular filling pressure after cardiac surgery for the Loeffler's endocarditis: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Loeffler endocarditis is a rare restrictive cardiomyopathy, characterized by hypereosinophilia and fibrous thickening of the endocardium causing progressive onset of heart failure and appearance of thrombi on the walls of the heart chambers. CASE SUMMARY: A 72-year-old man known for hypertension and dyslipidaemia consults for progressive dyspnoea up to New York Heart Association (NYHA) Classes 2-3 over 3 weeks. The biological balance sheet shows a high eosinophil level and an echocardiography shows a mild echodensity fixed to the left apex. After exclusion of a secondary cause of hypereosinophilia, diagnosis of endomyocardial fibrosis in the context of a hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) is therefore retained. The patient's clinical presentation with cardiac involvement leads us to start a treatment with corticosteroids. The patient is then regularly followed every 6 months with an initially stable course without complications. Two years later, he develops progressive signs of heart failure. Transthoracic echocardiography shows a left ventricular (LV) dilatation with a normal ejection fraction, but decreased volume due to a large echodense mass in the apex, and moderate aortic regurgitation caused by myocardial infiltration. In view of this rapid evolution, resection of the LV mass with concomitant aortic valve replacement is performed. Pathology confirms eosinophilic infiltration. The clinical course is very good with a patient who remains stable with dyspnoea NYHA Classes 1-2, and echocardiography at 1 year shows a normalization of LV filling pressure. DISCUSSION: HES represents a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by overproduction of eosinophils. One of the major causes of mortality is associated cardiac involvement. Endocardial fibrosis and mural thrombosis are frequent cardiac findings. Echocardiography plays a crucial role in initial diagnosis of endomyocardial fibrosis, and for regular follow-up in order to adapt medical treatment and monitor haemodynamic evolution of the restrictive physiology and of valvular damage caused by the disease's evolution. This case also shows that surgery can normalize filling pressure and allow a clear improvement on the clinical condition even at the terminal fibrotic state.

Left Posterior Thoracic Acoustic Window: A Forgotten Approach for Aortic Stenosis Assessment.

Accurate diagnosis of severe aortic stenosis is important for timely valve replacement. Peak aortic velocity and gradient recordings require optimal aortic jet-ultrasound beam alignment, which may be challenging in patients with poor acoustic windows due to obesity, lung disease, chest deformities, skin lesions, or surgical scars. In these clinical settings, alternative acoustic windows, notably the posterior thoracic window, can be helpful. However, in order to use the posterior thoracic window, some degree of left pleural effusion must be present.

Le diagnostic précis de la sténose aortique sévère est important pour procéder au remplacement de la valve dans un délai approprié. Les enregistrements du gradient et de la vélocité aortique maximale exigent un alignement optimal entre le flux aortique et le faisceau d'ultrasons, mais il peut s'avérer difficile chez les patients dont les fenêtres acoustiques sont mauvaises en raison de l'obésité, d'une pneumopathie, de déformations thoraciques, de lésions cutanées ou de cicatrices chirurgicales. Dans ces contextes cliniques, d'autres fenêtres acoustiques, notamment la fenêtre thoracique postérieure, peuvent être utiles. Toutefois, pour utiliser la fenêtre thoracique postérieure, un certain degré d'épanchement pleural gauche doit être présent.

Two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography at rest for the diagnosis, screening and management of pulmonary hypertension.

Doppler echocardiography is widely used in everyday clinical practice for the detection of pulmonary hypertension (PH) in symptomatic patients and in populations particularly at risk of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). It allows accurate estimation of systolic pulmonary arterial pressure but may lack precision in particular situations. In addition, echocardiography can help to distinguish between pre- and post-capillary PH and is a very good tool to evaluate right ventricular systolic function, which is of great prognostic interest in PAH. This article reviews the current knowledge about methodologic aspects of assessing pulmonary pressure and PH origin by echo, including a discussion about abnormal thresholds. It also details advanced techniques like right ventricular strain imaging and new concepts like right ventricle – pulmonary artery coupling evaluation that have become “matured” enough to be definitely brought to routine evaluation.

Five-Year Follow-up After Percutaneous Management of a 40-Year-Old Man in Shock Treated by Percutaneous Coronary Intervention and MitraClip.

Acute coronary syndromes complicated by cardiogenic shock are associated with high mortality, and patients are definitely considered at high procedural risk. We present here the 5-year success of full percutaneous management of a young patient in cardiogenic shock with acute and chronic coronary artery disease as well as significant mitral regurgitation. Whereas the benefit of culprit lesion coronary revascularization is well established, evidence supporting chronic total occlusion revascularization in the acute setting remains poor. Percutaneous management of acute mitral regurgitation with cardiogenic shock is a viable option in patients with recurrent pulmonary edema.

Les syndromes coronariens aigus compliqués d'un choc cardiogéne sont associés à une mortalité élevée, et les patients sont clairement considérés comme présentant un risque interventionnel élevé. Nous présentons ici un cas de succès à 5 ans, de la prise en charge percutanée complète d'un jeune patient en état de choc cardiogéne avec une coronaropathie aiguë et chronique ainsi qu'une régurgitation mitrale sévère. Alors que le bénéfice de la revascularisation coronarienne de la lésion coupable est reconnu, l'évidence en faveur d'une revascularisation de l'occlusion totale chronique en phase aigue reste à établir. L'approche percutanée de la régurgitation mitrale aiguë avec choc cardiogéne est une option viable chez les patients présentant un œdème pulmonaire récurrent.

Acute effects of transcatheter aortic valve replacement on the ventricular-aortic interaction.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is increasingly used to treat severe aortic stenosis (AS) patients. However, little is known regarding the direct effect of TAVR on the ventricular-aortic interaction. In the present study, we aimed to investigate changes in central hemodynamics after successful TAVR. We retrospectively examined 33 cases of severe AS patients (84 ± 6 yr) who underwent TAVR. Invasive measurements of left ventricular and aortic pressures as well as echocardiographic aortic flow were acquired before and after TAVR (maximum within 5 days). We examined alterations in key features of central pressure and flow waveforms, including the aortic augmentation index (AIx), and performed wave separation analysis. Arterial parameters were determined via parameter-fitting on a two-element Windkessel model. Resolution of AS resulted in direct increase in the aortic systolic pressure and maximal aortic flow (131 ± 22 vs. 157 ± 25 mmHg and 237 ± 49 vs. 302 ± 69 mL/s, P < 0.001 for all), whereas the ejection duration decreased (P < 0.001). We noted a significant decrease in the AIx (from 42 ± 12 to 19 ± 11%, P < 0.001). Of note, the arterial properties remained unchanged. There was a comparable increase in both forward (61 ± 20 vs. 77 ± 20 mmHg, P < 0.001) and backward (35 ± 14 vs. 42 ± 10 mmHg, P = 0.013) pressure wave amplitudes, while their ratio, i.e., the reflection coefficient, was preserved. Our results highlight the impact of TAVR on the ventricular-aortic interaction by affecting the amplitude, shape, and related attributes of the aortic pressure and flow pulse and challenge the interpretation of AIx as a solely vascular measure in AS patients.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is linked with an immediate increase in aortic systolic blood pressure and maximal flow, as well as steeper aortic pressure and flow wave upstrokes. After TAVR, the forward wave pumped by the heart is enhanced. Although the arterial properties remain unchanged, the central augmentation index (AIx) is markedly decreased after TAVR. This challenges the interpretation of AIx as a solely vascular measure in patients with aortic valve stenosis.

Biomechanics of diastolic dysfunction: a one-dimensional computational modeling approach.

Diastolic dysfunction (DD) is a major component of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Accordingly, a profound understanding of the underlying biomechanical mechanisms involved in DD is needed to elucidate all aspects of HFpEF. In this study, we have developed a computational model of DD by leveraging the power of an advanced one-dimensional arterial network coupled to a four-chambered zero-dimensional cardiac model. The two main pathologies investigated were linked to the active relaxation of the myocardium and the passive stiffness of the left ventricular wall. These pathologies were quantified through two parameters for the biphasic delay of active relaxation, which simulate the early and late-phase relaxation delay, and one parameter for passive stiffness, which simulates the increased nonlinear stiffness of the ventricular wall. A parameter sensitivity analysis was conducted on each of the three parameters to investigate their effect in isolation. The three parameters were then concurrently adjusted to produce the three main phenotypes of DD. It was found that the impaired relaxation phenotype can be replicated by mainly manipulating the active relaxation, the pseudo-normal phenotype was replicated by manipulating both the active relaxation and passive stiffness, and, finally, the restricted phenotype was replicated by mainly changing the passive stiffness. This article presents a simple model producing a holistic and comprehensive replication of the main DD phenotypes and presents novel biomechanical insights on how key parameters defining the relaxation and stiffness properties of the myocardium affect the development and manifestation of DD.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study uses a complete and validated computational model of the cardiovascular system to simulate the two main pathologies involved in diastolic dysfunction (DD), i.e., abnormal active relaxation and increased ventricular diastolic stiffness. The three phenotypes of DD were successfully replicated according to literature data. We elucidate the biomechanical effect of the relaxation pathologies involved and how these pathologies interact to create the various phenotypes of DD.

Pathophysiology of the aortic regurgitation Doppler signal end-diastolic notching: "A-dip insight".

A 76-year-old man was admitted to the hospital with symptoms of severe decompensated heart failure. Initial echocardiogram showed normal left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction, grade II diastolic dysfunction, and mild-to-moderate aortic regurgitation. The aortic regurgitant Doppler signal exhibited an end-diastolic notching, called an A-dip. After intravenous diuretic therapy and 3 kg weight loss, a new echocardiogram was performed showing a grade I diastolic dysfunction and complete abolishment of the A-dip. Aortic A-dip is a rare finding denoting increased LV filling pressures. Conditions that favor its occurrence are increased LV stiffness, low diastolic blood pressure, and preserved left atrial contractility.

The Impact of Levothyroxine on Cardiac Function in Older Adults With Mild Subclinical Hypothyroidism: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND: Subclinical hypothyroidism has been associated with heart failure, but only small trials assessed whether treatment with levothyroxine has an impact on cardiac function. METHODS: In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, trial nested within the TRUST trial, Swiss participants ages ≥65 years with subclinical hypothyroidism (thyroid-stimulating hormone [TSH] 4.60-19.99 mIU/L; free thyroxine level within reference range) were randomized to levothyroxine (starting dose of 50 µg daily) to achieve TSH normalization or placebo. The primary outcomes were the left ventricular ejection fraction for systolic function and the ratio between mitral peak velocity of early filling to early diastolic mitral annular velocity (E/e' ratio) for diastolic function. Secondary outcomes included e' lateral/septal, left atrial volume index, and systolic pulmonary artery pressure. RESULTS: A total of 185 participants (mean age 74.1 years, 47% women) underwent echocardiography at the end of the trial. After a median treatment duration of 18.4 months, the mean TSH decreased from 6.35 mIU/L to 3.55 mIU/L with levothyroxine (n = 96), and it remained elevated at 5.29 mIU/L with placebo (n = 89). The adjusted between-group difference was not significant for the mean left ventricular ejection fraction (62.7% vs 62.5%, difference = 0.4%, 95% confidence interval -1.8% to 2.5%, P = 0.72) and the E/e' ratio (10.6 vs 10.1, difference 0.4, 95% confidence interval -0.7 to 1.4, P = 0.47). No differences were found for the secondary diastolic function parameters or for interaction according to sex, baseline TSH, preexisting heart failure, and treatment duration (P value >0.05). CONCLUSION: Systolic and diastolic heart function did not differ after treatment with levothyroxine compared with placebo in older adults with mild subclinical hypothyroidism.