Non-valvular infective endocarditis associated with central venous catheter bloodstream infection: a case report.

Non-valvular Infective endocarditis (IE) is exceedingly rare; however, its incidence has risen in tandem with the increased usage of intracardiac devices and the growing prevalence of risk factors associated with IE. We present a clinical case involving an 18-year-old patient with IE occurring at an atypical location, concomitant with central venous catheter bloodstream infection. The patient underwent targeted antibiotic therapy but ultimately required surgical resection of the vegetation due to multiple risk factors associated with a poor prognosis. This case underscores the importance of maintaining a low threshold of suspicion for IE and emphasizes the need for heightened vigilance regarding non-valvular tissues hosting foreign bodies. These less common locations pose a risk for vegetation development. Additionally, we underscore the pivotal role of 3D echocardiography tools in anatomically characterizing the vegetation, including dimensions, implantation area, and related anatomy. These tools provide realistic images that facilitate informed decision-making. Furthermore, the timely selection of surgical intervention in patients at elevated risk of therapeutic failure is a cornerstone in effective management.

La endocarditis infecciosa (EI) no valvular es extremadamente infrecuente; sin embargo, su incidencia ha aumentado paralelamente al incremento del uso de dispositivos intracardiacos y a la creciente prevalencia de factores de riesgo asociados a la EI. Se presenta un caso clínico de un paciente de 18 años con EI en una localización atípica, concomitante con infección del torrente sanguíneo por catéter venoso central. El paciente fue sometido a un tratamiento antibiótico específico, pero finalmente requirió la resección quirúrgica de la vegetación debido a múltiples factores de riesgo asociados a un mal pronóstico. Este caso resalta la importancia de mantener un umbral bajo de sospecha de EI y hace hincapié en la necesidad de una mayor vigilancia de los tejidos no valvulares que albergan cuerpos extraños. Estas localizaciones menos frecuentes suponen un riesgo para el desarrollo de vegetación. Asimismo, subrayamos el papel fundamental de las herramientas de ecocardiografía tridimensional en la caracterización anatómica de la vegetación, incluidas las dimensiones, el área de implantación y la anatomía relacionada. Estas herramientas proporcionan imágenes realistas que facilitan la toma de decisiones informadas. Además, la selección oportuna de la intervención quirúrgica en pacientes con alto riesgo de fracaso terapéutico es una piedra angular en el manejo eficaz.

Standard for monitoring and evaluation of two-dimensional- and three-dimensional-transesophageal echocardiography during transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement / 中华超声影像学杂志

Transcatheter tricuspid valve intervention is the new frontier of interventional cardiology. The LuX-Valve is a radial force-independent orthotopic tricuspid valve replacement device developed in China. The LuX-Valve Plus transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement (TTVR) system is changed from the trans-atrial to the transjugular approach, which further reduces trauma and pulmonary complications compared with the first generation LuX-Valve. The first-in-human study has been completed at Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University and an exploratory multicentre clinical study is underway. Echocardiography plays an important role in pre-TTVR screening, intraoperative guidance and postoperative evaluation and follow-up, especially two-dimensional transoesophageal echocardiography (2D-TEE) and three-dimensional transoesophageal echocardiography (3D-TEE). However, there is a lack of appropriate intraoperative guidance and assessment protocols. In this study, we briefly described the protocols and imaging considerations for intraoperative 2D-TEE and 3D-TEE to ensure the successful implantation of TTVR.

Three-Dimensional Myocardial Strain for the Prediction of Clinical Events in Patients With ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

BACKGROUND: Two-dimensional (2D) strain provides more predictive power than ejection fraction (EF) in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). 3D strain and EF are also expected to have better clinical usefulness and overcome several inherent limitations of 2D strain. We aimed to clarify the prognostic significance of 3D strain analysis in patients with STEMI. METHODS: Patients who underwent successful revascularization for STEMI were retrospectively recruited. In addition to conventional parameters, 3D EF, global longitudinal strain (GLS), global area strain (GAS), as well as 2D GLS were obtained. We constructed a composite outcome consisting of all-cause death or re-hospitalization for acute heart failure or ventricular arrhythmia. RESULTS: Of 632 STEMI patients, 545 patients (86.2%) had a reliable 3D strain analysis. During median follow-up of 49.5 months, 55 (10.1%) patients experienced the adverse outcome. Left ventricle EF, 2D GLS, 3D EF, 3D GLS, and 3D GAS were significantly associated with poor outcomes. (all, p < 0.001) The maximum likelihood-ratio test was performed to evaluate the additional prognostic value of 2D GLS or 3D GLS over the prognostic model consisting of clinical characteristics and EF, and the likelihood ratio was 15.9 for 2D GLS (p < 0.001) and 1.49 for 3D GLS (p = 0.22). CONCLUSIONS: The predictive power of 3D strain was slightly lower than the 2D strain. Although we can obtain 3D strains, volume, and EF simultaneously in same cycle, the clinical implications of 3D strains in STEMI need to be investigated further.

A Curva Volume-Tempo Obtida pela Ecocardiografia Tridimensional na Cardiomiopatia Chagásica: Análise do Mecanismo das Adaptações Hemodinâmicas / The Volume-Time Curve by Three-Dimensional Echocardiography in Chagas Cardiomyopathy: Insights into the Mechanism of Hemodynamic Adaptations

Resumo Fundamento A ecocardiografia tridimensional (ECO 3D) permite a geração de uma curva volume-tempo representativa das alterações no volume ventricular esquerdo (VE) ao longo de todo o ciclo cardíaco. Objetivo O presente estudo tem como objetivo demonstrar as adaptações hemodinâmicas presentes na cardiomiopatia chagásica (CC) por meio das medidas de volume e fluxo obtidas pela curva volume-tempo por ECO 3D. Métodos Vinte pacientes com CC e 15 indivíduos saudáveis foram incluídos prospectivamente em um estudo de desenho transversal. Realizou-se ECO 3D em todos os indivíduos e as curvas volume-tempo do VE foram geradas. O fluxo foi obtido pela primeira derivada da curva volume-tempo por meio do software MATLAB. A significância estatística foi definida com p<0,05. Resultados Embora os pacientes com CC tivessem menor fração de ejeção do VE em comparação com o grupo controle (29,8±7,5 vs. 57,7±6,1, p<0,001), o volume (61,5±25,2 vs. 53,8±21,0, p=0,364) e o fluxo de ejeção máximo durante a sístole (-360,3±147,5 vs. -305,6±126,0, p = 0,231) mostraram-se semelhantes entre os grupos. Da mesma forma, o fluxo máximo na fase de enchimento inicial e durante a contração atrial mostrou-se semelhante entre os grupos. Um aumento na pré-carga expressa pelo volume diastólico final do VE (204,8±79,4 vs. 93,0±32,6), p<0,001) pode manter o fluxo e o volume ejetado semelhantes aos dos controles. Conclusão Com uma ferramenta não invasiva, demonstramos que o aumento no volume diastólico final do VE pode ser o principal mecanismo de adaptação que mantém o fluxo e o volume ejetado no cenário de disfunção sistólica ventricular esquerda severa.

Abstract Background Three-dimensional echocardiography (3D ECHO) allows the generation of a volume-time curve representative of changes in the left ventricular (LV) volume throughout the entire cardiac cycle. Objective This study aims to demonstrate the hemodynamic adaptations present in Chagas cardiomyopathy (CC) by means of the volume and flow measurements obtained by the volume-time curve by 3D ECHO. Methods Twenty patients with CC and 15 healthy subjects were prospectively enrolled in a cross-sectional design study. 3D ECHO was performed in all subjects and the volume over time curves of the LV was generated. The flow was obtained by the first derivative of the volume-time curve using the software MATLAB. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05. Results Although CC patients had lower LV ejection fraction compared to the control group (29.8±7.5 vs. 57.7±6.1, p<0.001), stroke volume (61.5±25.2 vs. 53.8±21.0, p=0.364) and maximum ejection flow during systole (-360.3±147.5 vs. -305.6±126.0, p=0.231) were similar between the groups. Likewise, the maximum flow in the early diastolic filling phase and during atrial contraction was similar between groups. An increase in preload expressed by LV end diastolic volume (204.8±79.4 vs. 93.0±32.6), p<0.001) may maintain the flow and stroke volumes similar to the controls. Conclusion Using a non-invasive tool, we demonstrated that an increase in LV end-diastolic volume may be the main adaptation mechanism that maintains the flow and stroke volumes in the setting of severe LV systolic dysfunction.

Evaluation of Left Ventricular Systolic Function in Patients with Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction by Three-Dimensional Speckle-Tracking Imaging.

INTRODUCTION: The objective of this study is to evaluate the left ventricular systolic function of patients with coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) using the three-dimensional speckle-tracking imaging (3D-STI) technique. METHODS: From June 2018 to June 2019,72 subjects from Huzhou Central Hospital were enrolled, including 42 CMD in-patients with typical chest pain or chest tightness and positive treadmill exercise stress test, but without coronary stenosis on coronary angiography, (the CMD group) and another 30 healthy individuals who were undergoing physical examinations in an outpatient clinic (the control group). Using 3D-STI technique, the global longitudinal strain (GLS), global radial strain (GRS), global circumferential strain (GCS), global area strain (GAS), and left ventricle were measured. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, GLS and GAS were significantly reduced in the CMD group (P<0.05), while GRS and GCS were similar in both groups (P>0.05). Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that GLS and GAS were the influencing factors of CMD. For the diagnosis of CMD, the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of GLS was 0.883, and the area under the ROC curve of GAS was 0.875. GAS of -29.3% (log-rank test chi-square=34.245, P<0.001) was a strong predictor of major adverse cardiac events. CONCLUSION: 3D-STI technique has obvious advantages in the evaluation of the left ventricular systolic function for CMD patients. Moreover, 3D-STI parameters, especially GLS and GAS, can detect the early abnormal changes in the ischaemic myocardium. Being timelier and more sensitive than echocardiography, 3D-STI should be recommended for clinical application.

Ecocardiografia sob estresse usando imagem tridimensional em tempo real / Stress echocardiography using real-time 3d imaging

A necessidade de examinar o coração com uma ferramenta tridimensional não é nova na ecocardiografia. O órgão complexo e dinâmico em estudo sempre exigiu o entendimento em três dimensões e em tempo real. Sem o recurso, o examinador precisa transformar as imagens em bidimensional para uma compreensão de volume que exige complexa interação de conhecimentos e aproximações. A invenção da tridimensão já contabiliza três décadas, e seu aprimoramento levou a produtos comerciais no início do século. Estudos demonstram, no mínimo, equivalência da tridimensão com ganhos no manuseio do tempo necessário. Utilizamos as modalidades Tri Plano na rotina com ganho de tempo e menor estresse do membro superior do examinador. A tridimensão pode responder perguntas mais complexas e auxilia em nossa abordagem mais geométrica da contração, sendo o espessamento analisado em segundo plano.(AU)

The need to examine the heart using a three-dimensional (3D) tool is not new. This complex and dynamic organ has always required 3D and real-time understanding. Without this feature, the examiner has to transform two-dimensional images to understand its volume, which requires complex knowledge and approximation interactions. Echocardiography was invented three decades ago, and its improvements resulted in commercial products at the beginning of the century. Some studies demonstrate 3D equivalence with gains in handling the necessary time. We use triplane modalities in our routine, with time gain and less stress on the examiner's upper limb. Thus, 3D examinations can answer more complex questions and provide a more geometric approach to contraction, with thickening being analyzed in the background. (AU)

Quantitative evaluation of the dynamic changes of mitral annulus in patients with degenerative mitral regurgitation by three-dimensional echocardiography / 中华超声影像学杂志

Objective:To quantitatively analyze the static geometric structure and dynamic changes of the mitral annulus(MA) in patients with degenerative mitral regurgitation (DMR) by three-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography.Methods:Thirty-five patients with DMR (both mitral valve prolapse and Barlow) were collected as DMR group in Yunnan Fuwai Cardiovascular Disease Hospital from August 2019 to March 2021, and 42 healthy volunteers were selected as control group during the same period. The mitral annulus area (MAA), mitral annulus perimeter (MAP), mitral annulus anterolateral-posteromedial diameter (DALPM), anteroposterior diameter (DAP), non-planar angle (NPA), mitral annulus height (AH), and the ratio of height to intercommissural diameter (AHCWR) were measured during the late-diastole, early-systole, mid-systole and late-systole, and the systolic change fractions of the above parameters were calculated. The differences of static structure and dynamic change of MA between the two groups were compared, and the characteristics of dynamic change of MA in the whole cardiac cycle were analyzed.Results:Static structure: MAA, MAP, DAP and DALPM in DMR group were higher than those in control group during the whole cardiac cycle, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the saddle structure in DMR group were flattened in the middle and late contraction stages (AHCWR: 0.17±0.01 vs 0.21±0.01 and 0.15±0.01 vs 0.23±0.01, both P<0.05), while the saddle structure was relatively preserved in the rest of the contraction stage. Dynamic changes: Presystole contraction (MAA, MAP, DAP, DALPM decreased, all P<0.05) were appeared durng the late-diastole and early-systole in the control group, and saddle shape deepened (NPA decreased, AH and AHCWR increased, all P<0.05). Compared with the control group, presystole MA contraction and saddle deepening disappeared in DMR group (there were no significant differences in all MA parameters between late-diastole and early-systole, all P>0.05). The systolic dynamic changes were weaker and impaired when compared with the control group, which showed that the systolic change scores of DALPM, NPA and AHCWR were lower than those of the control group (all P<0.05). There were no statistical differences in the 4 time phases of MA parameters except DAP (all P>0.05). Conclusions:The saddle-shape structure of MA in normal subjects is obvious, and the dynamic change of MA in the cardiac cycle is significant, with obvious contraction before contraction and saddle-shape deepening. The saddle structure of DMR patient is flattened in the middle and late systolic period, and the MA kinetic energy of DMR patient is weakened throughout the cardiac cycle, the contraction phenomenon disappeared before contraction, and the dynamic change of systolic period is impaired to varying degrees.

Dynamic evaluation of left ventricular systolic function in patients with pregnancy-induced hypertension by three-dimensional speckle tracking imaging / 中国基层医药

Objective:To investigate the clinical efficacy of three-dimensional speckle tracking imaging in the dynamic evaluation of left ventricular systolic function in patients with pregnancy-induced hypertension.Methods:50 patients with pregnancy-induced hypertension, who received prenatal examination in Wenzhou Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine from July 2019 to June 2020 and finally gave birth, were included in the observation group. An additional 50 healthy pregnant women who concurrently received prenatal examination were included as controls. All participants underwent routine echocardiography and three-dimensional speckle tracking imaging examinations. Parameters related to left ventricular systolic function were recorded. Routine echocardiography parameters and three-dimensional speckle tracking imaging parameters were compared between the observation and control groups.Results:There were no significant differences in routine echocardiography parameters (including heart rate, left ventricular end-diastolic diameter, interventricular septum thickness in end-diastole, left ventricular posterior wall thickness in diastole, and left ventricular ejection fraction) between before treatment, after treatment, and 3 months after delivery in the observation group, and between observation and control groups before treatment (all P > 0.05). The absolute values of left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LVGLS) [(-18.41 ± 2.23)% vs. (-26.03 ± 2.79)%], left ventricular global circumferential strain (LVGCS) [(31.29 ± 3.09)% vs. (37.45 ± 3.68)%], left ventricular global radial strain (LVGRS) [(-19.37 ± 2.19)% vs. (-24.59 ± 2.74)%], and left ventricular global area peak systolic strain (LVGAS) [(-26.61 ± 3.18)% vs. (-39.23 ± 3.96)%] measured before treatment were significantly lower in the observation group than in the control group ( t = 6.31 -14.87, all P < 0.05). The absolute values of LVGLS, LVGCS, LVGRS, and LVGAS in the observation group were significantly higher after treatment [(-24.79 ± 2.68)%, (35.94 ± 3.25)%, (-22.48 ± 2.41)%, (-37.54 ± 3.38)%] and 3 months after delivery [(-25.64 ± 2.72)%, (36.63 ± 3.47)%, (-23.91 ± 2.69)%, (-38.49 ± 3.64)%] than before treatment ( t = 4.08 - 10.59, P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in LVGLS, LVGCS, LVGRS, and LVGAS between observation group and control groups at each time point studied ( t = 0.47 - 1.19, P = 0.182 - 0.652 > 0.05). The absolute svalues of LVGLS, LVGCS, LVGRS and LVGAS in patients with pregnancy-induced hypertension were positively correlated with left ventricular ejection fraction values ( r = 0.638 - 0.775, P = 0.009 - 0.041 < 0.05). Conclusion:Three-dimensional speckle tracking imaging can be used to dynamically evaluate the impairment of left ventricular systolic function in patients with pregnancy-induced hypertension. This technique helps guide early intervention and prognosis evaluation and has a high clinical application value.

Value of three-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography in evaluation of left ventricular diastolic function in elderly patients with heart failure / 中国医师杂志

Objective:To analyze the value of three-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (3D-STE) in evaluation of left ventricular diastolic function in elderly patients with heart failure (HF).Methods:130 elderly patients with heart failure (HF pEF) with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction in Gulou Hospital Affiliated to Medical College of Nanjing University from January 2018 to October 2019 were studied. All of them were examined by conventional ultrasound, 3D-STE and left-heart catheterization. Their cardiac three-dimensional full-volume dynamic images were collected and then analyzed with three-dimensional speckle tracking technique. The global longitudinal strain (GLS), global radial strain (GRS), global circumferential strain (GCS), and global area strain (GAS) were measured. According to the detected left ventricular end diastolic pressure (LVEDP), the patients were divided into the normal left ventricular diastolic function group (LVEDP≤15 mmHg) and the left ventricular diastolic dysfunction group (LVEDP>15 mmHg). The GLS, GRS, GCS and GAS of the two groups were compared. Pearson correlation analysis was performed to analyze the correlation between GLS, GRS, GCS, GAS and LVEDP, and ROC curves were used to analyze efficiencies of GLS, GRS, GCS and GAS in prediction of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction.Results:The absolute values of GLS, GRS, GCS and GAS of the left ventricular diastolic dysfunction group were lower than those of the normal left ventricular diastolic function group ( P<0.05). The GLS, GCS and GAS were positively correlated with LVEDP ( P<0.05), while GRS was negatively correlated with LVEDP ( P<0.05). The AUC values of GLS, GRS, GCS and GAS for predicting left ventricular diastolic dysfunction were 0.667, 0.775, 0.762 and 0.840, respectively. The sensitivities were 79.17%, 72.22%, 69.44% and 80.56%, specificities were 48.28%, 70.69%, 82.76% and 77.59%, accuracy rates were 65.38%, 71.54%, 75.38% and 79.23%, respectively. Conclusions:The 3D-STE-related strain parameters GLS, GRS, GCS and GAS can be used as ultrasound indexes for assessment of left ventricular diastolic function in elderly patients with HF pEF, which is helpful for early detection of changes in left ventricular diastolic function in elderly patients with HF.

Three-dimensional speckle tracking imaging combined with SYNTAX score in evaluating complex coronary artery disease / 中国医学影像技术

Objective: To explore the value of three-dimensional speckle tracking imaging (3D-STI) combined with coronary artery SYNTAX scores (SS) in evaluating the left ventricular function of patients with complex coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods: Totally 78 patients with complex CAD were divided into low score subgroup (SS<23, n=26), medium score subgroup (23≤SS<33, n=25) and high score subgroup (SS≥33, n=27) according to SS. The global longitudinal strain (GLS), global circumferential strain (GCS), global radial strain (GRS), global three-dimensional strain (G3DS) and longitudinal strain (LS), radial strain (RS), circumferential strain (CS) as well as three-dimensional strain (3DS) of segments were obtained with 3D-STI. Then LS, RS, CS, 3DS of basal segment, middle segment and apical segment were further calculated. The above indexes were compared among groups. Results: ①GLS, GRS, GCS and G3DS all decreased in turn among low score, medium score and high score subgroups (all P<0.05). LS, 3DS of basal segment, LS, RS, CS and 3DS of middle segment and apical segment also decreased gradually (all P<0.05). ②ROC curve showed that GLS, GRS, GCS and G3DS had a certain value in detecting degrees of complex CAD, and GLS and G3DS had larger AUC. ③GLS, GRS, GCS and G3DS were negatively correlated with SS in the group of complex CAD (r=-0.548, -0.366, -0.411, -0.556, all P<0.05). 3D-STI had good interobserver and intraobserver consistency. Conclusion: 3D-STI can reflect the complexity of coronary artery lesions, which has a certain guiding significance combined with SS in diagnosis and treatment of complex CAD.

Assessment of left atrial function in elderly patients with ischemic mitral regurgitation by real-time three-dimensional speckle tracking imaging / 中华老年医学杂志

Objective@#To assess left atrial(LA)function by evaluating changes of LA wall movement and volume detected by real-time three-dimensional speckle tracking imaging(RT3D-STI)in elderly patients with ischemic mitral regurgitation(IMR).@*Methods@#Eighty-six elderly patients with coronary heart disease(CHD)were enrolled in this study.According to whether or not to have IMR, the patients were divided into the pure CHD group(n=32)and the CHD-induced ischemic mitral regurgitation(IMR)group(n=54, including 20 cases of mild IMR, 18 cases of moderate IMR and 16 cases of severe IMR). Thirty-two healthy elderly volunteers were considered as control group.RT3D-STI was used to evaluate the global atrial longitudinal strain(GLS), global circumferential strain(GCS), global radial strain(GRS)and LA maximal, minimal and pre-systolic volumes(LAVmax, LAVmin, and LAVp). LA ejection fraction(LAEF), LA passive ejection fraction(LApEF)and LA active ejection fraction(LAaEF)were calculated.The relationship of LA volume changes and myocardial strain with LA function was analyzed.@*Results@#The left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF)and LAEF were reduced in CHD group and IMR group as compared with the control group, and were lower in IMR group than in CHD group(P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the LAVmin was increased, and the LAaEF was decreased in the IMR group(P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the GLS, GCS, GRS were declined in the CHD and IMR groups, and were lower in IMR group than in control group(P<0.05). Along with the increased severity of regurgitation, GLS, GCS, and GRS were decreased in varying degrees.The standard deviations of time to peak longitudinal strains(TLS-SD), of time to peak circumferential strains(TCS-SD), and of time to peak radial strain(TRS-SD)rose in the IMR group as compared with the control group(P<0.05). The myocardial motion indicators(GLS, GCS, GRS)had a quite strong correlation with LAEF in the CHD and IMR groups(CHD group: r=-0.745, -0.718 and 0.627, P=0.006, 0.007 and 0.009; IMR group: r=-0.785, -0.781, 0.643, P=0.006, 0.007 and 0.008). The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves analysis showed that the sensitivity and specificity of TLS-SD, TCS-SD and TRS-SD were 89.7% and 81.8%, 78.6% and 84.8%, 85.7% and 72.1%, respectively in the evaluation of LA function changes.@*Conclusions@#RT3D-STI can precisely and objectively assess the LA function changes by measuring the volume changes and tracing the myocardial motion in elderly IMR patients.