Risk stratification in nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy: Current perspectives

The clinical goals of risk stratification of sudden death are to identify subjects who are at high risk of, and eventually to reduce the incidence of, sudden death. Numerous studies have described risk stratification techniques for serious cardiac events in patients following myocardial infarction. However, relatively little information is available regarding nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy. A number of diagnostic methods have been used for risk stratification of patients with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy, including presence of syncope, ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring, programmed ventricular stimulation, QRS duration, QT interval dispersion, QT interval dynamicity, signal-averaged ECG, heart rate variability, heart rate turbulence, baroreflex sensitivity, heart rate recovery, exercise recovery ventricular ectopy, fragmented QRS and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. In this review, existing data regarding risk stratification of sudden cardiac death in nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy will be summarized and its implications in clinical practice will be reviewed. (Cardiol J 2010; 17, 3: 219-229

Emergency polytetrafluoroethylene-covered stent implantation to treat right coronary artery perforation during percutaneous coronary intervention

Coronary artery perforations are life-threatening complications with a poor outcome. Historically, if the perforation was not controlled using conservative methods such as prolonged balloon inflation and protamine administration, emergency cardiac surgery has been performed. However, several percutaneous methods including covered stents and embolization materials have emerged as therapeutic options to manage coronary perforations. We report a case of right coronary artery perforation after high pressure stent post-dilatation that was successfully sealed with a polytetrafluoroethylene-covered stent

Tissue Doppler echocardiography can be a useful technique to evaluate atrial conduction time

Background: The main purpose of this study is to determine the correlation of inter- and intraatrial conduction times between the electrophysiological and tissue Doppler echocardiographic measurements, and to evaluate the appropriateness of tissue Doppler echocardiography for this measurement. Methods: One-hundred and one patients were included in the study who underwent electrophysiological study for clinical arrhythmias. Inter- and intraatrial conduction times were measured from intracardiac electrograms. Atrial conduction times were also measured by tissue Doppler echocardiography by evaluating atrial electromechanical delay between lateral mitral annulus, septal mitral annulus, and right ventricular tricuspid annulus. The correlation between electrophysiological and echocardiographic atrial conduction times were analyzed. Results: We found a weak correlation between the measurements of interatrial conduction times with the electrophysiological and tissue Doppler techniques (r = 0.308; p = 0.002). The correlation for intraleft atrial conduction times was moderate (r = 0.652; p < 0.001). There was no correlation between the measurements of intra-right atrial conduction times. Conclusions: We concluded that tissue Doppler echocardiography can be used for the measurement of interatrial and intra-left atrial conduction times. Tissue Doppler echocardiography can be a suitable technique to evaluate atrial substrate. (Cardiol J 2012; 19, 5: 487-493

Effects of pacemaker and implantable cardioverter defibrillator electrodes on tricuspid regurgitation and right sided heart functions

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the effect of trans-tricuspid placement of permanent pacemaker (PPM), implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) and cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) leads prospectively on tricuspid valve and right-sided heart functions using two-dimensional echocardiography. Methods: A total of 41 patients (31 male, mean age: 63.6 ± 12.2 years) were included in this prospective study. Initial echocardiographic evaluation was performed before cardiac device implantation and re-evaluation by echocardiography was performed immediately after the procedure and at 1st, 6th and 12th months. In addition to standard echocardiographic examinations, vena contracta (VC), proximal isovelocity surface area (PISA), and tissue Doppler evaluations were also performed in the study population. Results: Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is worsened by 1 grade in 70.8% of the patients and 2 grades in 17.1% of the patients in the follow-up. Eight patients without baseline TR developed new-onset TR (9.8% mild, 9.8% moderate) after lead implantation. In the follow-up period, 41.5% of the patients who had mild TR before lead implantation developed moderate TR and 7.3% developed severe TR, whereas 19.5% of the patients with moderate TR developed severe TR during the follow-up. In the follow-up period, VC of TR was increased [median: 0.32 (0.16–0.60) cm in pre-implantation period, and 0.41 (0.18–0.80) cm at 12th month, p = 0.001]. Similarly PISA value of TR was also increased [median: 0.46 (0.15–1.10) cm in pre-implantation period and 0.52 (0.28–1.20) cm at 12th month, p = 0.001]. However, there is not a significant difference between PPMs/ICDs and CRTs regarding the effects on TR (p &lt; 0.05). In addition, right ventricular dimensions and right atrial volumes were increased during the follow-up. Conclusions: Implantation of permanent transvenous right ventricular electrode is associated with worsening of TR, right atrial and right ventricular dimensions. Further studies are needed in order to both outline the effect of those findings on outcomes and clarify the time dependent changes in those functions

The use of Amplatzer Vascular Plug&#174; to treat coronary steal due to unligated thoracic side branch of left internal mammary artery: Four year follow-up results

Left internal mammary artery (LIMA) is the most commonly used graft during coronary bypass surgery. LIMA side branches are clipped during surgery in order to prevent coronary steal. In cases of patent LIMA side branches, there are differingapproaches. Herein, we report a case with patent thoracic side branch of LIMA graft, occlusion of this side branch by Amplatzer Vascular Plug because of documented myocardial ischemia, and long term follow-up results. (Cardiol J 2012; 19, 2: 197&#8211;200

Baseline aortic pre-ejection interval predicts reverse remodeling and clinical improvement after cardiac resynchronization therapy

Background: Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) has been shown to reduce heart failure-related morbidity and mortality. However, approximately one in three patients do not respond to CRT. The aim of the current study was to determine the parameter(s) which predict reverse remodeling and clinical improvement after CRT. Methods: A total of 54 patients (43 male, 11 female; mean age 61.9 &#177; 10.5 years) with heart failure and New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III&#8211;IV symptoms and in whom left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was &#163; 35% and QRS duration was &#8805; 120 ms, despite optimal medical therapy, were enrolled. An echocardiographic examination was performed before, and six months after, CRT. An echocardiographic response was defined as a reduction of end-systolic volume &#8805; 10% after six months, and a clinical response was defined as a reduction &#8805; 1 in the NYHA functional class score. Results: An echocardiographic response was observed in 38 (70.4%) of the patients and a clinical response occurred in 41 (75.9%) of the patients. Of the dyssynchrony parameters, only the aortic pre-ejection interval (APEI) was observed to significantly predict the clinical response (p = 0.048) and echocardiographic response (p = 0.037). A 180.5 ms cut-off value for the APEI predicted the clinical response with a sensitivity of 92.3% and a specificity of 39%, and the echocardiographic response with a sensitivity of 93.0% and a specificity of 42%. Conclusions: APEI derived from pulsed-wave Doppler, which is available in every echocardiography machine, is a simple and practical method that could be used to select patients for CRT. (Cardiol J 2011; 18, 6: 639&#8211;647

Total white blood cell count is associated with the presence, severity and extent of coronary atherosclerosis detected by dual-source multislice computed tomographic coronary angiography

Background: Total white blood cell (WBC) count has been consistently shown to be an independent risk factor and predictor for future cardiovascular outcomes, regardless of disease status in coronary artery disease (CAD). The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relationship between total WBC count and the presence, severity and extent of coronary atherosclerosis detected in subjects undergoing multislice computed tomographic (MSCT) coronary angiography for suspected CAD. Methods: A total of 817 patients were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Non-significant coronary plaque was defined as lesions causing &#163; 50% luminal narrowing, and significant coronary plaque was defined as lesions causing > 50% luminal narrowing. For each segment, coronary atherosclerotic lesions were categorized as none, calcified, non-calcified and mixed. All images were interpreted immediately after scanning by an experienced radiologist. Results: An association between hypertension, diabetes mellitus, age, gender, hyperlipidemia, smoking, total WBC counts and coronary atherosclerosis was found when patients were grouped into two categories according to the presence of coronary atherosclerosis (p < 0.05). Although plaque morphology was not associated with total WBC counts, the extent of coronary atherosclerosis was increased with higher total WBC quartiles (p = 0.006). Patients with critical luminal stenosis had higher levels of total WBC counts when compared to patients with non-critical luminal narrowing (7,982 &#177; 2,287 vs 7,184 &#177; 1,944, p < 0.05). Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that total WBC counts play an important role in inflammation and are associated with the presence, severity and extent of coronary atherosclerosis detected by MSCT. Further studies are needed to assess the true impact of WBC counts on coronary atherosclerosis, and to promote its use in predicting CAD. (Cardiol J 2011; 18, 4: 371&#8211;377