Right ventricular metastasis of leiomyosarcoma

Metastatic presentation of leiomyosarcoma in the heart is very rare. We present transthoracic echocardiography and combined PET/CT images of a case with a large right ventricular metastasis of leiomyosarcoma. The patient was placed on cytostatic drugs for palliative purposes, but passed away one month later because of an untreatable ventricular tackycardia

Relationship between natriuretic peptides and echocardiography parameters in patients with poorly regulated type 2 diabetes.

This study evaluated the relationship between natriuretic peptide levels and a wide range of echocardiography parameters in a population of thirty-three patients with poorly regulated type 2 diabetes, and no known heart failure. Natriuretic peptides brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-terminal prohormone BNP (NT-proBNP) were measured. Transthoracic echocardiography was performed and cardiac volumes and ejection fraction were measured. Doppler and tissue Doppler were measured and diastolic function was stratified according to recent guidelines. Very few echocardiography parameters were correlated with BNP or NT-proBNP levels. However, left atrial end-systolic volume indexed for body surface area was correlated with natural logarithm (ln) BNP and ln NT-proBNP (r=0.62 and r=0.60; P<0.05). There were significant differences in ln BNP and ln NT-proBNP levels between those with normal and those with abnormal diastolic function (1.4 vs 3.1; P<0.001 and 3.4 vs 5.8; P<0.001). This study showed that very few echocardiography parameters were correlated with BNP or NT-proBNP levels in patients with poorly regulated type 2 diabetes, which in part contradicts previous studies in other diabetic populations. The exception was left atrial end-systolic volume that showed a moderate correlation with BNP or NT-proBNP levels. There were significant differences in BNP and NT-proBNP levels between the group with normal left ventricular diastolic function and the group with abnormal diastolic function

Relationship between natriuretic peptides and echocardiography parameters in patients with poorly regulated type 2 diabetes

This study evaluated the relationship between natriuretic peptide levels and a wide range of echocardiography parameters in a population of thirty-three patients with poorly regulated type 2 diabetes, and no known heart failure. Natriuretic peptides brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-terminal prohormone BNP (NT-proBNP) were measured. Transthoracic echocardiography was performed and cardiac volumes and ejection fraction were measured. Doppler and tissue Doppler were measured and diastolic function was stratified according to recent guidelines. Very few echocardiography parameters were correlated with BNP or NT-proBNP levels. However, left atrial end-systolic volume indexed for body surface area was correlated with natural logarithm (ln) BNP and ln NT-proBNP (r = 0.62 and r = 0.60; P < 0.05). There were significant differences in ln BNP and ln NT-proBNP levels between those with normal and those with abnormal diastolic function (1.4 vs 3.1; P < 0.001 and 3.4 vs 5.8; P < 0.001). This study showed that very few echocardiography parameters were correlated with BNP or NT-proBNP levels in patients with poorly regulated type 2 diabetes, which in part contradicts previous studies in other diabetic populations. The exception was left atrial end-systolic volume that showed a moderate correlation with BNP or NT-proBNP levels. There were significant differences in BNP and NT-proBNP levels between the group with normal left ventricular diastolic function and the group with abnormal diastolic function

Quadricuspid aortic valve not discovered by transthoracic echocardiography

BACKGROUND: Quadricuspid aortic valve is a rare congenital heart defect. Several different anatomical variations of a quadricuspid aortic valve has been described and aortic regurgitation is the predominant valvular dysfunction associated with quadricuspid aortic valve. CASE PRESENTATION: A 68-year-old woman presented with almost a years history of increasing dyspnoea on exertion. The patient have had two previous transthoracic echocardiographic exams in the last six years and they had only documented moderate aortic regurgitation. Transoesophageal echocardiography displayed a rare case of quadricuspid aortic valve with three cusps of equal size and one larger cusp. The malformation was associated with severe aortic regurgitation. CONCLUSION: Liberal use of transoesophageal echocardiography is often warranted if optimal display of valvular morphology is desired

Patients with coronary artery disease and diabetes need improved management: a report from the EUROASPIRE IV survey: a registry from the EuroObservational Research Programme of the European Society of Cardiology

BACKGROUND: In order to influence every day clinical practice professional organisations issue management guidelines. Cross-sectional surveys are used to evaluate the implementation of such guidelines. The present survey investigated screening for glucose perturbations in people with coronary artery disease and compared patients with known and newly detected type 2 diabetes with those without diabetes in terms of their life-style and pharmacological risk factor management in relation to contemporary European guidelines. ----- METHODS: A total of 6187 patients (18-80 years) with coronary artery disease and known glycaemic status based on a self reported history of diabetes (previously known diabetes) or the results of an oral glucose tolerance test and HbA1c (no diabetes or newly diagnosed diabetes) were investigated in EUROASPIRE IV including patients in 24 European countries 2012-2013. The patients were interviewed and investigated in order to enable a comparison between their actual risk factor control with that recommended in current European management guidelines and the outcome in previously conducted surveys. ----- RESULTS: A total of 2846 (46%) patients had no diabetes, 1158 (19%) newly diagnosed diabetes and 2183 (35%) previously known diabetes. The combined use of all four cardioprotective drugs in these groups was 53, 55 and 60%, respectively. A blood pressure target of 9.0% (>75 mmol/mol). Of the patients with diabetes 69% reported on low physical activity. The proportion of patients participating in cardiac rehabilitation programmes was low (≈40 %) and only 27% of those with diabetes had attended diabetes schools. Compared with data from previous surveys the use of cardioprotective drugs had increased and more patients were achieving the risk factor treatment targets. ----- CONCLUSIONS: Despite advances in patient management there is further potential to improve both the detection and management of patients with diabetes and coronary artery disease

Aspects on implementation of coronary heart disease prevention in clinical practice

Prevention of first time disease or recurrence of coronary heart disease (CHD) is a major task for the health service. Guidelines regarding CHD prevention have been issued but studies have shown that treatment goals are inadequately met in clinical practice and there is urgent need for improved methods of implementation of guidelines. There is also a need for better risk stratification tools in order to identify asymptomatic subjects with a high risk for future CHD. This thesis has shown that: A structured, one-year, hospital-based secondary prevention programme after CHD, mainly led by specialist nurses with physician backup, could positively influence the use of lipid-lowering drugs and serum cholesterol levels several years after the end of the programme. A quality control system based on patient empowerment and education with continuous feedback to patients, nurses and physicians seemed to be welcomed by both patients and participating health care professionals. However, our system based on voluntary participation and report cards did not seem to be feasible at this time due to a high dropout rate. Reasons why targets for serum lipids were not met in the EUROASPIRE II study were that too few patients received lipid-lowering drugs, and that of those who did receive such treatment many were treated with sub-optimal doses. Ambulatory ECG with ST-analysis could add significant information on which healthy subjects with a certain accumulation of risk factors who would suffer from a major coronary event (death, AMI or revascularisation) over a 15-year time period

Aspects on coronary heart disease prevention in clinical practice

Prevention of first time disease or recurrence of coronary heart disease (CHD) is a major task for the health service. Guidelines regarding CHD prevention have been issued but studies have shown that treatment goals are inadequately met in clinical practice and there is urgent need for improved methods of implementation of guidelines. There is also a need for better risk stratification tools in order to identify asymptomatic subjects with a high risk for future CHD. This thesis has shown that: A structured, one-year, hospital-based secondary prevention programme after CHD, mainly led by specialist nurses with physician backup, could positively influence the use of lipid-lowering drugs and serum cholesterol levels several years after the end of the programme. A quality control system based on patient empowerment and education with continuous feedback to patients, nurses and physicians seemed to be welcomed by both patients and participating health care professionals. However, our system based on voluntary participation and report cards did not seem to be feasible at this time due to a high dropout rate. Reasons why targets for serum lipids were not met in the EUROASPIRE II study were that too few patients received lipid-lowering drugs, and that of those who did receive such treatment many were treated with sub-optimal doses. Ambulatory ECG with ST-analysis could add significant information on which healthy subjects with a certain accumulation of risk factors who would suffer from a major coronary event (death, AMI or revascularisation) over a 15-year time period