Bifid T waves in leads V2 and V3 in children: a normal variant

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>The T wave is rarely bifid, apart from patients with long QT syndrome or subjects treated with antiarrhythmic drugs. At times, a U wave partially superimposed upon the T wave is responsible for an apparently bifid T wave. Bifid T waves, in contrast, have been described in normal children in the past, but the phenomenon has not received any attention in recent years, to the extent that it is not mentioned in current textbooks of paediatric cardiology. Aim of the present study was to determine the incidence and clinical counterpart of bifid T waves in a paediatric population.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We selected 604 consecutive children free from clinically detectable heart disease; subjects whose electrocardiogram showed a bifid T wave underwent a complete clinical and echocardiographic examination. In addition, the electrocardiograms of 110 consecutive adults have also been analyzed. A T wave was considered as bifid whenever it was notched, being the 2 peaks separated from each other by a notch with duration ≥ 0.02 sec and voltage ≥ 0.05 mV. Moreover, in 7 children with bifid T wave in lead V2 further precordial recordings were obtained: a small electrode was gradually moved from V1 to V3, and 4 additional leads were recorded: 2 between V1 an V2, and 2 between V2 and V3.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A bifid T wave was observed in 110 children (18,3%), with a relatively age-related incidence; the highest rate of bifid T waves (53%) occurred in the group of 5-year-old children. The bifid T wave was detected only in lead V2 in 51 cases (46,4%), only in lead V3 in 5 cases (4,6%), in both leads V2 and V3 in 50 cases (45,4%), and in leads other than V2 and V3 in 4 cases (3,6%). In the adult group, none of the examined electrocardiograms showed bifid T waves in any lead.</p> <p>In the bifid T wave paediatric population, the echocardiogram did not reveal any abnormality, apart from 3 subjects which had an asymptomatic mitral valve prolapse; a trivial mitral and/or tricuspid regurgitation detected by color Doppler, as well as a patent foramen ovale in infants, were not considered as abnormal findings. The QTc interval was normal in all of the subjects; the average QTc interval was not different in the bifid T wave population (402 ± 46 msec) with respect to the control group (407 ± 39 msec).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The incidence of bifid T waves in leads V2 and V3 in normal children is high, and awareness of this phenomenon avoids possible misinterpretations leading to a diagnosis of ECG abnormalities.</p

Anomalous venoatrial connections – CT and MRI assessment

Abnormal venous atrial (VA) connections present a congenital heart disease (CHD) challenge for pediatric cardiologists. Fully anatomical evaluation is very difficult in prenatal and perinatal follow-up, but it has a profound impact on surgical correction and outcome. The echocardiogram is first-line imaging and represents the gold standard tool for simple abnormal VA connection. CT and MRI are mandatory for more complex heart disease and “nightmare cases”. 3D post-processing of volumetric CT and MRI acquisition helps to clarify anatomical relationships and allows for the creation of 3D printing models that can become crucial in customizing surgical strategy. Our article describes a ten-year (2013–2022) tertiary referral CHD center of abnormal AV connections investigated with CT and MRI, illustrating most of these complex diseases with the help of volume rendering (VR) or multiplanar reconstructions (MPR). The nightmarish cases will also be addressed due to the complex cardiovascular arrangement that requires a challenging surgical solution for correction along with the post-surgical complications.</p

Supraventricular Tachycardia Initiated by Couplets of Atrial Extrasystoles but Not by Single Premature Atrial Beats: What Is the Mechanism?

The reported electrocardiogram shows several atrial extrasystoles (AEs) sometimes occurring in couplets. The former beat of each couplet is nonconducted, whereas the latter triggers a supraventricular tachycardia with negative P waves in inferior leads and RP &gt; PR. This suggests an atypical atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia involving the fast pathway anterogradely and the slow pathway retrogradely. The tachycardia is never precipitated by single AEs. The blocked AE of each pair is pivotal in tachycardia initiation, allowing the subsequent impulse to conduct down the fast pathway. A concealed slow pathway penetration during the blocked AE is invoked as the key mechanism

Apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: Present status

Since the first description of apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in Japan 40years ago, contrasting information from all over the world has emerged regarding the natural history of the disease. This review provides an overview of incidence, phenotypic expressions, clinical features, prognosis, and management of this heterogeneous clinical entity, which may play a more relevant role in the burden of sudden cardiac death than previously thought

Hypothermia: a double-edged sword

Therapeutic hypothermia is currently used to reduce neurological ischemic damage in postcardiac arrest patients. Nevertheless, it has been associated with relevant side effects such as infections, bleeding, hypotension and hyperkalemia. Although hypothermia-induced coronary spasm is rare, its occurrence needs to be considered attentively as it adds a high risk of ventricular arrhythmias and cardiac arrest in patients with already-existing critical heart conditions

Myocardial deformation and rotational profiles in mitral valve prolapse

We studied whether evaluation of overall left ventricular (LV) and left atrial (LA) mechanics would be useful to detect subclinical dysfunction in patients with mitral valve prolapse (MVP), mitral regurgitation (MR), and normal LV ejection fraction (EF). Fifty consecutive patients (27 men, mean age 61 ± 19 years) with MVP, MR, and normal systolic function (LVEF ≥60%) were prospectively enrolled and compared with 40 age- and gender-matched healthy subjects (22 men, mean age: 59 ± 16 years). At baseline, 2-dimensional and color-flow Doppler transthoracic echocardiography were performed for MR quantification and analysis of left-chambers mechanics. Patients were divided into groups by severity of MR: mild (n = 14), moderate (n = 19), and severe (n = 17). Left ventricular dimensions, volume and mass, and LA area and volume indices were significantly increased in patients with moderate and severe MR compared with control subjects. Circumferential strain, basal/apical rotations, and twist were significantly enhanced in patients with moderate MR compared with controls; with the exception of basal rotation, they decreased in those with severe MR. Furthermore, LA strain and untwisting rate were progressively and significantly reduced from normal subjects to patients with severe MR. Effective regurgitant orifice area and MR vena contracta were significantly related to most systolic and diastolic function parameters and LA volume as well as LA strain and LV untwisting rate in all patients. In conclusion, cardiac mechanics indices, particularly LA deformation and LV rotational parameters, could help unmask incipient myocardial dysfunction in patients with MVP, especially in those with severe MR and yet normal LVEF

PFO: Button me up, but wait … Comprehensive evaluation of the patient

Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is a slit or tunnel-like communication in the atrial septum occurring in approximately 25% of the population. A wide number of pathological conditions have been linked to its presence, most notably, cryptogenic stroke (CS) and migraine. However, in the setting of a neurological event, it is not often clear whether the PFO is pathogenically related to the index event or an incidental finding. Therefore, a detailed analysis of several clues is needed for understanding PFO\u27s clinical significance, with a frequent case-by-case decision about destination therapy. Indeed, the controversy about PFO\u27s pathogenicity prompted a paradigm shift of research interest from medical therapy with antiplatelets or anticoagulants to percutaneous transcatheter closure, in secondary prevention. Observational data and meta-analysis of observational studies had previously suggested that PFO closure with a device was a safe procedure with a low recurrence rate of stroke. To date, however, recent randomized controlled trials have not shown the superiority of PFO closure over medical therapy. Thus, the optimal strategy for secondary prevention of paradoxical embolism in patients with a PFO remains unclear. Moreover, the latest guidelines for the prevention on stroke restricted indications for PFO closure to patients with deep vein thrombosis and high-risk of its recurrence. Given these recent data, in the present review, we critically discuss current treatment options, pointing out the role of a comprehensive patient evaluation in overcoming PFO closure restrictions and planning the best management for each patient

New diagnostic perspectives on heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: systolic function beyond ejection fraction

Although preserved ejection fraction is found in more than 50% of patients with heart failure, its acceptance as a specific clinical entity is limited. More understanding of the physiopathology, early diagnosis and medical management is needed. With no existing systematic information in the literature, the aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of the new imaging techniques for diagnosing heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, particularly in the early stages of the disease, underlying the pivotal role of new technologies such as two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography and vascular stiffness