Search

Myocarditis and pericarditis, or myopericarditis, is a rare, albeit life-threatening, cardiac complication of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Although most patients recover from myocardial inflammation within weeks of the acute infection, there are concerns about acute and long-term myocardial injury. Coronary microvascular dysfunction and myocardial inflammation in the affected myocardium might be key factors in developing acute COVID-19-associated myopericarditis. In this case report, we describe a 38-year-old woman diagnosed with acute COVID-19-associated myopericarditis who was treated successfully. This case highlights the remarkable recovery in coronary microcirculation and myocardial inflammation assessed using multi-imaging modalities from the acute phase to 3-month follow-up using histopathological assessments., Learning Objective: Acute myopericarditis is one of the serious cardiac complications associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, although an accurate diagnosis might be challenging. We emphasize a novel combination of magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography focusing on serial changes in coronary microcirculation and myocardial inflammation from acute to recovery phases. Our findings may elucidate the pathophysiology of this entity at the micro and macro levels., Competing Interests: The authors have reported that they have no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose., (© 2024 Japanese College of Cardiology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.)

We herein report the first case of constrictive pericarditis (CP) induced by long-term pergolide treatment for Parkinson's disease that was assessed using multimodal imaging in a 72-year-old patient with leg edema and dyspnea. The patient was correctly diagnosed with CP using multimodal imaging and successfully treated with pericardiectomy. The treatment history of Parkinson's disease and pathological findings of the removed pericardium suggested that long-term pergolide was the cause of CP. Properly recognizing pergolide as the cause of CP and accurately diagnosing CP using multimodal imaging may contribute to the early detection and treatment of pergolide-induced CP.

Purpose: This study investigated the novel non-invasive left atrial (LA) stiffness parameter using pulmonary venous (PV) flow measurements and the clinical usefulness of the novel LA stiffness parameter., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 237 patients who underwent right heart catheterization and echocardiography less than one week apart. From the pulmonary artery wedge pressure waveform, the difference between x-descent and v-wave (ΔP) was measured. Using the echocardiographic biplane method of disks, the difference between LA maximum volume and that just before atrial contraction (ΔV MOD ) was calculated, and the ΔP/ΔV MOD was calculated as a standard LA stiffness index. From the PV flow waveform, the peak systolic velocity (S), peak diastolic velocity (D), and minimum velocity between them (R) were measured, and S/D, S/R, and D/R were calculated. From the speckle tracking echocardiography-derived time-LA volume curve, the difference between LA maximum volume and that just before atrial contraction (ΔV STE ) was measured. Each patient's prognosis was investigated until three years after echocardiography., Results: Among the PV flow parameters, D/R was significantly correlated with ΔP (r = 0.62), and the correlation coefficient exceeded that between S/D and ΔP (r =  - 0.39) or S/R and ΔP (r = 0.14). The [D/R]/ΔV STE was significantly correlated with ΔP/ΔV MOD (r = 0.61). During the follow-up, 37 (17%) composite endpoints occurred. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that patients with [D/R]/ΔV STE greater than 0.13 /mL were at higher risk of cardiac events., Conclusion: The [D/R]/ΔV STE was useful for assessing LA stiffness non-invasively and might be valuable in the prognostic evaluation of patients with cardiac diseases., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Background: Determinants of exercise intolerance in a phenotype of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) with normal left ventricular (LV) structure have not been fully elucidated., Methods: Cardiopulmonary exercise testing and exercise-stress echocardiography were performed in 44 HFpEF patients without LV hypertrophy. Exercise capacity was determined by peak oxygen consumption (peak VO 2 ). Doppler-derived cardiac output (CO), transmitral E velocity, systolic (LV-s') and early diastolic mitral annular velocities (e'), systolic pulmonary artery (PA) pressure (SPAP), tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), and peak systolic right ventricular (RV) free wall velocity (RV-s') were measured at rest and exercise. E/e' and TAPSE/SPAP were used as an LV filling pressure parameter and RV-PA coupling, respectively., Results: During exercise, CO, LV-s', RV-s', e', and SPAP were significantly increased (p < 0.05 for all), whereas E/e' remained unchanged and TAPSE/SPAP was significantly reduced (p < 0.001). SPAP was higher and TAPSE/SPAP was lower at peak exercise in patients showing lower-half peak VO 2 . In univariable analyses, LV-s' (R = 0.35, p = 0.022), SPAP (R = -0.40, p = 0.008), RV-s' (R = 0.47, p = 0.002), and TAPSE/SPAP (R = 0.42, p = 0.005) were significantly correlated with peak VO 2 . In multivariable analyses, not only SPAP, but also TAPSE/SPAP independently determined peak VO 2 even after the adjustment for clinically relevant parameters., Conclusions: In HFpEF patients without LV hypertrophy, altered RV-PA coupling by exercise could be associated with exercise intolerance, which might not be caused by elevated LV filling pressure., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest There is no conflict of interest to disclose relating to the present study., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Aims: Although the left ventricular (LV) dysfunction in pre-capillary pulmonary hypertension (PH) has been recently recognized, the mechanism of LV dysfunction in this entity is not completely understood. We thus aimed to elucidate the determinants of intraventricular pressure difference (IVPD), a measure of LV suction, in pre-capillary PH., Methods and Results: Right heart catheterization and echocardiography were performed in 86 consecutive patients with pre-capillary PH (57 ± 18 years, 85% female). IVPD was determined using colour M-mode Doppler to integrate the Euler equation. In overall, IVPD was reduced compared to previously reported value in normal subjects. In univariable analyses, QRS duration (P = 0.028), LV ejection fraction (P = 0.006), right ventricular (RV) end-diastolic area (P < 0.001), tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (P = 0.004), and LV early-diastolic eccentricity index (P = 0.009) were associated with IVPD. In the multivariable analyses, RV end-diastolic area and LV eccentricity index independently determined the IVPD., Conclusion: Aberrant ventricular interdependence caused by RV enlargement could impair the LV suction. This study first applied echocardiographic IVPD, a reliable marker of LV diastolic suction, to investigate the mechanism of LV diastolic dysfunction in pre-capillary PH., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: none declared., (Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author(s) 2022. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

We aimed to investigate left atrial (LA) myocardial dynamics during reservoir phase using three-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography (3DSTE) focusing on its longitudinal-circumferential relationship in patients with left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy and clarifying the difference in LA myocardial reservoir dynamics between hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and hypertension with LV hypertrophy (HT-LVH). We studied 4 age-matched groups consisting of 27 patients with HCM, 16 with HT-LVH, 22 hypertensive patients without LV hypertrophy (HT), and 18 normal controls. Using 3DSTE, we measured LA global longitudinal strain (LA-LS R ), global circumferential strain (LA-CS R ), and global area strain (LA-AS R ) during the reservoir phase, as well as LV global longitudinal strain (LV-LS), global circumferential strain (LV-CS), and global area strain (LV-AS). LA-LS R was significantly lower in the HCM and HT-LVH groups than in the controls, but there was no significant difference between the HCM and HT-LVH groups. LA-CS R and LA-AS R were significantly lower in the HCM group than in the other three groups, among which no significant difference was detected. In all subjects, LA-LS R was significantly correlated with LV-LS but not with LV-CS. LA-CS R was correlated with neither LV-LS nor LV-CS. In conclusion, both longitudinal and circumferential LA myocardial expansion during reservoir phase were reduced in HCM, while only the longitudinal one was reduced in HT-LVH. Reduction of LA circumferential expansion may reflect a more serious and intrinsic impairment of LA myocardial distensibility in HCM. Measuring LA-CS R and LA-AS R using 3DSTE would contribute to a more accurate understanding of LA reservoir function abnormality in HCM., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Background: The superior vena cava (SVC) flow velocity waveform from the supraclavicular window reflects right atrial pressure (RAP) status. Recent guidelines have stated that the subcostal window is an alternative view for recording SVC flow, but the validity of this approach remains unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the usefulness of SVC flow evaluation from the subcostal window for estimating RAP., Methods: Differences in SVC flow characteristics between opposite approaches were examined in 38 healthy adults. In 115 patients with cardiovascular diseases who underwent cardiac catheterization and echocardiography within 48 hours, the ratio of peak systolic to diastolic forward SVC flow (SVC-S/D) was measured, and the diagnostic ability of SVC-S/D for elevated RAP was tested. A validation cohort was used to confirm the diagnostic ability of SVC-S/D in 48 patients who underwent both cardiac catheterization and echocardiography within 24 hours. In 59 patients in the derivation and validation cohorts, the relationship between SVC flow and RAP was compared between the opposite windows., Results: Both systolic and diastolic SVC flow velocities were higher in the subcostal than in the supraclavicular approach, and effect of position change on subcostal SVC-S/D was smaller than that on supraclavicular SVC-S/D in healthy adults. Measurement of SVC-S/D from the subcostal window was feasible in 98 patients (85%). RAP was inversely correlated with SVC-S/D (r = -0.50, P < .001) and was an independent determinant of SVC-S/D after adjustment for right ventricular systolic function (β = -0.48, P < .001). A cutoff value of 1.9 for SVC-S/D showed 85% sensitivity and 74% specificity in identifying elevated RAP. Additionally, SVC-S/D showed an incremental diagnostic value combined with inferior vena cava size and collapsibility (P = .006). When a cutoff value of SVC-S/D < 1.9 was applied to the validation cohort, it showed acceptable accuracy of 72% and incremental diagnostic value combined with inferior vena cava parameters (P = .033). SVC-S/D from the subcostal window correlated better with RAP than that from the supraclavicular window (P < .001, Meng's test)., Conclusions: Measurement of SVC flow velocity from the subcostal window was feasible, and SVC-S/D from the subcostal window could be an additive parameter for estimating RAP., (Copyright © 2022 American Society of Echocardiography. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aims: Elevated left ventricular filling pressure (LVFP) is a powerful indicator of worsening clinical outcomes in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF); however, detection of elevated LVFP is often challenging. This study aimed to determine the association between the newly proposed echocardiographic LVFP parameter, visually assessed time difference between the mitral valve and tricuspid valve opening (VMT) score, and clinical outcomes of HFpEF., Methods and Results: We retrospectively investigated 310 well-differentiated HFpEF patients in stable conditions. VMT was scored from 0 to 3 using two-dimensional echocardiographic images, and VMT ≥2 was regarded as a sign of elevated LVFP. The primary endpoint was a composite of cardiac death or heart failure hospitalization during the 2 years after the echocardiographic examination. In all patients, Kaplan-Meier curves showed that VMT ≥2 (n = 54) was associated with worse outcomes than the VMT ≤1 group (n = 256) (P < 0.001). Furthermore, VMT ≥2 was associated with worse outcomes when tested in 100 HFpEF patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) (P = 0.026). In the adjusted model, VMT ≥2 was independently associated with the primary outcome (hazard ratio 2.60, 95% confidence interval 1.46-4.61; P = 0.001). Additionally, VMT scoring provided an incremental prognostic value over clinically relevant variables and diastolic function grading (χ2 10.8-16.3, P = 0.035)., Conclusions: In patients with HFpEF, the VMT score was independently and incrementally associated with adverse clinical outcomes. Moreover, it could also predict clinical outcomes in HFpEF patients with AF., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.)

Although the echocardiographic effective orifice area (EOA) calculated using the continuity equation is widely used for the assessment of severity in aortic stenosis (AS), the existence of high flow velocity at the left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) potentially causes its overestimation. The proximal isovelocity surface area (PISA) method could be an alternative tool for the estimation of EOA that limits the influence of upstream flow velocity. EOA was calculated using the continuity equation (EOA Cont ) and PISA method (EOA PISA ), respectively, in 114 patients with at least moderate AS. The geometric orifice area (GOA) was also measured using the planimetry method in 51 patients who also underwent three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography. Patients were divided into two groups according to the median LVOT flow velocity. EOA PISA could be obtained in 108 of the 114 patients (95%). Although there was a strong correlation between EOA Cont and EOA PISA (r = 0.78, P < 0.001), EOA Cont was statistically significantly larger than EOA PISA (0.86 ± 0.33 vs 0.75 ± 0.29 cm 2 , P < 0.001). Both EOA Cont and EOA PISA similarly correlated with GOA (r = 0.70, P < 0.001 and r = 0.77, P < 0.001, respectively). However, a fixed bias, which is hydrodynamically supposed to exist between EOA and GOA, was not observed between EOA Cont and GOA. In contrast, there was a negative fixed bias between EOA PISA and GOA with smaller EOA PISA than GOA. The difference between EOA Cont and GOA was significantly greater with a larger EOA Cont relative to GOA in patients with high LVOT flow velocity than in those without (0.16 ± 0.25 vs - 0.07 ± 0.10 cm 2 , P < 0.001). In contrast, the difference between EOA PISA and GOA was consistent regardless of the LVOT flow velocity (- 0.07 ± 0.12 vs - 0.07 ± 0.15 cm 2 , P = 0.936). The PISA method was applied to estimate EOA in patients with AS. EOA PISA could be an alternative parameter for AS severity grading in patients with high LVOT flow velocity in whom EOA Cont would potentially overestimate the orifice area., (© 2021. Springer Japan KK, part of Springer Nature.)

Purpose: We recently reported a noninvasive method for the assessment of right ventricular (RV) operating stiffness that is obtained by dividing the atrial-systolic descent of the pulmonary artery-RV pressure gradient (PRPGD AC ) derived from the pulmonary regurgitant velocity by the tricuspid annular plane movement during atrial contraction (TAPM AC ). Here, we investigated whether this parameter of RV operating stiffness, PRPGD AC /TAPM AC , is useful for predicting the prognosis of patients with heart failure (HF)., Methods: We retrospectively included 127 hospitalized patients with HF who underwent an echocardiographic examination immediately pre-discharge. The PRPGD AC /TAPM AC was measured in addition to standard echocardiographic parameters. Patients were followed until 2 years post-discharge. The endpoint was the composite of cardiac death, readmission for acute decompensation, and increased diuretic dose due to worsening HF., Results: 58 patients (46%) experienced the endpoint during follow-up. Univariable and multivariable Cox regression analyses demonstrated that the PRPGD AC /TAPM AC was associated with the endpoint. In a Kaplan-Meier analysis, the event rate of the greater PRPGD AC /TAPM AC group was significantly higher than that of the lesser PRPGD AC /TAPM AC group. In a sequential Cox analysis for predicting the endpoint's occurrence, the addition of PRPGD AC /TAPM AC to the model including age, sex, NYHA functional classification, brain natriuretic peptide level, and several echocardiographic parameters including tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion significantly improved the predictive power for prognosis., Conclusion: A completely noninvasive index of RV operating stiffness, PRPGD AC /TAPM AC , was useful for predicting prognoses in patients with HF, and it showed an incremental prognostic value over RV systolic function., (© 2021. Springer Japan KK, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Diagnosing heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is challenging. Although the H 2 FPEF score and HFA-PEFF algorithm have been proposed for diagnosing HFpEF, previous validation studies were conducted in stable chronic heart failure (HF). Moreover, information on their applicability in the Asian population is limited. We sought to investigate these scores' diagnostic performance for HFpEF in Japanese patients recently hospitalized due to acute decompensated HF., Methods: We examined patients with HFpEF recently hospitalized with acute decompensated HF from a nationwide HFpEF-specific multicenter registry (HFpEF group) and control patients who underwent echocardiography to investigate the cause of dyspnea in our hospital (Non-HFpEF group)., Results: The studied population included 372 patients (194 HFpEF group and 178 Non-HFpEF group; HFpEF prevalence, 52%). A high H 2 FPEF score (6-9 points) could diagnose HFpEF with a high specificity of 97% and a positive predictive value (PPV) of 94%, and a low H 2 FPEF score (0-1 point) could rule out HFpEF with a high sensitivity of 97% and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 93%. HFpEF could be diagnosed with a high HFA-PEFF score (5-6 points) (specificity, 84%; PPV, 82%) or ruled out with a low HFA-PEFF score (0-1 point) (sensitivity, 99%; NPV, 89%). The H 2 FPEF score was significantly superior to the HFA-PEFF score in diagnostic accuracy (area under the curve: 0.89 vs. 0.82, respectively, p = 0.004)., Conclusions: The H 2 FPEF and the HFA-PEFF scores had acceptable diagnostic accuracy in diagnosing HFpEF in Japanese patients., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Although the time difference between peak of left ventricular (LV) and aortic systolic pressures (T LV-Ao ), which is considered to in part reflect pulsus tardus, is reported to be associated with clinical outcome in aortic stenosis (AS), its physiological determinants remain to be elucidated. We hypothesized that not only AS severity but also LV systolic dysfunction could be associated with occurrence of pulsus tardus., Methods: T LV-Ao was measured by simultaneous LV and aortic pressure tracing in 74 AS patients and prolonged T LV-Ao was defined as ≥66 ms according to the previous report. Mean transaortic valvular pressure gradient (mPG) and effective orifice area index (EOAI) were estimated by Doppler echocardiography and severe AS was defined as EOAI ≤0.60 cm 2 /m 2 . Global longitudinal strain (GLS) was measured by using speckle-tracking method., Results: Although a weak correlation was observed between EOAI and T LV-Ao , there was substantial population showing discordance between the parameters: severe AS despite normal T LV-Ao (10 of 47 patients) and moderate AS despite prolonged T LV-Ao (9 of 17 patients). In severe AS, mPG was significantly higher in patients showing prolonged T LV-Ao (57±20 vs 36±10 mmHg, p<0.0001) whereas GLS was comparable between the groups (-15.2±3.5% vs -14.8±3.2%). In contrast, in moderate AS, GLS was significantly smaller in patients showing prolonged T LV-Ao (-12.6±4.7% vs -17.4±3.4%, p=0.0271) while mPG was comparable (34±7 mmHg vs 35±8 mmHg). Multivariable analysis revealed that not only mPG but also GLS was an independent determinant of T LV-Ao ., Conclusions: The occurrence of pulsus tardus could be associated with not only AS severity but also LV systolic dysfunction in AS patients., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest There is no conflict of interest to disclose relating to the present study., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) caused by severe stenosis of left main coronary artery (LMCA) presenting with cardiogenic shock and pulmonary edema during noncardiac surgery is uncommon, but a catastrophic event. A 77-year-old male with cholangiocarcinoma underwent hepatectomy. During the surgery, he presented with cardiogenic shock, which did not respond to infusion administration or vasopressor. A transesophageal echocardiogram revealed anterior, septal, and lateral severe hypokinesia and impaired left ventricular function. Emergent coronary angiogram showed severe stenosis of LMCA. The patient underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) under the support of intra-aortic balloon pump, followed by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. The chest roentgenogram showed pulmonary edema. Two days after PCI, he successfully underwent hepatectomy and bile duct resection. Early identification of the cause of hemodynamic instability during noncardiac surgery and invasive strategy are important for minimizing the myocardial injury and improving clinical outcomes in AMI of LMCA., Competing Interests: The authors have no competing interests to disclose., (Copyright © 2021 Sakae Takenaka et al.)

Cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) is frequently complicated by fatal ventricular arrhythmias. T-peak to T-end interval to QT interval ratio (TpTe/QT) on electrocardiograms (ECG) was proposed as a marker of ventricular repolarization dispersion. Although this ratio could be associated with the incidence of ventricular arrhythmias in cardiovascular diseases, its prognostic implication in patients with CS is unclear. We sought to investigate whether TpTe/QT was associated with long-term clinical outcomes in patients with CS. Ninety consecutive patients with CS in 2 tertiary hospitals who had ECG data before initiation of immunosuppressive therapy between November 1995 and March 2019 were examined. The primary outcome was a composite of advanced atrioventricular block, ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation (VT/VF), heart failure hospitalization, and all-cause death. During a median follow-up period of 4.70 (interquartile range 2.06-7.23) years, the primary outcome occurred in 21 patients (23.3%). Survival analyses revealed that the primary outcome (p < 0.001), especially VT/VF or sudden cardiac death (p = 0.002), occurred more frequently in patients with higher TpTe/QT (≥ 0.242, the median) than in those with lower TpTe/QT. Multivariable Cox regression analysis showed that a higher TpTe/QT was independently associated with increased subsequent risk of adverse events (hazard ratio1.11, 95% confidence interval 1.03-1.20, p = 0.008) even after adjustment for the significant covariates. In conclusion, a higher TpTe/QT was associated with worse long-term clinical outcomes, especially fatal ventricular arrhythmic events, in patients with cardiac sarcoidosis, suggesting the importance of assessing TpTe/QT as a surrogate for risk stratification in these patients., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: When left ventricular filling pressure (LVFP) increases, the mitral valve opens early and precedes tricuspid valve opening in early diastole. The authors hypothesized that a visually assessed time sequence of atrioventricular valve opening could become a new marker of elevated LVFP. The aim of this study was to test the diagnostic ability of a novel echocardiographic scoring system, the visually assessed time difference between mitral valve and tricuspid valve opening (VMT) score, in patients with heart failure., Methods: One hundred nineteen consecutive patients who underwent cardiac catheterization within 24 hours of echocardiographic examination were retrospectively analyzed as a derivation cohort. In addition, a prospective study was conducted to validate the diagnostic ability of the VMT score in 50 patients. Elevated LVFP was defined as mean pulmonary artery wedge pressure (PAWP) ≥ 15 mm Hg. The time sequence of atrioventricular valve opening was visually assessed and scored (0 = tricuspid valve first, 1 = simultaneous, 2 = mitral valve first). When the inferior vena cava was dilated, 1 point was added, and VMT score was ultimately graded as 0 to 3. Cardiac events were recorded for 1 year after echocardiography., Results: In the derivation cohort, PAWP was elevated with higher VMT scores (score 0, 10 ± 5; score 1, 12 ± 4; score 2, 22 ± 8; score 3, 28 ± 4 mm Hg; P < .001, analysis of variance). VMT score ≥ 2 predicted elevated PAWP with accuracy of 86% and showed incremental predictive value over clinical variables and guideline-recommended diastolic function grading. These observations were confirmed in the prospective validation cohort. Importantly, VMT score ≥ 2 discriminated elevated PAWP with accuracy of 82% in 33 patients with monophasic left ventricular inflow in the derivation cohort. Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated that patients with VMT scores ≥ 2 were at higher risk for cardiac events than those with VMT scores ≤ 1 (P < .001)., Conclusions: VMT scoring could be a novel additive marker of elevated LVFP and might also be associated with adverse outcomes in patients with heart failure., (Copyright © 2021 American Society of Echocardiography. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Pre- and post-procedural hemodynamic changes which could affect adverse outcomes in aortic stenosis (AS) patients who undergo transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) have not been well investigated. Four-dimensional (4D) flow cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) enables accurate analysis of blood flow dynamics such as flow velocity, flow pattern, wall shear stress (WSS), and energy loss (EL). We sought to examine the changes in blood flow dynamics of patients with severe AS who underwent TAVR., Methods: We examined 32 consecutive severe AS patients who underwent TAVR between May 2018 and June 2019 (17 men, 82 ± 5 years, median left ventricular ejection fraction 61%, 6 self-expanding valve), after excluding those without CMR because of a contraindication or inadequate imaging from the analyses. We analyzed blood flow patterns, WSS and EL in the ascending aorta (AAo), and those changes before and after TAVR using 4D flow CMR., Results: After TAVR, semi-quantified helical flow in the AAo was significantly decreased (1.4 ± 0.6 vs. 1.9 ± 0.8, P = 0.002), whereas vortical flow and eccentricity showed no significant changes. WSS along the ascending aortic circumference was significantly decreased in the left (P = 0.038) and left anterior (P = 0.033) wall at the basal level, right posterior (P = 0.011) and left (P = 0.010) wall at the middle level, and right (P = 0.012), left posterior (P = 0.019) and left anterior (P = 0.028) wall at the upper level. EL in the AAo was significantly decreased (15.6 [10.8-25.1 vs. 25.8 [18.6-36.2]] mW, P = 0.012). Furthermore, a significant negative correlation was observed between EL and effective orifice area index after TAVR (r = - 0.38, P = 0.034)., Conclusions: In severe AS patients undergoing TAVR, 4D flow CMR demonstrates that TAVR improves blood flow dynamics, especially when a larger effective orifice area index is obtained.

Objectives: Although electrolyte abnormalities are related to worse clinical outcomes in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), little is known about the association between admission serum magnesium level and adverse events in AMI patients complicated by out-of-hospital cardiac arrest presenting with malignant ventricular arrhythmias (OHCA-MVA). We investigated the prognostic value of serum magnesium level on admission in these patients., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the data of 165 consecutive reperfused AMI patients complicated with OHCA-MVA between April 2007 and February 2020 in our university hospital. Serum magnesium concentration was measured on admission. The primary outcome was in-hospital death., Results: Fifty-four patients (33%) died during hospitalization. Higher serum magnesium level was significantly related to in-hospital death (Fine & Gray's test; p < 0.001). In multivariable logistic regression analyses, serum magnesium level on admission was independently associated with in-hospital death (hazard ratio 2.68, 95% confidence interval 1.24-5.80) even after adjustment for covariates. Furthermore, the incidences of cardiogenic shock necessitating an intra-aortic balloon pump (p = 0.005) or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (p < 0.001), tracheal intubation (p < 0.001) and persistent vegetative state (p = 0.002) were significantly higher in patients with higher serum magnesium level than in those with lower serum magnesium level., Conclusions: In reperfused AMI patients complicated by OHCA-MVA, admission serum magnesium level might be a potential surrogate marker for predicting in-hospital death., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Authors have reported that they have no relationships relevant to the content of this paper to disclose., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To investigate the influence of changes in vortices within the left ventricle (LV) on energy efficiency (EE) in normal and diseased hearts., Methods: We performed vector flow mapping echocardiography in 36 normal participants (N), 36 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (D), and 36 patients with LV hypertrophy (H). The circulation of the main anterior vortex was measured as a parameter of vortex strength. Energy loss (EL) was measured for one cardiac cycle, and EE was calculated as EL divided by stroke work (SW), which represents the loss of kinetic energy per unit of LV external work., Results: Circulation increased in the order of N, H, and D (N: 15 ± 4, D: 19 ± 8, H: 17 ± 6 × 10 -3 m 2 /s; analysis of variance [ANOVA] P < .01). Conversely, EE increased in the order of N, D, and H (N: 0.22 ± 0.07, D: 0.26 ± 0.16, H: 0.30 ± 0.16 10 -5 J/mm Hg mL m s; ANOVA P = .04), suggesting worst EE in group H. We found a positive correlation between circulation and SW only in group N, and positive correlation between circulation and EE only in diseased groups (D: R = 0.55, P < .01; H: R = 0.44, P < .01). Multivariable analyses revealed that circulation was the independent determinant of EE in groups D and H., Conclusions: Enhanced vortices could be associated with effective increase in LV external work in normal hearts. Conversely, they were associated with loss of EE without an optimal increase in external work in failing hearts, regardless of the LV morphology., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Evaluation of left ventricular filling pressure plays an important role in the clinical management of pulmonary hypertension. However, the accuracy of echocardiographic parameters for the determination of left ventricular filling pressure in the presence of pulmonary vascular lesions has not been fully addressed. We retrospectively investigated 124 patients with pulmonary hypertension due to pulmonary vascular lesions (noncardiac pulmonary hypertension group) and 113 patients with ischemic heart disease (control group) who underwent right heart catheterization and echocardiography. The noncardiac pulmonary hypertension group was subdivided into less-advanced and advanced groups according to median pulmonary vascular resistance. Pulmonary artery wedge pressure was determined as left ventricular filling pressure. As echocardiographic parameters of left ventricular filling pressure, the ratio of early- (E) to late-diastolic transmitral flow velocity (E/A), ratio of E to early-diastolic mitral annular velocity (E/e'), and left atrial volume index were measured. In the less-advanced noncardiac pulmonary hypertension and control groups, positive correlations were observed between pulmonary artery wedge pressure and late-diastolic transmitral flow velocity ( R  = 0.41, P  = 0.002 and R  = 0.71, P  < 0.001, respectively) and left atrial volume index ( R  = 0.53, P  < 0.001 and R  = 0.41, P  < 0.001), whereas in the advanced noncardiac pulmonary hypertension group, pulmonary artery wedge pressure was only correlated with left atrial volume index ( R  = 0.27, P  = 0.032). In the controls, only pulmonary artery wedge pressure determined E (β = 0.48, P  < 0.001), whereas both pulmonary artery wedge pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance were independent determinants of E (β = 0.29, P  < 0.001 and β = -0.28, P  = 0.001, respectively) in the noncardiac pulmonary hypertension group. In conclusion, in the presence of advanced pulmonary vascular lesions, conventional echocardiographic parameters may not accurately reflect left ventricular filling pressure. Elevated pulmonary vascular resistance would lower the E, even when pulmonary artery wedge pressure is elevated, resulting in blunting of echocardiographic parameters for the detection of elevated left ventricular filling pressure., (© The Author(s) 2021.)

Background: The histopathological diagnosis of cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) is challenging because of sampling error in endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) and the determinants of positive EMB are unclear. Reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) is a simple parameter of the extent of myocardial damage, and higher serum angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity would indicate the spread of disease activity in CS patients. Thus, we sought to examine whether these parameters are related to the histopathological diagnosis of CS by EMB., Methods: A total of 94 consecutive clinically diagnosed CS patients between August 1986 and March 2019 who were admitted to two academic hospitals were examined. We determined EMB as positive if non-caseating epithelioid granulomas were confirmed in the myocardial tissue. Patients were divided into two groups according to positive (n = 37) and negative (n = 57) EMB. We assessed the relationship between LVEF, serum ACE activity and positive EMB., Results: Multivariable analysis revealed that both LVEF and serum ACE were independently associated with positive EMB (OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.70-0.99; OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.02-1.90, respectively). Moreover, patients with both lower LVEF (<37%, median) and higher ACE activity (≥13.5 IU/L, median) had the highest frequency of positive EMB (p = .003). The combination of lower LVEF and higher serum ACE showed better specificity (91.2%) and positive predictive value (73.7%) than either LVEF or serum ACE alone for positive EMB., Conclusions: Lower LVEF and higher serum ACE activity were associated with positive EMB, suggesting that these parameters might be useful for predicting positive EMB in CS patients., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Anti-mitochondrial antibody (AMA)-positive myositis is an atypical inflammatory myopathy characterized by chronic progressive respiratory muscle weakness, muscular atrophy, and cardiac involvement. Arrhythmias, cardiomyopathy, and myocarditis have been reported as cardiac manifestations. Herein, we present the first report of a patient diagnosed with having AMA-positive myositis with cardiac involvement mimicking cardiac sarcoidosis., (© 2020 The Authors. ESC Heart Failure published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.)

Neuraxial modulation therapies, such as stellate ganglion block, thoracic epidural anaesthesia, and cardiac sympathetic denervation, are effective for ventricular arrhythmias. However, these treatments can increase the risk of bleeding and infection. In this case report, stellate ganglion phototherapy was safely and effectively performed for refractory ventricular tachycardias in a patient with a history of left ventricular assist device implantation. Stellate ganglion phototherapy may have the potential to treat refractory ventricular arrhythmias as an additive therapy or bridge therapy., (Copyright © 2020 Canadian Cardiovascular Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Epirubicin-based chemotherapy carries a risk of inducing heart failure, although the frequency is rare. Bevacizumab, an anti-vascular endothelial growth factor monoclonal antibody, has recently been widely used in patients with recurrent breast cancer as a first-line chemotherapeutic agent. Heart failure or arterial thromboembolism has been reported as a rare cardiovascular complication of bevacizumab. We herein report a breast cancer patient with reversible cancer therapeutics-related cardiac dysfunction associated with bevacizumab and epirubicin complicating intracardiac thrombi in the left atrium and left ventricle. This case underscores the importance of tailored medical planning according to the individual status in patients receiving anti-cancer therapies.

Background: A v wave on pulmonary artery wedge (PAW) pressure sometimes augments and appears on pulmonary artery (PA) pressure wave in patients with heart failure (HF). However, the significance of PA v wave in HF remains to be elucidated., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed pressure waveforms in 61 HF patients (left ventricular ejection fraction 35 ± 15%). On the PAW and PA pressure waveforms, mean pressure as well as peak and amplitude of v waves (ampPAWv and ampPAv, respectively) were measured. Occurrence of worsening HF and cardiac death was recorded for 2 years after the catheterization., Results: The ampPAWv did not correlate with ampPAv. When the patients were divided into 4 groups: I (high-ampPAWv/high-ampPAv), II (high-ampPAWv/low-ampPAv), III (low-ampPAWv/high-ampPAv), and IV (low-ampPAWv/low-ampPAv), the prevalence of group III was low (I: 13, II: 17, III: 4, IV: 27). Mean pressures of PAW and PA were similarly elevated in groups I and II. Cardiac index was lowest (I: 2.0 ± 0.4, II: 2.8 ± 0.6, III: 2.2 ± 0.2, IV: 2.4 ± 0.6 L/min/m 2 , ANOVA P < 0.01, P < 0.01 for I vs II) and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion / systolic PA pressure was impaired (I: 0.27 ± 0.07, II: 0.48 ± 0.22, III: 0.59 ± 0.35, IV: 0.68 ± 0.35 mm/mmHg, ANOVA P < 0.01) in group I. During the follow-up, 13 events were observed. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that patients in group I were at highest risk of cardiac events., Conclusions: PA v was observed mainly in patients with augmented PAW v wave and decreased cardiac index, suggesting an advanced stage of HF. Moreover, augmented PAv was associated with worse outcome in HF patients.

We report a case of cardiac lipoma with intramyocardial invasion complicated by visceral inversion, which, to the best of our knowledge, has not been reported before. Multimodality imaging played an important role in differential diagnosis and determination of the management strategy. ( Level of Difficulty: Advanced. )., (© 2020 The Authors.)

Background: Ventilatory inefficiency during exercise assessed using the lowest minute ventilation/carbon dioxide production (V̇E/V̇CO 2 ) ratio was recently proven to be a strong prognostic marker of heart failure (HF) regardless of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Its physiological background, however, has not been elucidated. Methods and Results: Fifty-seven HF patients underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing and exercise-stress echocardiography. The lowest V̇E/V̇CO 2 ratio was assessed on respiratory gas analysis. Echocardiography was obtained at rest and at peak exercise. LVEF was measured using the method of disks. Cardiac output (CO) and the ratio of transmitral early filling velocity (E) to early diastolic tissue velocity (e') were calculated using the Doppler method. HF patients were divided into preserved EF (HFpEF) and reduced EF (HFrEF) using the LVEF cut-off 40% at rest. Twenty-four patients were classified as HFpEF and 33 as HFrEF. In HFpEF, age (r=0.58), CO (r=-0.44), e' (r=-0.48) and E/e' (r=0.45) during exercise correlated with the lowest V̇E/V̇CO 2 ratio (P<0.05 for all). In contrast, in HFrEF, age (r=0.47) and CO (r=-0.54) during exercise, but not e' and E/e', correlated with the lowest V̇E/V̇CO 2 ratio. Conclusions: Loss of CO augmentation was associated with ventilatory inefficiency in HF regardless of LVEF, although lung congestion determined ventilatory efficiency only in HFpEF., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2020, THE JAPANESE CIRCULATION SOCIETY.)

Elevated serum uric acid (UA) is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and worse clinical outcome in patients with cardiovascular disease. Nevertheless, the prognostic value of serum UA level in hospitalized heart failure patients with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) has not been fully elucidated. The aim of this study was to investigate whether serum UA level on admission could be associated with subsequent mortality in hospitalized patients with HFpEF. We examined 516 consecutive hospitalized HFpEF (left ventricular ejection fraction ≥50%) patients with decompensated heart failure from our HFpEF-specific multicenter registry who had serum UA data on admission. The primary outcome of interest was all-cause death. During a median follow-up period of 749 (interquartile range 540 to 831) days, 90 (17%) patients died. Higher serum UA level was significantly related to increased incidence of all-cause death (p = 0.016). In addition, patients with higher serum UA (≥6.6 mg/dl, median) and plasma B-type natriuretic peptide (≥401.2 pg/ml, median) levels had the highest incidence of all-cause death in the groups (p = 0.002). In multivariable Cox regression analysis, serum UA was an independent determinant of mortality (hazards ratio 1.23, 95% confidence interval 1.10 to 1.39) even after adjustment for prespecified confounders, renal function and the use of diuretics before admission. In conclusions, higher admission serum UA was an independent determinant of mortality in hospitalized HFpEF patients. Our findings indicate the importance of assessing admission serum UA level for further risk stratification in hospitalized patients with HFpEF., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aims: The prognostic implication of left ventricular outflow tract velocity time integral (LVOT-VTI) on admission in hospitalized heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) patients has not been determined. We sought to investigate whether LVOT-VTI on admission is associated with worse clinical outcomes in hospitalized patients with HFpEF., Methods and Results: We studied consecutive 214 hospitalized HFpEF patients who had accessible LVOT-VTI data on admission, from a prospective HFpEF-specific multicentre registry. The primary outcome of interest was the composite of all-cause death and readmission due to heart failure. During a median follow-up period of 688 (interquartile range 162-810) days, the primary outcome occurred in 83 patients (39%). The optimal cut-off value of LVOT-VTI for the primary outcome estimated by receiver operating characteristic analysis was 15.8 cm. Lower LVOT-VTI was significantly associated with the primary outcome compared with higher LVOT-VTI (P = 0.005). Multivariable Cox regression analyses revealed that lower LVOT-VTI was an independent determinant of the primary outcome (hazard ratio 0.94, 95% confidence interval 0.91-0.98). In multivariable linear regression, haemoglobin level was the strongest independent determinant of LVOT-VTI among clinical parameters (β coefficient = -0.61, P = 0.007). Furthermore, patients with lower LVOT-VTI and anaemia had the worst clinical outcomes among the groups (P < 0.001)., Conclusions: Lower admission LVOT-VTI was an independent determinant of worse clinical outcomes in hospitalized HFpEF patients, indicating that LVOT-VTI on admission might be useful for categorizing a low-flow HFpEF phenotype and risk stratification in hospitalized HFpEF patients., (© 2019 The Authors. ESC Heart Failure published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.)

Background: Doppler-estimated peak systolic tricuspid regurgitation pressure gradient (TRPG) is a representative noninvasive parameter for evaluating pulmonary artery systolic pressure, which can be a determinant of adverse outcomes in chronic heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). However, the prognostic implications of TRPG at admission for hospitalized patients with HFpEF are undetermined., Methods and Results: We examined 469 consecutive hospitalized patients with decompensated HFpEF (left ventricular ejection fraction ≥ 50%) who underwent TRPG measurement at admission in our HFpEF multicenter registry. The primary outcome of interest was all-cause death. Admission TRPG was significantly correlated with estimated pulmonary capillary wedge pressure and left atrial dimension (r = 0.24, P < 0.001 and r = 0.21, P < 0.001, respectively). During a median follow-up period of 748 (IQR 540-820) days, 83 patients died. Higher TRPG was significantly associated with higher mortality compared to lower TRPG (log-rank; P = 0.007). Multivariable analysis revealed that elevated TRPG was an independent determinant of mortality (HR 1.02, 95% CI 1.01-1.04, P = 0.008) after adjustment for prespecified confounders and renal function., Conclusions: Elevated TRPG at admission was an independent determinant of mortality in hospitalized patients with HFpEF, indicating that TRPG at admission could be a useful marker for risk stratification in these patients., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

It was recently shown that invasively determined right ventricular (RV) stiffness was more closely related to the prognosis of patients with pulmonary hypertension than RV systolic function. So far, a completely noninvasive method to access RV stiffness has not been reported. We aimed to clarify the clinical usefulness of our new echocardiographic index of RV operating stiffness using atrial-systolic descent of the pulmonary artery-RV pressure gradient derived from pulmonary regurgitant velocity (PRPGD AC ) and tricuspid annular plane movement during atrial contraction (TAPM AC ). We studied 81 consecutive patients with various cardiac diseases who underwent echocardiography and cardiac catheterization. We measured PRPGD AC and TAPM AC using continuous-wave Doppler and M-mode echocardiography, respectively, and calculated PRPGD AC /TAPM AC . RV end-diastolic pressure (RVEDP) and RV pressure increase during atrial contraction (ΔRVP AC ) were invasively measured, and RV volume change during atrial contraction (ΔV AC ) was calculated from echocardiographic late-diastolic transtricuspid flow time-velocity integral and tricuspid annular area; thus ΔRVP AC /ΔV AC was used as the standard index for RV operating stiffness. PRPGD AC /TAPM AC well correlated with ΔRVP AC /ΔV AC (r = 0.84, p < 0.001) and RVEDP (r = 0.80, p < 0.001), and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve to discriminate RVEDP > 12 mmHg was 0.94. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that PRPGD AC /TAPM AC was the single independent determinant of ΔRVP AC /ΔV AC (β = 0.86, p < 0.001). PRPGD AC /TAPM AC is useful to estimate RV operating stiffness and a good practical indicator of RVEDP.

Although the presence and physiological significance of late-diastolic tricuspid regurgitation (TR) have been reported, those in TR occurring in early diastole have not been well known. We herein first presented a case of heart failure due to dilated cardiomyopathy showing functional TR occurring in the early-diastolic phase in whom the mechanism for its genesis could be precisely assessed from echocardiographic findings and intra-cardiac pressure recordings., (© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background: Although the enhancement of early-diastolic intra-left ventricular pressure difference (IVPD) during exercise is considered to maintain exercise capacity, little is known about their relationship in heart failure (HF)., Methods and Results: Cardiopulmonary exercise testing and exercise-stress echocardiography were performed in 50 HF patients (left ventricular [LV] ejection fraction 39 ± 15%). Echocardiographic images were obtained at rest and submaximal and peak exercise. Color M-mode Doppler images of LV inflow were used to determine IVPD. Thirty-five patients had preserved exercise capacity (peak oxygen consumption [VO 2 ] ≥14 mL·kg -1 ·min -1 ; group 1) and 15 patients had reduced exercise capacity (group 2). During exercise, IVPD increased only in group 1 (group 1: 1.9 ± 0.9 mm Hg at rest, 4.1 ± 2.0 mm Hg at submaximum, 4.7 ± 2.1 mm Hg at peak; group 2: 1.9 ± 0.8 mm Hg at rest, 2.1 ± 0.9 mm Hg at submaximum, 2.1 ± 0.9 mm Hg at peak). Submaximal IVPD (r = 0.54) and peak IVPD (r = 0.69) were significantly correlated with peak VO 2 . Peak IVPD determined peak VO 2 independently of LV ejection fraction. Moreover, submaximal IVPD could well predict the reduced exercise capacity., Conclusion: Early-diastolic IVPD during exercise was closely associated with exercise capacity in HF. In addition, submaximal IVPD could be a useful predictor of exercise capacity without peak exercise in HF patients., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aims: The detection of increased left ventricular (LV) chamber stiffness may play an important role in assessing cardiac patients with potential but not overt heart failure. A non-invasive method to estimate it is not established. We investigated whether the echocardiographic backward/forward flow volume ratio from the left atrium (LA) during atrial contraction reflects the LV chamber stiffness., Methods and Results: We studied 62 patients who underwent cardiac catheterization and measured their left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) and pressure increase during atrial contraction (ΔPa) from the LV pressure waveform. Using the echocardiographic biplane method of disks, we measured the LV volume change during atrial contraction indexed to the body surface area (ΔVa), and ΔPa/ΔVa was calculated as a standard for the LV operating chamber stiffness. Using pulsed Doppler echocardiography, we measured the time-velocity integral (TVI) of the backward pulmonary venous (PV) flow during atrial contraction (IPVA) and the ratio of IPVA to the PV flow TVI throughout a cardiac cycle (FPVA). We also measured the TVI of the atrial systolic forward transmitral flow (IA) and the ratio of the IA to the transmitral TVI during a cardiac cycle (FA) and calculated IPVA/IA and FPVA/FA. IPVA/IA and FPVA/FA were well correlated with ΔPa/ΔVa (r = 0.79 and r = 0.81) and LVEDP (r = 0.73 and r = 0.77). The areas under the ROC curve to discriminate LVEDP >18 mmHg were 0.90 for IPVA/IA and 0.93 for FPVA/FA., Conclusion: The FPVA/FA, the backward/forward flow volume ratio from the LA during atrial contraction, is useful for non-invasive assessments of LV chamber stiffness and elevated LVEDP.