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Background Sinus of Valsalva aneurysm (SVA) is a rare cardiac abnormality occurring in 0.09% of the general population, but few reports have examined its recurrence. Unruptured SVAs are usually asymptomatic. Case summary A 50-year-old woman presented with chest pain and a history of surgery for a ruptured right coronary SVA 32 years prior. Echocardiography showed the recurrence of an unruptured SVA of the non-coronary sinus with moderate aortic regurgitation, severe mitral regurgitation, and severe tricuspid regurgitation. Cardiac computed tomography (CT) revealed compression of the right coronary artery (RCA) between the SVA and sternum. Adenosine triphosphate stress myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) identified reversible ischaemia of the inferior wall. The patient underwent patch closure of the SVA, aortic valve replacement, mitral valvuloplasty, and tricuspid annuloplasty. Post-operative MPI showed no residual ischaemia, and CT confirmed both successful repair of the SVA and intact RCA. Discussion This case provides two noteworthy findings. First, the SVA recurred after 32 years. Second, a non-coronary SVA causing myocardial ischaemia is extremely rare given the long anatomical distance between the non-coronary sinus and coronary arteries. In our patient, the non-coronary SVA grew large enough within the anterior mediastinum to cause RCA compression.

Ultrasonography is an essential examination performed in various clinical fields. The number of clinical sonographers has been increasing. However, the working environments and conditions at each facility are different, leading to diverse problems. Among them, the emerging issue is the sexual disagreement between the sonographer and patient at the time of echocardiography. Since the patient must expose their breast during echocardiography, female patients may refuse to undergo the examination when conducted by a male sonographer. This study aimed to conduct a questionnaire survey to understand the measures for sonographer-patient gender mismatch at different facilities.A questionnaire on the implementation of echocardiography by male sonographers for female patients was answered by representatives and specialist technicians of the Japanese Society of Echocardiography.Questionnaire responses were obtained from 50 facilities (59 participants). A total of 70% of the facilities restricted male sonographers from conducting echocardiography examinations for female patients. Among them, 81% of the facilities serviced female patients aged 60 years or younger.It has become clear that the gender selection of echocardiographic examiners varies from facility to facility, and providing a sufficient explanation before echocardiographic examination is necessary to avoid causing uncomfortable situations for female patients.

Background Vascular inflammation plays a fundamental role in most vascular diseases including atherosclerosis and vasculitis syndrome, in which arterial wall vascularization (AWV) frequently develops. Visualization of AWV is informative in detecting the vascular inflammation but is challenging. A new ultrasound technique (superb micro-vascular imaging [SMI]) allows the detection of extremely low-velocity flows. We examined an availability of SMI for assessment of the instability of atherosclerotic plaques and the activity of Takayasu arteritis (TA). Methods and results The study consists of two independent and consecutive parts A and B, examined in carotid stenosis (A) and TA (B), respectively. In part A, 12 patients with symptomatic severe carotid stenosis (CS group) scheduled for carotid endarterectomy were enrolled. In six of 12 patients, preoperative ultrasonography with SMI showed intraplaque neovascularization at the plaque shoulder. Postoperatively, histopathology confirmed the neovessels at the corresponding sites of visualized AWV. SMI had a sensitivity of 67%, specificity of 90% for detection of AWV in CS group. In SMI analysis, false positive findings were caused by motion artifact and arterial wall calcification, and a false negative finding is attributed by intraplaque hemorrhage. In part B, 10 patients with TA were enrolled. All patients underwent 18F-FDG-PET/CT, and its vascular uptake were compared with AWV detected by SMI. Bilateral common carotid arteries (CCA), internal carotid arteries and common iliac arteries were examined by SMI. Active vascular 18F-FDG uptake (max SUV >2.1) were found at five sites in three patients, which were not significantly correlated with the prevalence of macaroni sign, increase in C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). Of note, SMI revealed AWV at five sites corresponding to uptake of 18F-FDG, with a sensitivity/specificity of 100% and 98%, positive predictive value 71%, and a negative predictive value 100%. Conclusion SMI enables visualization of AWV at vulnerable plaque in CS patients and at 18F-FDG positive sites in TA patients. SMI has potential as a modality to detect the vascular inflammation. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research, Japan

Coronary subclavian steal syndrome (CSSS) is a coronary steal phenomenon secondary to subclavian artery stenosis in patients who have undergone coronary bypass surgery with the internal thoracic artery. Most commonly, CSSS is diagnosed angiographically. Our case emphasizes that stress ultrasound assessment using reactive hyperemia in the ipsilateral arm elicits a functional diagnosis of CSSS.

Recently, an increasing attention has been paid to foot microcirculation in critical limb ischemia (CLI). Although skin perfusion pressure (SPP) is the most frequently used marker of microcirculation, SPP is often unmeasurable at the most ischemic site in the foot. A new ultrasound technique (superb

Objective A positive correlation is observed between the progression of renal impairment and the increasing risk of cardiovascular disease. Our aim was to examine the relationship between the renal resistive index (RRI) assessed by duplex sonography and the extent of atherosclerosis in patients without renal impairment undergoing vascular imaging studies. Methods The RRI was evaluated pre-procedurally among 106 outpatients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m

We report a case of a giant right atrial myxoma mimicking the right ventricular tumor. The 75-year-old patient underwent cardiac surgery, and the tumor was excised along with the stalk. Tricuspid valve annuloplasty was performed before closure of the right atriotomy. The tumor may have caused intraventricular stenosis, hepatic dysfunction, and progressive fatigue as a result of low cardiac output. This case is of special interest because the myxoma was very large compared with those ever reported, and a right atrial myxoma occupying the right ventricular cavity is rare.

A 22-year-old woman, who often carried heavy books, was admitted for evaluation of hyperreninemic hypertension. Two months prior to admission, she noted leg edema. Radiological examinations revealed bilateral renal infarction with no other abnormal findings. An echocardiography showed a patent foramen ovale (PFO). Hypertension was considered secondary to renal infarction caused by paradoxical embolism through PFO. Antihypertensive and anticoagulant therapy led to improvement of hypertension. In previously reported cases of renal paradoxical embolism, multiorgan involvement was usually observed. Our case is unique in that embolism was confirmed only in the kidneys, and that clinical characteristics of renal embolism were not observed.

Hamman's sign is a rare phenomenon caused by pneumomediastinum or pneumothorax. It was proposed for the first time in 1937 by Louis Hamman. It presents as a crunching or clicking noise in synchrony with the heartbeat and is best heard in the left lateral decubitus position. This case shows serial

The morphological determinants of left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) are not completely understood. We aimed to identify the anatomical risks of the obstruction using echocardiography.Fifty patients with untreated HCM were classified into two groups: those with LVOT pressure gradient (LVOTPG) ≥ 30 mmHg (obstructive HCM [HOCM] group) and those with LVOTPG < 30 mmHg (HNCM group). The echocardiographic morphological variables were analyzed to determine whether they were predictive of LVOT obstruction. Systolic anterior motions of the mitral valve were observed in 100% of patients in the HOCM group but only in 58% in the HNCM group. There were no significant differences in wall thickness, end-systolic LV dimension (LVDs), or LVOT diameter between the two groups. However, HOCM subjects had a shorter distance from papillary muscles to the inter-ventricular septum (5.97 ± 2.3 versus 9.20 ± 1.9 mm, respectively, P < 0.0001) and a longer anterior mitral leaflet (AML) length (24.7 ± 5.8 versus 20.1 ± 5.4 mm, respectively, P < 0.01) compared to the HNCM group. The AML length/LVDs ratio was significantly higher in the HOCM group compared to the HNCM group (1.02 ± 0.34 versus 0.78 ± 0.26, P < 0.01), and an LVOT obstruction was predicted with an area under the curve of 0.71 (P < 0.05). Multiple linear regression revealed that only the AML length/LVDs ratio was independently associated with LVOTPG (P < 0.01).The AML length/LVDs ratio has a significant predictive value for LVOT obstruction and a strong relationship with LVOTPGs. The AML length/LVDs ratio determines the anatomical risk of LVOT obstruction in HCM.

Real-time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (RT3D-TEE) can provide unique visualization and better understanding of the relationship among cardiac structures. Here, we report the case of an 85-year-old woman with an obstructed mitral prosthetic valve diagnosed promptly by RT3D-TEE, which clearly showed a leaflet stuck in the closed position. The opening and closing angles of the valve leaflets measured by RT3D-TEE were compatible with those measured by fluoroscopy. Moreover, RT3D-TEE revealed, in the ring of the prosthetic valve, thrombi that were not visible on fluoroscopy. RT3D-TEE might be a valuable diagnostic technique for prosthetic mitral valve thrombosis.

Real-time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (RT3D-TEE) can provide unique visualization and better understanding of the relationship among cardiac structures. Here, we report the case of an 85-year-old woman with an obstructed mitral prosthetic valve diagnosed promptly by RT3D-TEE, which clearly showed a leaflet stuck in the closed position. The opening and closing angles of the valve leaflets measured by RT3D-TEE were compatible with those measured by fluoroscopy. Moreover, RT3D-TEE revealed, in the ring of the prosthetic valve, thrombi that were not visible on fluoroscopy. RT3D-TEE might be a valuable diagnostic technique for prosthetic mitral valve thrombosis.

An 81-year-old woman with a history of aortic valve replacement and DDD pacemaker implantation 5 years earlier was admitted to our hospital. She had had the ventricular lead with a VDD pacemaker re-inserted 3 years prior because the pacing threshold had increased in both the atrial and …

The term cardiac calcified amorphous tumor (CAT) was coined in 1997 by Reynolds et al,1 who described 11 cases with nonneoplastic cardiac masses characterized by a pedicle and diffuse calcification. Additionally, CAT could originate in any of the 4 chambers. Once the mass is excised, its unique histological features such as the presence of calcified nodules in an amorphous background of fibrin with degeneration and focal inflammation allow an accurate diagnosis of cardiac CAT. However, in cases when CAT has arisen close to the cardiac valves and is mobile, it is not always easy to distinguish between CAT and mitral valve vegetation preoperatively. Here, we report 2 cases of CAT arising from mitral annular calcification (MAC) and propose imaging features that can be used to distinguish CAT from mitral valve vegetation. Case 1. A 58-year-old man with end-stage renal disease secondary to diabetic nephropathy was referred to our hospital. He had been maintained on hemodialysis for the past 4 years. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed 2 cardiac tumors adherent to the posterior MAC (Figure 1A). One was a highly mobile, …

BACKGROUND: Endothelial dysfunction is closely related to cardiovascular events. Several studies have documented that angiotensin II type 1 receptor blockers (ARB) improve peripheral endothelial dysfunction. However, the effect of ARB on coronary endothelial function remains elusive. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the beneficial effects of ARB on human coronary artery endothelial function. METHODS AND RESULTS: Twenty-seven patients were randomly assigned to either the candesartan group (n=14) or the control group (n=13) and followed for 12 months. Coronary blood flow velocity was measured in the left anterior descending artery without stenosis using an intracoronary Doppler-tipped guide-wire. We evaluated coronary endothelial function as the coronary blood flow velocity reserve (CFR), which was defined as the percent change in the coronary blood flow velocity after an intracoronary acetylcholine infusion. At baseline, the CFR in both groups was below 300%, implying that these patients had endothelial dysfunction. After treatment with candesartan for 6 months, the CFR increased significantly from 199 ± 20 to 337 ± 27% (P

A 50-year-old man suffering from generalized convulsions and right quadrantic hemianopia was admitted to the hospital. Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging showed an enhanced ring in the left parieto-occipital lobe, suggesting a brain abscess (Figure 1). The patient underwent an immediate craniotomy and drainage. Culture of pus yielded α-hemolytic streptococci. Brain abscesses are often caused by hematogenous spread of bacteria from a primary source. Although much effort was expended seeking the primary infection, the origin of the brain abscess in this patient remained unclear. After almost complete relief of his neurological symptoms, the patient was referred for further diagnostic workup in our hospital. Chest contrast-enhanced computed tomography in the arterial phase revealed an anomalous vessel bridging from …

A questionnaire on using the library was given to 606 students of Yamanashi Medical University. The questionnaire consisted of five questions: frequency of visiting the library, use of materials. OPAC and CD-ROMs, and requests for the collection of study books. We examined the results of the questionnaire and proposed a plan which would appeal to students.

An 82-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with a 9-day history of intermittent chest pain. Electrocardiography showed abnormal Q waves in leads II, III, and aVF and ST-segment elevation in leads II, III, aVF, V4, V5, and V6 ( Panel A ). Echocardiography showed not only inferoposterior wall akinesis but also an …