Optimal surgical timing is of crucial importance for the treatment of valvular heart diseases. Clinical implications of functional tricuspid regurgitation (TR) are increasingly being recognized. In contrast to the well-established treatment strategies for left-sided valve disease, optimal surgical timing of functional TR has not yet been established. Several lines of evidence have accumulated over the past 10 years, and now is the perfect time to review the data. The present article reviews the clinical implications and treatment strategies of functional TR, particularly in relation to optimal surgical timing.
Heart Valve Diseases ; Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency*

No abstract available.
Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular* ; Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency*

No abstract available.
Heart* ; Thoracic Surgery* ; Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency*

Tricuspid regurgitation(TR) with normal heart structure during fetal life is a frequent functional phenomenon with a prevalence of six to seven percent. Isolated severe congenital TR, however, is an uncommon cause of neonatal congestive heart failure, cyanosis and massive cardiomegaly. We experienced a case of severe transient neonatal TR presented as massive cardiomegaly during fetal life which was normalized in the postnatal period.
Cardiomegaly* ; Cyanosis ; Heart ; Heart Failure ; Prevalence ; Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency*

No abstract available.
Child* ; Heart Diseases* ; Heart* ; Humans ; Incidence* ; Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency*

No abstract available.
Aneurysm, False* ; Fistula* ; Heart Atria* ; Heart Ventricles* ; Mitral Valve Insufficiency*

During the period of two years from 2001 to 2003, we treated nine cases of takotsubo-type myocardiopathy. In this paper, the clinical characteristics and patients' conditions are described, and the mechanisms leading to dyskinesia of the muscular walls of the heart are discussed. All the cases were female. The mean age was 73 years. Physiological as well as psychological stress was implicated as a major cause of the disease, with onset occurring when some members of their family were suddenly taken ill or when they started quarreling with others. Echocardiograms revealed sigmoid septa in almost half of the nine patients. The prognosis was good. Only one patient had cardiac insufficiency as a sequela, but her condition improved. No one died.Eight patients got over dyskinesia of the left ventricular walls in two weeks. From our experience and studies of literature, we ruled out the possibility of the involvement of circulatory disorder and myocarditis in the onset of the disease. Women of advanced age are apt to have sigmoid septa and left ventricular walls thinning. When the old patient in this condition suffer psychosomatic stress, catecholamines will be released, causing the hypercontraction of the left ventricle, the pressure difference in the chamber, and the collapse of the apical of the heart. We concluded that these physiopathological states may be responsible for the abnormal movements of the muscular walls of the heart peculiar to the disease taken up in this study.
Heart ; Patients ; Dyskinetic syndrome ; Age, NOS ; Heart insufficiency

Sinus of Valsalva aneurysm (SVA) is an uncommon anomaly of the aorta. Rupture of SVA often precipitates dramatic clinical complications, including heart failures. Right SVAs are the most common type, and when they rupture, they usually rupture into the right ventricle or right atrium. Rupture into left ventricle or interventricular septum is rare. Herein, we report a case of right SVA rupture with dissection into interventricular septum, which produced significant left ventricular outflow tract obstruction and aortic regurgitation. The case was successfully treated by surgical operation.
Aneurysm ; Aorta ; Aortic Valve Insufficiency ; Heart ; Heart Atria ; Heart Ventricles ; Rupture* ; Sinus of Valsalva* ; Ventricular Outflow Obstruction

Sinus of Valsalva aneurysm (SVA) is an uncommon anomaly of the aorta. Rupture of SVA often precipitates dramatic clinical complications, including heart failures. Right SVAs are the most common type, and when they rupture, they usually rupture into the right ventricle or right atrium. Rupture into left ventricle or interventricular septum is rare. Herein, we report a case of right SVA rupture with dissection into interventricular septum, which produced significant left ventricular outflow tract obstruction and aortic regurgitation. The case was successfully treated by surgical operation.
Aneurysm ; Aorta ; Aortic Valve Insufficiency ; Heart ; Heart Atria ; Heart Ventricles ; Rupture* ; Sinus of Valsalva* ; Ventricular Outflow Obstruction

Mechanical dyssynchrony is a common phenomenon in patients with congestive heart failure, which usually identified by noninvasive cardiac imaging tools such as echocardiography. It demonstrates electromechanical delay in some regions of the failing heart which in turn contributes to further impairment of cardiac function. The diagnostic, therapeutic and prognostic values of mechanical dyssynchrony have been reported in a number of studies. Therefore, this review describes briefly the methods of measurement, but more importantly, explains the clinical implication of its assessment in heart failure related aspects including cardiac resynchronization therapy, functional mitral regurgitation, diastolic heart failure and mortality.
Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy ; Echocardiography ; Heart ; Heart Failure ; Heart Failure, Diastolic ; Humans ; Mitral Valve Insufficiency