Adult ; Cysts ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Echocardiography ; Heart Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Male

Ventricular Function, Right ; Heart Ventricles/diagnostic imaging* ; Echocardiography

Right-sided cardiac valvular diseases have traditionally been considered less important than disease of mitral or aortic valve. However, severe tricuspid regurgitation could lead to right ventricle dysfunction and reduce patients' survival rate. In clinic setting, tricuspid valve disease should be paid more attention for patients with secondary tricuspid regurgitation caused by left-sided valvular surgery combined with irreversible annular dilatation increasing the risk of reoperation. In this review, we summarize the epidemiology, anatomy, pathology, diagnosis, ultrasound and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging findings in patients with tricuspid regurgitation.
Echocardiography ; Heart ; Heart Valve Diseases ; diagnosis ; Heart Ventricles ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Left ventricular diverticulum is a rare congenital anomaly of which the incidence was reported to be 0.26%. Diverticula are usually localized near the apex and most often involve the inferior or anterior parietal walls of the left ventricle. In this report, we describe a rare case of congenital isolated left ventricular apical diverticulum, which was tako-tsubo-like in systole, "dumbbell-like" the whole left ventricle, diagnosed by angiography and magnetic resonance imaging.
Diverticulum ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; Echocardiography ; Female ; Heart Ventricles ; abnormalities ; diagnostic imaging ; Humans ; Middle Aged

OBJECTIVETo test the accuracy of real-time three-dimensional echocardiography (RT3DE) imaging system for evaluating left ventricular mass (LVM) in phantom and excised canine heart.

METHODSTen left ventricular (LV) wall phantoms made of two rubber-bursas, ten excised canine hearts underwent RT3DE and two-dimensional echocardiography (2DE). In RT3DE "full volume" imaging, the myocardial volume was measured using 2, 4, 8, and 16-plane method with the analysis software of RT3DE. Mass was then calculated by multiplying the resulting myocardial volume by specific density of myocardial tissue. In 2DE the masses were measured by area-length method. The true LV wall phantom mass was measured by water displacement and the canine LVM was weighed by anatomy, which served as a reference standard. We compared RT3DE or 2DE with true mass.

RESULTSIn LV wall phantoms, RT3DE correlated with true masses strongly (r = 0.813-0.994) and weakly correlated between 2DE and true masses (r = 0.628). In excised canine hearts, there is an excellent correlation between RT3DE and true masses (r = 0.764-0.991), while 2DE value showed a lesser correlation (r = 0.514). There are no difference between RT-3DE and true masses (P > 0.05) but different between 2DE and true masses (P < 0.05). In different planes, there was no difference between 8-plane and 16-plane (P > 0.05) but different between 8-plane and 2, 4-plane (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONRT3DE can accurately quantify LVM and provide a new tool to evaluate LV function. For LVM by RT3DE, 8-plane measurement method is the best choice for accuracy and convenience.

Animals ; Dogs ; Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional ; instrumentation ; Heart Ventricles ; anatomy & histology ; diagnostic imaging ; Phantoms, Imaging

Apgar Score ; Autopsy ; Fatal Outcome ; Heart Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Heart Ventricles ; diagnostic imaging ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Myxoma ; complications ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Rare Diseases ; Ultrasonography

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the application of two-dimensional ultrasound speckle tracking imaging (STI) in assessment of myocardial torsion and left ventricular function for patients with chronic pulmonary heart disease (CPHD).

METHODSThirty six patients with CPHD and 38 normal subjects were enrolled in the study,and STI examinations were performed. The left ventricular short-axis views (mitral level,apical level) were observed,the rotation angles of the standardized time point were measured at each short-axis views and the corresponding left ventricular torsion angles were calculated. Simultaneously, the basal rotation peak, apical rotation peak, left ventricular twist peak, end-systolic basal rotation value, end-systolic apical rotation value and end-systolic left ventricular twist value were recorded. The correlations of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) with left ventricular torsion peak, end-systolic left ventricular twist value in patients were analyzed.

RESULTSCompared to normal controls, the basal rotation peak, apical rotation peak, left ventricular twist peak, end-systolic basal rotation value, end-systolic apical rotation value and end-systolic left ventricular twist value were significantly lower (P<0.01) in CPHD patients. The LVEF was highly correlated with left ventricular twist peak and end-systolic left ventricular twist value in CPHD patients (r=0.967, 0.952,P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONSTI is sensitive to detect left ventricular myocardial torsion change; left ventricular torsion peak and end-systolic left ventricular twist value can be used to assess the left ventricular function in patients with CPHD.

Aged ; Echocardiography ; Female ; Heart Ventricles ; diagnostic imaging ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pulmonary Heart Disease ; diagnostic imaging ; Torsion Abnormality ; diagnostic imaging

BACKGROUNDLeft atrial enlargement has been suggested as a more robust marker of diastolic dysfunction. We hypothesize that the ratio of left atrial volume to left ventricular volume (LAV/LVV) may be more reasonable to reflect left atrial enlargement in the patients with hypertension, because hypertensive patients have a characteristic of concentric remodeling of the left ventricle which is often accompanied with diastolic dysfunction. The aim of this study was to determine if the LAV/LVV can be used as a new parameter to assess left atrial size in hypertensive patients and the relationship between the LAV/LVV and diastolic dysfunction.

METHODSNinety-one patients with hypertension and forty-three normal controls were studied. The hypertensive patients were assigned to the normal wall (NW) and hypertrophic wall (HW) groups. The left atrial diameter (LAD), LAV, left atrial volume index (LAVi), LVV and LAV/LVV were measured and calculated by 2-dimensional echocardiography and real time 3-dimensional echocardiography. All of the above parameters were used to evaluate the size of the left atrium. The ratio of peak E velocity of mitral valve inflow to peak E' velocity of lateral mitral annulus (E/E') was measured by pulse Doppler and tissue Doppler. This parameter was used to evaluate diastolic function.

RESULTSThe LAD, LAV, LAVi, LAV/LVV and E/E' in hypertensive groups were significantly higher than those in the normal group (P < 0.05 or 0.01), and those in the HW group were significantly higher than those in the NW group (P < 0.05 or 0.01). The E/E' had a positive correlation with LAV, LAVi and LAV/LVV. The correlation coefficient between E/E' and LAV/LVV was relatively higher than that between E/E' and LAD or LAVi.

CONCLUSIONLAV/LVV may be used as a new index to evaluate left atrial size in hypertensive patients with diastolic dysfunction.

Aged ; Diastole ; Female ; Heart Atria ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Heart Ventricles ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Humans ; Hypertension ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Ultrasonography ; Ventricular Function, Left

To evaluate the possibility and accuracy of Doppler tissue image (DTI) on assessment of normal and abnormal ventricular activation and contraction sequence, 9 open chest canine hearts were analyzed by acceleration mode, M-mode, and spectrum mode DTI. Our results showed that: (1) Acceleration mode DTI could show the origin of activation and conduction sequence on line; (2) M-mode DTI revealed that the activation in mid-interventricular septum was earlier than that in mid-left ventricular posterior wall at sinus activation; (3) Spectrum DTI showed the ventricular endocardium was activated earlier than the ventricular epicardium in all segments at sinus rhythm. The earliest site of activation of the normal ventricular wall was at middle interventricular septum; the latest site was at basal-posterior wall; the contraction sequence was different at the different walls; (4) During abnormal ventricular activation, mid-left ventricular posterior wall was activated earliest in accordance with the pacing sites. Abnormal ventricular activation was slower than sinus activation, and the contraction sequence varied at different sites of ventricular wall. It is concluded that DTI can be used to localize the origin of normal or abnormal myocardial activation and to assess the contraction sequence conveniently, accurately and non-invasively.
Animals ; Dogs ; Echocardiography, Doppler ; instrumentation ; methods ; Heart Ventricles ; diagnostic imaging ; Myocardial Contraction ; physiology ; Sinoatrial Node ; physiology ; Tachycardia ; diagnostic imaging ; physiopathology

Child ; Child, Preschool ; Echocardiography ; methods ; Female ; Heart Ventricles ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Tetralogy of Fallot ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Ventricular Dysfunction, Right ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology