We reviewed the anatomical characteristics of the conduction system in the ventricles of human and ungulate hearts and then raised some questions to be answered by clinical and anatomical studies in the future. The ventricular conduction system is a 3-dimensional structure as compared to the 2-dimensional character of the atrial conduction system. The proximal part consisting of the atrioventricular node, the bundle of His and fascicles are groups of conducting cells surrounded by fibrous connective tissue so as to insulate from the underlying myocardium. Their location and morphological characters are well established. The bundle of His is a cord like structure but the left and right fascicles are broad at the proximal and branching at the distal part. The more distal part of fascicles and Purkinje system are linear networks of conducting cells at the immediate subendocardium but the intra-mural network is detected at the inner half of the ventricular wall. The papillary muscle also harbors Purkinje system not in the deeper part. It is hard to recognize histologically in human hearts but conducting cells as well as Purkinje cells are easily recognized in ungulate hearts. Further observation on human and ungulate hearts with myocardial infarct, we could find preserved Purkinje system at the subendocardium in contrast to the damaged system at the deeper myocardium. Further studies are necessary on the anatomical characteristics of this peripheral conduction system so as to correlate the clinical data on hearts with ventricular arrhythmias.
Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Atrioventricular Node ; Bundle of His ; Connective Tissue ; Heart ; Heart Conduction System ; Humans ; Myocardial Infarction ; Myocardium ; Papillary Muscles ; Purkinje Cells ; Purkinje Fibers ; Tachycardia, Ventricular

A total of 23 human fetal hearts from 18 to 40 weeks of gestation were provided for histologic and morphometric studies. The fetuses were the products of spontaneous or artificial abortions and were found to have no congential anomalies or associated lesions at autopsy. Maxima thickness of the left anterior, left lateral, left posterior, right anterior, right lateral, right posterior ventricular wall, and of the interventricular septal wall were measured and the left / right wall thickness ratio was calculated. The cross-sectional area of each ventricle parallel to the base of the heart at about 3-5mm below from the origin of the aorta was measured under drawing attachment-equipped light microscope with the application of point counting or cut-and-weigh method. Data were analyzed by the Anderson-ell ABSTAT dBASE ll statistical package program. The ventricular wall consisted of endocardium, myocardium and epicardium. The myocardium showed epithelial character by stratification of barrel-shaped myocardial cells, but the epithelial character progressively changed to as in adult myocardial tissue from the myocardial area close to the epicardium with increasing fetal age. However, any significant histologic difference between the left and the right ventricular wall at the same fetal age was not found. The growth pattern of both ventricular wall, the interventricular septal wall, and of the cross sectional area were linear (p<0.01). However, there was no significant difference in the wall thickness between the left and right ventricle at the same fetal age, and the left / right thickness ratio was nearly constant with increasing fetal age. The cross sectional area was greater in the right than in the left ventricle in the fetuses after 18 weeks of gestation (p<0.01), and there was no significant difference in the morphometric values between point counting and cut-and-weigh method (p>0.1).
Adult ; Aorta ; Autopsy ; Endocardium ; Fetal Heart* ; Fetus ; Gestational Age ; Heart ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans* ; Methods ; Myocardium ; Pericardium ; Pregnancy

The complete echocardiographic evaluation of the patient with transposition of the great arteries requires diagnosing not only the ventriculoarterial connections (transposition) but only the atrial situs and the atrioventricular connections. The echocardiographic features of the discordant ventriculoarterial connection with a subpulmonary conus and absent subaortic conus include a left-sided infundibulum connection the left ventricle to the pulmonary artery, a somewhat small subaortic ventricular septal defect through which the mitral valve is in fibrous continuity with the aortic valve, subvalvular and/ or valvular pulmonary stenosis, and a characteristic coronary artery pattern. The spatial relationship of the great arteries, the chamber sizes, and the associated defect including atrial septal defect/patent ductus arteriosus, ventricular septal defect, and left ventricular outflow tract obstruction provide supportive evidence of the diagnosis. Also the evaluation of coronary artery anatomy has become an major part of the preoperative echocardiographic examination.
Aortic Valve ; Arteries* ; Conus Snail ; Coronary Vessels ; Diagnosis ; Ductus Arteriosus ; Echocardiography* ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Mitral Valve ; Pulmonary Artery ; Pulmonary Valve Stenosis

Typical hypoplastic left heart syndrome(HLHS) is a distinct pathologic entity with aortic atresia, mitral atresia, very hypoplastic or absent left ventricle and thread like ascending aorta. Occasionally, the lesser degree of hypoplasia is found and is called hypoplastic left heart complex(HLHC) by some authors. This HLHC is often associated with critical aortic stenosis. Fetal echocardiography has enabled us to observe human fetal heart in-utero and to diagnose congenital heart disease prenatally over the last 20 years. The diagnosis of HLHS in fetal echocardiography is based on 2-dimensional echocardio -graphic evidence of a diminutive ascending aorta, aortic atresia, mitral atresia or severe stenosis and a hypoplastic left ventricle. Abnormal flow direction through atrial septum or through isthmus greatly aids the diagnosis. This report shows a fetal case who showed hypoplastic left side chambers and retrograde isthmic flow and was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. After birth, although the baby had tachy-dyspnea for the first 3 weeks, she finally recovered without any intervention and showed catch up growth of left side chambers. This case illustrates the extreme difficulty of assessing left ventricle in a fetus.
Aorta ; Aortic Valve Stenosis ; Atrial Septum ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Diagnosis* ; Echocardiography ; Fetal Heart ; Fetus* ; Heart ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome* ; Parturition

Transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) was performed in the 86 normal persons using a UM9 of ATL with a 3.5 MHZ transducer in the Heart Center of Dong-A University Hospital during March-September 1990. 1) The transesophageal basal short axis views in the normal were seen in the Fig. 2~6. The Fig. 2 showed 3 aortic valve cusps, Fig. 3 the left coronary artery, Fig. 4 the right pulmonary artery bifurcated from the main pulmonary artery, Fig. 5 3 major vessels of superior vena cava, aorta and pulmonary artery and Fig. 6 the Left atrial appendage. 2) The transesophageal 4-chamber views in the normal were seen in Fig. 7~10. The Fig. 7 showed the left ventricular outflow tract, Fig. 8 right and left atrium and ventricle, Fig. 9 the atrial septum containing the membrane of fossa ovalis and Fig. 10 right atrium and ventricle. 3) The transesophageal transgastric short axis view in the normal was seen in Fig. 11. Fig. 11 showed the transverse image of LV and RV. 4) The transesophageal ascending aorta image was observed in Fig. 3. descending aorta image in Fig. 12 and the transesophageal aortic arch image in Fig. 14. 5) From the transesophageal 4 chamber view the septum-lateral wall dimension of the left ventricle was 5.0cm and the dimension between the apex and the closed mitral valve 6.3cm. The medial-lateral dimension of the left atrial appendage was 3.0cm and the superior-inferior dimension 4.1cm. The dimension of the descending aorta was 2.7cm and the ascending aorta 3.0cm.
Aorta ; Aorta, Thoracic ; Aortic Valve ; Atrial Appendage ; Atrial Septum ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Coronary Vessels ; Echocardiography, Transesophageal ; Heart ; Heart Atria ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Membranes ; Mitral Valve ; Pulmonary Artery ; Transducers ; Vena Cava, Superior

BACKGROUND: Intracardiac pathology resulting in embloic phenomena is a well-recognized cause of cerebral ischemia and infarction. Recently, the use of transesophageal echocardiography(TEE) has gained wide acceptance because of its superior resolution of basal structures such as the left atrium, left atrial appendage, mitral valvular apparatus, atrial septum, and aorta. The purposes of this study are to evaluate the effectiveness of TEE for detection of intracardiac source of cerebral emboli. METHOD: From 1991 to 1995, 215 patients were included in this study. All patients underwent both transthoracic and transesophageal imaging with saline contrast administration and Doppler color flow imaging. The study group consisted of 132 men and 83 women with a mean age of 51 years(range 15-74). We also reviewed TEE result of all patients according to two groups, which were divided by the presence of clinical cardiac abnormalities. RESULT: 1) TEE identified a potential cardiac source of embolism in 43.7%(94 to 215) of the overall study group compared with only 3.7%(8 to 215) by TTE. 2) Success rate of TEE was 93.5%(201 to 215). 3) Abnormalities noted by TEE included 23 patients with LA spontaneous echo contrast, 20 patients with patient foramen ovale, 16 patients with aortic atheroma, 16 patients with LA thrombi, 8 patients with atrial septal aneurysm, 5 patients with aortic valve prolapse, 4 patients with mitral valve prolapse, and 2 patients with LV thrombi. 4) In the 62 patients with cardiac disease, TEE identified 16 patients with LA spontaneous echo contrast, 12 patients with LA thrombi, 2 patients with patent foramen ovale, 1 patient with aortic atheroma, 1 patient with atrial septal aneurysm and 1 patients with aortic valve prolapse. In the 152 patients with no cardiac disease, TEE identified 18 patients with patent foramen ovale, 15 patients with aortic atheroma, 7 patients with artial septal aneurysm, 7 patients with spontaneous echo contrast, 4 patients with aortic valve prolapse, 1 patient with mitral valve prolapse and 1 patient LA thrombi. CONCLUSION: TEE was very useful method in investigating potential intracardiac source of cerebral emboli. Thus, the use TEE combined with TTE in patients with unexplained stroke should be recommended.
Aneurysm ; Aorta ; Aortic Valve Prolapse ; Atrial Appendage ; Atrial Septum ; Brain Ischemia ; Echocardiography, Transesophageal ; Embolism ; Female ; Foramen Ovale ; Foramen Ovale, Patent ; Heart Atria ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Infarction ; Intracranial Embolism ; Male ; Methods ; Mitral Valve Prolapse ; Pathology ; Plaque, Atherosclerotic ; Stroke

PURPOSE: Isolated noncompaction of the ventricular myocardium(INVM) is one of the unclassified cardiomyopathies that is characterized by numerous, excessively prominent trabeculations, and deep intertrabecular recesses. We performed this study to evaluate the clinical features of INVM in children. METHODS: The medical records of 10 patients with INVM were reviewed. We analyzed the clinical manifestations, hemodynamics, pattern of inheritance, and long-term prognosis of INVM in children. RESULTS: Age at diagnosis was 45+/-53 months(1 day-14 years) with follow-up lasting as long as 78 months. Most INVM was asymptomatic on diagnosis. Associated cardiac anomalies were noted in six patients(ventricualr or atrial septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus with mitral valve prolapse, or mitral valve cleft). Depressed or flat changes of T wave in lead II, III and aVF were observed on electrocardiography. Various arrhythmia including WPW syndrome with paroxysmal, supraventricular tachycardia, third-degree atrioventricular block, and familial sick sinus node dysfuction were observed. The degree of trabeculation in INVM was significantly prominent from level of mitral valve to apex compared to age-matched control. Familial recurrences were noted in two patients. The systolic function of the left ventricle was decreased in 20% of patients during the follow-up period, but systemic embolism or ventricular tachycardia was not observed. CONCLUSIONS: INVM is not a rare disorder. The cardiac function may be deteriorated in children as well as adults during long-term follow up. Thus early diagnosis and long-term follow-up must be done. So, the nation-wide multicenter clinical study would be mandatory to evaluate the incidence, long-term prognosis, and establishment of objective diagnostic criteria of INVM.
Adult ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Atrioventricular Block ; Cardiomyopathies ; Child ; Diagnosis ; Ductus Arteriosus, Patent ; Early Diagnosis ; Electrocardiography ; Embolism ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart Septal Defects, Atrial ; Heart Ventricles ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Incidence ; Isolated Noncompaction of the Ventricular Myocardium* ; Medical Records ; Mitral Valve ; Mitral Valve Prolapse ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Sinoatrial Node ; Tachycardia, Supraventricular ; Tachycardia, Ventricular ; Wills ; Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome

The advent of three-dimensional echocardiography (3DE) has significantly improved the impact of non-invasive imaging on our understanding and management of cardiac diseases in clinical practice. Transthoracic 3DE enables an easier, more accurate and reproducible interpretation of the complex cardiac anatomy, overcoming the intrinsic limitations of conventional echocardiography. The availability of unprecedented views of cardiac structures from any perspective in the beating heart provides valuable clinical information and new levels of confidence in diagnosing heart disease. One major advantage of the third dimension is the improvement in the accuracy and reproducibility of chamber volume measurement by eliminating geometric assumptions and errors caused by foreshortened views. Another benefit of 3DE is the realistic en face views of heart valves, enabling a better appreciation of the severity and mechanisms of valve diseases in a unique, noninvasive manner. The purpose of this review is to provide readers with an update on the current clinical applications of transthoracic 3DE, emphasizing the incremental benefits of 3DE over conventional two-dimensional echocardiography.
Aortic Valve ; Echocardiography ; Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional ; Heart ; Heart Atria ; Heart Diseases ; Heart Valves ; Heart Ventricles ; Imidazoles ; Mitral Valve ; Nitro Compounds ; Tricuspid Valve

The advent of three-dimensional echocardiography (3DE) has significantly improved the impact of non-invasive imaging on our understanding and management of cardiac diseases in clinical practice. Transthoracic 3DE enables an easier, more accurate and reproducible interpretation of the complex cardiac anatomy, overcoming the intrinsic limitations of conventional echocardiography. The availability of unprecedented views of cardiac structures from any perspective in the beating heart provides valuable clinical information and new levels of confidence in diagnosing heart disease. One major advantage of the third dimension is the improvement in the accuracy and reproducibility of chamber volume measurement by eliminating geometric assumptions and errors caused by foreshortened views. Another benefit of 3DE is the realistic en face views of heart valves, enabling a better appreciation of the severity and mechanisms of valve diseases in a unique, noninvasive manner. The purpose of this review is to provide readers with an update on the current clinical applications of transthoracic 3DE, emphasizing the incremental benefits of 3DE over conventional two-dimensional echocardiography.
Aortic Valve ; Echocardiography ; Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional ; Heart ; Heart Atria ; Heart Diseases ; Heart Valves ; Heart Ventricles ; Imidazoles ; Mitral Valve ; Nitro Compounds ; Tricuspid Valve

Double outlet left ventricle (DOLV), even defined as origins of both great vessels from left ventricle,implies varieties of morphology in concern with loop pattern, location of ventricular septal defect, conotruncalanatomy, and presence or adsence of pulmonary stenosis. With the improvement of surgical tenchnique, correctivesurgery of DOLV became possible, and preoperative diagnosis and determination of the accurate anatomicalrelaltionship between great vessels, ventricular septal defect, and ventricles is very important in surgicalimplication. Authors have recently experienced two cases of DOLV. The one is with subpulmonic conus, subpulmonicventricular septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus, and preductal type coarctation of aorta. The other is withbilateral coni and subaortic ventricular septal defect. Loop patterns are [S,D,D] in both cases.
Aortic Coarctation ; Conus Snail ; Diagnosis ; Ductus Arteriosus, Patent ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular ; Heart Ventricles ; Pulmonary Valve Stenosis