INTRODUCTION

Left ventricular remodeling is an adaptive response to aging and cumulative exposure to risk factors for cardiovascular disease. With the rising prevalence of cardiovascular disease in the younger population, a timely risk identification is warranted.

This study aims to determine the prevalence of LV remodeling in young patients using transthoracic echocardiography, and to determine the association of their clinical profiles with LV remodeling.

A retrospective cross-sectional design was utilized. Descriptive statistics using frequency and percentages was employed to describe the clinical profiles of patients; chi-square tests to assess the significance of associations of patients’ clinical profile with the LV remodeling patterns; and One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) followed by post-hoc tests for significant F values to provide insights into the differences of means across various cardiac parameters.

Our study included 208 patients who had thoracic echocardiography from January 2021 to December 2022 at our institution. Majority were aged 31-40 years (64.4%), female (54.8%), and under the BMI classification of obese (52.9%). There were varying percentages per comorbidity, with hypertension (HPN) being the most prevalent. The presence of symptoms was also examined; however, it was not statistically significant. Age, sex, comorbidities, and presence of symptoms were not significantly associated with LV remodeling while BMI classification demonstrated a significant association (χ2 = 25.457, p = 0.003**). In this study, LV remodeling is already prevalent at 32.21% in young adults aged 18-40 years old. BMI classification demonstrated a significant association with LV remodeling pattern. Obesity showed a significant association with concentric remodeling pattern.

We found that LV remodeling is already prevalent in young adults aged 18-40 years old. BMI classification demonstrated a significant association with LV remodeling pattern. Obesity showed a significant association with concentric remodeling pattern.

Objective: To explore the current situation of fetal heart defects in Yunnan Province and surrounding high altitude areas and the social factors affecting pregnancy outcome. Methods: This is a retrospective study. Pregnant woman who underwent fetal echocardiography and diagnosed as fetal cardiac defects in Yunnan Fuwai Cardiovascular Hospital from June 2017 to January 2021 were included. According to the clinical prognostic risk scoring system and grading criteria of fetal cardiac birth defects, the cases were divided into grade Ⅰ to Ⅳ. The disease distribution and proportion of each prognostic grade, pregnancy outcomes were analyzed and compared. The cases were divided into continued pregnancy group and terminated pregnancy group according to pregnancy outcome. The social factors that may affect the selection of pregnancy outcomes were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: A total of 4 929 fetal echocardiography examination data were collected, and 4 464 cases (90.57%) were from Yunnan Province and surrounding high altitude areas. 2 166 cases of heart defects were finally analyzed, including 998 cases of congenital heart disease (CHD), 93 cases of cardiac tumors, cardiomyopathy and arrhythmia, 1 075 cases of foramen ovale, ductus arteriosus abnormalities and normal variations. The pregnant women were (29.2±5.0) years old with (25.6±3.8) gestational weeks. The number of cases with prognostic grade from Ⅰ to Ⅳ was 1 037 (47.88%), 620 (28.62%), 314 (14.50%), and 44 (2.03%), respectively. And 151 cases (6.97%) were not classified. The cases of normal variation and thin aortic arch development accounted for 42.66% (924/2 166), 5.22% (113/2 166), respectively. The top 3 diseases of grade Ⅱ were ventricular septal defect, coarctation of aorta and mild-moderate pulmonary stenosis, respectively, and their distribution was 11.63% (252/2 166), 3.92% (85/2 166) and 2.35% (51/2 166) respectively in all cases of heart defects, and 25.25% (252/998), 8.52% (85/998) and 5.11% (51/998) respectively in cases of CHD. Among the cases rated as grade Ⅲ and Ⅳ, most of them were complicated congenital heart disease, and the disease types are scattered. The more common cases in grade Ⅲ were complete transposition of great arteries (accounting for 2.40% (52/2 166) of all cases with heart defects, 5.21% (52/998) of all cases with CHD) and pulmonary artery occlusion (type Ⅰ to Ⅲ) with ventricular septal defect (accounting for 2.17% (47/2 166) of all cases with heart defects, and 4.71% (47/998) of all cases with CHD). In grade Ⅳ, single ventricle (0.74% (16/2 166) of all cases with heart defects, 1.60% (16/998) of all cases with CHD) and left ventricular dysplasia syndrome (0.65% (14/2 166) of all cases with heart defects, 1.40% (14/998) of all cases with CHD) are more common. A total of 1 084 cases were successfully followed up, and 675 cases were born, 392 cases were terminated, spontaneous abortion occurred in 17 cases. The proportion of terminated pregnancy cases was significantly increased from grade Ⅰ to Ⅳ, accounting for 5.24% (21/401), 27.78% (70/252), 89.54% (214/239) and 95.56% (43/45), respectively. Among the terminated pregnancy cases, those with grade Ⅲ accounted for the highest proportion (54.59% (214/392)). The distribution of terminated pregnancy cases was mainly complex congenital malformations or diseases with very poor prognosis (pregnancy outcome grade Ⅲ and Ⅳ), and proportion of terminated pregnancy with pregnancy outcome grade Ⅰ and Ⅱ cases (normal variation or good prognosis) accounted for 5.36% (21/392) and 17.86% (70/392), respectively. The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that pregnant women with low education (high school and below: OR=2.73, 95%CI 1.26-5.93, P<0.001; illiteracy: OR=3.27, 95%CI 1.29-7.10, P<0.001) and low family income (Annual income<100 000 yuan: OR=2.47, 95%CI 1.69-5.12, P<0.001) were more likely to choose termination of pregnancy in case of fetal heart defect. Conclusion: In Yunnan province and the surrounding high altitude areas, the disease distribution of fetal heart defect is mainly simple or low-risk disease, but the complex malformation, especially the disease with poor pregnancy outcome, accounts for a relative high proportion. Pregnancy termination also occurs in some cases with good pregnancy outcome. The education level and family income of pregnant women may affect their choice of pregnancy outcome in case of fetal heart defect.
Pregnancy ; Female ; Humans ; Young Adult ; Adult ; Retrospective Studies ; Altitude ; China/epidemiology* ; Heart Defects, Congenital/diagnostic imaging* ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular ; Echocardiography ; Fetal Heart/diagnostic imaging*

Objectives: To evaluate microvascular perfusion and left ventricular function in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction after revascularization using myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE), and to explore clinical influencing factors of abnormal microvascular perfusion in these patients. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. The analysis was performed among patients admitted to Peking University People's Hospital for acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) from June 2018 to July 2021. All patients underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and completed MCE within 48 hours after PCI. Patients were divided into normal myocardial perfusion group and abnormal perfusion group according to the myocardial perfusion score. The echocardiographic indexes within 48 hours after PCI, including peak mitral valve flow velocity (E), mean value of early diastolic velocity of left ventricular septum and lateral mitral annulus (Em), left ventricular global longitudinal strain (GLS) and so on, were analyzed and compared between the two groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the influencing factors of myocardial perfusion abnormalities. Results: A total of 123 STEMI patients, aged 59±13 years with 93 (75.6%) males, were enrolled. There were 50 cases in the normal myocardial perfusion group, and 73 cases in the abnormal myocardial perfusion group. The incidence of abnormal myocardial perfusion was 59.3% (73/123). The left ventricular volume index ((62.3±18.4)ml/m² vs. (55.1±15.2)ml/m², P=0.018), wall motion score index (WMSI) (1.59 (1.44, 2.00) vs. 1.24(1.00, 1.47), P<0.001) and mitral E/Em (17.8(12.0, 24.3) vs. 12.2(9.2, 15.7), P<0.001) were significantly higher whereas left ventricular global longitudinal strain (GLS) ((-10.8±3.4)% vs. (-13.8±3.5)%, P<0.001) was significantly lower in the abnormal myocardial perfusion group than those in the normal myocardial perfusion group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that left anterior descending (LAD) as culprit vessel (OR=3.733, 95%CI 1.282-10.873, P=0.016), intraoperative no/low-reflow (OR=6.125, 95%CI 1.299-28.872, P=0.022), and peak troponin I (TnI) (OR=1.018, 95%CI 1.008-1.029, P=0.001) were independent risk factors of abnormal myocardial perfusion. As for ultrasonic indexes, deceleration time of mitral E wave (OR=0.979, 95%CI 0.965-0.993, P=0.003), mitral E/Em (OR=1.100, 95%CI 1.014-1.194, P=0.022) and WMSI (OR=7.470, 95%CI 2.630-21.222, P<0.001) were independently related to abnormal myocardial perfusion. Conclusions: The incidence of abnormal myocardial perfusion after PCI is high in patients with acute STEMI. Abnormal myocardial perfusion is related to worse left ventricular systolic and diastolic function. LAD as culprit vessel, intraoperative no/low-reflow and peak TnI are independent risk factors of abnormal myocardial perfusion.
Male ; Humans ; Female ; ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction/diagnostic imaging* ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Coronary Circulation ; Echocardiography ; Anterior Wall Myocardial Infarction/etiology* ; Ventricular Function, Left ; Perfusion

Objective: To examine the early effect of thoracoscopic trans-mitral myectomy for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients with left midventricular obstruction. Methods: From April 2020 to July 2021, 10 hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients with left midventricular obstruction underwent thoracoscopic trans-mitral myectomy at Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital. The whole group of patients consisted of 7 males and 3 females aged (52.0±16.4) years (range: 18 to 68 years). The EuroSCORE Ⅱ predicted mortality rate was 1.78% (1.20%) (M(IQR)) (range: 0.96% to 4.86%). The clinical data were collected and analyzed retrospectively to evaluate the clinical efficacy by comparing preoperative and postoperative echocardiographic parameters using paired t-test, paired Wilcoxon test or Fisher exact test, including left ventricular outflow tract peak pressure gradient, maximum interventricular septum thickness, systolic anterior motion of the anterior mitral leaflet and so on. The safety was determined by summarizing the incidence of perioperative and follow-up complications. Results: All the procedures successed with no conversion to median sternotomy, septal defect, ventricular rupture. There was no in-hospital 30-day death, neither serious complications like permanent pacemaker implantation, re-sternotomy for bleeding, low cardiac output syndrome, stroke, or multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. The left ventricular outflow tract obstruction was effectively relieved in all patients expect a patient developed residual obstruction. Compared with that of pre-operation, the thickness of the interventricular septum was significantly reduced from (22.1±4.0) mm to (10.3±1.7) mm (t=10.693, P<0.01), while the left ventricular outflow tract peak pressure gradient was significantly reduced from (81.7±21.1) mmHg to 12.3 (11.5) mmHg (Z=-2.805, P<0.01) (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa). Conclusion: Thoracoscopic trans-mitral myectomy is an effective and safe procedure for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients with left midventricular obstruction.
Male ; Female ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Echocardiography ; Treatment Outcome ; Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic/complications* ; Ventricular Septum

Objective To investigate the value of intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in the diagnosis and treatment of renal cell carcinoma with inferior vena cava tumor thrombus. Methods Ten patients of renal cell carcinoma with inferior vena cava tumor thrombus treated in the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University from January 2017 to January 2021 were selected.TEE was employed to locate the position of the tumor thrombus,determine the occlusion point of the inferior vena cava,count the intraoperative tumor thrombus shedding rate,examine the tumor thrombus resection integrity,and measure blood loss and other indicators,on the basis of which the application value of TEE in the operation of renal cell carcinoma with inferior vena cava tumor thrombus was evaluated. Results All the 10 patients had completed the operations successfully,including 8 patients of open operation and 2 patients of laparoscopic operation.TEE showed tumor thrombi clearly,and all the tumor thrombi were completely removed.There was no tumor thrombus shedding during the operation.The blood loss varied within the range of 300-800 ml,with the mean of (520.0±193.2) ml.The grade III tumor thrombi in 2 patients and the grade I tumor thrombus in 1 patient diagnosed before operation were reduced to grade Ⅱ and upgraded to grade Ⅱ,respectively,by TEE.One patient had no floating tumor thrombus at the end of tumor thrombus before operation,and the blocking position was adjusted in time with the assistance of TEE to avoid the shedding of the floating tumor thrombus. Conclusion TEE can accurately determine and dynamically monitor the location and shape of inferior vena cava tumor thrombus,which provides an important reference and has a significant clinical value in the operation of renal cell carcinoma with inferior vena cava tumor thrombus.
Humans ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell/surgery* ; Echocardiography, Transesophageal ; Vena Cava, Inferior ; Echocardiography ; Kidney Neoplasms/surgery*

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the clinical effectiveness of integrated management during the perinatal period for fetuses diagnosed with total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (TAPVC) by prenatal echocardiography. METHODS: Clinical data of 64 cases of TAPVC fetuses diagnosed by prenatal echocardiography and managed with integrated perinatal care in Qingdao Women and Children's Hospital from January 2017 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Integrated perinatal care included multidisciplinary collaboration among obstetrics, fetal medicine, ultrasound, pediatric cardiology, pediatric anesthesia, and neonatology. RESULTS: Among the 64 TAPVC fetuses, there were 29 cases of supracardiac type, 27 cases of intracardiac type, 2 cases of infracardiac type, and 6 cases of mixed type. Chromosomal analysis was performed in 42 cases, and no obvious abnormalities were found. Among the 64 TAPVC fetuses, 37 were induced labor, and 27 were followed up until term birth. Among the 27 TAPVC cases, 2 cases accepted palliative care, 2 cases were referred to another hospital for treatment and lost to follow-up, while the remaining 23 cases underwent primary repair surgery. One case died within 6 months after the operation due to low cardiac output syndrome, while the other 22 cases were followed up for (2.1±0.3) years with good outcomes (2 cases underwent a second surgery within 1 year after the first operation due to anastomotic stenosis or pulmonary vein stenosis). CONCLUSIONS TAPVC fetuses can achieve good outcomes with integrated management during the perinatal period.
Female ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Echocardiography ; Heart Defects, Congenital/surgery* ; Pulmonary Veins/surgery* ; Retrospective Studies ; Scimitar Syndrome/surgery* ; Infant, Newborn

The female infant in this case study was admitted to the hospital 4 hours after birth due to preterm birth and respiratory distress. On the third day after birth, peripherally inserted central venous catheter (PICC) catheterization was performed. On day 42, thrombus was found at the entrance of the right atrium from the inferior vena cava during a cardiac ultrasound, and it was considered to be related to PICC placement. Low-molecular-weight heparin and urokinase were given. After two weeks of treatment, ultrasonic monitoring showed thrombus shrinkage. No bleeding or pulmonary embolism occurred during the treatment. The patient discharged after improvement. This article mainly introduces a multidisciplinary team approach to diagnosis and treatment of PICC-related thrombosis in neonates.
Infant, Newborn ; Infant ; Humans ; Female ; Central Venous Catheters/adverse effects* ; Premature Birth ; Dyspnea ; Echocardiography ; Catheterization, Peripheral

In this study, we aim to elucidate the clinical impact and long-term course of tricuspid regurgitation (TR), taking into account its dynamic nature, after biatrial orthotopic heart transplant (OHT). All consecutive adult patients undergoing biatrial OHT (1984-2017) with an available follow-up echocardiogram were included. Mixed-models were used to model the evolution of TR. The mixed-model was inserted into a Cox model in order to address the association of the dynamic TR with mortality. In total, 572 patients were included (median age: 50 years, males: 74.9%). Approximately 32% of patients had moderate-to-severe TR immediately after surgery. However, this declined to 11% on 5 years and 9% on 10 years after surgery, adjusted for survival bias. Pre-implant mechanical support was associated with less TR during follow-up, whereas concurrent LV dysfunction was significantly associated with more TR during follow-up. Survival at 1, 5, 10, 20 years was 97% ± 1%, 88% ± 1%, 66% ± 2% and 23% ± 2%, respectively. The presence of moderate-to-severe TR during follow-up was associated with higher mortality (HR: 1.07, 95% CI (1.02-1.12), p = 0.006). The course of TR was positively correlated with the course of creatinine (R = 0.45). TR during follow-up is significantly associated with higher mortality and worse renal function. Nevertheless, probability of TR is the highest immediately after OHT and decreases thereafter. Therefore, it may be reasonable to refrain from surgical intervention for TR during earlier phase after OHT.
Male ; Adult ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency/diagnostic imaging* ; Heart Transplantation ; Echocardiography ; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

Humans ; Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne/diagnosis* ; Cardiomyopathy, Dilated/diagnosis* ; Echocardiography ; Patients

INTRODUCTION: An echocardiographic calcium score (ECS) predicts cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the general population. Its utility in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients is unknown. METHODS: This cross-sectional study assessed 125 patients on PD. The ECS (range 0-8) was compared between subjects with CVD and those without. RESULTS: Among the subjects, 54 had CVD and 71 did not. Subjects with CVD were older (69 years vs. 56 years, P < 0.001) and had a higher prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) (81.5% vs. 45.1%, P < 0.001). They had lower diastolic blood pressure (72 mmHg vs. 81 mmHg, P < 0.001), lower phosphate (1.6 mmol/L vs. 1.9 mmol/L, P = 0.002), albumin (30 g/L vs. 32 g/L, P = 0.001), parathyroid hormone (34.4 pmol/L vs. 55.8 pmol/L, P = 0.002), total cholesterol (4.5 vs. 4.9, P = 0.047), LDL cholesterol (2.4 mmol/L vs. 2.8 mmol/L, P = 0.019) and HDL cholesterol (0.8 mmol/L vs. 1.1 mmol/L, P = 0.002). The ECS was found to be higher in subjects with CVD than in those without (2 vs. 1, P = 0.001). On multivariate analysis, only DM and age were independently associated with CVD. CONCLUSION The ECS was significantly higher in PD patients with CVD than in those without, reflecting a higher vascular calcification burden in the former. It is a potentially useful tool to quantify vascular calcification in PD patients.
Humans ; Cardiovascular Diseases/diagnostic imaging* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Calcium ; Peritoneal Dialysis/adverse effects* ; Vascular Calcification/epidemiology* ; Echocardiography