No abstract available.
Aged ; *Cardiac Catheterization/instrumentation ; Computed Tomography Angiography ; Coronary Angiography/methods ; Echocardiography, Doppler, Color ; Echocardiography, Transesophageal ; Female ; Heart Septal Defects, Atrial/diagnostic imaging/*therapy ; Humans ; Septal Occluder Device ; Treatment Outcome

No abstract available.
Age Factors ; Aged ; Atrial Appendage/diagnostic imaging/*drug effects ; Atrial Fibrillation/complications/diagnostic imaging/*drug therapy ; Echocardiography, Doppler, Color ; Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional ; Echocardiography, Transesophageal ; Factor Xa Inhibitors/*therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Pyrazoles/*therapeutic use ; Pyridones/*therapeutic use ; Thrombosis/diagnostic imaging/etiology/*prevention & control ; Treatment Outcome

Infective endocarditis (IE) has been increasingly diagnosed in patients without previously detected predisposing heart disease, but its clinical features have yet to be fully determined. A recent single-center study including echocardiographic images and surgical findings investigated the incidence of undiagnosed, clinically silent valvular or congenital heart diseases and healthcare-associated infective endocarditis (HAIE). The study confirmed that a large proportion of patients with IE have no previous history of heart disease. Analysis of underlying disease in these patients showed that undetected mitral valve prolapse was the most common disease, followed by an apparently structurally normal valve. The patients who developed IE of apparently structurally normal valves had different clinical characteristics and worse outcomes. IE involving a structurally normal valve was associated with both nosocomial and non-nosocomial HAIE, whereas community-acquired IE was more frequent than HAIE. The pathophysiologic mechanism involving the development of non-HAIE or community-acquired IE due to predominantly staphylococcal infection in an apparently structurally normal valve is not yet clearly understood. Structurally normal valves are not necessarily free of regurgitation or abnormal turbulence and, given the dynamic nature and fluctuating hemodynamic effects of conditions such as poorly controlled hypertension, end-stage renal disease, and sleep apnea, further investigation is necessary to evaluate the potential role of these diseases in the development of IE. An apparently normal-looking valve is associated with IE development in patients without previously recognized predisposing heart disease, warranting repartition of at-risk groups to achieve better clinical outcomes.
Adult ; Aged ; Community-Acquired Infections/diagnosis/*epidemiology/microbiology/physiopathology/therapy ; Cross Infection/diagnosis/*epidemiology/microbiology/physiopathology/therapy ; Echocardiography, Doppler, Color ; Endocarditis, Bacterial/diagnosis/*epidemiology/microbiology/physiopathology/therapy ; Female ; Heart Valves/*microbiology/physiopathology/ultrasonography ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Prognosis ; Risk Factors

No abstract available.
Aneurysm, Dissecting/diagnosis/*etiology/physiopathology/therapy ; Anticoagulants/therapeutic use ; Aortic Aneurysm/diagnosis/*etiology/physiopathology/therapy ; Behcet Syndrome/*complications/diagnosis/drug therapy ; Cerebral Infarction/diagnosis/etiology ; Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Echocardiography, Doppler, Color ; Electrocardiography ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Immunosuppressive Agents/therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *Sinus of Valsalva/physiopathology/ultrasonography ; Thrombosis/diagnosis/drug therapy/*etiology/physiopathology ; Ventricular Septal Rupture/diagnosis/*etiology/physiopathology/therapy

OBJECTIVECongenital heart defect is one of the most common birth defects. The isolated ventricular septal defect (VSD) has higher morbidity, and spontaneous closure may occur. Previously many studies about the prognosis of ventricular septal defect in childhood were conducted; in contrast, few studies on evolution and prognosis of ventricular septal defect from fetus to postnatal life have been available. This research aimed to determine the evolution of isolated ventricular septal defect during the period of fetus and postnatal life, and analyze the association between the diameter or location of VSD and the spontaneous closure of VSD.

METHODAll pregnant women seen at the prenatal diagnosis center of the West China Second Hospital were recruited. From June 2011 to June 2014, these participants underwent the fetal 2-dimensional and color Doppler echocardiographic examinations, and the fetuses with isolated VSD were included in the study, and those with other malformations or abnormal chromosome were excluded. This study was a prospective and longitudinal research. These fetuses were followed-up until the VSD closed spontaneously, or were surgically repaired or percutaneously closed. Outcomes of all the cases were recorded.

RESULTThere were 234 fetuses with isolated VSD who were recruited in our research cohort. Twelve of 234 lost to follow-up, 5 of 234 were still in uterus. Totally 217 fetuses were followed up. One hundred eighty-nine of 217 (87.1%) cases were delivered. The pregnancies were terminated in 28 of 217 (12.9%) cases. Ten cases died after birth. Of the 179 delivered cases, the rate of VSD spontaneous closure was 45.2% (81/179), the VSD of 49 cases (27.4%, 49/179) spontaneously closed in uterus. The VSD of 17.9% (32/179) cases spontaneously closed after birth and those of 75% (24/32) cases closed in the first year of life. Furthermore, these participants were divided into 3 groups according to the diameter of VSD in fetus. There were 87 cases in ≤ 2.0 mm group, 51 spontaneously closed (59%, 51/87) and 30 of 84 spontaneously closed (36%, 30/84) in 2.1-5.0 mm group. There were no spontaneous closure in > 5.0 mm group. There was a significant difference in spontaneous closure rate between the 3 groups (χ(2) = 15.200, P = 0.001). Nevertheless, these participants were divided into 2 groups according to the location of VSD in fetus (perimembrane VSD (P-VSD) group and muscular VSD (M-VSD) group). There were 152 cases in P-VSD group, 69 spontaneously closed (45.4%, 69/152) and 12 of 27 spontaneously closed (44%, 12/27) in M-VSD group. There was no significant difference in spontaneous closure between P-VSD and M-VSD (χ(2) = 0.008, P = 0.950).

CONCLUSIONThere was a high spontaneous closure rate of VSD in the period of late pregnancy. The most of postnatal VSD were spontaneously closed within one year of age. The spontaneous closure rates of fetal VSD with different diameter were different. The spontaneous closure rate of VSD with smaller diameter was higher.

China ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Echocardiography, Doppler, Color ; Female ; Fetal Diseases ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Fetus ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Humans ; Lost to Follow-Up ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Diagnosis ; Prognosis ; Prospective Studies

Intraventricular hydrodynamics is considered an important component of cardiac function assessment. Vector flow mapping (VFM) is a novel flow visualization method to describe cardiac pathophysiological condition. This study examined use of new VFM and flow field for assessment of left ventricular (LV) systolic hemodynamics in patients with simple hyperthyroidism (HT). Thirty-seven simple HT patients were enrolled as HT group, and 38 gender- and age-matched healthy volunteers as control group. VFM model was used to analyze LV flow field at LV apical long-axis view. The following flow parameters were measured, including peak systolic velocity (Vs), peak systolic flow (Fs), total systolic negative flow (SQ) in LV basal, middle and apical level, velocity gradient from the apex to the aortic valve (ΔV), and velocity according to half distance (V1/2). The velocity vector in the LV cavity, stream line and vortex distribution in the two groups were observed. The results showed that there were no significant differences in the conventional parameters such as left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD) and left atrium diameter (LAD) between HT group and control group (P>0.05). Compared with the control group, a brighter flow and more vortexes were detected in HT group. Non-uniform distribution occurred in the LV flow field, and the stream lines were discontinuous in HT group. The values of Vs and Fs in three levels, SQ in middle and basal levels, ΔV and V1/2 were higher in HT group than in control group (P<0.01). ΔV was positively correlated with serum free thyroxin (FT4) (r=0.48, P<0.01). Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that LVEDD, FT4, and body surface area (BSA) were the influence factors of ΔV. The unstable left ventricular systolic hydrodynamics increased in a compensatory manner in simple HT patients. The present study indicated that VFM may be used for early detection of abnormal ventricle contraction in clinical settings.
Adult ; Echocardiography, Doppler, Color ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperthyroidism ; complications ; diagnostic imaging ; physiopathology ; Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted ; methods ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left ; diagnosis ; physiopathology ; Ventricular Function, Left ; Young Adult

No abstract available.
Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use ; Biopsy ; Echocardiography, Doppler, Color ; Echocardiography, Transesophageal ; Endocarditis, Bacterial/complications/diagnosis/drug therapy/*microbiology ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular/*complications/diagnosis/surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Pulmonary Valve Stenosis/*complications/diagnosis ; Purpura, Schoenlein-Henoch/diagnosis/drug therapy/*etiology ; Risk Factors

We received a patient who repeated unconsciousness due to excrescence locking bicuspid aortic valve. He experienced unconsciousness and treatments with anti infection, surgical operation, valve replacement and recovery. It was a rare case, which made us realize that the heart color Doppler ultrasound should be regularly performed in patients with aortic valve abnormalities. Once patients were found to have infective endocarditis combined with the valve vegetations, they should be formally treated as soon as possible.
Aortic Valve ; abnormalities ; physiopathology ; Echocardiography, Doppler, Color ; Endocarditis, Bacterial ; diagnosis ; Heart Valve Diseases ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Male ; Unconsciousness ; etiology

Diagnosis, Differential ; Echocardiography, Doppler, Color ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; diagnosis ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Pneumonia ; diagnosis ; physiopathology ; Pulmonary Artery ; abnormalities ; diagnostic imaging ; physiopathology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Trachea ; abnormalities ; diagnostic imaging ; Vascular Malformations ; diagnosis ; physiopathology

No abstract available.
Acute Disease ; Adult ; Arteriovenous Fistula/diagnosis/*etiology/surgery ; Brachiocephalic Trunk/*injuries/radiography/surgery/ultrasonography ; Brachiocephalic Veins/*injuries/radiography/surgery/ultrasonography ; Dislocations/*surgery ; Echocardiography, Doppler, Color ; Female ; Heart Failure/diagnosis/*etiology ; Humans ; *Iatrogenic Disease ; Orthopedic Procedures/*adverse effects ; Reoperation ; Sternoclavicular Joint/*surgery ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Treatment Outcome ; Vascular System Injuries/diagnosis/*etiology/surgery