Cardiac computed tomography angiography results in diagnostic and therapeutic change in prosthetic heart valve endocarditis

Echocardiography may miss prosthetic heart valve (PHV) endocarditis which advocates for novel imaging techniques to improve diagnostic accuracy and patient outcome. The purpose of this study was to determine the complementary diagnostic value of cardiac computed tomography angiography (CTA) to the clinical routine workup including transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography (TTE/TEE) in patients with suspected PHV endocarditis and its impact on patient treatment. A diagnostic prospective cross-sectional study was chosen as design. Besides clinical routine workup (including TTE/TEE), CTA was performed to assess its diagnostic accuracy and complementary diagnostic/therapeutic value. For the diagnostic accuracy, the reference standard was surgical findings or clinical follow-up. To determine the complementary diagnostic/therapeutic value an expert-panel was used as reference standard. Twenty-eight patients were included. CTA resulted in a major diagnostic change in six patients (21 %) mainly driven by novel detection of mycotic aneurysms by CTA. Furthermore, treatment changes occurred in seven patients (25 %) compared to clinical routine workup. Diagnostic accuracy of routine clinical workup plus CTA was superior to clinical routine workup alone for the detection of PHV endocarditis in general, vegetations and peri-annular extension. This study demonstrates that CTA and clinical workup including TTE and TEE are complementary in patients with PHV endocarditis. Therefore, CTA imaging has to be considered after clinical routine workup in patients with a high suspicion on PHV endocarditis.     

先天性二叶主动脉瓣畸形的超声诊断价值

目的分析先天性二叶主动脉瓣畸形(BAVD)的多普勒超声表现,以提高对该病的认识.方法采用Acuson 128xp10及Sequoia256彩超仪,通过经胸超声(TTE)及经食道超声(TEE)检测44例(BAVD)患者的主动脉瓣表现、并发症.结果BAVD在大动脉短轴切面上为两个瓣膜及两个瓣膜联合点,舒张期呈单一关闭线,75%患者有不同程度瓣膜受损.主动脉瓣狭窄(AS)占34%,主动脉瓣关闭不全(AR)占68%,升主动脉扩张占30%;合并主动脉瓣赘生物5例,伴二尖瓣病变5例,房间隔缺及膜周部室缺各1例.结论BAVD可出现不同程度的AS及AR和由此所致的各种血流动力学异常,可伴多种先天及后天性心血管异常.多谱勒超声是诊断BAVD及其并发症的最佳方法.     

Transcatheter valve repair/implantation

Real time 3-dimensional transesophageal echo is a relatively new technology that enables online imaging that is highly accurate and precise for evaluating cardiac structures. Moreover, this methodology allows for accurate online guidance of interventional cardiac procedures for structural heart disease. In this report, we describe the use of real time, 3D transesophageal (TEE) for aortic valve replacement with percutaneous, bioprosthetic valves as well as for transcatheter mitral repair with the MitraClip device. For each procedure, we describe 3D evaluation of valvular structures prior to the procedure, and how 3D imaging is used to guide the procedure as well as to assess the results of the procedure. Use of 3D TEE has proven to be a substantial advance for evaluating patients prior to percutaneous heart valve procedures and especially for guiding and monitoring percutaneous, transcatheter heart valve procedures.     

Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiographic assessment of acute prosthetic aortic valve regurgitation after mitral valve replacement: Value of the deep transgastric long-axis view

The transesophageal echocardiographic assessment of prosthetic aortic valve function is made more difficult by the presence of a mechanical mitral valve prosthesis because echocardiographic views conventionally used to assess the aortic valve function are obscured by acoustic shadowing and artifacts. We report the use of intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography in a patient who developed severe prosthetic aortic valve regurgitation after implantation of a mechanical mitral valve, in whom conventional multiplane midesophageal views failed to reveal aortic regurgitation owing to acoustic shadowing and artifacts from the prosthetic mitral valve. We report the value of the deep transgastric long-axis view of the aortic valve that provided an unobstructed view of the left-ventricular outflow tract, and clearly demonstrated severe aortic regurgitation as a result of interference with the prosthetic aortic valve mechanism by the implanted mitral valve prosthesis. This case also emphasizes the importance of a comprehensive intraoperative transesophageal examination, including that of surrounding structures, to detect iatrogenic complications during mitral valve replacement.     

Potential applications of intracardiac echocardiography in the assessment of the aortic valve from the right ventricular outflow tract.

Intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) is a developing technology and a promising method for visualizing intracardiac structures. However, its applications are currently limited to guidance during mitral valvuloplasty, catheter ablation, or electrophysiologic examination. The goal of this study was to observe the aortic valve, measure the annular diameter of the valve by ICE through a right-sided approach, and compare the results by ICE with those by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) or transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). We studied 18 patients (9 men, 9 women, aged 19 to 72 years) with various heart diseases, including 15 patients with mitral or aortic valvular disease. An imaging catheter was advanced through a long sheath into the outflow tract of the right ventricle. We obtained good longitudinal views of the aortic valve in all patients. Two of the 18 patients had poor image quality by TTE. The annular diameter by ICE correlated more closely with TEE than with TTE. In conclusion, right-sided ICE is a safe, simple, and useful procedure for observing the aortic valve during cardiac catheterization without additional discomfort in the patients. Right-sided ICE is superior to TTE in observing the aortic valve and measuring the annular diameter of the valve. The annular diameter can be measured by ICE as precisely as by TEE.     

Papillarmuskelriß während eines Belastungs-EKGs nach Myokardinfarkt

The case of a 57 year old patient is reported, who suffered from an acute myocardial infarction with maximum CK and CKMB values of 821 and 84 U/l, respectively. The patient underwent bicycle exercise testing 9 days after a myocardial infarction in 25 W steps every 2 min starting with 50 W. The ergometry was interrupted at 125 W because of ST segment depression of 0.28 mV in V₆. Systolic blood pressure dropped to 55 mm Hg, combined with severe angina and shock. Volume substitution and catecholamines did not elevate blood pressure. Immediate M-mode and Doppler echo revealed a “stiletto”-shaped mitral regurgitation profile typical of acute mitral valve insufficiency. The transesophageal echocardiogram showed a distinct mass moving between the left ventricle and left atrium, diagnostic of papillary muscle rupture. Despite of shock, mitral valve replacement was performed successfully. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a papillary muscle rupture during exercise testing after myocardial infarction. Papillary muscle rupture can be induced by exercise. This fateful event may not be predicted by the course of the ergometry. In case of hypotension during exercise, papillary muscle rupture should be considered. The diagnostic is to be established by transesophageal echocardiography.     

An acquired interatrial fistula secondary to para-aortic abscess documented by transesophageal echocardiography

Para-aortic ring abscess and resulting fistulous communication between adjacent structures frequently occur in prosthetic aortic valve endocarditis but are rarely diagnosed preoperatively. We report a patient who had an abscess involving the aortic-mitral intervalvular fibrosa that eroded into the interatrial septum, causing an interatrial communication with a left-to-right shunt. The abscess was detected by transthoracic echocardiography, but the fistula was only seen by the subsequent transesophageal echocardiogram. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an interatrial fistula secondary to a para-aortic valve abscess and its diagnosis preoperatively. Transesophageal echocardiography should be performed in any patient suspected to have complicated aortic endocarditis.     

Transesophageal echocardiographic evaluation of left atrial mass lesions

Transesophageal echocardiography with color flow Doppler studies was performed on 12 consecutive patients who had left atrial mass identified by transthoracic echocardiography. In two patients with atrial myxoma, transesophageal study identified the tumor by its attachment to the atrial septum. In all instances, the tumors were larger and more mobile by transesophageal study and influenced the decision to operate early on an asymptomatic patient. In six instances the masses in the atria were deemed to be thrombi because of associated spontaneous echo contrast, location in the left atrial appendage, mitral valvular disease or prosthesis, atrial fibrillation, congestive heart failure, and enlarged left atrial chamber. In two patients the left atrial masses on transesophageal imaging were large vegetations attached to the mitral valve with ruptured chordae tendineae. In two patients, because of superior quality images obtained by transesophageal imaging, the atrial mass lesions were deemed to be a prominent muscle band between the left atrial appendage and left upper pulmonary vein. In conclusion, transesophageal echocardiography is superior to transthoracic imaging in elucidating the cause and significance of atrial mass lesions and helps in guiding appropriate therapy.     

Asymptomatic dissection of the ascending aorta: diagnosis by transesophageal echocardiography

A young man with marfanoid habitus underwent transesophageal echocardiography to evaluate an aortic root abnormality visualized on transthoracic echocardiography. Transesophageal echo demonstrated a type A aortic dissection traversing across the right sinus of Valsalva but not involving the aortic valve, right coronary artery, or pericardial sac. The aorta was not dilated. This is apparently the first reported case of an asymptomatic and uncomplicated aortic dissection localized to the sinus of Valsalva.     

Detection of prosthetic mitral valve leak: a comparative study using transesophageal echocardiography, transthoracic echocardiography, and auscultation

Paravalvular leakage is a major complication of prosthetic valve dysfunction. Sixty-one subjects with valvular heart disease who had received prosthetic mitral valve replacement 5 months to 5 years before (43 received a porcine prosthesis and 18 received Bjork-Shiley valve prostheses) were evaluated for this complication. Careful auscultation was performed by two experienced cardiologists followed by transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography. Physiologic leaks were detected in all Bjork-Shiley valves, but in only 30% of porcine valves using transesophageal echocardiography. These regurgitant jets were flame-like, with mean low velocities of 50 +/- 12.3 cm/sec and 48 +/- 18.2 cm/sec in the two types of valves. Neither transthoracic echocardiography nor auscultation could detect physiological regurgitant jets. Ten cases with paravalvular leak were detected by transesophageal echocardiography and subsequently demonstrated by left ventriculography (7 porcine, 3 Bjork-Shiley valves). Pathologic regurgitant jets were seen as high-velocity, systolic-retrograde turbulent flow across the prosthesis. However, only 6 cases of prosthetic valve dysfunction were detected by transthoracic echocardiography, 4 cases of mild paravalvular leakage went undetected. Thirteen of the 61 subjects had an apical systolic murmur and suspected prosthetic valve leakage; in 10 of the 13 cases the findings corresponded to those obtained by transesophageal echocardiography. In 3 cases of double valve replacement with Bjork-Shiley valves the magnitude of the leakage was overestimated by auscultation.     

应用超声数据3D打印制作二尖瓣模型的可行性研究

目的 探讨应用经食道三维超声心动图和3D打印技术制作二尖瓣模型的可行性。方法 获取30例患者二尖瓣3D-TEE图像，其中正常二尖瓣、二尖瓣狭窄、二尖瓣脱垂各10例，使用铸模硅胶灌注成形的方法制作二尖瓣3D模型。测量3D模型上的二尖瓣前外后内侧径、前后径、瓣环周长、瓣环面积及瓣膜开放幅度，并与3D-TEE图像上的测值进行对比。计算两者间二尖瓣各参数测值的绝对差值。结果 30例患者的3D-TEE图像均成功后处理并打印制作出二尖瓣3D模型，3D模型与3D-TEE图像间各参数测值差异均无统计学意义（P＞0.05），且两者间各参数测值的绝对差值均较小。结论 应用3D-TEE为数据源，结合3D打印技术制作二尖瓣模型具有较高地可行性，在二尖瓣膜病的临床教学、手术决策及手术演练上有广泛的应用前景。     

Severe intermittent intraprosthetic regurgitation after mitral valve replacement with subvalvular preservation.

Preservation of the subvalvular apparatus during mitral valve replacement preserves left ventricular function and improves long-term survival. Complications of subvalvular preservation include left ventricular outflow tract obstruction and prosthesis impingement. We report a case of severe intermittent intraprosthetic mitral regurgitation detected by transesophageal echocardiography after mitral valve replacement by a bileaflet mechanical prosthesis with subvalvular preservation. Intravalvular prosthetic valve regurgitation was caused by remnants of the subvalvular apparatus, which were shown at reoperation to interfere with prosthetic leaflet motion and which were excised. Postoperative transesophageal echocardiography showed neither abnormal mitral regurgitation nor residual mass. The use of intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography could enable the detection of this rare complication.     

Lack of Accessible Data on Prosthetic Heart Valves

Incomplete information on characteristics of prosthetic heart valves (PHV) may lead to inappropriate choices for PHV implantation (patient-prosthesis-mismatch) or erroneous interpretation of PHV function after implantation. No single and easy accessible source provides all relevant information on PHV. The aim of this study was to provide a comprehensive overview of available data for the majority of PHVs and annuloplasty rings. Information was collected by reviewing articles published on www.pubmed.org up to December 2014 and by written contact to all PHV manufacturers. Four areas of interest were defined: (1) PHV image, (2) in vivo transvalvular gradients, (3) effective orifice area (EOA) calculators and (4) PHV dimensions. Available information was classified as complete (all categories), partial (two or three categories) or minimal (one category). 108 PHV (including homografts) and 34 annuloplasty rings systems were identified. The information on PHV was complete, partial or minimal in 19.5, 61.0 and 19.5 % of PHV, respectively. In 91.6 % a picture of the valve could be obtained, whereas normative data for transvalvular gradients and EOA calculators were available in 63.0 and 25.0 % of all PHV, respectively. The available data was summarized on a new open access webpage (www.valveguide.ch). There is a lack of accessible data on PHV dimensions, normal transvalvular gradients and effective orifice area calculators, although such information is of crucial importance for proper PHV assessment.     

经食管实时三维超声心动图在二尖瓣病变中的应用价值

目的初步探讨经食管实时三维超声心动图（RT3D—TEE）在二尖瓣病变术前诊断、术中监测及术后评价中的临床应用价值。方法应用RT3D—TEE对31例二尖瓣病变患者进行术前、术中及术后检查,并与外科手术结果对比。结果RT3D—TEE清晰显示23例风湿性瓣膜病变患者的二尖瓣病变情况、累及瓣膜情况,并指导手术成功完成;准确显示7例二尖瓣脱垂患者的病变部位并量化病变情况;准确诊断1例二尖瓣人工机械瓣置换术后再狭窄患者的病因。31例患者均获得满意的RT3D—TEE图像。结论RT3D—TEE能在二尖瓣病变术前、术中及术后提供真实准确的评价信息。     

Transesophageal echocardiographic recognition of a fistula between a coronary artery and the left atrium.

A 58-year-old woman with a prosthetic mitral valve and an anomalous single coronary artery received transesophageal echocardiography and was found to have a coronary artery--to--left atrium fistula. Because of its superior imaging quality, transesophageal color Doppler method is a useful diagnostic procedure.     

经食管实时三维超声心动图检测二尖瓣对合指数的临床应用研究

目的应用经食管实时三维超声心动图对比分析正常与缺血性二尖瓣反流(IMR)患者二尖瓣对合指数,探讨二尖瓣对合指数的临床意义。方法慢性IMR患者11例与无瓣膜疾病且无瓣膜反流的正常对照组12例,均行经食管三维超声心动图检查,应用定量分析软件Qlab7.0对三维数据进行后处理分析。应用以下公式计算二尖瓣对合指数=〔(舒张早期二尖瓣面积-收缩末期二尖瓣面积)/舒张早期二尖瓣面积〕×100%。结果正常对照组二尖瓣对合指数(23.0±7.9)%。慢性IMR患者二尖瓣对合指数(12.6±6.9)%。慢性IMR患者二尖瓣对合指数明显小于正常对照组(P0.05)。结论三维定量分析软件Qlab7.0可以对经食管实时三维超声心动图三维数据进行定量分析得到二尖瓣对合指数。应用二尖瓣对合指数这一指标能够判定二尖瓣对合程度,揭示IMR的发生机制。     

Right atrial spontaneous contrast: echocardiographic and clinical features

We describe the clinical and echocardiographic findings in eight patients with right atrial spontaneous echo contrast who were identified from 648 consecutive patients undergoing transesophageal echocardiography. Common findings in these patients were right atrial enlargement (8 patients), tricuspid regurgitation (7 patients), atrial fibrillation or flutter (6 patients), elevated right ventricular pressure (5 patients), moderate or severe mitral valve disease (5 patients), and right to left interatrial shunts (3 patients). Right heart catheterization in three patients showed markedly elevated right atrial, right ventricular, and pulmonary artery pressures. Two patients had thromboembolic events — one patient had recurrent pulmonary emboli, and another patient with an atrial septal aneurysm had recurrent transient ischemic attacks. Right atrial echo contrast is an uncommon finding at echocardiography that is associated with severe right heart dysfunction. It may also be associated with paradoxical or pulmonary embolism.     

Use of transesophageal echocardiography during thrombolysis with tissue plasminogen activator of a thrombosed prosthetic mitral valve.

Inadequate anticoagulation in patients with mechanical prosthetic heart valves can result in a significant incidence of thromboembolic complications. An even more life-threatening complication is massive thrombosis of the valve itself. Thrombolytic therapy was given to a moribund 22-year-old woman with intractable heart failure caused by a thrombosed St. Jude prosthetic mitral valve (St. Jude Medical, Inc., St. Paul, Minn.). Although this form of therapy has been used before, this is the first report of a case in which transesophageal echocardiography was performed during thrombolytic therapy to continually record successful thrombolysis of the clotted prosthetic valve. Serial imaging during thrombolysis displayed progressive dissolution of the thrombus and progressive improvement in valve function. Transesophageal echocardiography is helpful in the diagnosis of prosthetic valve thrombosis and has the ability to monitor continually the effect of treatment with thrombolysis. Although thrombolytic therapy with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator is effective in treating prosthetic valve thrombosis, it carries a high risk for serious thromboembolic complications and thus should be reserved for critically ill patients who are too sick to undergo immediate surgery.     

Spontaneous drainage of paravalvular abscess diagnosed by transesophageal echocardiography

Paravalvular abscesses, which occur in up to 30% of cases of native valve endocarditis, are being detected with increasing frequency with the use of transesophageal echocardiography. Abscesses of the mitral aortic intervalvular fibrosa have been described but only in association with native or prosthetic aortic valve endocarditis. We describe a patient with native mitral valve endocarditis complicated by an abscess in the fibrosa. A 51-year-old diabetic man presented with Staphylococcus aureus mitral valve endocarditis. A transesophageal echocardiographic study done 8 days after admission revealed two large masses at the base of the anterior mitral leaflet with extension into the fibrosa consistent with a paravalvular abscess that was not detected by precordial echocardiography. A repeat transesophageal echocardiographic study done 20 days after admission showed spontaneous drainage of the abscess and a subsequent fistula between the left atrium and left ventricle. This case highlights the important role that transesophageal echocardiography has in suspected and known cases of endocarditis. Its major advantage of delineating posterior cardiac structures allowed accurate diagnosis and serial evaluation of this previously unreported complication of endocarditis.     

Highly mobile pedunculated left atrial appendage thrombus falling into the mitral valve orifice

We treated two patients with atrial fibrillation and stringlike left atrial appendage thrombus: a 66 year-old man who had apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and a 86 year-old woman with no underlying heart disease. In the patient with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, transesophageal echocardiography showed a highly mobile stringlike echo protruding from the left atrial appendage and sometimes falling into the mitral orifice. Pathologic examination after excision proved the stringlike echo to be a pedunculated structure composed of red and white thrombi. Excision of thrombus was also planned for the woman, who had a history of recurrent cerebral embolism. Because her cerebral CT showed infarction with bleeding, however, surgery was postponed. The stringlike mobile thrombus was not detected by transesophageal echocardiography 1 month later, when a new embolic episode affected a foot. Clinical outcomes of these two patients differed remarkably. The critical findings by transesophageal echocardiography which facilitated differential diagnosis from cardiac tumors were: spontaneous contrast echo accompanying mural thrombuslike echo, and low flow velocity in the left atrial appendage. However, the differential diagnosis may be quite difficult in cases of tumors associated with atrial fibrillation.