Left atrial free floating ball thrombus in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: a case report.

In this article we reported a 33-year-old female patient who was referred to our emergency department with atrial fibrillation, congestive heart failure, and cardiogenic shock. In her transthoracic echocardiography, a free-floating ball-type mass was seen in the left atrial cavity with a hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. An emergency open-heart surgery was performed. The mass was removed, and pathologic examination confirmed the thrombotic material.     

围生期心肌病心房心室血栓误诊为黏液瘤1例

病例女,28岁。8个月前剖腹产后开始出现胸憋、气紧、乏力,多于活动后出现,7天前,无诱因出现胸憋、气紧加重,伴乏力咳嗽、白痰,痰中带血丝,双下肢浮肿,不能平卧,入我院急诊科。     

Left atrial appendage function in patients with cardioembolic stroke in sinus rhythm and atrial fibrillation.

The purpose of this study was to determine the left atrial appendage (LAA) function in patients with stroke. The study group consisted of 61 patients with stroke and 37 control subjects. Patients with stroke were divided into 2 groups on the basis of the presence of atrial fibrillation (group 1) or sinus rhythm (group 2). Group 1 showed a significant reduction of LAA flow velocities (13.2 +/- 6.4 cm/s versus 27.5 +/- 8 cm/s, P <.05) and significant increase in LAA areas (minimum area: 360.5 +/- 204 mm(2) versus 217.7 +/- 113.9 mm(2), P =.004). Group 2 showed a decrease in LAA flow velocities (17.7 +/- 8.2 cm/s versus 27.5 +/- 8 cm/s, P <.05), but no significant change was found in LAA areas. No significant difference was found in other parameters related to LAA. These findings show that a decreased LAA flow velocity is a risk factor for stroke in patients in sinus rhythm without LAA enlargement. Left atrial appendage area was increased in size only in patients with atrial fibrillation.     

超声心动图诊断肥厚型心肌病合并左心耳口膜性狭窄1例

病例男,42岁,因“阵发性心悸2月”入院。查体:体温36.3 T:,脉搏81次/分,呼吸14次/分,血压96/67 mmHg(1 mmHg≪0.133 kPa)。既往史:曾因肥厚型心肌病行左室流出道疏通术及二尖瓣金属瓣膜置换术。辅助检查:心电图示不纯房扑,心房率约280次/分,心室率90次/分。患者拟行射频消融治术前常规行经食管超声心动图:左心耳开口处可见一膜样回声,左心耳口位于膜性回声中央,直径约5.7mm(图1,2),该处血流速度明显加快,速度约1.4 m/s(图3)。三维经食管超声心动图示:左心耳口面积约0.23 cm2(图4)。超声诊断:左心耳口膜性狭窄。     

左室心尖球囊综合征1例

患者,女,82岁,因"玩麻将出现胸闷、泌汗1小时"入院.于急诊室突发心室颤动电复律后收入CCU病房,复律后心电图示:ST段V2～V6、I、aVL抬高0.1～0.7 mV频发室早及肢导低电压.     

A case of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy in sinus rhythm associated with thrombus in the right atrium.

We describe a patient with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARCV) in sinus rhythm associated with thrombus in the right atrium. The occurrence of a right heart thrombus in ARCV is extremely rare and, to our knowledge, has been previously reported only in the right ventricle. In our case, ARCV most probably led to right atrial spontaneous echo contrast, and later, right atrial thrombus formation by blood stasis caused by right ventricular systolic dysfunction. In conclusion, our case suggests that right atrial thrombus may occur in ARCV, even in sinus rhythm.     

Recurrent pheochromocytoma with catecholamine cardiomyopathy and left ventricular thrombus: a case report

Pheochromocytoma is a rare and usually benign tumor of the adrenal glands. We report a case of a 40-year-old woman with recurrent pheochromocytoma and catecholamine cardiomyopathy. She had no history of other types of tumors or connective tissue disease. She had already undergone surgery twice to remove the pheochromocytoma, which had now recurred for the second time. A thrombus in the left ventricle was also noted upon imaging examination, which dissipated after anticoagulation therapy using dabigatran, allowing the patient to opt for an elective third surgery. This paper describes the clinical outcome of using the anticoagulant dabigatran to treat left ventricular thrombosis in this rare case of recurrent pheochromocytoma, and thus further contributing to the knowledge of the clinical management of this rare and complicated disease.     

Left atrial appendage dysfunction in acute cerebral embolism patients with sinus rhythm: correlation with pulse wave tissue Doppler imaging

To evaluate left atrial appendage (LAA) dysfunction using left atrial pulse-wave tissue Doppler imaging (PW-TDI) in acute cerebral embolism (ACE) patients with sinus rhythm (SR), transthoracic (TTE) and transesophageal echocardiograhy (TEE) were performed in 60 consecutive patients with SR without obvious left ventricular dysfunction within 2 weeks after ACE. Two groups were identified: LAA dysfunction [LAA emptying peak flow velocity (LAA-eV) <0.55 m/s, n = 20, age 65 ± 10 years] and without LAA dysfunction (LAA-eV ≥ 0.55 m/s, n = 40, age 64 ± 10 years) on TEE. Left atrial wall motion velocity (WMV) was obtained from PW-TDI, with the sample volume placed at the left atrial anterior wall adjacent to ascending aortic inferior wall from the long axis view on TTE. WMVs showed triphasic waves: after the P wave (La’) during systole (Ls’), and during early diastole. La’ and Ls’ were significantly lower in the group with versus without LAA dysfunction (4.9 ± 1.4 vs. 7.7 ± 1.8 cm/s, p < 0.0001; 5.3 ± 2.0 vs. 6.7 ± 1.9 cm/s, p < 0.001, respectively) and prevalence of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, left atrial volume index, and serum levels of brain natriuretic peptide were significantly higher (60 vs. 15 %, p < 0.001; 32 ± 13 vs. 24 ± 13 ml/m², p < 0.05; 174 ± 279 vs. 48 ± 68 pg/ml, p < 0.01, respectively). La’ was an independent predictor of LAA dysfunction (OR 0.380, 95 % CI 0.156–0.925, p < 0.05), and was significantly correlated with LAA-eV (r = 0.594, p < 0.0001) and LAA fractional area change (r = 0.682, p < 0.0001). The optimal cut-off value for LAA-eV < 0.55 m/s was 5.5 cm/s (sensitivity 83 %, specificity 88 %). La’ is a useful and convenient strong predictor of LAA dysfunction in ACE patients with SR.     

超声心动图诊断乳头肌肥厚型心肌病一例

Papillary muscle hypertrophic cardiomyopathy:a case report     

Right and left atrial appendage function in patients with mitral stenosis and sinus rhythm

Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) is generally used for the assessment of ventricular function, and to a lesser extent, to evaluate the left atrial appendage (LAA). In the present study, we used TDI to analyze the contractile function of the right atrial appendage (RAA). The aim of this study was a comprehensive evaluation of RAA and LAA contractile function in patients with mitral stenosis and sinus rhythm. A total of 69 patients were assessed: group 1 (23 patients with severe MS, 38 ± 11 years, 20 women), group 2 (23 patients with mild MS, 39 ± 12 years, 19 women) and group 3 (23 healthy subjects, 42 ± 14 years, 16 women). Multiplane transesophageal echo was performed in all patients. The RAA was visualized at 130° and the LAA at 0°. TDI sample volume was placed in the tip of both atrial appendages, with an ultrasound beam angle < 10°. Flow velocities and myocardial velocities were measured. The presence of thrombus and/or spontaneous echo contrast (SEC) was assessed. TDI showed in normal subjects, myocardial contraction velocities in RAA similar to that of the LAA (21.8 ± 4.2  vs. 20.1 ± 4 cm/s, respectively, P = NS). In patients with MS, myocardial velocities in both atrial appendages were significantly lower than in normal subjects (RAA: 17.4 ± 5.1 vs. 21.8 ± 4.2 cm/s, respectively, P < 0.01, LAA: 9 ± 5.1 vs. 20.1 ± 4 cm/s, respectively, P < 0.001). Linear regression analysis showed a correlation between the impairment of systolic function of both appendages, pulmonary arterial pressure, valve area and transmitral gradient. Of the 46 patients with MS, patients with intense SEC had lower flow and myocardial velocities in the LAA than patients without SEC (16 ± 5 vs. 50 ± 3 cm/s, 6 ± 2 vs. 10.6 ± 5.6 cm/s, respectively, P < 0.001 and P < 0.001). In healthy subjects, myocardial contraction velocities in both appendages were similar. Patients with MS and sinus rhythm had contractile dysfunction of both appendages, shown by the decrease in myocardial velocities and related to the increase in atrial afterload. Both appendages exhibited a relation between contractile dysfunction and the presence of SEC, but dysfunction was less marked in the RAA, which might explain the lower prevalence of thrombi in the RAA. Tomás F. Cianciulli and María C. Saccheri are researchers of the Secretary of Health of the Government of the City of Buenos Aires.     

Left ventricular mechanical dispersion is associated with nonsustained ventricular tachycardia in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Objective: We assessed the value of speckle tracking two-dimensional (2D) strain echocardiography (2DSE) measured mechanical dispersion (MD) with other imaging and electrocardiographic parameters in differentiating hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) patients with and without nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT) on 24-h ambulatory ECG monitoring.

Methods and results: We studied 31 patients with HCM caused by the Finnish founder mutation MYBPC3-Q1061X and 20 control subjects with comprehensive 2DSE echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI). The presence of NSVT was assessed from ambulatory 24-h ECG monitoring.

NSVT episodes were recorded in 11 (35%) patients with HCM. MD was significantly higher in HCM patients with NSVT (93?±?41?ms) compared to HCM patients without NSVT (50?±?18?ms, p?=?0.012) and control subjects (41?±?16?ms, p?Conclusions: Increased mechanical dispersion was associated with NSVT in HCM patients on 24-h ambulatory ECG monitoring.

• Key messages

• The prediction of sudden cardiac death in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy remains a challenge and novel imaging methods are required to identify individuals at risk of malignant ventricular arrhythmias.

• Mechanical dispersion by speckle tracking echocardiography is associated with NSVT on 24-h ambulatory ECG monitoring in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

     

Sustained ventricular tachycardia in apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, midcavitary obstruction, and apical aneurysm

The prevalence of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is estimated at 1:500 in the general population. Of these patients, approximately 1% develops midcavitary obstruction and subsequent apical aneurysm. We present a brief review of the literature on apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) using a rare case-based example. The etiology for apical aneurysm development is unclear but is thought to extend from apical fibrosis and necrosis secondary to subendocardial ischemia. The lifetime risk of cardiovascular death in patients with HCM is 2%. However, the risk may be higher in patients with apical aneurysms. Definitive therapy involves implantation of an automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillator, since medical therapy has variable success.