Objective To evaluate the relationship between pattern of left ventricular dilation and functional mitral regurgitation (FMR) by echocardiography. Methods A single-center retrospective observational study was conducted on 117 patients with age of 31-77 years and left ventricular end diastolic dimension≥60 mm treated in our hospital from January 2013 through May 2016. These patients were divided into four groups by FMR degree: FMR-None/Trace (FMR-N/T group,n=33), FMR-Minor (FMR-Mi group,n=37), FMR-Moderate (FMR-Mo group,n=34) and FMR-Severe (FMR-Se group,n=13). We analyzed their basic information and echocardiographic parameters including left ventricular dimension, volume, systolic function, spherical index, regional wall motion score index, tenting height and area of mitral vavle as well as anterior/posterior angle. Results The incidences of inferior/posterior/lateral myocardial infarction and basal myocardial dyskinesia/aneurysm increased with the increase of FMR degree (FMR-N/T vs. FMR-Mi vs. FMR-Mo vs. FMR-Se: 12.1% vs. 18.9% vs. 44.1% vs. 46.2%,P=0.001 and 12.1% vs. 27.0% vs.47.1% vs. 53.8%,P=0.005, respectively). The tenting height and area of mitral valve, anterior/posterior angle, regional wall score index of the left ventricle where the papillary muscle was attached to had a positive correlation with FMR degree (P＜0.05). Conclusion There is a relationship between regional left ventricular dilation and FMR. Evaluating and improving those parameters is very important when we choose the treatment strategy of functional mitral regurgitaion.
Objective To conduct a systematic review to evaluate preoperative and postoperative changes of echocardiography indexes which reflect left ventricular morphology and contractile function after heart valve replacement of patients with valvular heart disease with giant left ventricle. Methods We electronically searched CBMdisc， VIP database，Wanfang database， CNKI database， PubMed and ScienceDirect from time of establishment of each database to June 2012 to identify literatures addressing heart valve replacement for patients with valvular heart disease and giant left ventricle. Quality of included literatures was evaluated， and relevant data were extracted to conduct meta-analysis. Preoperative and postoperative changes of echocardiography indexes of patients undergoing heart valve replacement were compared. R2.15.2 software was used for statistical analysis. Results Twelve retrospective cohort studies were included in this study involving 833 patients. The quality of included literature was relatively high. Meta-analysis showed that left ventricular end-diastolic diameter （LVEDD） at 2 weeks， 6 months， 1 year， 2 to 3 years postoperatively were reduced by 11.72 mm［95% CI （9.52，13.92）， P＜0.001］， 20.02 mm ［95% CI （18.28， 21.76）， P＜0.001］， 22.48 mm ［95% CI （19.55， 25.40）， P＜0.001］ and 24.69 mm ［95% CI （22.21， 27.18）， P＜0.001］ respectively compared with preoperative value. Left ventricularend-systolic diameter （LVESD） at 2 weeks， 6 months， 1 year， 2 to 3 years postoperatively were reduced by 7.74 mm ［95% CI （3.76， 11.72）， P＜0.001］， 15.54 mm ［95% CI （12.55， 18.54）， P＜0.001］， 18.84 mm ［95% CI （15.54， 21.14），P＜0.001］ and 21.02 mm［95% CI （17.67， 24.37）， P＜0.001］ respectively compared with preoperative value. Compared with preoperative value， left ventricular ejection fraction （LVEF） decreased by 7% at 2 weeks postoperatively ［95% CI （1%， 12%）， P=0.013］， increased by 9% at 6 months postoperatively ［95% CI （-14%， -3%）， P=0.002］， increased by 11% at 1 year postoperatively ［95% CI （-22%， 0%）， P=0.041］， and increased by 13% at 2-3 years postoperatively ［95% CI （4%， 21%）， P=0.004］. Compared with preoperative value， left ventricular fraction shortening （LVFS） decreased by 0.05 at 2 weeks postoperatively ［95% CI （0.03， 0.07）， P＜0.001］， increased by 0.02 at 6 months postoperatively ［95% CI （0.00， 0.04）， P=0.055］， increased by 0.03 at 1 year postoperatively ［95% CI （0.00， 0.06）， P=0.035］， and increased by 6% at 2-3 years postoperatively ［95% CI （0.02， 0.11）， P=0.008］. Conclusions LVEED and LVESD of patients with valvular heart disease and giant left ventricle continuously decrease after heart valve replacement， especially in the first 6 months postoperatively， and return to normal in 2 to 3 years. LVEF and LVFS decrease in the first 2 weeks postoperatively， then start to increase， are higher than preoperative values at 6 months， and return to normal in 2 to 3 years. Heart valve replacement is conducive for the recovery of left ventricular morphology and systolic function of patients with valvular heart disease and giant left ventricle.
Abstract： Right ventricular dysfunction or right heart failure is a complex clinical syndrome and often leads to a poor prognosis and high mortality. In order to detect right ventricular dysfunction at an early stage, provide a therapy guidance and evaluate treatment outcomes， right ventricular function evaluation has aroused more and more concern in clinical physicians. With the advantages of being non-invasive， accuracy and repetitiveness， echocardiography is used extensively in the assessment of heart function. In this review， we focus on how to use echocardiography to evaluate right ventricular function easily, efficiently， accurately and sensitively， and provide a good foundation for its further clinical application.
Objective To investigate long-term echocardiography characteristics and their clinical significance of patients after mitral valve replacement （MVR）. Methods We retrospectively analyzed clinical data of 204 patients who underwent prosthetic MVR and finished echocardiography examination at least 5 years after surgery in West China Hospital of Sichuan University. There were 44 male patients and 160 female patients with their age of 23 to 73 （50.9±10.6）years. Postoperatively， all the patients were followed up for 5-15 （7.9±2.3）years and regularly received echocardiography examination at the outpatient department. Analysis variables included left atrium （LA） dimension， left ventricle （LV） dimension，right atrium （RA） dimension， right ventricle （RV） dimension， left ventricular ejection fraction （LVEF） and effective orificearea （EOA） of the mitral valve. Results Long-term echocardiography showed that LA and LV dimensions were signifi-cantly smaller than preoperative dimensions （P＜0.05）， while RA and RV dimensions were not statistically different from preoperative dimensions （P＞0.05）. Long-term LVEF was significantly higher than preoperative value （P＜0.05）. Long-term EOA was 1.1-4.8 （2.3±0.5）cm2， including EOA of 1.1-1.4 cm2 in 7 patients （3.4%，7/204），and 1.6-1.9 cm2in 42 patients （20.6%，42/204）. During long-term follow-up， 7 patients underwent their second heart surgery， including2 patients with prosthetic valve dysfunction， 1 patient with prosthetic perivalvular leak and severe hemolytic anemia，3 patients with severe tricuspid regurgitation which were not improved after medication treatment， and 1 patient with moderateaortic valve stenosis and regurgitation. Two patients had left atrial thrombosis during follow-up， including 1 patient who died of endocarditis 7 years after surgery， and another patient who was still receiving conservative therapy and further follow-up. Conclusion Concomitant tricuspid or aortic valve disease should be actively treated during MVR， and postoperative patients need better follow-up. Many patients after MVR need long-term cardiovascular medication treatment during follow-up in order to improve their heart function and long-term survival rate.
Objective To study the influence of autologous bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) on myocardial structure and cardiac function after being implantated into acute infarcted myocardial site. Methods Bone marrow was aspirated from the posterosuperior iliac spine of Guizhou Xiang swine. After being isolated, cultured and co cultured with 5 azacytidine, either autologous BMSCs (total cells 2×10 6, experimental group, n =12), or a comparable volume of culture medium (control group, n =12), was injected into the left anterior descending(LAD) branch of coronary artery just distal to the ligation site of the LAD. The same volume of BMSCs or culture medium was injected into several spots in the infarcted myocardium. Echocardiographic measurements were performed three or six weeks after implantation to assess the myocardial structure and cardiac function. Results Left ventricular function, including eject fraction(EF), fractional shortening and wall thickening, were higher in experimental group when compared with control group. The thickness of the ventricular wall and septum was also found increased while the left ventricular chamber size was smaller in experimental group. Conclusion Implantation of BMSCs into the infarcted myocardium is believed to attenuate the remodeling process, inhibit the extent of wall thinning and dilatation of the ventricular chamber. BMSCs implantation may also improve the contractile ability of the myocardium and cardiac function.
ObjectiveTo explore the value of inferior vena cava inspiratory collapsibility (ΔIVC) in guiding septic shock resuscitation with early goal-directed therapy (EGDT).MethodsA single center, randomized controlled trial was conducted at an 812-bed hospital in Mianyang, Sichuan. Adult patients with early septic shock in the intensive care unit were assessed and treated at defined intervals over 6 h using an ΔIVC-guided resuscitation protocol or an EGDT protocol. Feasibility outcomes were fluid balance and norepinephrine administration. The primary clinical outcomes were in-hospital mortality rate, 90-day survival rate. Secondary outcomes included incidence of acute kidney injury and consumption of health resources.ResultsSixty-eight patients with septic shock were enrolled in this study. Baseline characteristics were similar between the two groups. The ΔIVC-guided septic shock resuscitation group was lower than the EGDT group in the ICU 24 h fluid replacement (L): 3.8 (4.0, 5.3) vs. 4.7 (4.0, 6.6), 72 h liquid positive balance (L): 0.2 (–0.65, 1.2) vs. 2.5 (0.0, 4.1), intensive care unit length of stay (d): 7.5 (5.0, 14.0) vs. 15.0 (7.0, 21.5), mechanical ventilation cumulative time (d): 3.0 (0.0, 7.0) vs. 7.5 (2.2, 12.0), ICU costs (ten thousand yuan): 3.4 (2.1, 5.9) vs. 8.6 (4.2, 16.5), bedside blood purification treatment costs (ten thousand yuan): 2.3 (1.1, 3.3) vs. 6.8 (2.1, 10.0) (P<0.05). No difference was observed in the incidence of acute kidney injury (P > 0.05), in-hospital mortality and 90-day survival between the two groups (log-rank χ2=0.35, P>0.05).ConclusionsAmong patients with septic shock, a ΔIVC-guided septic shock resuscitation, compared with EGDT, did not reduce in-hospital mortality. It might prevent the risk of over resuscitation, shorten the duration of mechanical ventilation, and lead to a better utilization of intensive care unit resources.
ObjectiveTo explore the echocardiography characteristics of aortic valve disease (AVD) among different ethnic groups in Xinjiang.MethodsThe data of a large sample (n=130 358) of different ethnic groups in Xinjiang based on the results of echocardiography were analyzed between January 2011 and December 2016, and the echocardiography characteristics of AVD among the Han nationality and different ethnic minorities in Xinjiang were summarized.ResultsThe study recruited 130 358 patients, involving Han nationality (58.49%) and 33 ethnic minorities. The ethnic minorities included the Uygur (27.42%), Kazak (7.47%), Hui nationality (3.48%) and other minorities (3.13%). Apart from Uygur, Kazak and Hui nationality, no description was given due to the small sample sizes of other minorities (3.13%). In the total study population, the prevalence of aortic valve stenosis (AS) was 0.44%, and the prevalence of severe AS was 0.10%; the prevalence of aortic valve regurgitation (AR) was 0.37%, and the prevalence of severe AR was 0.02%; the prevalence of aortic valve calcification (AVC) was 6.51%, and the highest AVC prevalence existed in ≥75 years old age group (24.45%); the prevalence of bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) was 0.54%, and the highest BAV prevalence existed in 18-44 years old age group (0.86%). Among different ethnic groups, the Uygur had the highest prevalence in terms of AS (0.60%), AR (0.63%) and BAV (0.88%), while the Han had the lowest prevalence in terms of AS (0.37%) and AR (0.24%), but the highest AVC prevalence existed in the Han nationality (7.83%). The etiology of AVD showed that the degenerative valve changes was the main cause of AS with the largest proportion of 61.97%. While the aorta root diseases (35.97%) and BAV (22.87%) were the main etiology of AR.ConclusionsIn Xinjiang the overall prevalence of AVD is low. In the elderly population, the Uygur, Kazak and Hui nationality have the higher AS prevalence than the Han nationality does. Different ethnic groups have different AVD characteristics based on the echocardiography. In the Uygur group, AVD presents the younger age of onset; the prevalence of BAV is the highest in the Uygur population, while the lowest in the Hui nationality.
Before transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), echocardiography is the first choice for preoperative screening of suitable patients, which can be used to observe the morphology of aortic valve, determine the cause of aortic stenosis, and evaluate the severity of aortic stenosis and other cardiac structure and function. During TAVR procedure, echocardiography is mainly used for real-time monitoring of complications and immediate postoperative evaluation. After TAVR, echocardiography can be used to evaluate the shape and function of the prosthesis valve and monitor long-term complications. This article reviews the research progress of echocardiography in TAVR for guiding clinical practice.
Objective To explore the dominant views with positive results when performing echocardiography on common congenital heart diseases (CHD) in children using the "Seven-Step Screening Method for Pediatric Echocardiography". MethodsThe echocardiographic data of children with atrial septal defect, patent foramen ovale, ventricular septal defect, and patent ductus arteriosus were collected from September 2021 to February 2022. The disease type distribution, view distribution, and the dominant view distribution were analyzed. Dominant view refered to the view with a high ratio of positive result images per view to the total image in each disease. Results A total of 8 353 images of 1 633 children with common CHD were collected. There were 813 males and 820 females at age of 0-7 years. Including 3 613 images in 701 patients with atrial septal defect, 1 178 images in 206 patients with patent foramen ovale, 2 857 images in 576 patients with ventricular septal defect, and 705 images in 150 patients with patent ductus arteriosus. The dominant views of atrial septal defect were subxiphoid 2-chamber view (92.96%), subxiphoid 4-chamber view (85.61%), parasternal 4-chamber view (62.07%), and parasternal short-axis view (38.50%). The dominant views of patent foramen ovale were subxiphoid 2-chamber view (82.69%) and subxiphoid 4-chamber view (65.41%). The dominant views of ventricular septal defect were parasternal 5-chamber view (79.73%), parasternal short-axis view (79.41%), parasternal 4-chamber view (58.18%), and parasternal long-axis view (51.11%). The dominant view of patent ductus arteriosus were parasternal short-axis view (98.80%). Conclusions The analysis of the lesion key areas of common CHD showed that there were 4 dominant views for atrial septal defect and ventricular septal defect, 2 for patent foramen ovale, and only 1 for patent ductus arteriosus. Clarifying the dominant views of common CHD were conducive to rapid and accurate diagnosis of diseases, clinical, teaching and scientific research.
Objective To investigate the correlation between the left atrial hydrodynamic change and atrial fibrillation (AF) in the patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis. Methods According to cardiac rhythm before operation, 49 patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis accompanying chronic AF were divided into two groups,group A: AF, 25 cases; group B: sinus rhythm, 24 cases. Control group : 29 healthy volunteers were examined. By using echocardiography, left atrial hydrodynamics were tested, and repeated 6-8 months after the operation. Results Left atrial stress (LAS), left atriala area (LAA) and left atrial volume(LAV) in group A after operation was much lower than before operation, LAS after operation in group B was also lower than before operation(Plt;0.01). Before operation, LAS in group A was significantly lower than that in group B, LAA and LAVwere larger. After operation, LAA and LAV in group A were significantly larger than those in group B(Plt;0.01). LAS, LAA and LAV in group A and group B before and after operation were higher than those in control group. Conclusion Left atrial hydrodynamic enviroment in patients with mitral stenosis has not reached normal even after valve replacement, LAS may be an important factor of causing AF.