Successful clinical treatment of mitral valve disease is dependent on understanding the complexities of patient-specific valve behavior. Mechanical models of the mitral valve, designed to predict valve closure and generated using patient-specific measurements, have proven to be effective tools for studying valve behavior. To be clinically feasible, these models need to be generated from ultraso...

AIMS The purpose of this study was to evaluate a retrograde approach for radiofrequency (RF) ablation of ectopic atrial tachycardias (EATs) with an early atrial activation at the His site. METHODS AND RESULTS This study included 12 patients with EAT. During tachycardia, earliest atrial activation was recorded at the His site at a standard catheter setting. Activation mapping was performed in ...

Multidetector row computed tomographic (MDCT) assessment of aortic annulus dimensions and frame position and deployment have been associated with paravalvular aortic regurgitation (PAVR) after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). The present evaluation investigated the (pre- and postprocedure) MDCT associates of PAVR ≥2+. In total, 123 patients referred for TAVI underwent clinical ev...

INTRODUCTION Mitral valve repair is the treatment of choice to correct mitral insufficiency, although the literature related to mitral valve annulus behavior after mitral repair without use of prosthetic rings is scarce. OBJECTIVE To analyze mitral annulus morphology and function using real time tridimensional echocardiography in individuals submitted to mitral valve repair with Double Teflon...

AIMS To evaluate the effects of applying current sizing guidelines to different multislice computer tomography (MSCT) aortic annulus measurements on Corevalve (CRS) size selection. METHODS AND RESULTS Multislice computer tomography annulus diameters [minimum: D(min); maximum: D(max); mean: D(mean) = (D(min) + D(max))/2; mean from circumference: D(circ); mean from surface area: D(CSA)] were me...

BACKGROUND Back pain and disc degeneration have a growing socioeconomic healthcare impact. Mucin 1 (MUC1) is a transmembrane glycoprotein whose extracellular and intracellular domains participate in cellular signaling. Little is currently known about the presence or role of MUC1 in human disc degeneration. METHODS In this IRB-approved research study, 29 human disc specimens were analyzed for ...

Accurate assessment of the aortic valve area (AVA) and evaluation of the aortic root are important for clinical decision-making in patients being considered for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). Real-time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (RT3D-TEE) provides accurate and reliable quantitative assessment of aortic valve stenosis and the aortic root. We performed tw...

When a chromatic (eg light-blue) annulus surrounds the central gap of an Ehrenstein figure so as to connect the inner ends of the radial lines, a striking new lightness effect emerges: the central white disk has both a self-luminous quality (brighter than in the regular Ehrenstein figure) and a surface quality (dense, paste-like). Self-luminous and surface qualities do not ordinarily appear co-...

OBJECTIVE To research the histological characteristics of a gelatin sponge transplant loaded with goat BMSCs (bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells) combined with PRP (platelet-rich plasma) in repairing an annulus defect. METHOD BMSCs were separated from the iliac crest of goats, sub-cultured and identified after the third generation. Then, PRP was obtained using blood from the jugular v...

Background: A 49-year-old male presented with a delayed diagnosis of infective endocarditis leading to extensive intracardiac destruction. Such cases present technical challenges operative debridement as crucial anchoring points for replacement conduits are compromised. Case Presentation: Our patient at age 49 nausea, lethargy, and diarrhea 2 weeks after recent travel. His prior history include...