Background. Several authors have reported cases in which 20`TI scintigraphy demonstrated perfusion abnormality in the septum of patients with left bundle branch block (LBBB) and normal coronary arteriogram. The mechanism of this abnormality, however, remains to be clarified. Methods and Results. To determine whether LBBB itself induces abnormal myocardial perfusion and ischemia and to elucidate...

Transient mid-ventricular ballooning syndrome is a variant form of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC). The precipitating factors and clinical course are similar, and the clinical manifestations mimic those of acute coronary syndrome, which are characterized by transient left ventricular dysfunction without significant coronary artery disease. Takotsubo cardiomyopathy with transient left bundle bran...

ight bundle branch block (RBBB) and left bundle branch lock (LBBB) occur commonly in routine electrocardioraphic testing, with RBBB often occurring in young atients without apparent organic heart disease, and LBBB ore often encountered in older patients with co-existing vidence of organic heart disease and systemic hypertension 1–3). The classic dissections of Lev (4) lent credence to peculatio...

BACKGROUND Biventricular (BiV) and left ventricular (LV) pacing similarly augment systolic function in left bundle-branch block (LBBB)-failing hearts despite different electrical activation. We tested whether electrical synchrony is required to achieve mechanical synchronization and functional benefit from pacing. METHODS AND RESULTS Epicardial mapping, tagged MRI, and hemodynamics were obtai...

Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is a recommended treatment in patients with electrical dyssynchrony such as left bundle branch block (LBBB). The determination of the optimal leads position, and the quantification of the changes in electrical activation are two current major challenges. In this paper, we investigate these aspects through electroanatomical data from a controlled experimen...

BACKGROUND Several authors have reported cases in which 201Tl scintigraphy demonstrated perfusion abnormality in the septum of patients with left bundle branch block (LBBB) and normal coronary arteriogram. The mechanism of this abnormality, however, remains to be clarified. METHODS AND RESULTS To determine whether LBBB itself induces abnormal myocardial perfusion and ischemia and to elucidate...

AIMS Right ventricular pacing (RVP) prolongs ventricular activation and may induce mechanical dyssynchrony. We hypothesized that the severity of RVP-associated ventricular mechanical dyssynchrony may depend on the intrinsic intraventricular conduction pattern. METHODS AND RESULTS Sixty-five patients with a single- or dual-chamber RV pacemaker were included. Forty-seven patients with ejection ...

The QRS morphology of the 12-lead ECG of 41 morphologically distinct ventricular tachycardias (VT) was correlated with their site of origin as determined by catheter and intraoperative mapping. Twenty-two VT patterns had a right bundle branch block (VT-RBBB) morphology and 19 a left bundle branch block (VT-LBBB) morphology. All VT-RBBBs arose in the left ventricle. All 16 VT-LBBBs in patients w...

AIMS The Selvester QRS scoring system uses quantitative criteria from the standard 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) to estimate the myocardial scar size of patients, including those with left bundle branch block (LBBB). Automation of the scoring system could facilitate the clinical use of this technique which requires a set of multiple QRS patterns to be identified and measured. METHODS AND RE...

AIMS Conventional aortic valve replacement (AVR), sutureless AVR (su-AVR) and transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) for severe aortic stenosis (AS) are associated with conduction abnormalities. The aim of the present study was to assess the incidence of left bundle branch block (LBBB) after su-AVR and TAVI, in comparison to conventional AVR. METHODS AND RESULTS A total of 501 patient...