ABSTRACT
To evaluate the incidence and prevalence of left ventricular [LV] dyssynchrony in patients with heart failure after myocardial infarction [MI] by realtime three-dimensional echocardiography [RT-3DE], and to investigate the clinical application value of using RT-3DE as a method of providing more detailed information for clinical strategy. This cross-sectional study was carried out in Renmin Hospital of WuHan University, Hubei Province, China from July 2009 to December 2010. The RT-3DE was performed on 43 patients with chronic heart failure after MI and 30 normal subjects, to analyze LV volume and left ventricular ejection fraction [LVEF], also the LV systolic dyssynchrony index [SDI]. The dyssynchrony rate of the total MI patients was 83.7%, and was 100% in the severe dysfunction group. The SDI of MI patients was significantly higher than the control subjects [p<0.01], and the SDI of those whose LVEF
ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the objective index of the diagnosis of varicocele (VC) in infertile males by ultrasonography and the testis volume changes resulting from varicocele.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Forty-six healthy male volunteers and 178 infertile men with left varicocele were detected by high frequency ultrasound. According to the clinical data and ultrasonographic results, the 178 VC patients were divided into 4 groups, SVC group (45 cases), VC I group (44 cases), VC II group (48 cases), and VC III group (41 cases).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>(1) The differences in DR, DV, Vmax, TR and testis volume between the right and the left sides were not statistically significant in the control group (P > 0.05). (2) The differences in DR, DV, Vmax and TR between the experimental and control groups as well as among the VC groups were statistically significant (P < 0.001). (3) The left testis volume was smaller than the right among the VC groups (P < 0.01). The right testis volume of the VC II and VC III groups was significantly smaller than that of the control group ( P < 0.05), and the left testis volume in the VC III group was significantly smaller than that of the SVC group (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>(1) High frequency ultrasound can detect the accurate diameter of the internal spermatic vein, hemodynamic index and testis volume of infertile men with VC, and hence help to screen the causes of male infertility. (2) Unilateral varicocele can cause a volume decrease in both testes, especially in the left. Both unilateral SVC and VC can cause testicular atrophy, and the more serious VC, the higher testicular atrophy.</p>