ABSTRACT
Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a congenital heart disorder in which a vascular structure between the pulmonary artery and the aorta remains open. PDA normally closes shortly after birth. The treatment in adults is surgical or transcatheter closure. A 47-year-old woman presented to our hospital with a diagnosis of PDA and was treated with transcatheter closure. Although the recovery period of adult patients is long, this patient recovered completely after one day.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The most important prognostic factor in transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemia is cardiac involvement which is usually evaluated with echocardiography. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study (April 2011 to April 2012), conventional echocardiography was used to assess myocardial performance and valvular involvement (through transvalvular Doppler study) for right and left heart abnormalities in transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemia. RESULTS: Among the 60 patients, 43 cases had heart problems, 26 (43.3%) of them had left myocardial dysfunction and 11 (18.3%) of them had right myocardial dysfunction, 3 cases had both RV and LV myocardial dysfunction, (based on LVMPI & RVMPI, respectively). In patients with right myocardial dysfunction, 4 cases had pulmonary hypertension (PH) and 3 had both sided myocardial dysfunction. LVMPI and RVMPI significantly increased in patients with cardiac involvement (p<0.001). Serum ferritin levels in patients with and without cardiac involvement were 2427±1788 ng/ml and 1573±592 ng/ml, respectively (P=0.008). All 4 patients who had PH, had been splenectomized. In splenectomized and non-splenectomized patients, LVMPI was 0.37±0.11 and 0.38±0.1 (P=0.589), RVMPI was 0.3±0.07 and 0.25±0.39 (P=0.004), and TR gradient (TRG) was 28±11.8 mmHg and 19.7±5.2 mmHg (P=0.033), respectively. Mean ferritin level in patients with a history of splenectomy (n=31), was 2525±1968 ng/ml and in patients without the history of splenectomy (n=29) was 1821±947 ng/ml (P=0.082). CONCLUSION: In addition to left-sided heart involvement, conventional echocardiography revealed right-sided heart involvement in transfusion-dependent thalassemia patients which did not correlate with serum ferritin level in splenectomized patients.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Despite progresses in surgical correction of Tetralogy of Fallot, pulmonary insufficiency and progressive dysfunction of the right ventricle impress its long-term prognosis. In this study we examined the correlations between QRS duration, pulmonary insufficiency and right ventricular performance index. METHODS: We enrolled 57 repaired Tetralogy of Fallot patients. QRS duration on electrocardiogram, pulmonary regurgitation index (regurgitation time to diastolic time ratio), and right ventricular myocardial performance index were measured. FINDINGS: There was a strong inverse correlation between QRS duration and pulmonary regurgitation index. However, significant correlation did not exist between QRS duration and right ventricular myocardial performance index. QRS duration ≥160 ms predicted severe pulmonary regurgitation with 100% sensitivity and 87% specificity. CONCLUSION: Increased QRS duration can predict severity of pulmonary regurgitation.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Longer survival after the total repair of the Tetralogy of Fallot increases the importance of late complications such as right ventricular dysfunction. This is a prospective study of the right ventricular function in totally corrected Tetralogy of Fallot patients versus healthy children. METHODS: Thirty-two healthy children were prospectively compared with 30 totally corrected Tetralogy of Fallot patients. Right ventricular myocardial tissue velocities, right ventricular myocardial performance index, and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion were investigated as well as the presence and severity of pulmonary regurgitation. RESULTS: The two groups were age-and sex-matched. Mean systolic peak velocity (Sa) and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion were significantly decreased, while myocardial performance index and early to late diastolic velocity (Ea/Aa) were significantly increased in the Tetralogy of Fallot patients. Early diastolic velocity (Ea) showed no significant difference between the two groups. Sa correlated significantly with tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion in both the normal children and totally corrected Tetralogy of Fallot patients. Myocardial performance index was significantly higher in the patients with moderate to severe pulmonary regurgitation than in those with mild regurgitation. However, there was no significant correlation between this index and right ventricular myocardial tissue velocities. CONCLUSION: In this study, systolic right ventricular function indices (Sa and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion) were impaired in the totally corrected Tetralogy of Fallot patients. Myocardial performance index was affected by the severity of pulmonary regurgitation.
