Mitral regurgitation: anatomy is destiny

Discordance interpretation of left ventricular size between echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance in pediatric patients with aortic/mitral regurgitation

PURPOSE

This study investigated discordance between echocardiography (echo) and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) measurements of the left ventricle (LV) in pediatric patients with aortic and/or mitral regurgitation (AR/MR).

METHODS

Retrospective cohort study of pediatric patients. The cohorts were comprised of patients with AR/MR vs. non-AR/MR. Left ventricular end diastolic volume (LVEDV) by CMR and left ventricular internal diameter diastolic (LVIDd) by echo were obtained from clinical reports then echo images were reviewed to remeasure LVEDV by bullet method. Left ventricular internal diameter systolic (LVIDs) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) measurements by echo and LVEF by CMR were obtained from clinical reports. Fractional shortening (FS%) was recalculated. Z-scores were calculated using normative data. Correlation between echo and CMR LV measurements was assessed using correlation coefficients. Bland-Altman plots assessed bias between imaging modalities. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed for detection of LV enlargement and LV dysfunction.

RESULTS

AR/MR patients had greater discrepancy in LV size interpretation by Z-score compared to non-AR/MR patients. This discrepancy persisted when the bullet method short axis measurements were incorporated. There was negative bias in echo-based measurements compared to CMR. The diagnostic performance of echo in identifying moderate LV enlargement was worse for AR/MR pediatrics patients.

CONCLUSION

The discordant interpretation of LV size by echo compared to CMR is worse in pediatric patients with AR/MR when compared to patients without AR/MR even when short axis measurements are incorporated. This finding suggests non-uniform geometrical changes in the LV as it enlarges due to AR/MR.

Assessment of the elastic stiffness of human cardiac fibres after an apical infarction using finite element simulation

Several research works in the literature have focused on understanding the post-infarction ventricular remodelling phenomenon, but few works have considered the evaluation of the elastic behaviour of the cardiac tissue after a myocardial infarction. This paper presents an investigation focused on predicting the elastic performance of the human heart after a left ventricular apical infarction. The aim is to understand the elastic alterations of the cardiac fibres at different periods after an apical infarct. For this purpose, a hybrid method based on pressure and volume measurements of the left ventricle (LV) at different periods of ventricular remodelling, and the Finite Element Method (FEM), is developed. In addition, several performance indexes are defined to evaluate the heart performance during the ventricular remodelling process. The results show that during the first 2 weeks after a heart infarction, the cardiac fibres must support a much higher structural overload than during normal conditions. This structural overload is proportional to the aneurysm size but diminishes with the time, together with a significant reduction of the ventricular pumping capacity.

Outcome for concomitant mitral regurgitation after surgery for aortic insufficiency

BACKGROUND

Moderate/severe aortic regurgitation (AR) with concomitant mitral regurgitation (MR) is a common multiple valve disease for which treatment strategies are controversial. The current study explored long-term outcomes of concomitant MR after AR surgery and the effect of combined mitral valvuloplasty.

METHODS

A total of 506 patients with moderate/severe AR and concomitant MR undergoing aortic valve surgery between January 2013 and December 2021 in our cardiac center were enrolled. Risk factors for early mortality, late mortality and persistent MR were identified by logistic regression and generalized linear mixed model.

RESULTS

At least one follow-up record was available for 96.3% patients up to May 2022 and 264 (66.8%) patients had no or trivial MR, 112 (28.4%) had mild MR, 16 (4.1%) had moderate MR and 3 (0.8%) patients had severe MR. Persistent MR was recorded for 92 (23.3%) patients during follow-up. Combined mitral valvuloplasty (odds ratio: 0.23; 95% confidential interval: 0.08-0.64; p = 0.005) and better left ventricular reverse remodeling (odds ratio: 0.99; 95% confidential interval: 0.986-0.996); p < 0.001) were found likely to reduce the possibility of persistent MR during follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Most patients with moderate/severe AR and concomitant MR had a good long-term post-surgical outcome for MR. However, a few had persistent MR during follow-up. Combined mitral valvuloplasty and better left ventricular reverse remodeling reduced the possibility of long-term persistent MR.

Additive effects of mitral regurgitation on left ventricular strain in essential hypertensive patients as evaluated by cardiac magnetic resonance feature tracking

Objectives

Hypertension is one of the leading risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Mitral regurgitation (MR) is a heart valve disease commonly seen in hypertensive cases. This study aims to assess the effect of MR on left ventricle (LV) strain impairment among essential hypertensive cases and determine factors that independently impact the global peak strain of the LV.

Materials and methods

We enrolled 184 essential hypertensive patients, of which 53 were patients with MR [HTN (MR +) group] and 131 were without MR [HTN (MR−) group]. Another group of 61 age-and gender-matched controls was also included in the study. All participants had received cardiac magnetic resonance examination. The HTN (MR +) group was classified into three subsets based on regurgitation fraction, comprising mild MR (n = 22), moderate MR (n = 19), and severe MR (n = 12). We compared the LV function and strain parameters across different groups. Moreover, we performed multivariate linear regression to determine the independent factors affecting LV global radial peak strain (GRS), circumferential peak strain (GCS), and global longitudinal peak strain (GLS).

Results

HTN (MR−) cases exhibited markedly impaired GLS and peak diastolic strain rate (PDSR) but preserved LV ejection fraction (LVEF) compared to the controls. However, HTN (MR +) patients showed a decrease in LVEF and further deteriorated GRS, GCS, GLS, PDSR, and the peak systolic strain rate (PSSR) compared to the HTN (MR−) group and controls. With increasing degrees of regurgitation, the LV strain parameters were gradually reduced in HTN (MR +) patients. Even the mild MR group showed impaired GCS, GLS, PDSR, and PSSR compared to the HTN (MR−) group. Multiple regression analyses indicated that the degree of regurgitation was independently associated with GRS (β = -0.348), GCS (β = -0.339), and GLS (β = -0.344) in HTN (MR +) patients.

Conclusion

GLS was significantly impaired in HTN (MR−) patients. MR may further exacerbate the deterioration of LV strain among essential hypertensive cases. Besides, the degree of regurgitation was independently correlated with GRS, GCS, and GLS in HTN (MR +) patients.

The association between assisted reproductive technology and cardiac remodeling in fetuses and early infants: a prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Limited data exist regarding the potential impact of assisted reproductive technology (ART) on cardiac remodeling. In particular, whether different ART techniques are related to different cardiac alterations remains unclear. We aimed to evaluate cardiac changes in fetuses and infants arising from ART and fetal cardiac alterations in fetuses conceived by specific ART procedures.

METHODS

This prospective and observational cohort study recruited 111 fetuses conceived by ART and 106 spontaneously conceived controls between December 2017 and April 2019. Echocardiography was performed between 28⁺⁰ and 32⁺⁶ weeks-of-gestation and at 0-2 and 6 months after birth.

RESULTS

A total of 88 ART fetuses and 85 controls were included in the final analysis. Compared to controls, ART fetuses demonstrated a globular enlarged left ventricle (LV) (LV sphericity index of mid-section, 2.29 ± 0.34 vs. 2.45 ± 0.39, P = 0.006; LV area, 262.33 ± 45.96 mm² vs. 244.25 ± 47.13 mm², P = 0.002), a larger right ventricle (RV) (RV area, 236.10 ± 38.63 mm² vs. 221.14 ± 42.60 mm², P = 0.003) and reduced LV systolic deformation (LV global longitudinal strain (GLS), -19.56% ± 1.90% vs. -20.65% ± 1.88%, P = 0.013; LV GLS rate S, -3.32 ± 0.36 s^-1 vs. -3.58 ± 0.39 s^-1, P = 0.023). There were no significant differences between the ART and control groups at postnatal follow-ups. Furthermore, we found fetal cardiac morphometry and function were comparable between different ART procedures. Compared to controls, the fetuses derived from various ART procedures all exhibited impairments in the LV GLS and the LV GLS rate S.

CONCLUSIONS

Our analysis demonstrated that subclinical cardiac remodeling and dysfunction were evident in ART fetuses, although these alterations did not persist in early infancy. In addition, various ART procedures may cause the same unfavorable changes in the fetal heart.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

This trial was registered at the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ( www.chictr.org.cn ) ( ChiCTR1900021672 ) on March 4, 2019, retrospectively registered.

The mitral regurgitation effects of cardiac structure and function in left ventricular noncompaction

This study evaluated the effects of mitral regurgitation (MR) on cardiac structure and function in left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC) patients. The clinical and cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) data for 182 patients with noncompaction or hypertrabeculation from three institutes were retrospectively included. We analyzed the difference in left ventricular geometry, cardiac function between LVNC patients with and without MR. The results showed that patients with MR had a worse New York Heart Association (NYHA) class and a higher incidence of arrhythmia (P < 0.05). MR occurred in 48.2% of LVNC patients. Compared to LVNC patients without MR, the two-dimensional sphericity index, maximum/minimum end-diastolic ratio and longitudinal shortening in LVNC patients with MR were lower (P < 0.05), and the peak longitudinal strain (PLS) of the global and segmental myocardium were obviously reduced (P < 0.05). No significant difference was found in strain in LVNC patients with different degree of MR; end diastolic volume, end systolic volume, and global PLS were statistically associated with MR and NYHA class (P < 0.05), but the non-compacted to compacted myocardium ratio had no significant correlation with them. In conclusion, the presence of MR is common in LVNC patients. LVNC patients with MR feature more severe morphological and functional changes. Hypertrabeculation is not an important factor affecting structure and function at the heart failure stage.

The Memory of the Heart

The embryological development of the heart is one of the most fascinating phenomena in nature and so is its final structure and function. The various ontogenetic passages form the evolutive basis of the final configuration of the heart. Each key step can be recognized in the final features, as the heart maintains a kind of “memory” of these passages. We can identify the major lines of development of the heart and trace these lines up to the mature organ. The aim of this review is to identify these key parameters of cardiac structure and function as essential elements of the heart’s proper functioning and bases for its treatment. We aim to track key steps of heart development to identify what it “remembers” and maintains in its final form as positively selected. A new vision based on the whole acquired knowledge must guide an in-depth scientific approach in future papers and guidelines on the topic and a complete, farsighted therapeutic conduct able to ensure the physiological correction of cardiac pathologies. The application of this modern, functional vision of the heart could improve the clinical treatment of heart disease, filling the gaps still present.