Expert proposal to analyze the combination of aortic and mitral regurgitation in multiple valvular heart disease by comprehensive echocardiography

The assessment of valvular pathologies in multiple valvular heart disease by echocardiography remains challenging. Data on echocardiographic assessment-especially in patients with combined aortic and mitral regurgitation-are rare in the literature. The proposed integrative approach using semi-quantitative parameters to grade the severity of regurgitation often yields inconsistent findings and results in misinterpretation. Therefore, this proposal aims to focus on a practical systematic echocardiographic analysis to understand the pathophysiology and hemodynamics in patients with combined aortic and mitral regurgitation. The quantitative approach of grading the regurgitant severity of each compound might be helpful in elucidating the scenario in combined aortic and mitral regurgitation. To this end, both the individual regurgitant fraction of each valve and the total regurgitant fraction of both valves must be determined. This work also outlines the methodological issues and limitations of the quantitative approach by echocardiography. Finally, we present a proposal that enables verifiable assessment of regurgitant fractions. The overall interpretation of echocardiographic results includes the symptomatology of patients with combined aortic and mitral regurgitation and the individual treatment options with respect to their individual risk. In summary, a reproducible, verifiable, and transparent in-depth echocardiographic investigation might ensure consistent hemodynamic plausibility of the quantitative results in patients with combined aortic and mitral regurgitation.

Effect of maximum exercise on left ventricular deformation and its correlation with cardiopulmonary exercise capacity in competitive athletes

BACKGROUND

Global longitudinal strain (GLS) and global myocardial work index (GWI) allow early detection of subclinical changes in left ventricular (LV) systolic function. The aim of the study was to investigate the immediate effects of maximum physical exercise by different exercise testing methods on early post exercise LV deformation parameters in competitive athletes and to analyze their correlation with cardiopulmonary exercise capacity.

METHODS

To reach maximum physical exercise, cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) was performed by semi-recumbent ergometer in competitive handball players (n = 13) and by treadmill testing in competitive football players (n = 19). Maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max) indexed to body weight (relative VO2max) was measured in all athletes. Transthoracic echocardiography and blood pressure measurements were performed at rest and 5 min after CPET in all athletes. GLS, GWI and their changes before and after CPET (ΔGLS, ΔGWI) were correlated with (relative) VO2max.

RESULTS

In handball and football players, GLS and GWI did not differ significantly before and after CPET. There were no significant correlations between GLS and relative VO2max, but moderate correlations were found between ΔGWI and relative VO2max in handball (r = 0.631; P = 0.021) and football players (r = 0.592; P = 0.008). Furthermore, handball (46.7 ml/min*kg ± 4.7 ml/min*kg vs. 37.4 ml/min*kg ± 4.2; P = 0.004) and football players (58.3 ml/min*kg ± 3.7 ml/min*kg vs. 49.7 ml/min*kg ± 6.8; P = 0.002) with an increased ΔGWI after CPET showed a significant higher relative VO2max.

CONCLUSION

Maximum physical exercise has an immediate effect on LV deformation, irrespective of the used testing method. The correlation of relative VO2max with ΔGWI in the early post exercise period, identifies ΔGWI as an echocardiographic parameter for characterizing the current individual training status of athletes.

The impact of upright posture on left ventricular deformation in athletes

Besides LV ejection fraction (LVEF), global longitudinal strain (GLS) and global myocardial work index (GWI) are increasingly important for the echocardiographic assessment of left ventricular (LV) function in athletes. Since exercise testing is frequently performed on a treadmill, we investigated the impact of upright posture on GLS and GWI. In 50 male athletes (mean age 25.7 ± 7.3 years) transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and simultaneous blood pressure measurements were performed in upright and left lateral position. LVEF (59.7 ± 5.3% vs. 61.1 ± 5.5%; P = 0.197) was not affected by athletes' position, whereas GLS (- 11.9 ± 2.3% vs. - 18.1 ± 2.1%; P < 0.001) and GWI (1284 ± 283 mmHg% vs. 1882 ± 247 mmHg%; P < 0.001) were lower in upright posture. Longitudinal strain was most frequently reduced in upright posture in the mid-basal inferior, and/or posterolateral segments. Upright posture has a significant impact on LV deformation with lower GLS, GWI and regional LV strain in upright position. These findings need to be considered when performing echocardiography in athletes.

Expert proposal to characterize cardiac diseases with normal or preserved left ventricular ejection fraction and symptoms of heart failure by comprehensive echocardiography

Currently, the term "heart failure with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (HFpEF)" is based on echocardiographic parameters and clinical symptoms combined with elevated or normal levels of natriuretic peptides. Thus, "HFpEF" as a diagnosis subsumes multiple pathophysiological entities making a uniform management plan for "HFpEF" impossible. Therefore, a more specific characterization of the underlying cardiac pathologies in patients with preserved ejection fraction and symptoms of heart failure is mandatory. The present proposal seeks to offer practical support by a standardized echocardiographic workflow to characterize specific diagnostic entities associated with "HFpEF". It focuses on morphological and functional cardiac phenotypes characterized by echocardiography in patients with normal or preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). The proposal discusses methodological issues to clarify why and when echocardiography is helpful to improve the diagnosis. Thus, the proposal addresses a systematic echocardiographic approach using a feasible algorithm with weighting criteria for interpretation of echocardiographic parameters related to patients with preserved ejection fraction and symptoms of heart failure. The authors consciously do not use the diagnosis "HFpEF" to avoid misunderstandings. Central illustration: Scheme illustrating the characteristic echocardiographic phenotypes and their combinations in patients with "HFpEF" symptoms with respect to the respective cardiac pathology and pathophysiology as well as the underlying typical disease.

[Echocardiographic emergency diagnostics]

Echocardiography is a non-invasive, versatile imaging modality for the diagnostics and monitoring of life-threatening cardiac diseases. This article summarizes the currently valid recommendations on emergency echocardiography of the German Cardiac Society and the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging and provides practical guidance for their implementation in emergency medicine. Echocardiography is especially important for the diagnostics of acute coronary syndrome and its potential complications, of pulmonary embolism and endocarditis as well as the differential diagnosis of patients in shock and in emergencies. A domain of increasing importance in echocardiography is the treatment monitoring of patients supported by modern cardiac assist devices.

[Transesophageal echocardiography in emergency and intensive care medicine : Indication and implementation]

Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in emergency and intensive care medicine represents an additional semi-invasive method to confirm or rebut suspected diagnoses in critically ill patients. Three-dimensional (3D)-TEE investigations are established in the clinical workflow of emergency and intensive care units because 3D-TEE investigations permit a differentiation of artifacts due to oblique views by simultaneous documentation of sectional planes and en face views of characteristic cardiac structures. Thus, the level of diagnostic validity can be significantly increased by 3D-TEE investigation. The main indications of TEE investigation in emergency medicine are hemodynamic instability due to myocardial, pericardial or valvular heart diseases as well as suspected endocarditis and aortic dissection.

The impact of foreshortening on regional strain--a comparison of regional strain evaluation between speckle tracking and tissue velocity imaging

PURPOSE

The conventional parameter of systolic function is global left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF), but this parameter will be replaced by global strain because it seems to be more robust. However, regional strain differences can have a significant impact on global strain. Thus, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of non-standardized scanning on regional strain values determined by 2D speckle tracking and tissue velocity imaging (TVI). Regional longitudinal peak systolic strain (PSS) was measured in standardized data sets of the apical 4-chamber view (ChV) and in a standardized oblique foreshortened view in patients with normal wall motion patterns.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A standardized 4ChV and a foreshortened 4ChV - defined by distinct cardiac structures - were acquired using a Vivid E9 system in 54 patients. All regional PSS values measured in monoplane 2D loops in lateral and septal regions were analyzed to detect the differences between regional strain measured in the standard and the foreshortened view.

RESULTS

Significant PSS differences due to FS were detected in patients using 2D speckle tracking for the basal septal regions (p < 0.001). No significant differences due to FS were detected in patients during the analysis of TVI-based strain values (p > 0.05, paired sample T-test).

CONCLUSION

To our knowledge this is the first study focusing on methodological aspects - especially standardization - using speckle tracking and TVI. Due to the lower accuracy of strain calculation based on TVI in basal regions, foreshortening has no significant impact on quantitative parameters of TVI-derived strain values in normal contracting hearts. Using speckle tracking, however, foreshortening induces significant differences of basal septal strain in normal contracting hearts. In the presence of regional wall motion defects, a lack of standardization of the views will cause inhomogeneous patterns of regional strain depending on the scan planes through the center of the infarction or its penumbra. Thus, non-standardization will have a significant impact on deformation parameters in 2D echocardiography.