Project description:A 25-year-old male presented after a motor vehicle accident with tricuspid valve (TV) regurgitation, due to a flail TV secondary to papillary muscle rupture. We highlight the importance of three-dimensional echocardiographic imaging of the tricuspid valve and its utility in aiding a successful surgical repair.
Project description:AimThe objective of this study was to investigate the prognostic importance of right ventricular dysfunction (RVD) and tricuspid regurgitation (TR) in patients with moderate-severe functional mitral regurgitation (FMR) receiving MitraClip procedure. RVD and TR grade are associated with cardiovascular mortality in the general population and other cardiovascular diseases. However, there are limited data from observational studies on the prognostic significance of RVD and TR in FMR receiving MitraClip procedure.Methods and resultsA systemic review and meta-analysis were performed using MEDLINE, Scopus, and Embase to assess the prognostic value of RVD and TR grade for mortality in patients with functional mitral regurgitation (FMR) receiving MitraClip procedure. Hazard ratios were extracted from multivariate models reporting on the association of RVD and TR with mortality and described as pooled estimates with 95% confidence intervals. A total of eight non-randomized studies met the inclusion criteria with seven studies having at least 12 months follow-up with a mean follow-up of 20.9 months. Among the aforementioned studies, a total of 1112 patients (71.5% being male) were eligible for being included in our meta-analysis with an overall mortality rate of 28.4% (n = 316). Of the enrolled patients, RVD was present in 46.1% and moderate-severe TR in 29.2%. RVD was significantly associated with mortality compared to normal RV function (HR, 1.79, 95% CI, 1.39-2.31, P < 0.001, I2 = 0). Patients with moderate-severe TR showed increased risk of mortality compared with those in the none-mild TR group (HR, 1.61. 95% CI, 1.11-2.33, P = 0.01, I2 = 14).ConclusionsThis meta-analysis demonstrates the prognostic importance of RVD and TR grade in predicting all-cause mortality in patients with significant FMR. RV function and TR parameters may therefore be useful in the risk stratification of patients with significant FMR undergoing MitraClip procedure.
Project description:We present a case of an individual who presented with acute severe mitral regurgitation in the setting of an inferior ST elevation myocardial infarction. Both transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography demonstrated a posteriorly directed eccentric jet of severe mitral regurgitation with flail anterior mitral valve leaflet attached presumably to the anterior papillary muscle. Intraoperative findings demonstrated rupture of the postero-medial papillary muscle attached via chords to the anterior mitral valve leaflet. This case serves to remind us that both the anterior and posterior leaflets of the mitral valve are attached to both papillary muscle heads. The direction and eccentricity of the mitral regurgitant jet on echocardiography helps to locate the leaflet involved, but not necessarily the coexisting papillary muscle pathology.
Project description:Functional tricuspid regurgitation (TR) represents an important unmet need in clinical cardiology given its prevalence, adverse prognostic impact and symptom burden associated with progressive right heart failure. Several transcatheter techniques are currently in early clinical testing to provide alternative treatment options for patients deemed unsuitable for tricuspid valve surgery. Amongst them, the TrialignTM device (Mitralign, Inc.) represents a novel percutaneous tricuspid valve annuloplasty technique, which aims to reduce tricuspid annular dilatation in functional TR by delivering and cinching two pledgeted sutures to the posterior portion of the tricuspid annulus via transjugular access. Early clinical data suggest the Trialign technique is safe and feasible, and associated with an improvement in quality-of-life measures. However, further studies are needed to confirm these data in larger cohorts of patients with longer follow up. In addition, future trials need to address the question whether TR reduction with the Trialign and other devices leads to an improvement in the patient`s functional status and prognosis, over and above medical treatment alone.
Project description:BackgroundCardiac lipomas are rare benign primary tumours of the heart. Due to the nature of these tumours, they are often asymptomatic and diagnosed incidentally. Whether asymptomatic patients with cardiac lipomas should perform surgery still remains controversial.Case summaryA 34-year-old Asian male who was incidentally found hyperechoic masses in the right ventricle (RV) on the transthoracic echocardiogram by annually routine physical examination was admitted to our cardiology department. His medical history was unremarkable. The repeated transthoracic and transoesophageal echocardiogram showed multiple solitary and well-demarcated masses in the RV. On the cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, four discrete masses (considering the possibility of it being a lipoma) partially occluding the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) were observed. During the open-heart resection surgery, it was found that the tricuspid valve and papillary muscle were covered by multiple adipose masses in the RV that arose from the interventricular septum and the free wall, resulting in partial RVOT obstruction. These excised masses were histopathologically confirmed as lipomata characterized by the mature adipocytes with entrapped myocardial cells. The patient had no cardiac abnormality in the 1-month follow-up after the surgery.DiscussionThis rare clinical case of multiple lipomata of the tricuspid valve and papillary muscle acknowledges that multimodality imaging is the cornerstone for the assessment and diagnosis. Surgery should be performed in cases of symptomatic or large lipomas as well as when a lipoma is considered to be high risk because of RVOT obstruction.
Project description:Functional or secondary tricuspid regurgitation (TR) has seen increased attention in recent times as relationships with clinically-relevant outcomes have come to light. Despite the association of increased mortality with significant TR, the disease remains under-recognized and thus relatively untreated. In addition, the disease itself has not been extensively studied and the interactions between annular dilatation, right heart disease and pulmonary hypertension are poorly understood. However, the high mortality and recurrence rate with current surgical replacement or repair techniques is well recognised, opening the door to transcatheter therapies for functional TR. The current perspective reviews the rationale for transcatheter solutions, describes some of the current approaches and discusses the ongoing questions of a poorly-studied condition which may limit the design of clinical trials for this disease.
Project description:ObjectivePapillary muscle (PM) displacement contributes to ischemic/functional mitral regurgitation (IMR/FMR). The displaced PMs pull the mitral leaflets into the left ventricle (ie, toward the apex) thus hampering leaflet coaptation. Intuitively apical leaflet tethering results from apical PM displacement. The 3-dimensional directions of PM displacement are, however, incompletely characterized.MethodsData from in vivo ovine models of IMR (6-8 weeks of posterolateral infarction, n = 12) and FMR (9-21 days of rapid left ventricular pacing, n = 11) were analyzed. All sheep had radiopaque markers implanted on the anterior and posterior PM (PPM) tips, around the mitral annulus, and on the left ventricular apex. To explore 3-dimensional PM displacement directions, differences in marker coordinates were calculated at end-systole before and during IMR/FMR using a right-handed coordinate system centered on the mitral annular "saddle horn" with the y-axis passing through the apical marker.ResultsNo apical PM displacement was observed during either IMR or FMR. The anterior PM displaced laterally during FMR. Posterolateral PPM displacement was observed during IMR and FMR.ConclusionsExperimental in vivo ovine models suggest posterolateral PPM displacement as a predominant pathomechanism leading to apical leaflet tethering during IMR/FMR.
Project description:BACKGROUND AND AIMS:The main pathophysiological factor of chronic ischemic mitral regurgitation (MR) is the outward displacement of the papillary muscles (PMs) leading to leaflet tethering. For this reason, papillary muscle intervention (PMI) in combination with mitral ring annuloplasty (MRA) has recently been introduced into clinical practice to correct this displacement, and to reduce the recurrence of regurgitation. METHODS:A meta-analysis was conducted comparing the outcomes of PMI and MRA performed in combination vs MRA performed alone, in terms of MR recurrence and left ventricular reverse remodeling (LVRR). A meta-regression was carried out to investigate the impact of the type of PMI procedure on the outcomes. RESULTS:MR recurrence in patients undergoing both PMI and MRA was lower than in those who only had MRA (log incidence rate ratio, -0.66; lower-upper limits, -1.13 to 0.20; I2 ?=?0.0%; p?=?.44; Egger's test: intercept 0.35 [-0.78 to 1.51]; p?=?.42). The group with both PMI and MRA and that with only MRA showed a slightly higher reduction in left ventricular diameters (-5.94%; -8.75% to 3.13%,). However, in both groups, LVRR was <10%. No difference was detected between PM relocation/repositioning and papillary muscle approximation in terms of LVRR (p?=?.33). CONCLUSIONS:Using PMI and MRA together has a lower MR recurrence than using MRA alone. No significant LVRR was observed between the two groups nor between the PMI techniques employed.
Project description:ObjectivesFunctional tricuspid regurgitation (FTR) is generally caused by the dilation of the tricuspid annulus (TA) and the tethering of tricuspid leaflets; however, it also occurs in patients without dilatation of the TA. The aim of this study was to develop and to use a four-dimensional tracking system, utilizing cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and to assess TA flexibility in patients with early FTR without right ventricle dilation as a preliminary investigation for the mechanism of early FTR.MethodsThe structure and movement of the TA were examined in 20 healthy subjects and 19 FTR patients whose right ventricle was not dilated. We analysed the short axis and longitudinal movement of a mid-septal point (S), a mid-lateral point (L), a mid-anterior point (A) and a mid-posterior point (P) on the TA throughout the cardiac cycle. The tethering distance of the tricuspid leaflets and the integrated orbiting volume of the TA were also measured.ResultsThe TA area (mm(2)) and AP and LS distances (mm) did not differ significantly between the two groups, but the longitudinally moving distances (mm) of the four points were significantly shorter in patients with FTR than in healthy subjects. Also, the mean tethering distance (mm) was significantly longer in patients with FTR than in healthy subjects (9.0 ± 1.5 vs 4.0 ± 1.3, respectively; P < 0.001), and the integrated volume (mm(3)) of the annular moving track, throughout the cardiac cycle, was significantly larger in healthy subjects than in patients with FTR (40 428 ± 10 951 vs 22 967 ± 6079, P < 0.001).ConclusionsThe longitudinal flexibility of the TA in FTR patients was significantly less than that in the healthy subjects, and the tethering of the tricuspid leaflets occurred in FTR patients despite the absence of TA and RV dilation, which can be one triggering factor of early FTR. Four-dimensional geometric assessment, using cardiac MRI and the tracking program that we have developed, is capable of determining TA structure and flexibility.