Project description:Quadricuspid aortic valve (QAV) is a rare congenital anomaly frequently associated with other anomalies particularly coronary anomalies. It may be detected on transthoracic or transesophageal echocardiography. We present here a case report of a 27-year-old male patient with a QAV, the valve being regurgitant and requiring aortic valve replacement. It has been reported as isolated case reports in the literature and various theories exist to the development of QAV. The diagnosis requires a high degree of suspicion and a detailed assessment, and if asymptomatic, then patients need to be carefully followed up for the development of aortic regurgitation.
Project description:Background and objectivesEvidence regarding the efficacy and safety of intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) for guidance during transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is limited. This study aimed to compare the clinical efficacy and safety of ICE versus transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) for guiding TAVR.MethodsThis prospective cohort study included patients who underwent TAVR from August 18, 2015, to June 31, 2021. Eligible patients were stratified by echocardiographic modality (ICE or TEE) and anesthesia mode (monitored anesthesia care [MAC] or general anesthesia [GA]). Primary outcome was the 1-year composite of all-cause mortality, rehospitalization for cardiovascular cause, or stroke, according to the Valve Academic Research Consortium-3 (VARC-3) definition. Propensity score matching was performed, and study outcomes were analyzed for the matched cohorts.ResultsOf the 359 eligible patients, 120 patients were matched for the ICE-MAC and TEE-GA groups, respectively. The incidence of primary outcome was similar between matched groups (18.3% vs. 20.0%; adjusted hazard ratio, 0.94; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.53-1.68; p=0.843). ICE-MAC and TEE-GA also had similar incidences of moderate-to-severe paravalvular regurgitation (PVR) (4.2% vs. 5.0%; adjusted odds ratio, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.23-2.82; p=0.758), new permanent pacemaker implantation, and VARC-3 types 2-4 bleeding.ConclusionsICE was comparable to TEE for guidance during TAVR for the composite clinical efficacy outcome, with similar incidences of moderate-to-severe PVR, new permanent pacemaker implantation, and major bleeding. These results suggest that ICE could be a safe and effective alternative echocardiographic modality to TEE for guiding TAVR.
Project description:Iatrogenic aortic dissection is a rare and serious complication of cardiac surgery with an incidence between 0.12' and 0.16'. Dissections involving an intimal flap can be detected using trans-esophageal echocardiography (TEE) with a sensitivity of 94'-100' and specificity of 77'-100'. Rarely, dissections can occur that are not detectable by TEE. There have been reports of iatrogenic dissection in the ascending aortic cannulation site; however, a dissection at the antegrade cardioplegia cannulation site is very rare. It also presents challenges associated with early diagnosis and appropriate intervention. We are describing a rare case of aortic dissection at the antegrade cardioplegia cannulation site in the proximal ascending aorta. The dissection was unable to be visualized with TEE initially, and required epi-aortic ultrasound to diagnose dissection in timely manner.
Project description:Iatrogenic valvular regurgitation following cardiac surgery has been reported as a result of leaflet perforation or entrapment. Due to its central location, the aortic valve is one of the most vulnerable structures for iatrogenic injuries. Proper assessment of the aortic valve by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) should be done after a cardiac surgery in the periaortic area. We hereby report a case of iatrogenic aortic regurgitation which was developed after primary closure of perimembranous ventricular septal defect. It was timely diagnosed by TEE after termination of cardiopulmonary bypass and helped in further management.
Project description:BackgroundOur goal was to determine the accuracy of 3-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (3D-TEE) compared with that of computed tomography (CT) in the preoperative evaluation for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) when the errors caused by inconsistent software and method have been eliminated and the representativeness of the sample has been improved. We also investigated the influence of aortic root calcification on the accuracy of 3D-TEE in aortic annulus evaluations.MethodsPart I: 45 of 233 patients who underwent TAVR in the department of cardiovascular surgery at the Xijing hospital from January 2016 to August 2019 were studied retrospectively. Materialise Mimics software and the multiplanar reconstruction method were used for evaluation, based on 3D-TEE and CT. The annulus area-derived diameter, the annulus perimeter-derived diameter (Dp), the annulus mean diameter, the left ventricular outflow tract Dp diameter, the sinotubular junction (STJ) diameter-Dp, and the aortic sinus diameter were compared and analyzed. Part II: 31 of 233 patients whose 3D-TEE and CT data were well preserved and in the required format were included. HU450 and HU850 were used as indicators to measure the severity of calcification. The Spearman rank correlation and Linear regression were used to analyze the correlation between aortic root calcification and the accuracy of 3D-TEE in aortic annulus measurement.ResultsThe measurement results based on 3D-TEE were significantly lower than those obtained using CT (P < 0.05), except for the STJ diameter-Dp in diastole (P = 0.11). The correlation coefficient of the two groups was 0.699-0.954 (P < 0.01), which also indicated a significant correlation between the two groups. A Bland-Altman plot showed that the ordinate values were mostly within the 95% consistency limit; the consistency of the two groups was good. By establishing the linear regression equation, the two groups can be inferred from each other. The Spearman rank correlation analysis and the Linear regression analysis showed that the influence of aortic calcification on the accuracy of the 3D-TEE annulus evaluation was limited.ConclusionsAlthough an evaluation based on 3D-TEE underestimated the results, we can deduce CT results from 3D-TEE because the two methods exhibit considerable correlation and consistency.Trial registrationName: Surgery and Transcatheter Intervention for Structural Heart Diseases. Number: NCT02917980. URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?term=NCT02917980 .