0000000000014241
AUTHOR
Gianluca Di Bella
Evaluation of atrial function by 2D strain echocardiography in patients with atrial fibrillation
Abstract Objectives To evaluate atrial function by 2D strain in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and normal or slightly increased atrial size and to verify whether lower atrial strain is associated with more frequent AF recurrences. Materials and methods We studied 50 patients with AF, mean age 59.6 ± 13 years and 50 age-and gender-matched controls. We analyzed left atrial function through 2Dstrain imaging, after the re-establishment of sinus rhythm (SR) and we investigated about the recurrences of the arrhythmia. Results Atrial strain (AS) was lower in AF patients vs controls (LA p Conclusions The assessment of atrial function by strain imaging might help to identify patients who nee…
Usefulness of longitudinal systolic strain and delayed enhancement cardiac magnetic resonance in depicting risk of supraventricular arrythmias in patients with acute myocarditis and preserved left ventricular function
Background: Myocarditis have variable clinical presentation, evolution and prognosis. Aim of our study was to evaluate the value of speckle tracking echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) in the short-term prediction of supraventricular arrhythmias (SVA) in patients with acute myocarditis. Methods: Seventy patients (mean age 31±14 years old) with acute myocarditis and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) were enrolled. Longitudinal systolic strain (LS) of the left ventricle (LV), mechanical dispersion (MD) and CMR with quantitative measurement of delayed enhancement (DE) were performed in a subset of 43 patients. Logistic regression and ROC analysis were used t…
Multimodalities imaging in diagnosis of pericardial cyst
Pericardial cysts, an uncommon benign congenital anomaly belonging to the category of mediastinal masses. Cysts are usually detected incidentally on chest radiography or echocardiography, being most patients asymptomatic. In some cases, however, symptoms and complications occur, like dyspnea, chest pain, or persistent cough. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are the imaging techniques of choice to diagnose pericardial cysts. The removal of pericardial cysts is restricted to the cases with an uncertain diagnosis or in the presence of symptoms.
Transthyretin-Related Familial Amyloid Polyneuropathy (TTR-FAP): A Single-Center Experience in Sicily, an Italian Endemic Area
Abstract Background: Familial amyloid polyneuropathy related to transthyretin gene (TTR-FAP) is a life-threatening disease transmitted as an autosomal dominant trait. Val30Met mutation accounts for the majority of the patients with large endemic foci especially in Portugal, Sweden and Japan. However, more than one hundred other mutations have been described worldwide. A great phenotypic variability among patients with late- and early-onset has been reported. Objective: To present a detailed report of TTR-FAP patients diagnosed in our tertiary neuromuscular center, in a 20-year period. Methods: Clinical informations were gathered through the database of our center. Results: The study involve…
Use of drugs for attrv amyloidosis in the real world: How therapy is changing survival in a non-endemic area
Background: Over the past decade, three new drugs have been approved for the treatment of hereditary amyloid transthyretin (ATTRv) polyneuropathy. The aim of this work was to analyze whether current therapies prolong survival for patients affected by ATTRv amyloidosis. Methods: The study was conducted retrospectively, analyzing the medical records of 105 patients with genetic diagnoses of familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy followed at the two referral centers for the disease in Sicily, Italy. Of these, 71 received disease-modifying therapy, while 34 received only symptomatic treatment or no therapy. Results: The most used treatment in our patient cohort was tafamidis, followed by liver tra…
Prognostic Role of Late Gadolinium Enhancement in Patients With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy and Low-to-Intermediate Sudden Cardiac Death Risk Score
Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is the most life-threating complication of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Guidelines of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) suggest the implantation of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator in primary prevention according to a 5-year risk SCD score >= 6%. The aim of the study is to evaluate the prognostic role of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) in patients with a 5-year risk SCD score <6%. In this multicenter study, we performed cardiac magnetic resonance in 354 consecutive hypertrophic cardiomy-opathy patients (257 males, range of age 54 +/- 17) with a risk SCD score <6% (302 with <4% and 52 with >= 4 and <6% risk). Hard cardiac events,…
Cardiovascular imaging in the diagnosis and monitoring of cardiotoxicity: cardiovascular magnetic resonance and nuclear cardiology
Chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity (CTX) is a determining factor for the quality of life and mortality of patients administered potentially cardiotoxic drugs and in long-term cancer survivors. Therefore, prevention and early detection of CTX are highly desirable, as is the exploration of alternative therapeutic strategies and/or the proposal of potentially cardioprotective treatments. In recent years, cardiovascular imaging has acquired a pivotal role in this setting. Although echocardiography remains the diagnostic method most used to monitor cancer patients, the need for more reliable, reproducible and accurate detection of early chemotherapy-induced CTX has encouraged the introduction o…