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E H Botvinick

Publications and source records attributed to E H Botvinick.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Usefulness of adenosine in augmenting ventricular preexcitation for noninvasive localization of accessory pathways.

Adenosine was administered to test the hypothesis that it would maximize preexcitation and facilitate noninvasive localization of accessory pathways in 22 patients with suspected accessory pathway-mediated tachycardias. Twelve-lead electrocardiograms and 2-dimensional echocardiograms were recorded at baseline and during adenosine-augmented ventricular preexcitation to localize the accessory pathway. Phase analysis was performed on digitized 4-chamber and short-axis views using a first harmonic Fourier transformation. At baseline, 15 patients had manifest preexcitation. In 14 of these patients (93.3%), preexcitation became more prominent after adenosine. Four patients without preexcitation at baseline clearly had it after adenosine. In patients who had preexcitation in response to adenosine, the electrocardiogram correctly identified the accessory pathway locations in 18 of 19 patients at a regional level and was incorrect in 1 of 19 patients. Echocardiographic phase analysis correctly identified the accessory pathway location in all 17 patients, who had technically adequate studies, at a regional level. In conclusion, administration of adenosine accentuates preexcitation, allowing for more accurate electrocardiographic and echocardiographic accessory pathway localization.

Adenosine

Diagnostic and prognostic value of ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring.

To evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic value of continuous ambulatory ECG (AECG) monitoring, we studied 124 patients with chest pain syndromes by stress myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS) and AECG. MPS was classified as normal or with fixed or reversible defects involving one or more than one vascular territory. Positive AECGs were divided into those with mild (< or = 1.5 mm), moderate (1.5 to 2.5 mm), and severe (> or = 2.5 mm) ST segment displacement. Among 61 patients with a negative AECG, 93% had limited ischemia or normal scintigraphic studies. All 24 patients with moderately or severely positive AECGs had reversible defects on MPS. Among those with severely positive AECGs, nine (75%) had multivessel scintigraphic ischemia. Severe ST segment depression on AECG was highly related to multivessel perfusion defects and to a large amount of myocardium in jeopardy. A negative AECG generally indicated limited or absent ischemia and thus a more benign prognosis. Induced symptoms and the daily ischemic burden were not related to the severity of induced AECG or MPS abnormalities. AECG may provide independent information as to the severity and related risk of ischemia.

Adult

Two-dimensional echocardiographic phase analysis. Its potential for noninvasive localization of accessory pathways in patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.

BACKGROUND: In patients with the preexcitation syndrome who are undergoing transcatheter or surgical ablation, accurate localization of accessory pathways is critical. Because preexcitation is known to alter ventricular activation sequence and result in focal areas with presystolic contraction, we investigated whether phase analysis applied to two-dimensional echocardiographic cine loops objectively identifies these focal areas and can be used to localize ventricular insertion sites of accessory pathways. METHODS AND RESULTS: We prospectively obtained phase images in 17 patients (11 males; age range, 11-35 years) during minimal preexcitation in normal sinus rhythm and during maximal preexcitation induced by right atrial pacing. A group of 11 normal subjects (six men; age range, 26-37 years) served as controls. Pathway locations predicted from phase imaging were compared with those predicted from routine 12-lead ECGs, from visual inspection of cine loop images, and from catheter-mounted electrode endocardial mapping. Cross-sectional views in a digital cine loop format were mathematically transformed using a first harmonic Fourier algorithm to obtain the corresponding phase images. Phase angle histograms were derived in eight wall segments. Mean and earliest phase angles were derived by computer analysis to quantitate contraction sequence. We found that during right atrial pacing, phase angles in focal areas markedly deviated from normal--mean phase angles from 33 degrees to 164 degrees, and earliest phase angles from 50 degrees to 180 degrees. Accessory pathways could be precisely localized in 53% of the patients by 12-lead ECG, in 59% by visual inspection of cine loop images, in 82% by phase imaging, and in 94% by a combination of the three methods. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that phase imaging, especially when used in combination with cine loop and 12-lead ECG, can be used to localize ventricular insertion sites of accessory pathways and may be clinically useful as a noninvasive adjunct to endocardial mapping in patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.

Adult

The applications of adenosine in noninvasive cardiac imaging.

In this paper the cardiac actions of adenosine, as well as its therapeutic and diagnostic applications are reviewed. Adenosine has been demonstrated to be useful in the assessment of coronary artery disease in conjunction with perfusion SPECT scintigraphy, PET imaging and two-dimensional echocardiography. The reported sensitivities and specificities of adenosine in these settings are high and similar to those of imaging after exercise or dipyridamole induced coronary hyperemia. Minor side effects are commonly associated with adenosine infusion, however they are transient, generally well tolerated, and rarely require test termination or the administration of aminophylline. Adenosine has proven very useful in the noninvasive diagnosis of Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome and in the localization of the ventricular insertion of the accessory pathway. As a provocative test, adenosine 12.0 mg rapid bolus has a sensitivity and specificity of 100% for identifying anterograde atrioventricular accessory pathway conduction. The use of adenosine is particularly well suited to the technique of echocardiographic phase analysis and cine-loop inspection as image acquisition is rapid and may be obtained on-line. Although the only approved therapeutic use of adenosine is in the emergency treatment of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia, several other clinical applications are suggested by the agents specific cardiovascular and electrophysiologic properties. These include 1. post-thrombolytic therapy to reduce reperfusion injury, 2. as an afterload reduction agent in malignant hypertension and congestive heart failure, 3. to produce controlled hypotension intraoperatively during vascular procedures, and 4. to terminate catecholamine and exercise mediated ventricular tachycardia. Furthermore, the technique of adenosine echocardiographic phase analysis offers the potential for precise subsegmental localization of accessory pathways which has never been achieved by any noninvasive technique, and adenosine augmentation of preexcitation obviates the need for invasive cardiac pacing. Future applications of adenosine scintigraphic and echocardiographic methods will undoubtedly involve newer imaging modalities, such as multiplanar transesophageal and magnetic resonance imaging, which may improve our current abilities to localize accessory pathways and noninvasively diagnose coronary artery disease.

Adenosine

Scintigraphic assessment of MIBG uptake in globally denervated human and canine hearts--implications for clinical studies.

To further characterize the behavior of metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) in the myocardium and to test the hypothesis that the denervated heart would show normal early uptake on MIBG due to non-neuronal localization, we examined the early and late distribution of 123I-labeled MIBG in normal and globally denervated canine and human hearts. Canine hearts were denervated by intravenous injections of 6-hydroxydopamine, while patients were studied a mean of 4.3 mo following cardiac transplantation. Results in denervated hearts were compared to normal controls. Normal hearts showed prominent MIBG uptake on initial 5-min and 3-hr delayed images. Globally denervated canine hearts showed prominent uptake on initial images and absence of localization on delayed images, indicating complete washout of non-neuronally bound radionuclide. The transplanted human hearts showed no localization of MIBG on either early or delayed images. These results suggest that the non-neuronal uptake mechanism (uptake 2) is not significant in human myocardium. This finding has significant implications for interpreting the myocardial behavior of MIBG in various pathologic situations such as dilated cardiomyopathy.

3-Iodobenzylguanidine

Relative importance of activation sequence compared to atrioventricular synchrony in left ventricular function.

This study evaluated the relative hemodynamic importance of a normal left ventricular (LV) activation sequence compared to atrioventricular (AV) synchrony with respect to systolic and diastolic function. Twelve patients with intact AV conduction and AV sequential pacemakers underwent radionuclide studies at rest and Doppler echocardiographic studies at rest and during submaximal exercise, comparing atrial demand pacing (AAI) to sequential AV sensing pacing (DDD) and ventricular demand pacing (VVI). Studies at rest were performed at a constant heart rate between pacing modes, and the exercise study was performed at a constant heart rate and work load. Cardiac output was higher during AAI than during both DDD and VVI (6.2 +/- 1 vs 5.6 +/- 1 and 5.3 +/- 1 liters/min, p less than 0.05). LV ejection fraction was likewise higher during AAI (55 +/- 12 vs 49 +/- 11 vs 51 +/- 13, p less than 0.05). VVI with or without AV synchrony was associated with a paradoxical septal motion pattern, resulting in a 25% impairment of regional septal ejection fraction. In addition, LV contraction duration was more homogenous during AAI. Peak filling rate during AAI and VVI was higher than during DDD (2.86 +/- 1 and 2.95 +/- 1 vs 2.25 +/- 1 end-diastolic volume/s; p less than 0.05). During VVI, the time to peak filling was significantly shorter than during both AAI and DDD (165 +/- 34 vs 239 +/- 99 and 224 +/- 99 ms; p less than 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Arrhythmia, Sinus

Dipyridamole perfusion scintigraphy: the experience with its application in one hundred seventy patients with known or suspected unstable angina.

We evaluated the safety, accuracy, and potential clinical utility of intravenous dipyridamole perfusion scintigraphy with thallium-201 in 170 patients, 78 with suspected and 92 with known unstable angina. All had coronary angiography. Noncardiac side effects (26%), induced chest discomfort (44%), and ST segment changes (12%) were similar in the two groups. No significant arrhythmias occurred. Two patients had prolonged chest pain, both with extensive reversible image abnormalities and associated creatinine kinase-MB release. Both had elective bypass surgery. Twenty-eight patients had normal coronary arteries, and 35 had single-vessel disease. Scintigraphic per patient sensitivity and specificity were 91% and 79% with a per vessel sensitivity of 74% and a per vessel specificity of 78% without between-group differences. During a brief follow-up period, 62 patients with image abnormalities had coronary revascularization, and there were seven deaths without intergroup differences. In a similar patient group that did not have angiography, scintigraphic defects were less frequent and less extensive, revascularization was not performed, and subsequent deaths occurred less often. Dipyridamole perfusion scintigraphy is an accurate alternative to exercise testing in the evaluation of patients with unstable angina pectoris. Although not without risk, the method appears relatively safe and should be considered as a guide to diagnosis, and probably to prognosis and management.

Adult

Dipyridamole perfusion scintigraphy.

Dipyridamole is one of several agents that may be infused intravenously to nonivasively evaluate coronary perfusion without dynamic exercise. Among such agents it is the most investigated, and it is associated with the greatest clinical experience. Its mechanism of action utilizes intrinsic adenosine and does not require the induction of ischemia. Rather, the method tests the coronary flow reserve by dilating the precapillary and arteriolar capillary beds. Vessels with a limited coronary flow reserve demonstrate reduced responsiveness with relative flow reduction and a resultant defect on perfusion scintigraphy. Side effects are common and generally benign, but deaths have been reported and they generally relate to severe hypotension, prolonged dense ischemia and resultant infarction, or bronchospasm. Severe complications are rare and can be avoided by the prompt administration of aminophylline, the dipyridample antedote. Diagnostic accuracy for the identification of coronary disease appears similar to that for exercise perfusion scintigraphy. It should be applied to patients with known or suspected coronary disease who require coronary evaluation, but who cannot exercise adequately for diagnostic or prognostic purposes. In such patients, the method is useful for the preoperative assessment of risk at peripheral vascular and other major noncardiac surgery. It may be of value as well in the assessment of the otherwise uncomplicated patient postinfarction. Not yet established is its application to the patient with unstable angina or in the acute setting, after coronary reperfusion. Similarly, its comparison with direct adenosine infusion or with pharmacological agents whose mechanism rests entirely on ischemia induction, as does dobutamine, has until now been limited. Unlike its use with perfusion scintigraphy, the application of dipyridamole with echocardiography and other functional ischemic indicators is totally dependent on the induction of ischemia. This is likely less frequent than the induction of nonischemic perfusion heterogeneity. The agent is now commonly available and will make a significant beneficial impact on patient evaluation and management.

Coronary Disease

Scintigraphic assessment of sympathetic innervation after transmural versus nontransmural myocardial infarction.

To evaluate the feasibility of detecting denervated myocardium in the infarcted canine heart, the distribution of sympathetic nerve endings using I-123 metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) was compared with the distribution of perfusion using thallium-201, with the aid of color-coded computer functional map in 16 dogs. Twelve dogs underwent myocardial infarction by injection of vinyl latex into the left anterior descending coronary artery (transmural myocardial infarction, n = 6), or ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery (nontransmural myocardial infarction, n = 6). Four dogs served as sham-operated controls. Image patterns were compared with tissue norepinephrine content and with histofluorescence microscopic findings in biopsy specimens. Hearts with transmural infarction showed zones of absent MIBG and thallium, indicating scar. Adjacent and distal regions showed reduced MIBG but normal thallium uptake, indicating viable but denervated myocardium. Denervation distal to infarction was confirmed by reduced norepinephrine content and absence of nerve fluorescence. Nontransmural myocardial infarction showed zones of wall thinning with decreased thallium uptake and a greater reduction or absence of MIBG localized to the region of the infarct, with minimal extension of denervation beyond the infarct. Norepinephrine content was significantly reduced in the infarct zone, and nerve fluorescence was absent. These findings suggest that 1) MIBG imaging can detect viable and perfused but denervated myocardium after infarction; and 2) as opposed to the distal denervation produced by transmural infarction, nontransmural infarction may lead to regional ischemic damage of sympathetic nerves, but may spare subepicardial nerve trunks that course through the region of infarction to provide a source of innervation to distal areas of myocardium.

3-Iodobenzylguanidine

Comparison of the findings on preoperative dipyridamole perfusion scintigraphy and intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography: implications regarding the identification of myocardium at ischemic risk.

The evidence of myocardium at potential ischemic risk on preoperative dipyridamole perfusion scintigraphy was compared with that of manifest ischemia on intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography in 26 patients at high risk of a coronary event undergoing noncardiac surgery. The clinical outcome was also assessed. Induced intraoperative wall motion abnormalities were more common in patients and myocardial segments with, than in those without, a preoperative reversible perfusion defect (both p less than 0.05). Conversely, a preoperative reversible perfusion defect was more common in patients and segments with, than in those without, a new intraoperative wall motion abnormality (both p less than 0.05). Six patients, five with a reversible scintigraphic defect but only three with a new wall motion abnormality, had a hard perioperative ischemic event. Events occurred more often among patients with, than in those without, a reversible perioperative scintigraphic defect (5 [33%] of 15 vs. 1 [9%] of 11) but this difference did not reach significance (p = 0.14), probably owing to the sample size. Intraoperative wall motion abnormalities were all reversible and did not differentiate between risk groups; these findings were possibly influenced by treatment. These preliminary data support the known relation between reversible scintigraphic defects and perioperative events and identify another manifestation of ischemic risk in the relation between reversible scintigraphic defects and induced intraoperative wall motion abnormalities. The value of intraoperative echocardiography in identifying ischemia and guiding therapy in patients with a reversible scintigraphic abnormality should be further assessed.

Coronary Disease

Phase image triangulation of accessory pathways in patients undergoing catheter ablation of posteroseptal pathways.

The outcome of posteroseptal accessory pathway ablation by direct current (DC) shocks delivered just outside the os of the coronary sinus was studied in 21 patients. Electrocardiographic and electrophysiological parameters as well as phase image patterns of equilibrium multiple-gated blood-pool scintigrams were studied to determine their usefulness in predicting the success of ablation. A second free-wall pathway was documented by electrophysiological or surgical findings in six patients, and the value of phase images in detecting this second pathway was studied as well. Ablation was successful in 57%. The cumulative mean energy of DC shocks amounted to 524 +/- 170 joules and was not predictive of ablation outcome, neither was the mean ventriculoatrial (VA) conduction time. The predictive value of the 12-lead maximally preexcited electrocardiogram was poor in the 15 patients with a single posteroseptal bypass tract. A new method to triangulate the site of the earliest phase angle on the atrioventricular (AV) valve plane successfully localized the bypass pathway in 14 of those patients. No specific phase pattern predicted successful ablation except for a symmetrical, concentric peripheral phase progression found to be predictive of ablation success in the four patients who showed this pattern. Phase analysis was able to localize the second, nonposteroseptal pathway in four of six patients. This study showed that a concentric peripheral phase progression in the gated blood-pool scintigrams is predictive for ablation success in patients with posteroseptal pathways. A free-wall localization of the earliest phase angle is suggestive of a second bypass tract in this area.

Adolescent

Benefits of physiologic atrioventricular synchronization for pacing with an exercise rate response.

Although the loss of atrioventricular (AV) synchronization may diminish resting cardiac output, previous studies have not shown any impact on exercise capacity as long as an exercise rate response is present. To test the impact of suboptimal atrial activation during treadmill exercise, 12 patients with normal sinoatrial node function and dual chamber pacemakers were evaluated in pacemaker modes with normal AV intervals allowing maximal atrial contribution to ventricular filling and with the shortest programmable nonphysiologic AV delay. During a double-blinded randomized crossover protocol, exercise performance was improved with physiologic AV filling in comparison with nonphysiologic AV filling: (1) mean increase in exercise time was 16 +/- 16% (mean +/- standard deviation) (p less than 0.05); (2) time to anaerobic threshold was increased by 23 +/- 28% (p less than 0.05); and (3) the level of perceived exertion during comparable stages of exercise was decreased. In 3 patients, exercise time was greater by greater than 35% in the physiologic AV filling mode. Resting echo-Doppler parameters of left atrial and ventricular function did not predict benefit from AV synchronization during exercise. During exercise with rate-responsive pacing an appropriate AV relation is beneficial, and in a subset of patients this benefit may be striking.

Adult

Epicardial and endocardial localized 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy: evidence for metabolic heterogeneity during regional ischemia.

Previous studies have noted that myocardial blood flow and high energy phosphates are heterogeneous across the myocardial wall during ischemia. In order to determine whether differences in metabolites between the subendocardium and subepicardium could be detected using 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy, the Fourier series window (FSW) experiment was implemented on a porcine model of graded regional ischemia. FSW experiments using a planar phantom showed a 46% improvement in localization to the subendocardium compared to a one-pulse experiment. Animal studies of graded ischemia demonstrated a gradient in the phosphocreatine to inorganic phosphate ratio in the myocardium that paralleled the gradient in blood flow. These studies demonstrate the ability of spatially localized 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy to detect regional changes in myocardial high energy phosphates localized to the subepicardium and subendocardium.

Animals

Oblique reformatting of multislice magnetic resonance images for improved visualization of coronary arteries.

A technique for reformatting multislice magnetic resonance images into arbitrary oblique planes has been developed and implemented on a Toshiba MRT-35 (formerly Diasonics MT/S) imaging system (South San Francisco, CA). This method is designed to allow the user to easily define a new plane by marking with a cursor features of interest on two or three different image levels. These features are combined in the resulting oblique image. The reformatted image can have arbitrary angulation and is created with a pixel dimension equivalent to the original data set. Resolution ranges from the original in-plane resolution to the slice thickness, depending on angulation. An improvement in signal-to-noise ratio results from the effective averaging performed by interpolation. This method is optimally used to correct for small variations in alignment, such as the positioning of the intervertebral disks. It can also be used to generate reformatted images at many different angles from a single multislice data set. This method has been applied to the particular problem of improving the presentation of coronary arteries on a conventional set of multislice spin-echo cardiac images by increasing the visible length of individual coronary segments.

Coronary Vessels

Comparison of transesophageal echocardiographic and scintigraphic estimates of left ventricular end-diastolic volume index and ejection fraction in patients following coronary artery bypass grafting.

Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) has become a commonly used monitor of left ventricular (LV) function and filling during cardiac surgery. Its use is based on the assumption that changes in LV short-axis ID reflect changes in LV volume. To study the ability of TEE to estimate LV volume and ejection immediately following CABG, 10 patients were studied using blood pool scintigraphy, TEE, and thermodilution cardiac output (CO). A single TEE short-axis cross-sectional image of the LV at the midpapillary muscle level was used for area analysis. Between 1 and 5 h postoperatively, simultaneous data sets (scintigraphy, TEE, and CO) were obtained three to five times in each patient. End-diastolic (EDa) and end-systolic (ESa) areas were measured by light pen. Ejection fraction area (EFa) was calculated (EFa = (EDa - ESa)/EDa). When EFa was compared with EF by scintigraphy, correlation was good (r = 0.82 SEE = 0.07). EDa was taken as an indicator of LV volume and compared with LVEDVI which was derived from EF by scintigraphy and CO. Correlation between EDa and LVEDVI was fair (r = 0.74 SEE = 3.75). The authors conclude that immediately following CABG, a single cross-sectional TEE image provides a reasonable estimate of EF but not LVEDVI.

Adult

Imaging of the heart using metaiodobenzylguanidine.

Catecholamines have profound influences on cardiac function. Mechanisms relating abnormalities in sympathetic innervation to myocardial dysfunction are poorly understood, however. Recent studies have demonstrated the feasibility of noninvasively imaging the sympathetic nerves of the heart using radiolabeled MIBG. This article examines some of the experimental evidence to support the neuronal localization of MIBG. In addition, the early clinical experience is reviewed.

3-Iodobenzylguanidine