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Biomedical subjects

S Iliceto

Publications and source records attributed to S Iliceto.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

Prediction of the extent of coronary artery disease with the evaluation of left ventricular wall motion abnormalities during atrial pacing. A cross-sectional echocardiographic study.

UNLABELLED: In patients with coronary artery disease, left ventricular performance during stress is affected by the degree of coronary stenosis. In order to verify whether there exists a relationship between the extent of wall motion abnormalities detectable during atrial pacing and the degree of coronary obstruction, 76 patients, without previous myocardial infarction, were studied. Each patient underwent cross-sectional echocardiography during transesophageal atrial pacing and exercise electrocardiography before coronary angiography. Of the 76 patients, 46 had significant coronary artery disease (stenosis greater than or equal to 75% of at least one major coronary vessel), while 30 had normal coronaries or a stenosis of less than 75%. Eighteen patients had single-, 14 had two- and 14 had three-vessel disease. For each patient a coronary score was obtained: the score used took into consideration the site, number and severity of the stenosis. This score was then correlated with the wall motion score, obtained from the analysis of 9 segments of the left ventricle. A weak correlation was obtained between wall motion score at rest and coronary score (r = -0.42), while the correlation between coronary score and the difference between wall motion score at rest and during transesophageal atrial pacing was slightly better (r = 0.53); this correlation further improved if wall motion score during pacing was considered (r = -0.63). If the patients with discordant diagnostic tests (echocardiography during transesophageal atrial pacing and exercise electrocardiography) were excluded, the correlation coefficient between coronary score and wall motion score during pacing increased even more (r = -0.77). IN CONCLUSION: (1) analysis of wall motion of the left ventricle during atrial pacing is useful for the non-invasive evaluation of the severity of coronary disease; (2) cross-sectional echocardiography during atrial pacing, apart from being a useful diagnostic tool, is also a help in judging the degree of severity of coronary artery disease.

Adult↗

Color Doppler evaluation of aortic dissection.

Color Doppler studies were performed in 16 adult patients with proven DeBakey type I and III aortic dissection. Simultaneous opacification of both aortic lumina with oppositely directed flow was noted by color Doppler in at least one aortic segment in 14 of 16 patients (12 type I, two type III). In two patients (one type I, one type III), flow was seen in one lumen only, with clot demonstrated in the other lumen in one of them. Of 12 patients in whom communication between two aortic dissection channels was shown by angiography/surgery, color Doppler correctly identified them in nine patients (four ascending aorta, two aortic arch, and three descending aorta), either by direct visualization of flow moving from one lumen into the other (six patients) or indirectly by analyzing differences in timing of opacification of the two lumina and flow direction (three patients). Also, color Doppler correctly diagnosed aortic regurgitation as severe (aortic regurgitation jet occupying more than 75% of left ventricular outflow) in three patients and moderate in four patients. Color Doppler provides comprehensive evaluation of flow dynamics in aortic dissection.

Adult↗

Comparison of postexercise and transesophageal atrial pacing two-dimensional echocardiography for detection of coronary artery disease.

Two-dimensional (2-D) echocardiography during transesophageal atrial pacing (TAP) was recently proposed as an alternative to exercise 2-D echocardiography for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD). To compare these 2 methods, 78 consecutive patients with good-quality echocardiographic (echo) examinations at rest were studied. Two-dimensional echocardiography was performed immediately after supine bicycle exercise and at peak atrial pacing obtained with transesophageal atrial stimulation. Twenty patients were excluded: 16 because of poor quality of 2-D echo images after exercise and 4 because of inadequate TAP studies (atrial capture not achieved in 2 and intolerance in 2). Of the remaining 58 patients, 39 had significant CAD (at least 75% diameter stenosis of at least 1 major coronary artery) and 19 had no significant CAD. The 2 test responses were considered positive if a wall motion abnormality was detected during pacing or after exercise. Sensitivity and specificity were 82% and 95% after exercise and 90% and 84% during TAP. In patients with significant CAD but without wall motion abnormalities at rest, sensitivity was 75% during pacing and 56% after exercise. In patients with significant CAD, the wall motion score index decreased significantly with both types of stress; during pacing wall motion score index was significantly lower than after exercise. Thus, 2-D echo during TAP appears to be a feasible and reliable alternative to postexercise echo for the detection of CAD.

Blood Pressure↗

Atrial pacing in the detection and evaluation of coronary artery disease.

Atrial pacing has been recently re-evaluated as a stress test for the detection of coronary artery disease. This sort of stress, especially if used in conjunction with cardiac imaging techniques can be considered a reliable alternative to physical exercise. In patients with recent myocardial infarction it can be usefully and safely utilized to obtain prognostic information. In fact, patients with recent myocardial infarction and a positive electrocardiogram (decreases ST greater than or equal to 1 mm) during atrial pacing more frequently than others present subsequent major cardiac events. Limitations of traditional pacing test (invasivity, poor sensitivity of electrocardiography) can be overcome with a new test we have recently proposed: two-dimensional echocardiography during atrial pacing. We have used this new stress test to detect patients with significant coronary artery disease, to identify patients with myocardial infarction and multivessel disease and to evaluate the effect of coronary artery bypass surgery.

Cardiac Pacing, Artificial↗

Hydatid cyst of the interventricular septum causing obstruction of the right ventricular outflow tract: cross-sectional echocardiographic, angiographic and pathological findings.

Cardiac echinococcal cysts rarely involve the interventricular septum; when they do, they cause symptoms mainly related to the compression of the atrio-ventricular conduction pathways. Mild obstruction of the right ventricular outflow tract has also been described in some cases. In the case reported here, an unusual large hydatid cyst located in the interventricular septum produced a marked, symptomatic obstruction of the right ventricular outflow tract (more than 100 mmHg gradient). Surgical resection of the cyst was complicated by a 'stone heart' syndrome, probably because of a severely affected right ventricle. Cross-sectional echocardiography gave the exact site and aetiology of the mass. On the basis of these non-invasive findings, early surgery should be performed on asymptomatic patients to reduce the risk of life-threatening evolutions.

Adult↗