Effects of sevoflurane on left ventricular function by speckletracking echocardiography in coronary bypass patients: A randomized trial

The present study aimed to dynamically observe the segmental and global myocardial movements of the left ventricle during coronary artery bypass grafting by transesophageal speckle-tracking echocardiography,and to assess the effect of sevoflurane on cardiac function.Sixty-four patients scheduled for the off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting were randomly divided into a sevoflurane-based anesthesia(AS)group and a propofolbased total intravenous anesthesia(AA)group.The AS group demonstrated a higher absolute value of left ventricular global longitudinal strain than that of the AA group at both T1(after harvesting all grafts and before coronary anastomosis)and T_(2)(30 min after completing all coronary anastomoses)(P<0.05).Moreover,strain improvement in the segment with the highest preoperative strain was significantly reduced in the AS group,compared with the AA group at both T1 and T_(2)(P<0.01).The flow of the left internal mammary artery-left anterior descending artery graft was superior,and the postoperative concentration of troponin T decreased rapidly in the AS group,compared with the AA group(P<0.05).Compared with total intravenous anesthesia,sevoflurane resulted in a significantly higher global longitudinal strain,stroke volume,and cardiac output.Sevoflurane also led to an amelioration in the condition of the arterial graft.Furthermore,sevoflurane significantly reduced strain improvement in the segmental myocardium with a high preoperative strain value.The findings need to be replicated in larger studies.

Deep learning models semi-automatic training system for quality control of transthoracic echocardiography

Objective To explore the value of deep learning(DL)models semi-automatic training system for automatic optimization of clinical image quality control of transthoracic echocardiography(TTE).Methods Totally 1250 TTE videos from 402 patients were retrospectively collected,including 490 apical four chamber(A4C),310 parasternal long axis view of left ventricle(PLAX)and 450 parasternal short axis view of great vessel(PSAX GV).The videos were divided into development set(245 A4C,155 PLAX,225 PSAX GV),semi-automated training set(98 A4C,62 PLAX,90 PSAX GV)and test set(147 A4C,93 PLAX,135 PSAX GV)at the ratio of 5∶2∶3.Based on development set and semi-automatic training set,DL model of quality control was semi-automatically iteratively optimized,and a semi-automatic training system was constructed,then the efficacy of DL models for recognizing TTE views and assessing imaging quality of TTE were verified in test set.Results After optimization,the overall accuracy,precision,recall,and F1 score of DL models for recognizing TTE views in test set improved from 97.33%,97.26%,97.26%and 97.26%to 99.73%,99.65%,99.77%and 99.71%,respectively,while the overall accuracy for assessing A4C,PLAX and PSAX GV TTE as standard views in test set improved from 89.12%,83.87%and 90.37%to 93.20%,90.32%and 93.33%,respectively.Conclusion The developed DL models semi-automatic training system could improve the efficiency of clinical imaging quality control of TTE and increase iteration speed.

BILL Strategy:Points to Consider During the Performance and Interpretation of Critical Care Echocardiography

The growing utilization of critical care echocardiography(CCE) by clinicians necessitates a meticulous review of clinical conditions in critically ill patients, both before and during the examination. The reviewing process of clinical conditions minimizes the risk of overlooking or misinterpreting crucial findings. This article proposes a comprehensive strategy, namely BILL strategy, to integrate into the CCE protocol, where "B" represents baseline respiratory and hemodynamic support, "I" signifies information gleaned from invasive monitoring, including central venous pressure and thermodilution-derived cardiac output, the first "L" denotes laboratory results such as central venous oxygen saturation, troponin, and brain natriuretic peptide, and the second "L" refers to lung ultrasound data. Combining the BILL strategy with CCE can enhance comprehensive understanding of critical conditions, potentially leading to improved diagnostic accuracy and patient outcomes.

Z-Score in Fetal Echocardiography–Is there Still Room for New Studies?

Congenital heart disease(CHD)is the most common type of birth defect,representing a significant cause of peri-natal morbidity and mortality.Early diagnosis of such anomalies is crucial for improving outcomes.Current pro-tocols recommend a qualitative assessment of cardiac structures using two-dimensional ultrasound(2DUS)and color Doppler imaging.In cases of suspected abnormalities,quantitative assessments through cardiac structure measurements and reference curves can aid in accurate diagnosis.Similar to centiles widely employed in obste-trics,Z-scores provide more precise quantification of various cardiac structures,particularly at the extremes of the curve.While the development of reference curves and Z-scores has progressed over the past two decades,a lack of standardization in measurements and statistical methodology for their determination is evident.Establishing reference curves requires adherence to specific recommendations to improve their accuracy.The purpose of this study is to provide a narrative review of the major studies that have generated reference values for cardiac struc-tures using 2DUS and Z-scores,to evaluate their methodology,and to provide a summary of the results.

Status of clinical applications of artificial intelligence in echocardiography

Artificial intelligence(AI)technology has been increasingly used in medical field with its rapid developments.Echocardiography is one of the best imaging methods for clinical diagnosis of heart diseases,and combining with AI could further improve its diagnostic efficiency.Though the applications of AI in echocardiography remained at a relatively early stage,a variety of automated quantitative and analytical techniques were rapidly emerging and initially entered clinical practice.The status of clinical applications of AI in echocardiography were reviewed in this article.

Intelligent diagnosis of atrial septal defect in children using echocardiography with deep learning

Background Atrial septal defect(ASD)is one of the most common congenital heart diseases.The diagnosis of ASD via transthoracic echocardiography is subjective and time-consuming.Methods The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and accuracy of automatic detection of ASD in children based on color Doppler echocardiographic static images using end-to-end convolutional neural networks.The proposed depthwise separable convolution model identifies ASDs with static color Doppler images in a standard view.Among the standard views,we selected two echocardiographic views,i.e.,the subcostal sagittal view of the atrium septum and the low parasternal four-chamber view.The developed ASD detection system was validated using a training set consisting of 396 echocardiographic images corresponding to 198 cases.Additionally,an independent test dataset of 112 images corresponding to 56 cases was used,including 101 cases with ASDs and 153 cases with normal hearts.Results The average area under the receiver operating characteristic curve,recall,precision,specificity,F1-score,and accuracy of the proposed ASD detection model were 91.99,80.00,82.22,87.50,79.57,and 83.04,respectively.Conclusions The proposed model can accurately and automatically identify ASD,providing a strong foundation for the intelligent diagnosis of congenital heart diseases.

The Role of Transesophageal Echocardiography for Transcatheter Closure of Atrial Septal Defects with the Amplatzer Septal Occluder

Objective: To evaluate of the role of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE)in percutaneous closure of atrial septal defects (ASD) with the Amplatzer septal occluder. Methods:Sixty- two patients (10 to 55 years of age) were selected for percutaneous closure of ASD bytrans-esophageal echocardiography, which was also used to monitor the procedure, to select theappropriate size of the Amplatzer device, to verify its position, and to access the immediateresults of the procedure. During the follow-up, transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) or TEE was usedto evaluate the presence and magnitude of residual shunt (RS), device position, and right cardiacchamber diameters. Results: The mean ASD diameter by TTE ([19. 1 +- 5. 8] mm) was significantlysmaller (P< 0. 001) than the stretched diameter of the ASD (25. 1 +- 6. 4) mm. There are nosignificant differences between the TEE -measured value (23. 5+_6. 2) mm and the stretched diameterof the ASD (P > 0. 05). Due to proper patient selection all procedures were successful. There wasimmediate and complete closure in 61/62 patients, only one patients had trivial residual shunt.Follow- up was performed using TTE or TEE right after operation, 1 d, 1 month, 3 months, 6 monthsand yearly thereafter. Ail, patients remain asymptomatic without any clinical or technical problems.Conclusion: With the aid of TEE, percutaneous closure of ASD can be performed successfully, safely,and effectively.

Catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation facilitated by preprocedural three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography: Long-term outcome

AIM To evaluate the long-term outcome of catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation(AF) facilitated by preprocedural threedimensional(3-D) transesophageal echocardiography.METHODS In 50 patients, 3D transesophageal echocardiography(3D TEE) was performed immediately prior to an ablation procedure(paroxysmal AF: 30 patients, persistent AF: 20 patients). The images were available throughout the ablation procedure. Two different ablation strategies were used. In most of the patients with paroxysmal AF, the cryoablation technique was used(Arctic Front Balloon, Cryo Cath Technologies/Medtronic; group A2). In the other patients, a circumferential pulmonary vein ablation was performed using the CARTO system [Biosense Webster; group A1(paroxysmal AF), group B(persistent AF)]. Success rates and complication rates were analysed at 4-year follow-up.RESULTS A 3D TEE could be performed successfully in all patients prior to the ablation procedure and all four pulmonaryvein ostia could be evaluated in 84% of patients. The image quality was excellent in the majority of patients and several variations of the pulmonary vein anatomy could be visualized precisely(e.g., common pulmonary vein ostia, accessory pulmonary veins, varying diameter of the left atrial appendage and its distance to the left superior pulmonary vein). All ablation procedures could be performed as planned and almost all pulmonary veins could be isolated successfully. At 48-mo followup, 68.0% of all patients were free from an arrhythmia recurrence(group A1: 72.7%, group A2: 73.7%, group B: 60.0%). There were no major complications.CONCLUSION3 D TEE provides an excellent overview over the left atrial anatomy prior to AF ablation procedures and these procedures are associated with a favourable long-term outcome.

Misdiagnosis of unroofed coronary sinus syndrome as an ostium primum atrial septal defect by echocardiography:A case report

BACKGROUND Unroofed coronary sinus syndrome(UCSS)is a rare congenital heart disease,which has variable morphologic features and is strongly associated with persistent left superior vena cava(PLSVC).However,it is often difficult to visualize the left-to-right shunt pathway through the CS by transthoracic echocardiography(TTE).CASE SUMMARY A 37-year-old female was admitted to the hepatological surgery department of a hospital with complaint of subxiphoid pain that had started 1 wk prior.Physical examination revealed a grade 3/6 systolic murmur at the left margin of the sternum,between the 2nd and 3rd intercostal cartilage.The patient underwent echocardiography and was diagnosed with ostium primum atrial septal defect(ASD);thus,she was subsequently transferred to the cardiovascular surgery department.A second TTE evaluation before surgery showed type IV UCSS with secundum ASD.Right-heart contrast echocardiography(RHCE)showed that the right atrium and right ventricle were immediately filled with microbubbles,but no microbubble was observed in the CS.Meanwhile,negative filling was observed at the right atrium orifice of the CS and right atrium side of the secundum atrial septal.RHCE identified UCSS combined with secundum ASD but without PLSVC in this patient.CONCLUSION This rare case of UCSS highlights the value of TTE combined with RHCE in confirming UCSS with ASD or PLSVC.

Evaluation of Atrial Septal Defect Using Real-time Three-dimensional Echocardiography:Comparison with Surgical Findings

The present study evaluated the application of three dimensional echocardigraphy （3DE） in the diagnosis of atrial septal defect （ASD） and the measurement of its size by 3DE and compared the size with surgical findings. Two-dimensional and real-time three dimensional echocardiography （RT3DE） was performed in 26 patients with atrial septal defect, and the echocardiographic data were compared with the surgical findings. Significant correlation was found between defect diameter by RT3DE and that measured during surgery （r=0.77, P〈0.001）. The defect area changed significantly during cardiac cycle. Percentage change in defect size during cardiac cycle ranged from 6%-70%. Our study showed that the size and morphology of atrial septal defect obtained with RT3DE correlate well with surgical findings. Therefore, RT3DE is a feasible and accurate non-invasive imaging tool for assessment of atrial septal size and dynamic changes.

Incremental value of three-dimensional and contrast echocardiography in the evaluation of endocardial fibroelastosis and multiple cardiovascular thrombi: A case report

BACKGROUND Endocardial fibroelastosis(EFE)is a rare heart disease characterized by thickening of the endocardium caused by massive proliferation of collagenous and elastic tissue,usually leading to impaired cardiac function.Multimodality cardiovascular imaging for the evaluation of EFE with thrombi is even rarer.CASE SUMMARY We report a rare case of EFE associated with multiple cardiovascular thrombi.Three-dimensional(3D)and contrast echocardiography(CE)were used to assess ventricular thrombi.Anticoagulant therapy was administered to eliminate the thrombi.The peripheral contrast-enhanced thrombi with the highest risk were dissolved with anticoagulant therapy at the time of reexamination,which was consistent with the presumption of fresh loose thrombi.CONCLUSION This new echocardiography technique has a great advantage in the diagnosis and treatment of EFE.On the basis of conventional echocardiography,3D echocardiography is used to display the position,shape,and narrow base of the thrombus.CE does not only help to confirm the diagnosis of thrombus,but also determines its risk.

Research and Application of Transnasal Transesophageal Echocardiography Probe

The intubation of conventional transesophageal echocardiography（TEE） probes into patients causes serious esophagus irritation, and thus the use of TEE probes in pediatric practice is limited. In this study, we aimed at the development of a special probe which could be inserted through the nasopharyngeal cavity into the esophagus to obtain the same high-quality echocardiography images as those obtained by conventional TEE and improve patients＇ experience. During the examination, the patients felt relaxed for a longer time and cooperated with the sonographers in the process of cardiac catheterization conducted in the surgery room or the intensive care unit（ICU）, resulting in improved accuracy of the diagnosis and timely administration of appropriate treatment. Two years ago, Prof. Xin-fang WANG put theories into practice by inserting the probe through the nasal cavity and pharynx into the esophagus of volunteers to successfully detect the heart and great vessels at the retrocardiac space. Later, Prof. Ming-xing XIE performed the transnasal TEE examination in 12 atrial septal defect（ASD） patients and proved the safety and reliability of this method, which could become a new way for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Computed tomography versus transthoracic echocardiography in the detection of complex congenial heart diseases in china:a meta-analysis

Objective:To perform a meta-analysis to evaluate the diagnostic performance of computed tomography(CT) and transthoracic echocardiography(TTE) in complex congenital heart diseases(CHD) in China.Methods:MEDLINE,Cochrane library and China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI) database from January 1966 to October 2010,were searched for initial studies in China.All the studies,published in English or Chinese,used TTE,CT,or both as diagnostic tests for CHD and reported the rate of true-positive,true-negative,false-positive and false-negative diagnoses of CHD from TTE and CT findings with the surgical results as the 'gold-standard'(15 studies,XX patients) were collected.The statistic software package,'Meta-Disc 1.4',was used to conduct data analysis.A covariate analysis was used to evaluate the influence of patient or study-related factors on sensitivity.Results:Pooled sensitivity for diagnosis of CHD were 95% [95% confidence interval(CI):94%~96%] for CT studies and 87%(95% CI:85%~88%) for TTE studies.The difference between the pooled sensitivity of CT and that of TTE was statistically significant(P<0.001).TTE had higher sensitivity [0.96(95% CI:0.94~0.97)] for cardiac malformation but lower sensitivity [0.78(95% CI:0.76~0.81)] for extracardiac malformation than CT.Conclusion:CT can provide added diagnostic information compared with TTE in patients with CHD in China,especially for patients suspected of extracardiac malformation.

CLINICAL ASSESSMENT OF BIPLANAR TRANSESOPHAGEAL ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY──A REPORT OF 125 CASES

One hundred and twenty-five patients with cardiovascular disease were examined by biplanar transesophageal echocardiography (BTEE), including 67 with rheumatic heart disease (7 monitored during operation), 22 with aortic diseases, 20 with congenital heart diseases. and 16 with other kinds of heart disease. The results showed that BTEE was not influenced by corpulent and pulmonary emphysema and was better than transthoracic echocardiography at imaging the interatrial septum, left atrium and left atrial appendage, thoracic aorta, and mitral artificial valve and at intraoperative monitoring. BTEE was also better than single-plane transesophageal echocardiography,because BTEE could be used to observe the heart and thoracic aorta in transverse and longitudinal planes, thus enlarging the transmission 'window' as well as allowing the entire lesion to be imaged.This study suggests that BTEE will have good prospects in clinical application.

CLINICAL APPLICATION OF OMNIPLANE TRANSESOPHAGEAL ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY

One hundred and twenty-four patients with heart disease(75 cases of rheumatic heart disease,26 cases of congenital heart disease,13 cases of aortic disease and 10 cases of other disease)were examined by Omniplane transesophageal echocardiography(TEE).The result showed that Omniplane TEE transducer can be rotated from 0°to 180°in probe and had the advantages of broader scope,obtaining more information,less stimulation to esophagus and easy to manipulate.It suggests that Omniplane TEE is a efficient technique in clinical diagnosis and can be extensively used in the future.

Large Anterior Mediastinal Mass: Intraoperative Transesophageal Echocardiography Guided Evaluation and Management

The authors report a case of Large Anterior mediastinal mass in which Transoesophageal Echocardiography (TEE) revealed a large mass that was compressing the right atrium, SVC, henceforth, TEE helped in guiding aspiration and surgical resection of the cystic mass. Therefore, through this case report, authors emphasize the importance of performing intraoperative real-time TEE in the mediastinal mass. This imaging technique helps in visualizing the external compression of cardio-vascular structure and aid in their management, obviating the possibility of large vascular structures from being injured by the surgeon during intraoperative manipulation.

Two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography for the assessment of atrial function

Echocardiography is the most common diagnostic method for assessing atrial function but the technique has some limitations. Traditionally, assessment of left atrial function has been performed by measuring volumes with 2D echocardiography. Additionally, it can be assessed with transmitral Doppler and pulmonary vein Doppler. Recently, an alternative method has been incorporated, namely, measurement of myocardial deformation with color tissue Doppler-derived strain. However, this method has several limitations, such as suboptimal reproducibility, angle-dependence, signal artifacts and the fact that it only measures regional strain and does not obtain information about the curved portion of the atrial roof. To overcome these limitations in the quantification of atrial function, the use of speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) strain has been proposed. This technique is not derived from Doppler but rather from 2D echocardiography; it is angle-independent and allows one to measure global as well as regional atrial strain. In this editorial, we describe the physical and pathophysiological concepts of STE and underline the clinical usefulness of this new technique.

Speckle tracking echocardiography:A new approach to myocardial function

Echocardiography is the most common diagnostic method for assessing cardiac function but some limitations affect this technique.Until now,visual assessment of wall motion and thickening has allowed only a subjective evaluation of myocardial function and requires long-term training.Recently,new echocardiographic techniques have been introduced to evaluate myocardial mechanics.Tissue Doppler imaging(TDI)technique is limited by angle-dependency such that only deformation along the ultrasound beam can be derived from velocities,while myocardium deforms simultaneously in three dimensions.Speckle tracking echocardiography (STE)is a more recent technique that provides a global approach to left ventricular myocardial mechanics,giving information about the three spatial dimensions of cardiac deformation.In this editorial,we describe the physical and pathophysiological concepts of STE,discussing the differences compared to TDI and underlining the pitfalls of this new technique.

Myocardial perfusion echocardiography and coronary microvascular dysfunction

Our understanding of coronary syndromes has evolved in the last two decades out of the obstructive atherosclerosis of epicardial coronary arteries paradigm to include anatomo-functional abnormalities of coronary microcirculation. No current diagnostic technique allows direct visualization of coronary microcirculation,but functional assessments of this circulation are possible. This represents a challenge in cardiology. Myocardial contrast echocardiography(MCE) was a breakthrough in echocardiography several years ago that claimed the capability to detect myocardial perfusion abnormalities and quantify coronary blood flow. Research demonstrated that the integration of quantitative MCE and fractional flow reserve improved the definition of ischemic burden and the relative contribution of collaterals in non-critical coronary stenosis. MCE identified no-reflow and low-flow within and around myocardial infarction,respectively,and predicted the potential functional recovery of stunned myocardium using appropriate interventions. MCE exhibited diagnostic performances that were comparable to positron emission tomography in microvascular reserve and microvascular dysfunction in angina patients. Overall,MCE improved echocardiographic evaluations of ischemic heart disease in daily clinical practice,but the approval of regulatory authorities is lacking.

Assessment of Left Atrial Function by Full Volume Real-time Three-dimensional Echocardiography and Left Atrial Tracking in Essential Hypertension Patients with Different Patterns of Left Ventricular Geometric Models

Objective To evaluate left atrial function in essential hypertension patients with different patterns of left ventricular geometric models by real-time three-dimensional echocardiography （RT-3DE） and left atrial tracking （EAT）.