Faculty Bibliography

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To review the utility and the latest developments in three-dimensional (3D) echocardiography of mitral valve prolapse. RECENT FINDINGS: Although 3D echocardiography was invented in 1974, it did not gain wide clinical acceptance until the introduction of real-time 3D echocardiography in the first decade of the 21st century. Driven by improvements in probe technology and increases in computing power, 3D echocardiography now provides unprecedented images of mitral valve prolapse and its associated mitral regurgitation with no or minimal requirements for image post processing. SUMMARY: 3D echocardiography has become the echocardiographic modality of choice for establishing the diagnosis, describing the precise anatomy, and visualization of mitral regurgitant jets in mitral valve prolapse. 3D echocardiography is becoming indispensable in guiding surgical and percutaneous methods of mitral valve repair and replacement.

Aortic plaques are a manifestation of the general process of atherosclerosis in which there is a progressive accumulation of cholesterol and other lipids in the intimal-medial layer of the aorta with secondary inflammation, repetitive fibrous tissue deposition, and eventually luminal surface erosions and appearance of often mobile thrombi protruding into the lumen of the aorta. Aortic plaques may give rise to two types of emboli: thromboemboli and atheroemboli (cholesterol crystal emboli). Thromboemboli are relatively large, tend to occlude medium to large arteries, and cause strokes, transient ischemic attacks, and renal infarcts and other forms of peripheral thromboembolism. Cholesterol crystal emboli are relatively minute, tend to occlude small arteries and arterioles, and may cause the blue toe syndrome, new or worsening renal insufficiency, gut ischemia, etc. Transesophageal echocardiography remains the gold standard for visualization of aortic plaques in the thoracic aorta. There are no proven therapies for aortic embolism per se; general atherosclerosis management strategies are recommended.

Libman-Sacks endocarditis (LSE) is a common manifestation of valve disease in antiphospholipid syndrome. Mitral valve LSE is characterized by verrucous vegetations on the atrial surfaces of valve leaflets. In this report, mitral valve LSE was visualized by real time 3D transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). 3D TEE provides a unique en face view of the mitral valve akin to a surgical or autopsy view that allows for an accurate determination of the size, shape, and location of the vegetations. (Echocardiography 2012;29:E100-E101).

Atrial fibrillation is a common, clinically significant arrhythmic disorder that results in increased risk of morbidity and mortality in affected patients. Atrial fibrillation is more prevalent among men compared with women and the risk for developing atrial fibrillation increases with advancing age. Ischaemic stroke is the most common clinical manifestation of embolic events from atrial fibrillation. While anticoagulation treatment is the preferred treatment, unfortunately, many patients have contraindications for anticoagulation treatment making this option unavailable to them. Previous data have shown that most thrombi that form in association with non-valvular atrial fibrillation occur in the left atrial appendage (LAA). It has been suggested that isolating the LAA from the body of the left atrium might reduce the risk of embolic events and that LAA obliteration may be a treatment option for patients with atrial fibrillation who are not candidates for anticoagulation treatment. Several procedures have been developed for isolation of the LAA, including surgical procedures as well as catheter-based ones. In this paper, we will review the currently available techniques, emphasizing the catheter-based ones. We will examine the increasing role of real-time three-dimensional transoesophageal echocardiography for appropriate screening and patient selection for these procedures, intra-procedural guidance, and follow-up care.

Anteriorly displaced right coronary artery (RCA) and anomalous origin RCAs occur in approximately 1% and 0.1% of adult patients, respectively, and are the leading cause of incomplete coronary angiography and prolonged procedure times. We present a case in which anteriorly displaced RCA occlusion resulted in an acute inferior-posterior-right ventricular myocardial infarction complicated by complete atrioventricular block and hypotension. Failure to image the RCA resulted in considerable delay in reperfusion time with fibrinolysis. The authors discuss the most frequent anatomic locations of ectopic RCAs and suggest an algorithm to be employed when an ectopic RCA cannot be imaged with conventional diagnostic catheters. Contrary to popular belief, the search for an ectopic RCA has <90 degrees boundaries limited to the anterior third of the right sinus and anterior half of the left sinus.

Esophageal perforation is the most feared complication of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), although the overall risk is extremely low. We report a case of esophageal perforation in a 77-year-old woman who had no apparent contraindications to TEE. Chronic steroid therapy for symptoms of asthma as well as osteophytic changes of the cervical vertebrae contributed to her increased risk of perforation. Unlike in prior reports, the perforation in this case was fortuitously recognized rapidly due to ingestion of a carbonated beverage for evaluation of a hiatal hernia suspected during a subsequent transthoracic echocardiogram performed because of inadequate TEE images after a difficult intubation. The incidence of esophageal perforation in our series (1 in 5,000 TEEs, 0.02%) is similar to that reported in the literature. Early recognition and prompt surgical repair of the esophageal perforation led to favorable outcome in our patient

It is commonly postulated that neurologic complications of atrial myxomas are due to either direct tumor embolization or mycotic aneurysm of cerebral vasculature or rupture of mycotic aneurysms of cerebral arteries. However, the authors report the case of 63-year-old woman with a large left atrial myxoma whose progressive left-sided weakness was due to a different neurologic mechanism, namely, multiple bleeding cavernous malformations, which were visualized by magnetic resonance imaging of the brain. Cerebral cavernous malformations coexist with mesenchymal anomalies of other organs, including the liver, kidneys, and retinas. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is only the second reported case of coexistent cerebral cavernous malformations and atrial myxoma