OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore regional mitral annular strain using a novel computational method.
METHODS: Eight pigs underwent implantation with piezoelectric transducers around the mitral annulus. Interventions of pre- and afterload were performed by inferior vena cava constriction and endovascular balloon occlusion of the descending aorta. The mitral annulus was reconstructed in a mathematical model and divided into six segments. Global and segmental annular strain were calculated from a discrete mathematical representation.
RESULTS: Global annular strain gradually decreased after isovolumetric contraction until late systole. Mitral annular end-systolic strain demonstrated shortening in all segments except the anterior segment, which showed the least deformation. The P2 annular segment demonstrated the most end-systolic shortening (-7.6 ± 1.1% at baseline, p < 0.001 compared to anterior segment). Systolic global annular strain showed no significant change in response to load interventions but correlated positively with left ventricular contractility at baseline and after preload reduction.
CONCLUSIONS: Mitral annular systolic strain demonstrates cyclical variations with considerable regional heterogeneity, with the most pronounced deformation in posterior annular segments. Measurements appear independent of changes to pre- and afterload.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in patients with valvular heart disease, and it can be associated with adverse patient outcomes. However, the need of anticoagulation to counterbalance AF-associated stroke risk may further lead to suboptimal outcomes via increasing bleeding events, especially in high-risk individuals. Currently, the option to perform a concomitant to the index procedure for limiting stroke risk is emerging, in accordance to usual practice in cardiac surgery. In specific, as the vast majority of thrombi occur in the left atrial appendage, left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) is an established procedure for preventing ischemic stroke in patients with AF, while limiting anticoagulation-related bleeding events. Thus, the concept of combining an index procedure for a structural heart disease (SHD) with LAAO seems promising for preventing future stroke events. A combined procedure has been described in aortic stenosis (TAVI+LAAO), mitral regurgitation (TEER+LAAO) and atrial septal defects (PFO/ASD+LAAO). Evidence shows that a combined procedure can be safely performed in a \"one-stop shop\" fashion, without increased rates of procedural adverse events, with the potential to limit bleeding risk and provide prophylaxis against stroke events. Thus, this review is going to analyze indications and clinical evidence regarding the safety and efficacy of combined SHD+LAAO procedure, while also providing insights in gaps in knowledge and future directions for the evolvement of this field.

Despite being a rare phenomenon, pericardial hydatid cysts present unique diagnostic challenges and require a multimodality imaging as well as a multidisciplinary approach for a curative management. The authors here present a case of a middle aged man who was referred to them for management of new onset atrial flutter with mitral regurgitation.

BACKGROUND: For patients with functional mitral regurgitation (FMR) and symptomatic heart failure (HF), randomized trials of mitral transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (M-TEER) have produced conflicting results.
OBJECTIVE: This study sought to assess the impact of M-TEER on hospitalization rates, and explore the effects of M-TEER on patients who did or did not have a history of recent HF hospitalizations before undergoing M-TEER.
METHODS: RESHAPE-HF2 (Randomized Investigation of the MitraClip Device in Heart Failure: 2nd Trial in Patients with Clinically Significant Functional Mitral Regurgitation) included patients with symptomatic HF and moderate to severe FMR (mean effective regurgitant orifice area 0.25 cm2; 14% >0.40 cm2, 23% <0.20 cm2) and showed that M-TEER reduced recurrent HF hospitalizations with and without the addition of cardiovascular (CV) death and improved quality of life. We now report the results of prespecified analyses on hospitalization rates and for the subgroup of patients (n = 333) with a HF hospitalization in the 12 months before randomization.
RESULTS: At 24 months, the time to first event of CV death or HF hospitalization (HR: 0.65; 95% CI: 0.49-0.85; P = 0.002), the rate of recurrent CV hospitalizations (rate ratio [RR]: 0.75; 95% CI: 0.57-0.99; P = 0.046), the composite rate of recurrent CV hospitalizations and all-cause mortality (RR: 0.74; 95% CI: 0.57-0.95; P = 0.017), and of recurrent CV death and CV hospitalizations (RR: 0.76; 95% CI: 0.58-0.99; P = 0.040), were all lower in the M-TEER group. The RR of recurrent hospitalizations for any cause was 0.82 (95% CI: 0.63-1.07; P = 0.15) for patients in the M-TEER group vs control group patients. Patients randomized to M-TEER lost fewer days due to death or HF hospitalization (13.9% [95% CI: 13.0%-14.8%] vs 17.4% [95% CI: 16.4%-18.4%] of follow-up time; P < 0.0001, and 1,067 vs 1,776 total days lost; P < 0.0001). Patients randomized to M-TEER also had better NYHA functional class at 30 days and at 6, 12, and 24 months of follow-up (P < 0.0001). A history of HF hospitalizations before randomization was associated with worse outcomes and greater benefit with M-TEER on the rate of the composite of recurrent HF hospitalizations and CV death (Pinteraction = 0.03) and of recurrent HF hospitalizations within 24 months (Pinteraction = 0.06).
CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that a broader application of M-TEER in addition to optimal guideline-directed medical therapy should be considered among patients with symptomatic HF and moderate to severe FMR, particularly in those with a history of a recent hospitalization for HF.

暂无摘要。

Pectus excavatum presents challenges in cardiac operations due to anatomical abnormalities and limited exposure. We report a case of a 58-year-old male with severe pectus excavatum and significant mitral regurgitation successfully treated with minimally invasive mitral valve repair. Preoperative imaging revealed leftward heart displacement and a Haller index of 3.8. Surgical intervention involved adaptations in atrial retraction and valve repair technique. Postoperative outcomes were favourable, with normal mitral function and a short hospital stay. Despite technical challenges, minimally invasive approaches offer benefits in pectus excavatum patients. This case underscores the feasibility and safety of minimally invasive surgery in patients with extensive pectus excavatum, emphasizing its potential as a preferred approach.

UNASSIGNED: Systemic sclerosis presents with a variety of cardiac manifestations, while myocarditis is usually a rare finding. Furthermore, there are no reports on the use of mitral transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (M-TEER) for the treatment of severe ventricular functional mitral regurgitation (vFMR) secondary to scleroderma myocarditis.
UNASSIGNED: A-79-year-old male was admitted to our hospital because of fever and fatigue. His physical examination revealed thickening of the fingertips\' skin, Raynaud phenomenon, and mild pedal oedema. Positive anti-centromere antibodies indicated a diagnosis of a limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis. He presented with symptoms of heart failure, and moderate to severe lymphocytic infiltration was evident in his endomyocardial biopsy. He responded well to medical therapy and was discharged. However, one month after hospital discharge, he was readmitted to our institution because of worsening heart failure. Transthoracic echocardiography showed a decrease in left ventricular systolic function and progression of left ventricular remodelling, which caused severe vFMR. Endomyocardial biopsy revealed decreased lymphocytic infiltration and mild myocardial interstitial fibrosis, indicative of scleroderma myocarditis. As he was unable to be weaned off inotropes, we performed M-TEER for severe vFMR, which led to a significant reduction in MR volume and improvement of heart failure symptoms. A week after procedure, immunosuppressive therapy was initiated and the patient was discharged home in stable condition.
UNASSIGNED: Scleroderma myocarditis may manifest as heart failure with reduced ejection fraction with severe vFMR. Mitral transcatheter edge-to-edge repair for severe vFMR in the context of myocarditis can be one of the therapeutic options for haemodynamic stabilization.

BACKGROUND: Longitudinal data on reverse cardiac remodeling and outcomes after transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) are limited.
METHODS: A total of 78 patients with severe mitral regurgitation (MR) were included retrospectively. All patients had echocardiography at baseline and again six months after TEER. They were monitored for a primary composite endpoint, consisting of heart failure hospitalization and cardiovascular death, over 13 months.
RESULTS: Significant decreases in the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), all myocardial work indices (except global wasted work), and the left atrial reservoir were observed after TEER. Additionally, there was a decrease in the pulmonary artery systolic pressure and an increase in the tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion/pulmonary artery systolic pressure (TAPSE/PASP) ratio. A post-TEER TAPSE/PASP ratio of <0.47 (HR: 4.76, p-value = 0.039), and a post-TEER left atrial reservoir of <9.0% (HR: 2.77, p-value = 0.047) were associated with the primary endpoint.
CONCLUSIONS: Echocardiography post-TEER reflects impairment in ventricular performance due to preload reduction and right ventricle and pulmonary artery coupling improvement. Short-term echocardiography after TEER identifies high-risk patients who could benefit from a close clinical follow-up. The prognostic significance of LA strain and the TAPSE/PASP ratio should be validated in subsequent large-scale prospective studies.

OBJECTIVE: The impact of mitral regurgitation (MR) in asymptomatic patients is not well defined. We aimed to determine the prevalence of MR-related complications and their association with 10-year survival in a large unselected asymptomatic MR cohort.
METHODS: Health insurance claims data from Germany\'s second largest health insurance fund, BARMER, which maintains longitudinal data on 8.7 million German residents, were retrospectively analyzed. All patients with an outpatient diagnosis of MR in a minimum of two quarters during a calendar year and first recorded diagnosis between 2008 and 2011 were included. Patients with any complication attributable to MR or mitral valve intervention at index were excluded. Outcomes were compared between study group and age- and sex-matched controls (i.e., without known cardiac disease). MR-related complications of interest were new congestive heart failure, new-onset atrial fibrillation, pulmonary hypertension, or cardiac decompensation.
RESULTS: A total of 56,577 individuals (median age 68 years, 67% female) with asymptomatic MR were identified. At 10 years, MR-related complications were more frequent in the study group vs. control group (46.5% vs. 20.8%, OR 3.31, P < 0.0001). Furthermore, MR-related complications were more common in male vs. female patients with an asymptomatic MR (OR 2.65, P < 0.0001). The occurrence of at least one MR-related complication was associated with a reduced 10-year survival (OR 1.80, P < 0.0001).
CONCLUSIONS: Almost half of patients with asymptomatic MR experience complications during a 10 year follow-up which result in impaired survival. These results imply the necessity of long-term disease management program. Furthermore, decision-making process and timing for mitral valve intervention in asymptomatic patients should be reevaluated.

OBJECTIVE: Transcatheter tricuspid valve interventions (TTVI) are increasingly used to treat patients with significant tricuspid regurgitation (TR). The evolution of concurrent mitral regurgitation (MR) severity after TTVI is currently unknown and may be pivotal for clinical decision-making. The aim of this study was to assess the evolution of MR after TTVI and to identify predictors of MR worsening and improvement.
RESULTS: This analysis is a substudy of the Trivalve Registry, an international registry designed to collect data on TTVI. This substudy included all patients with echocardiographic data on MR evolution and excluded those with a concomitant tricuspid and mitral transcatheter valve intervention or with a history of mitral valve intervention. The co-primary outcomes were MR improvement and worsening at two timepoints: pre-discharge and 2-month follow-up. This analysis included 359 patients with severe TR, mostly(80%) treated with tricuspid transcatheter edge-to-edge repair(T-TEER). MR improvement was found in 106(29.5%) and 99(34%) patients, while MR worsening in 34(9.5%) and 33(11%) patients at pre-discharge and 2-month follow-up, respectively. Annuloplasty and heterotopic replacement were associated with MR worsening. Independent predictors of MR improvement were: atrial fibrillation, T-TEER, acute procedural success, TR reduction, LVEDD>60 mm and beta-blocker therapy. Patients with moderate-to-severe/severe MR following TTVI showed significantly higher death rates.
CONCLUSIONS: MR degree variation is common after TTVI, with most cases showing improvement. Clinical and procedural characteristics may predict the MR evolution, in particular procedural success and T-TEER play key roles in MR outcomes. TTVI may be beneficial even in the presence of functional MR.