Prediagnostic electrocardiographic and echocardiographic findings of biopsy-proven hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

We present two cases of biopsy-proven hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Both cases showed abnormal electrocardiographic (ECG) findings more than 8 years before diagnosis. A 16-year-old healthy male experienced a rescued cardiac arrest.

Rapid progression of aortic regurgitation with thoracic aortic aneurysm due to Takayasu arteritis associated with ulcerative colitis.

A 25-year-old woman with ulcerative colitis developed heart failure due to severe aortic regurgitation. Although chest X-ray 18 months previously showed a normal cardiac shadow, thoracic aortic aneurysm progressed due to Takayasu arteritis. Aortic valve and ascending aorta replacement were performed successfully, but re-valve replacement for severe aortic regurgitation due to prosthetic valve detachment and aortic root replacement for valsalva sinus rupture were required.

Mid-term mortality of very elderly patients with acute myocardial infarction with or without coronary intervention.

Background: The risk benefit of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in very elderly patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is currently unclear. Here, we aim to identify the characteristics of these patients and clarify their mid-term mortality rate with or without PCI.

Methods And Results: 77 patients (> or =80 years) were chosen from 506 patients with AMI, and treated with (n=32) or without (n=45) PCI.

A novel clinical course of free-floating left atrial ball thrombus without mitral stenosis treated by anticoagulants.

Free-floating left atrial ball thrombus is rare. We describe a case of a 48-year-old man who had free-floating left atrial ball thrombus that was not accompanied by mitral stenosis and that was treated aggressively with anticoagulants. Echocardiography revealed dramatic disappearance of the thrombus.

Rupture of the left atrial 'basal' appendage due to blunt trauma in an elderly patient.

Blunt traumatic cardiac rupture is associated with a high mortality rate. Motor vehicle accidents account for most cardiac ruptures, but crush injury is relatively rare. We describe a case of a 77-year-old man who had the left atrial 'basal' appendage ruptured through blunt trauma due to a fall.

Feasibility of targeting catheter ablation to the markedly low-voltage area surrounding infarct scars in patients with post-infarction ventricular tachycardia.

Background: In routine substrate mapping of the left ventricle, an abnormal area is defined as having an amplitude <1.5 mV. However, that is usually too large for catheter ablation in post-infarction ventricular tachycardia (VT) and the use of strict voltage criteria may produce better outcomes.

Effect of triangle ventricular pacing on haemodynamics and dyssynchrony in patients with advanced heart failure: a comparison study with conventional bi-ventricular pacing therapy.

Aims: This study examined the impact of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) by triangle ventricular pacing (Tri-V) on left ventricular (LV) function and dyssynchrony.

Methods And Results: Twenty-one patients with NYHA class III or IV heart failure were studied. For Tri-V, two right ventricular (RV) leads were connected to the CRT device via a Y-connector with one lead anchored at the RV apex and the other at the RV outflow tract.