Journal of Cardiovascular Echography最新文献

{"title":"Replacement of Ascending Aortic Aneurysm with Anomalous Origin of the Right Coronary Artery: Multidisciplinary Imaging for the Diagnosis.","authors":"Fabrizio Ceresa, Antonio Micari, Liborio Francesco Mammana, Umberto Maisano, Alessandro Di Carlo, Alfredo Luongo, Francesco Patanè","doi":"10.4103/jcecho.jcecho_37_23","DOIUrl":"10.4103/jcecho.jcecho_37_23","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This case report presents a rare scenario involving a congenital anomaly of the right coronary artery's (RCA) origin in association with an ascending aortic aneurysm. While both anomalies are individually recognized in the literature, their coexistence and potential interplay remain understudied. The aim of this report is to emphasize the challenges and implications associated with such a combination. A 78-year-old male patient with an enlarged ascending aortic aneurysm necessitating surgical intervention was found to have an anomalous origin of the RCA during preoperative coronary angiography, confirmed by computed tomography scan. Transesophageal echocardiography further elucidated the coronary abnormality. Intraoperatively, successful aortic replacement was performed, and careful repositioning of the anomalous right coronary ostium was achieved. This case raises important considerations regarding the potential complications arising from coronary anomalies and their impact on the surgical management of ascending aortic aneurysms. The rarity of this combination limits our understanding of their association, making a multidisciplinary approach crucial for optimal patient care. Further research and comprehensive evaluation of similar cases are necessary to better understand the relationship between coronary anomalies and ascending aortic aneurysms. Such investigations will help in improving treatment strategies and outcomes for patients with these complex conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":15191,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cardiovascular Echography","volume":"33 4","pages":"192-194"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10936709/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140131510","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Case of Late Presentation of Supracardiac Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Connection in an Adult.","authors":"Avinash Prakash, Ishan Jhalani, Anshuman Darbari, Ajay Kumar","doi":"10.4103/jcecho.jcecho_62_23","DOIUrl":"10.4103/jcecho.jcecho_62_23","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (TAPVC) is a rare cyanotic congenital heart disease and their survival into adulthood is even rarer. Here, we present the case of a 26-year-old female who was incidentally diagnosed with a case of supracardiac TAPVC during her pregnancy. All four pulmonary veins were joining to form a common venous confluence which drained into a left-sided vertical vein which drained into the innominate vein.</p>","PeriodicalId":15191,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cardiovascular Echography","volume":"33 4","pages":"202-205"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10936703/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140131504","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Catch the Cath or Not? A Hamletic Dilemma after 10 Years.","authors":"Francesco Natale, Giuseppe Raucci, Riccardo Molinari, Roberta Alfieri, Diego D'Arienzo, Enrica Pezzullo, Francesco S Loffredo, Paolo Golino, Giovanni Cimmino","doi":"10.4103/jcecho.jcecho_68_23","DOIUrl":"10.4103/jcecho.jcecho_68_23","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In the last few years, a tremendous advancement has been made in the therapeutical management of several diseases with an increasing need for parental drug administration. To avoid repeated venous insertions and the patient's anxiety related to these procedures, it is now common practice to insert a catheter to leave it in place for a longer time. However, these procedures may generate some complications, such as failure of insertion, embolization, and infection. Different noninvasive techniques have been proposed and used for the retrieval of lost or misplaced foreign objects. Here, we presented a case of the lost fragmented catheter in a young female who underwent a central venous catheter insertion 10 years ago, incidentally detected during an echocardiographic examination. Here, we presented a case of a lost fragmented catheter in a young female who underwent a central venous catheter insertion 10 years before.</p>","PeriodicalId":15191,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cardiovascular Echography","volume":"33 4","pages":"189-191"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10936701/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140131506","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Stalactites in the Right Ventricle.","authors":"Eugenio Genovesi, Mario Di Marino, Massimo Di Marco, Sabina Gallina, Kristian Galanti, Leonardo Paloscia","doi":"10.4103/jcecho.jcecho_46_23","DOIUrl":"10.4103/jcecho.jcecho_46_23","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Heart metastatic tumors are more frequent than primary heart tumors. Cardiac metastasis is a rare phenomenon, occurring mainly by direct spread, especially from lung cancer. Cardiac metastases may be asymptomatic or cause arrhythmias, nonspecific electrocardiographic alterations, or mimic a myocardial infarction. In this case report, we illustrate a rare case of pulmonary adenocarcinoma, which through the bloodstream developed a stalactite-shaped metastasis within the right ventricle of conspicuous size (20 mm × 34 mm × 12 mm). In addition, the tumor compressed the right pulmonary trunk, causing pulmonary hypertension. It is essential to characterize metastasis with multimodality imaging. Such lesions within the right cavities can cause massive pulmonary embolism, as in our case, leading to the patient's death, thrombolytic therapy not being effective.</p>","PeriodicalId":15191,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cardiovascular Echography","volume":"33 4","pages":"199-201"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10936708/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140131511","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Echocardiography in Simple Congenital Heart Diseases: Guiding Adult Patient Management.","authors":"Domenico Galzerano, Valeria Pergola, Abdalla Eltayeb, Fulgione Ludovica, Lana Arbili, Loay Tashkandi, Sara Di Michele, Agatella Barchitta, Maurizio Vito Parato, Giovanni Di Salvo","doi":"10.4103/jcecho.jcecho_52_23","DOIUrl":"10.4103/jcecho.jcecho_52_23","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This article provides comprehensive insights into the evaluation of simple congenital heart diseases (CHDs) in adults, emphasizing the pivotal role of echocardiography. By focusing on conditions such as congenital aortic stenosis, aortic coarctation, patent ductus arteriosus, atrial septal defects (ASDs), and ventricular septal defects (VSDs), the review underscores echocardiography's intricate contributions to precise clinical decision-making. Echocardiography serves as the primary imaging modality, offering high-resolution visualization of anatomical anomalies and quantification of hemodynamic parameters. It enables tailored therapeutic strategies through its capacity to discern the dimensions, spatial orientation, and dynamic shunt dynamics of defects such as ASDs and VSDs. Moreover, echocardiography's advanced techniques, such as tissue Doppler imaging and speckle tracking, provide detailed insights into atrial mechanics, diastolic function, and ventricular filling kinetics. Integration of echocardiographic findings into clinical practice empowers clinicians to create personalized interventions based on quantified ventricular function, which spans systolic and diastolic aspects. This approach facilitates risk stratification and therapeutic planning, particularly pertinent in heart failure management within the CHD patient population. In summary, echocardiography transcends its role as an imaging tool, emerging as a precision-guided instrument adept at navigating the complexities of simple CHD in adults. Its ability to expedite diagnosis, quantify hemodynamic impacts, and unravel multifaceted functional dynamics culminates in a comprehensive depiction of these conditions. The fusion of these insights with clinical expertise empowers clinicians to navigate the intricate pathways of CHD, crafting tailored therapeutic strategies characterized by precision and efficacy.</p>","PeriodicalId":15191,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cardiovascular Echography","volume":"33 4","pages":"171-182"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10936704/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140131508","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"There is Nothing More Invisible than the Obvious: A Case Summary and Literature Review.","authors":"Michele Alfieri, Umberto Ianni, Michela Molisana, Vito Maurizio Parato","doi":"10.4103/jcecho.jcecho_50_23","DOIUrl":"10.4103/jcecho.jcecho_50_23","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Bioprosthetic valvular failure (BVF) is a pathological entity arising from a variety of conditions affecting prosthetic heart valves. It may present with an extremely varied pattern, and the identification of the exact etiology is vital to provide a prompt and adequate treatment. It is established that infective endocarditis mainly affects patients with intracardiac devices such as pacemakers or prosthetic valves, and it represents one of the principal mechanisms of BVF. Despite its high incidence, clinical presentations may be atypical, and a close monitoring is essential to prevent catastrophic consequences. We present the case of a partial valvular bioprosthesis detachment associated with a newly formed pseudoaneurysm due to a late infective endocarditis occurred after cardiac surgery, initially manifested with negative blood cultures and clinical findings. We also try to set up a literature review of the most common causes of valvular failure and pseudoaneurysm formation.</p>","PeriodicalId":15191,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cardiovascular Echography","volume":"33 4","pages":"195-198"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10936702/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140131549","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Figure-of-eight Artifact in Echocardiography as Evidence of Adequate Amplatzer Occluder Position.","authors":"Juliana Pérez-Pinzón, Nelson Leandro Moreno-Ruiz, Jaime Andres Nieto-Zárate","doi":"10.4103/jcecho.jcecho_24_23","DOIUrl":"10.4103/jcecho.jcecho_24_23","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":15191,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cardiovascular Echography","volume":"33 3","pages":"153-154"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10756312/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139074194","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Rare Case of Isolated Right Ventricular Loeffler's Endocarditis in Primary Hypereosinophilic Syndrome.","authors":"Laura Padoan, Stefano Coiro, Stefano Sforna, Maurizio Del Pinto, Ketty Savino","doi":"10.4103/jcecho.jcecho_22_23","DOIUrl":"10.4103/jcecho.jcecho_22_23","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) is a systemic disorder with various manifestations, characterized by hypereosinophilia and caused by primary or secondary conditions. Loeffler's endocarditis (LE) represents a frequent cardiac manifestation of HES, caused by infiltration of the myocardium by eosinophilic cells, which determines endocardial damage, with subsequent inflammation, thrombosis, and fibrosis of either one or both ventricles. The diagnosis of cardiac involvement is based on a multimodality approach (i.e., two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography [2D-TTE], speckle-tracking echocardiography [STE], and cardiac magnetic resonance [CMR]), with different findings depending on the stage of disease. STE may be useful in the initial phase when traditional imaging techniques may result negative, whereas CMR allows myocardial tissue characterization along with a better definition of the right ventricle. We present a rare case of LE with isolated right ventricular involvement in a patient with HES caused by chronic eosinophilic leukemia with constitutively activated fusion tyrosine kinase on chromosome 4q12, successfully treated with imatinib mesylate.</p>","PeriodicalId":15191,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cardiovascular Echography","volume":"33 3","pages":"139-143"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10756316/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139074192","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Multimodality Imaging for Definition and Treatment Selection of Multiple Coronary Aneurysms: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.","authors":"Giulia Laterra, Paolo Mazzone, Giosofatto Rodi, Antonino Nicosia, Antonio Micari, Marco Contarini, Giampiero Vizzari","doi":"10.4103/jcecho.jcecho_35_23","DOIUrl":"10.4103/jcecho.jcecho_35_23","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A 59-year-old woman, smoker, hypertensive, without a previous history of coronary artery disease referred several episodes of epigastric pain, after exercise electrocardiogram was referred to coronary angiography. It revealed extensive coronary calcification, with a suboccluded left anterior descending (LAD) and a calcified aneurysm of the right coronary artery (RCA), partially filled with thrombus. Coronary-computed tomography showed aneurysmal saccular dilatation of the proximal LAD entirely thrombosed with subocclusion, and a fusiform aneurysm in the proximal RCA, partially thrombosed. The patient was referred for surgical treatment. In our patient, congenital etiology of the aneurysms was unlikely, since the patient did not present congenital heart disease or known genetically inherited disorders. Among acquired aneurysms, the most common cause is represented by atherosclerosis. Other potential causes are connective tissue disorders, trauma, infections, iatrogenic, and Kawasaki syndrome. Usual complications include myocardial ischemia and infarction, embolism, rupture, fistulization, and thrombosis (clearly represented in our case). Current recommendations about management strategies of coronary artery aneurysms (CAAs) are focused on small case series and based on aneurysm's location and morphology, patient's characteristics, and clinical presentation. Medical treatment strategies include antiplatelet therapy or anticoagulant. Other therapeutical options are percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and coronary artery bypass graft. In our case, the heart team opted for surgical treatment due to the subocclusion of the proximal LAD and considering stable angina as admitting diagnosis. Moreover, the CAAs were placed in proximal segments, with a large amount of thrombus, so related with high risk for complications if PCI was performed.</p>","PeriodicalId":15191,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cardiovascular Echography","volume":"33 3","pages":"144-147"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10756314/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139074190","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Stress Echocardiography in Italian Echocardiographic Laboratories: A Survey of the Italian Society of Echocardiography and Cardiovascular Imaging.","authors":"Quirino Ciampi, Mauro Pepi, Francesco Antonini-Canterin, Andrea Barbieri, Agata Barchitta, Giorgio Faganello, Sofia Miceli, Vito Maurizio Parato, Antonio Tota, Giuseppe Trocino, Massimiliana Abbate, Maria Accadia, Rossella Alemanni, Andrea Angelini, Francesco Anglano, Maurizio Anselmi, Iolanda Aquila, Simona Aramu, Enrico Avogadri, Giuseppe Azzaro, Luigi Badano, Anna Balducci, Flavia Ballocca, Alessandro Barbarossa, Giovanni Barbati, Valentina Barletta, Daniele Barone, Francesco Becherini, Giovanni Benfari, Monica Beraldi, Gianluigi Bergandi, Giuseppe Bilardo, Simone Maurizio Binno, Massimo Bolognesi, Stefano Bongiovi, Renato Maria Bragato, Gabriele Braggion, Rossella Brancaleoni, Francesca Bursi, Christian Cadeddu Dessalvi, Matteo Cameli, Antonella Canu, Mariano Capitelli, Anna Clara Maria Capra, Rosa Carbonara, Maria Carbone, Marco Carbonella, Nazario Carrabba, Grazia Casavecchia, Margherita Casula, Elena Chesi, Sebastiano Cicco, Rodolfo Citro, Rosangela Cocchia, Barbara Maria Colombo, Paolo Colonna, Maddalena Conte, Giovanni Corrado, Pietro Cortesi, Lauro Cortigiani, Marco Fabio Costantino, Fabiana Cozza, Umberto Cucchini, Myriam D'Angelo, Santina Da Ros, Fabrizio D'Andrea, Antonello D'Andrea, Francesca D'Auria, Giovanni De Caridi, Stefania De Feo, Giovanni Maria De Matteis, Simona De Vecchi, Carmen Del Giudice, Luca Dell'Angela, Lucrezia Delli Paoli, Ilaria Dentamaro, Paola Destefanis, Gianluca Di Bella, Maria Di Fulvio, Renato Di Gaetano, Giovanna Di Giannuario, Angelo Di Gioia, Luigi Flavio Massimiliano Di Martino, Carmine Di Muro, Concetta Di Nora, Giovanni Di Salvo, Claudio Dodi, Sarah Dogliani, Federica Donati, Melissa Dottori, Giuseppe Epifani, Iacopo Fabiani, Francesca Ferrara, Luigi Ferrara, Stefania Ferrua, Gemma Filice, Maria Fiorino, Davide Forno, Alberto Garini, Gioachino Agostino Giarratana, Giuseppe Gigantino, Mauro Giorgi, Elisa Giubertoni, Cosimo Angelo Greco, Michele Grigolato, Walter Grosso Marra, Anna Holzl, Alessandra Iaiza, Andrea Iannaccone, Federica Ilardi, Egidio Imbalzano, Riccardo M Inciardi, Corinna Antonia Inserra, Emilio Iori, Annibale Izzo, Giuseppe La Rosa, Graziana Labanti, Alberto Maria Lanzone, Laura Lanzoni, Ornella Lapetina, Elisa Leiballi, Mariateresa Librera, Carmenita Lo Conte, Maria Lo Monaco, Antonella Lombardo, Michelangelo Luciani, Paola Lusardi, Antonio Magnante, Alessandro Malagoli, Gelsomina Malatesta, Costantino Mancusi, Maria Teresa Manes, Fiore Manganelli, Francesca Mantovani, Vincenzo Manuppelli, Valeria Marchese, Lina Marinacci, Roberto Mattioli, Civelli Maurizio, Giuseppe Antonio Mazza, Stefano Mazza, Marco Melis, Giulia Meloni, Elisa Merli, Alberto Milan, Giovanni Minardi, Antonella Monaco, Ines Monte, Graziano Montresor, Antonella Moreo, Fabio Mori, Sofia Morini, Claudio Moro, Doralisa Morrone, Francesco Negri, Carmelo Nipote, Fulvio Nisi, Silvio Nocco, Luigi Novello, Luigi Nunziata, Alessandro Paoletti Perini, Antonello Parodi, Emilio Maria Pasanisi, Guido Pastorini, Rita Pavasini, Daisy Pavoni, Chiara Pedone, Francesco Pelliccia, Giovanni Pelliciari, Elisa Pelloni, Valeria Pergola, Giovanni Perillo, Enrica Petruccelli, Chiara Pezzullo, Gerardo Piacentini, Elisa Picardi, Giovanni Pinna, Massimiliano Pizzarelli, Alfredo Pizzuti, Matteo Maria Poggi, Alfredo Posteraro, Carmen Privitera, Debora Rampazzo, Carlo Ratti, Sara Rettegno, Fabrizio Ricci, Caterina Ricci, Cristina Rolando, Stefania Rossi, Chiara Rovera, Roberta Ruggieri, Maria Giovanna Russo, Nicola Sacchi, Antonino Saladino, Francesca Sani, Chiara Sartori, Virginia Scarabeo, Angela Sciacqua, Antonio Scillone, Pasquale Antonio Scopelliti, Alfredo Scorza, Angela Scozzafava, Francesco Serafini, Walter Serra, Sergio Severino, Beatrice Simeone, Domenico Sirico, Marco Solari, Gian Luca Spadaro, Laura Stefani, Antonio Strangio, Francesca Chiara Surace, Gloria Tamborini, Nicola Tarquinio, Eliezer Joseph Tassone, Isabella Tavarozzi, Bertrand Tchana, Giuseppe Tedesco, Monica Tinto, Daniela Torzillo, Antonio Totaro, Oreste Fabio Triolo, Federica Troisi, Maurizio Tusa, Federico Vancheri, Vincenzo Varasano, Amedeo Venezia, Anna Chiara Vermi, Bruno Villari, Giordano Zampi, Jessica Zannoni, Concetta Zito, Antonello Zugaro, Eugenio Picano, Scipione Carerj","doi":"10.4103/jcecho.jcecho_48_23","DOIUrl":"10.4103/jcecho.jcecho_48_23","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The Italian Society of Echography and Cardiovascular Imaging (SIECVI) conducted a national survey to understand the volumes of activity, modalities and stressors used during stress echocardiography (SE) in Italy.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We analyzed echocardiography laboratory activities over a month (November 2022). Data were retrieved through an electronic survey based on a structured questionnaire, uploaded on the SIECVI website.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Data were obtained from 228 echocardiographic laboratories, and SE examinations were performed in 179 centers (80.6%): 87 centers (47.5%) were in the northern regions of Italy, 33 centers (18.4%) were in the central regions, and 61 (34.1%) in the southern regions. We annotated a total of 4057 SE. We divided the SE centers into three groups, according to the numbers of SE performed: <10 SE (low-volume activity, 40 centers), between 10 and 39 SE (moderate volume activity, 102 centers) and ≥40 SE (high volume activity, 37 centers). Dipyridamole was used in 139 centers (77.6%); exercise in 120 centers (67.0%); dobutamine in 153 centers (85.4%); pacing in 37 centers (21.1%); and adenosine in 7 centers (4.0%). We found a significant difference between the stressors used and volume of activity of the centers, with a progressive increase in the prevalence of number of stressors from low to high volume activity (<i>P</i> = 0.033). The traditional evaluation of regional wall motion of the left ventricle was performed in all centers, with combined assessment of coronary flow velocity reserve (CFVR) in 90 centers (50.3%): there was a significant difference in the centers with different volume of SE activity: the incidence of analysis of CFVR was significantly higher in high volume centers compared to low - moderate - volume (32.5%, 41.0% and 73.0%, respectively, <i>P</i> < 0.001). The lung ultrasound (LUS) was assessed in 67 centers (37.4%). Furthermore for LUS, we found a significant difference in the centers with different volume of SE activity: significantly higher in high volume centers compared to low - moderate - volume (25.0%, 35.3% and 56.8%, respectively, <i>P</i> < 0.001).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This nationwide survey demonstrated that SE was significantly widespread and practiced throughout Italy. In addition to the traditional indication to coronary artery disease based on regional wall motion analysis, other indications are emerging with an increase in the use of LUS and CFVR, especially in high-volume centers.</p>","PeriodicalId":15191,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cardiovascular Echography","volume":"33 3","pages":"125-132"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10756319/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139074196","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}