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Aims In functional mitral regurgitation (FMR), increased leaflet area has been described as a remodelling compensatory mechanism. We hypothesized that chordae tendineae elongation would also occur as part of this remodelling. In this study, the lengths of primary chords and measurements of mitral leaflets and annulus were compared with varying degrees of mitral regurgitation (MR). Methods and results We studied 58 patients who underwent three-dimensional (3D) transoesophageal echocardiography, including 38 with FMR and 20 with normal mitral valves (NL). The FMR group was divided into two subgroups according to two-dimensional vena contracta width (VCW). Three-dimensional datasets from transgastric or mid-oesophageal approach were used to measure primary chordal length, coaptation length, inter-papillary muscle distances, and quantitative 3D measurements of the annulus and leaflets. Leaflet surface area was increased and coaptation length was decreased in FMR compared with NL. While no difference in other 3D measurement of annulus/leaflets was noted between the FMR subgroups, averaged chordal length was shorter in patients with more severe FMR. Chords of the anterior leaflet in FMR with larger VCW were shorter compared with both NL and FMR with smaller VCW. In contrast, the chords of the posterior leaflet were longer in FMR with smaller VCW compared with the other two groups. Conclusion Our results suggest the posterior leaflet chords possibly remodel by elongating and contribute to reduced MR and that in a subgroup of FMR patients, the primary chords may remodel by shortening, resulting in augmented MR. This information could be useful in choosing strategy for FMR correction. [10.1093/ehjci/jew029][1] [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1093/ehjci/jew029

Aims Right ventricular (RV) remodelling involves changes in size, function, and shape. Although three-dimensional echocardiography (3DE) allows imaging of RV morphology, regional RV shape analysis has not been evaluated using 3DE. We developed a technique to quantify RV shape and tested its ability to differentiate normal from pressure overloaded right ventricles. Methods Transthoracic 3DE RV images were acquired in 54 subjects, including 39 patients with pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH) and 15 normal controls (NL). 3D RV surfaces were reconstructed (TomTec) at end-diastole and end-systole (ED, ES) and processed using custom software to calculate mean curvature of the inflow and outflow tracts (RVIT, RVOT), apex, and body (both divided into free wall and septum). Methods and Results Septal segments (apical and body) in NLs were characterized by concavity (curvature 0) in ES. In PAH, however, the septum remained convex, bulging into the left ventricle throughout the cardiac cycle. In keeping with the ‘bellows-like’ action of RV contraction in the NL group, the body free wall transitioned from a convex surface at ED to a more flattened surface at ES, while the apex free wall progressed from a less convex surface at ED to a more convex surface at ES. In contrast, in PAH, both RV free-wall segments (apical and body) remained equally convex throughout the cardiac cycle. Conclusions Curvature analysis using 3D echocardiography allows quantitative evaluation of RV remodelling, which could be used to track differential changes in regional RV shape, as a way to assess disease progression or regression.

Aims Determination of left ventricular (LV) volumes and ejection fraction (EF) from two-dimensional echocardiographic (2DE) images is subjective, time-consuming, and relatively inaccurate because of foreshortened views and the use of geometric assumptions. Our aims were (1) to validate a new method for rapid, online measurement of LV volumes from real-time three-dimensional echocardiographic (RT3DE) data using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) as the reference and (2) to compare its accuracy and reproducibility with standard 2DE measurements. Methods and results CMR, 2DE, and RT3DE datasets were obtained in 50 patients. End-systolic and end-diastolic volumes (ESV and EDV) were calculated from the 2DE images using biplane method of disks. ES and ED RT3DE datasets were analysed using prototype software designed to automatically detect the endocardial surface using a deformable shell model and calculate ESV and EDV from voxel counts. 2DE and RT3DE-derived volumes were compared with CMR (linear regression, Bland–Altman analysis). In most patients, analysis of RT3DE data required

Background In the last decade, multiple studies depicted discrepancies between mitral valvular orifice area (MVA) measurements obtained with the pressure half-time (PHT) method and invasive methods during the immediate post-percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty (PMV) period. Our aim was to assess the accuracy of Real-Time 3D echo (RT3D) to measure the MVA in the immediate post-PMV period. The invasively determined MVA was used as the gold standard. Methods and results We studied 29 patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis from two centres (27 women; mean age 48.2±11.3 years), all of which had underwent PMV. MVA was calculated before and after PMV using the PHT method, 2D echo planimetry, RT3D echo planimetry and invasive determination (Gorlin's method). The RT3D MVA assessment showed a better agreement with the invasively derived MVA before and in the immediate post-PMV period (Bland-Altman analysis: Average difference between both methods and limits of agreement: 0.01 (−0.31 to 0.33) cm2 and −0.12 (−0.71 to 0.47) cm2) before and immediately after the PMV, respectively. Conclusions RT3D is a feasible and accurate technique for measuring MVA in patients with RMVS. It has the best agreement with the invasively determined MVA, particularly in the immediate post-PMV period.

Purpose: Color encoding of left ventricular (LV) endocardial motion in 2D echo (2DE) has been shown to improve visual detection of regional wall motion abnormalities (RWMA). Our goals were: 1) to extend this technique to color encode detected LV endocardial surfaces from real-time 3D echo (RT3DE) images; 2) to automatically detect systolic RWMA and test its accuracy against visual interpretation of 2DE images. Methods: 19 normal subjects (N), and 14 patients with RWMA (including 7 with global LV dysfunction) underwent RT3DE and 2DE (Philips). 2DE images (apical 2-, 3and 4-chamber) were reviewed by an expert cardiologist, who graded wall motion (18 segments model) as normal or abnormal (AB). RT3DE datasets were analyzed using custom software: frame-by-frame semiautomated LV surface detection was followed by logical operations applied to each pair of consecutive frames, to track and color encode endocardial motion in 3D. Then, regional fractional volume change (RFVC) in % of regional end-diastolic volume was calculated automatically by colored voxels count, and displayed as stacked color-histograms. In RWMA, RFVCs were compared with regional thresholds, derived from RFVC computed in N and optimized using ROC analysis, for automated classification of wall motion. Results: The generation of 3D color-encoded wall-motion and RFVC quantification took