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Coronary calcifications can be detected and quantified using electron beam tomography (EBT) or newer generation multi-slice spiral CT (MSCT) scanners. An abundance of data has been acquired by EBT. It could be shown that the amount of coronary calcium correlates to the coronary plaque burden. The detection of coronary calcium with CT imaging methods therefore provides a unique opportunity to detect and quantify coronary atherosclerosis in a subclinical stage. Consequently, the presence and amount of coronary calcium has been shown to be indicative for an increased coronary event risk in symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals. Several clinical studies found a predictive value that was superior to conventional risk factors. Clinically, the use of coronary calcification assessment may therefore be beneficial in patients who, based on traditional risk factors, seem to be at "intermediate risk" for coronary events (10-year event risk 10-20%) in order to decide on the aggressiveness of risk factor modification. The role of coronary calcium quantification to monitor the progression of disease has not been clarified yet. Large, ongoing trials will provide further data as to the relative merit of coronary calcium assessment for risk stratification and will help to more clearly define its clinical role. The relationship between coronary calcium and coronary stenoses is more complex. While the absence of coronary calcifications makes significant coronary stenoses unlikely, even large amounts of coronary calcium do not necessarily indicate the presence of coronary artery stenoses. Pronounced coronary calcifications as an isolated finding should therefore not be the motivation for invasive diagnostic procedures in the absence of other evidence of ischemic heart disease.

We investigated 16 patients with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction who had an occluded coronary artery (TIMI 0) at initial angiogram. Instead of balloon angioplasty and stenting, patients were subjected to thrombectomy (Endicor X-sizer) and stenting. In 15/16 patients the occlusion could be crossed by the thrombectomy device resulting in TIMI flow 3 in all of them. Thereafter, stenting was performed. At final angiogram all 15 patients continued to show TIMI flow grade 3. Twelve-lead ECG was performed prior to and post-intervention. ST elevation was measured as the sum of eight leads for anterior infarction and of five leads for inferior infarction. In 13/15 patients, ECG analysis was possible (2 developed bundle branch block post-intervention). In all 13 patients, a > 50% ST decrease of the initial amount of ST elevation was observed reaching a > 70% reduction in 11 patients. Procedural complications were low (one coronary dissection after thrombectomy) and 30 days follow-up was uneventful. Thrombectomy using the Endicor X-Sizer device may become an attractive mechanical reperfusion strategy for patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Treatment of degenerated vein grafts is a large, growing portion of interventional procedures. Because the operative risk of repeat bypass surgery is substantially increased, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty has been accepted as a less invasive treatment in symptomatic patients with significant stenoses of vein grafts. Stent placement has been established in the randomized SAVED trial as a safe and efficient treatment strategy of degenerated saphenous vein grafts, enhancing acute success, reducing the incidence of subsequent angiographic restenosis, and improving event-free survival. Despite coronary stents and new technological innovations like directional and transluminal extraction atherectomy distal embolization is still a frequent occurrence, with a reported incidence of 10-15% associated with an increased in-hospital mortality. Blockade of the platelet surface glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptors has been convincingly demonstrated to reduce the ischemic complications of angioplasty in native coronary arteries. In degenerated vein grafts the efficacy of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors in reducing distal embolization is uncertain. Major clinical events could not be reduced by glycoprotein IIb/IIIa antagonists administered periprocedurally. But prospective randomized trials are lacking. Protection devices could reduce the incidence of distal embolization during interventions in degenerated saphenous vein grafts. The relative role of these devices compared to pharmacologic interventions will require careful assessment in future clinical trials.

In this article, the authors discuss different semi-quantitative methods for the analysis of global and regional myocardial function. Analysis of endocardial motion and direct measurements of myocardial velocities are the basic principles. The former is a two-dimensional technique which, however, requires good image quality and which is influenced by motion artefacts. The latter technique has a better signal to noise ratio and offers the opportunity to sufficiently quantify diastole. Strain rate imaging is a new and interesting way to display and evaluate regional myocardial deformation.

Magnetic resonance imaging of the coronary arteries is difficult due to the tortuous course of these vessels, their small diameter, and their rapid movement caused by respiration and cardiac contraction. Initial investigations could demonstrate the feasibility of non-invasive magnetic resonance coronary angiography using 2-dimensional turbo-FLASH gradient-echo sequences in repeated breathholds of approximately 16 heart beats duration. Further developments, especially the design of navigator-echo-based respiratory gated 3-dimensional imaging sequences, permitted the acquisition of contiguous volume data sets of the heart which eliminated many limitations of 2-dimensional repeated breathhold sequences. With a spatial resolution of approximately 1.2 x 1.2 x 2 mm and a temporal resolution of approximately 126 ms, several authors reported sensitivities of 70-80% and specificities of approximately 90% for the detection of coronary artery stenoses. Further improvements can be expected from new, intravascular contrast agents and from ultrafast sequences which permit acquisition of a sufficiently large imaging volume within one single breathold.

Coronary angiography remains the diagnostic standard for establishing the presence, site, and severity of coronary artery disease. Electron beam computed tomography (EBCT), a non-invasive imaging method with very high spatial and temporal resolution, is well suited for cardiac imaging. Using a standard protocol, EBCT permits the visualization of the coronary arteries. Stenoses and occlusions of the native arteries and of coronary artery bypass grafts can be reliably diagnosed. Extremely calcified segments have to be excluded from evaluation. Reduced image quality, mainly due to fast vessel motion and superposition of large veins, impairs the results obtained for the right and left circumflex coronary artery. Possible clinical applications are the follow-up after angioplasty (PTCA without stent) and bypass surgery, the exclusion of coronary artery disease in patients with low likelihood of disease, and the evaluation of coronary anomalies.

A 61 year old diabetic patient with bacterial endocarditis probably caused by a congenital coronary fistula is presented. The fistula was already detected by transthoracic echocardiography. Transesophageal color-Doppler echocardiography identified the precise localization and course of the fistula. Additionally, in some parts of the fistula echogenic material could be seen that decreased in size after antibiotic treatment. Therefore, it was considered as corresponding to bacterial vegetations. Coronary angiography disclosed an ectopic aneurysmatic and elongated circumflex coronary artery. Thus, even in rare conditions such as coronary fistulas transesophageal echocardiography may be helpful to allow detection of morphological substrate of associated infective endocarditis.

In the Federal Republic of Germany, no data existed regarding the frequency of open heart surgery for excision of cardiac neoplasms. Therefore, a standard questionnaire concerning heart tumors was sent to all 77 German heart centers performing cardiac surgery. Data from 65 of the 77 heart centers (= 84%) are finally available: 187 patients were operated upon for myxomas, only 44 upon for non-myxomatous cardiac tumors (28 of them with malignant primary or secondary lesions of the heart). In 1996, 0.32% (231/72,763) of all surgical procedures using a heart-lung machine (registered 72,763 of 87,372 total) were aimed at excision of heart tumors. Based on surgical data, the incidence of solely the primary tumors of the heart in Germany is at least 3 per million population per year (253 tumors/81.814 million inhabitants). Even if small tumors are asymptomatic and remain undetected, today, the majority of primary tumors of the heart will be revealed by echocardiography, computer tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging, and these patients are usually referred to operation. Thus, in Germany, about 0.3% of operations using a heart-lung machine were performed for cardiac tumors-among these, myxomas are clearly predominant.

Pneumatic external counterpulsation operates by applying ECG-triggered diastolic pressure via cuffs to the vascular bed of the lower limbs. Comparable with intra-aortic balloon pumping, PECP produces a diastolic augmentation combined with increase of mean arterial pressure and coronary perfusion. American, Asian, and our own data demonstrated a reduction of angina pectoris through repeated use of PECP one or two hours daily for four to seven weeks. Exercise testing and thallium scanning confirmed the clinical improvement. PECP is a virtually risk-free treatment option in patients suffering from angina despite medical and interventionell treatment. Opening of collaterals and collateral growth induced by external counterpulsation are discussed as the cause of clinical benefit.

Primary tumors of the heart are rare, and a quarter of these tumors prove to be histologically malignant. Benign and malignant primary as well as secondary heart tumors belong to the differential diagnosis when a new heart murmur, heart rhythm disturbances, or cardiac insufficiency appear. In the diagnostics of intracardiac space-occupying lesions, two-dimensional echocardiography represents the method of choice, supplemental examination by computer tomography or nuclear magnetic resonance imaging may be helpful.

Heart diseases requiring glycoside therapy are often associated with coronary artery disease. This study evaluated quantitatively the effect of an intravenous bolus injection of digoxin (0.8 mg) on diameters of epicardial coronary arteries in 11 patients with coronary artery disease. Coronary angiograms were taken up to 30 min following intravenous administration of glycosides. The maximum decrease in mean diameters of angiographically normal coronary segments was 10.0 +/- 3.5% (p < or = 0.001) compared to control. Maximum reduction in minimal diameters of stenotic segments was 22.1 +/- 13.1% (p < or = 0.001). This vasoconstriction could be reversed with nitroglycerin. Thus, intravenous administration of digoxin induces vasoconstriction of normal and stenotic coronary arteries, which could cause ischemic complications in the presence of high-grade stenoses. Since digoxin-induced vasoconstriction could be reversed with nitroglycerin, concomitant vasodilator therapy is recommended.

In addition to the degree of vessel obstruction and to the composition of the atheroma, the geometric shape of the plaque--in particular the presence of non-diseased wall segments--is an important factor in the pathophysiology and therapy of coronary heart disease. The relevance of the plaque shape has been emphasized by pathoanatomic studies in the late 1970s. The in vivo assessment of the plaque shape using coronary angiography has major limitations: The lumen silhouette obtained by angiography does not accurately reflect the histologic extent of the plaque due to compensatory vessel enlargement, atrophy of the media, and diffuse plaque accumulation. In contrast, intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) allows direct, cross-sectional visualization of the plaque. Although this method has a small, but definite acute risk, it provides the first technique for in vivo assessment of the extent and shape of coronary plaque. In agreement with prior pathoanatomic investigations, IVUS studies have confirmed that the majority of advanced coronary plaques are located eccentrically in the vessel and that non-diseased wall segments are often present in these lesions. Using IVUS imaging, it has also been proven that in vivo relaxation of advanced coronary stenoses by vasodilatory drugs is mainly based on expansion of the non-diseased wall segment. IVUS studies have also shown that the presence of non-diseased wall segments may be important for the effect of intracoronary interventions: Balloon angioplasty of eccentric coronary lesions often causes dilatation of the non-diseased wall segments; immediate and chronic elastic recoil of these vessel segments may diminish the lumen gain from this procedure. During directional coronary atherectomy IVUS imaging of the exact location and shape of the plaque may limit subintimal tissue retrieval and thereby also reduce restenosis.

While in the past, rheumatic heart disease accounted for the largest number of pregnant women with heart disease, the incidence has declined over the years. On the other hand, because of advances in medical treatment and surgical management, the ratio of adolescent females with congenital heart disease increased significantly during the last decade. Pregnancy is associated with many physiologic adjustments such as changes in blood volume, stroke volume, and cardiac output, and may result in deleterious clinical effects in patients with congenital heart disease. Although a good outcome for these women can often be expected, congenital heart disease still presents a high-risk pregnancy involving both mother and infant. The actual risk depends on the type of malformation and functional impairment of the mother. To bring these women safely through pregnancy, a strong cooperation between pediatric and adult cardiologists, obstetrician, and other physicians is necessary.

A case report of a congenital coronary artery fistula between left main stem and pulmonary artery is presented. This fistula was not detectable by conventional transthoracic color-Doppler echocardiography. In contrast, precise localization of origin and site of drainage of this fistula could be demonstrated by biplane transesophageal color-Doppler echocardiography. Subsequent coronary angiography confirmed the echocardiographic findings.

The technology of echocardiographic imaging is now widely available and has become increasingly important in the diagnosis of severe pulmonary embolism. In this setting transthoracic two-dimensional echocardiography (TTE) permits a rapid and non-invasive bed-side assessment of right ventricular size and systolic function. Doppler techniques facilitate precise measurements of pulmonary arterial pressures. These parameters can be easily followed after initiating therapy and allow to recognize patients refractory to the chosen therapeutic regimen. With transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), as well as with TTE, direct visualization of thromboembolic material within the central pulmonary arteries or the right heart chambers is possible. TEE, however, is more sensitive than TTE in detecting thrombotic or embolic material. It is also superior in the diagnosis of a patent foramen ovale which may indicate impending paradoxical embolism. The role of intravascular ultrasound imaging in clinical practice is not clear yet. It may be helpful in the localization and differential diagnosis of thromboembolic material in the pulmonary vascular bed.

Initial experiences were obtained with a new technique for automatic quantification of left ventricular areas and area changes in two-dimensional (2D) echocardiograms (acoustic quantification, AQ). AQ is based on integrated back-scatter-analysis in real-time. Practicality and reliability of AQ were studied in 50 non-selected patients. AQ measurements of left-ventricular (LV) cavities were compared with off-line measurements which were obtained by analysis of videotaped images. Thirty-two (64%) and 39 (78%) patients could be studied by AQ from parasternal and apical views, respectively. LV areas measured from parasternal views or apical views showed a good correlation with corresponding values obtained by off-line analysis (r = 0.78 to 0.91). In addition, LV fractional area changes measured by AQ showed an excellent correlation with off-line measurements (parasternal: r = 0.86; apical: r = 0.84). During infusion of dobutamine (n = 3; 5, 10, 20 micrograms/kg/min, 10 min each dose), reduction of LV cavity areas could be continuously monitored and quantified by AQ for each cardiac cycle. In five of six patients who underwent transesophageal echocardiography, AQ could easily detect LV contours in the transgastric short axis view. Although AQ is not practicable in all patients, this new technique appears to be a promising and reliable approach for real-time, automatic boundary detection in 2D echocardiograms.

In 41 consecutive patients with 49 stenoses of aorto-coronary venous bypass (ACVB) grafts percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) was attempted. PTA was successful, i.e., the percent area stenosis was reduced by greater than 20% to less than 70% (quantitative measurement with a precision magnifying lens from two orthogonal angiographic views) in 46 stenoses (94%) of 38 patients (93%). In 35 patients (92%) with 42 stenoses control coronary angiography was performed after a mean interval of 189 +/- 186 days. Recurrence, defined as an increase of percent area stenosis to greater than or equal to 70%, was found in nine stenoses (21%) of nine patients (26%). Recurrence correlated with a stenosis length greater than 10 mm before PTA (5/8 vs 4/32 stenoses: p less than 0.01). In recurrent stenoses, the average diameter of the grafted native coronary artery was significantly smaller than in recurrence-free stenoses (1.92 +/- 0.52 mm vs 2.45 +/- 0.50 mm; p less than 0.01). Clinical data were collected from all 38 patients with successful PTA after an average of 30 +/- 17 months following PTA. In this interval, 11 patients had undergone re-angioplasty and eight patients were re-operated; in addition, there were three cardiac deaths. In the 27 surviving patients without re-operation (71%), angina pectoris had improved from a mean of 3.0 +/- 0.7 before PTA to 1.8 +/- 1.0 (CCS-classification) (p less than 0.001). In 19 of the 27 patients (70%) the exercise stress test was negative, in contrast to only three patients (11%) before PTA. Thus, in the majority of patients PTA of ACVB-graft stenoses improves quality of life.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

A 35-year-old male patient was admitted to the intensive care unit of a community hospital with an acute anterior myocardial infarction complicated by initial recurrent episodes of ventricular fibrillation and successful resuscitation. Persistent malignant ventricular arrhythmias during the following days necessitated external defibrillation approximately 250 times. The patient was transferred to the Hannover Medical School, where the occluded left anterior descending coronary artery was successfully recanalized. Eight days later, the malignant ventricular tachyarrhythmias ceased and after 59 days of hospitalization the patient could be discharged in stable condition.

We reevaluated a previously described M-mode echocardiographic method for the assessment of the hemodynamic severity of an isolated or predominant, advanced aortic stenosis in 89 adult patients without significant associated coronary artery disease. Endsystolic left ventricular wall thickness and diameters were measured using the echocardiogram and left ventricular systolic pressure was calculated under the assumption of a constant left ventricular wall stress (235 mm Hg); the results were compared with the pressure values measured during catheterization. The correlation between the echocardiographic and the invasively determined pressure values was poor and without any clinical relevance; r-values ranged between 0.14 and 0.46. Calculated left ventricular wall stress showed a large scatter with values between 126 mm Hg and 468 mm Hg. Our data indicate that in adults with aortic stenosis, M-mode echocardiographic determination of the hemodynamic severity is not possible, and the assumption of a constant left ventricular wall stress in these patients is misleading.

In particular since the introduction of the two-dimensional approach, echocardiography as a non-invasive and easily repeatable bedside-technique without side-effects plays a central role within the diagnostic tools of cardiology. The following applications of cardiac ultrasound are commonly accepted and sufficiently validated: Assessment of the size of cardiac chambers including qualitative and quantitative evaluation of left ventricular function, detection of pericardial effusion, diagnosis of intra- and extracardiac tumors and thrombi, analysis of complex congenital diseases. Without the use of Doppler, valvular regurgitations can only be suspected by indirect parameters; in contrast, stenotic lesions as well as a variety of other valve abnormalities (calcifications/partial rupture/prolapse/vegetations) can be diagnosed with a high accuracy. Transesophageal echocardiography guarantees not only an optimal imaging quality in virtually all patients, in addition, the technique allows the routine visualization of the thoracic descending aorta and the left atrial appendage which is of importance for the diagnosis of aortic dissection and isolated left atrial appendage thrombi. Transesophageal echocardiography is also superior to the conventional precordial approach concerning the assessment of prosthetic valve malfunction (in particular in mitral position) and endocarditis-associated abscesses. Today, the echocardiographic visualization of coronary arteries is without clinical relevance.

In 24 patients with chronic constrictive pericarditis (CP) proven by right and left heart catheterization, the amplitude of diastolic left ventricular posterior wall motion was evaluated by M-mode echocardiography and compared with the results of 14 healthy volunteers. The amplitude was significantly less in CP patients than in normal controls (0.3 mm vs. 4.0 mm, p less than 0.001) and no CP patient showed a higher value than 2 mm whereas none of the normal subjects had an amplitude less than 3 mm. In 11 of 13 CP patients undergoing pericardectomy, an increase in amplitude was observed; in 6 of them the amplitude was within normal limits following surgery. No significant correlation between the degree of heart failure or the level of left ventricular end-diastolic pressure and the reduction of the amplitude could be found. In addition, the level of the amplitude did not allow a clear separation between patients who could be treated medically and those requiring pericardectomy. It can be concluded that the reduction of diastolic left ventricular posterior wall motion is a valuable echocardiographic parameter for the noninvasive diagnosis of CP.

ST-segment analysis on 24-hour Holter ECG was performed in 64 patients with angiographically proven coronary artery disease, a positive exercise test and chronic stable angina. During 125 days of recording, 494 episodes of transient ST-segment depression were observed, at an average of 4.0 +/- 3.7 episodes (1-13 episodes, median: 3 episodes) per day. The duration of ST depression per episode was 13.2 +/- 14.4 min (1-90 min; median: 8 min). No episodes of ST-elevation were observed. Only 27 (5.5%) ischemic episodes occurred during the night, between midnight and 6:00 a.m., but they were frequently observed during the morning hours between 7:00 and 12:00 a.m. Nearly all episodes of ischemia were preceded by an increase in heart rate. However, heart rate at the onset of significant ST-segment depression was significantly lower during Holter monitoring than during exercise test (p less than 0.001); this indicates that factors additional to the increase in myocardial demand might be relevant for transient myocardial ischemia during daily life. 382 of the 494 episodes (77.3%) of ischemia were asymptomatic; heart rate at the onset of ST-segment depression was similar in symptomatic and asymptomatic episodes; however, in asymptomatic episodes, maximal heart rate was significantly lower (p less than 0.001) and the duration of the episodes significantly longer (p less than 0.001). The percentage of asymptomatic episodes was very high in patients with one-vessel disease, whereas the duration and amount of ST-segment depression, as well as heart rate, at the onset of ischemia, were not dependent on the extent of coronary artery disease.

A 20-year-old woman suffering from mitral valve endocarditis due to streptococcus faecalis infection after blunt trauma and splenectomy complained of severe headache 18 days later. Cerebral angiography showed a left posterior artery aneurysm. A craniotomy was performed and the aneurysm could be successfully removed. The postoperative neurological status showed a mild transient right hemiparesis. The patient underwent mitral valve replacement with a St. Jude-Medical prosthesis 14 days after brain surgery. The patient was in stable neurologic and hemodynamic conditions at the time of discharge 3 weeks after valve replacement.

The diagnostic value of transoesophageal echocardiography in the detection of cardiac and extracardiac masses has not yet been properly established. We therefore studied 23 patients (7 males, 16 females, mean age 54.7 years) using transoesophageal echocardiography in addition to conventional transthoracic echocardiography. Nine patients had an atrial thrombus, 6 an atrial myxoma and 8 extracardiac masses. The studies were performed without complications. Transthoracic as well as transoesophageal echocardiographic detection of atrial thrombus or myxoma (n = 15) was successful in all patients except 1 with a thrombus in the left atrial appendix, which could only be visualized by transoesophageal echocardiography. In contrast, accurate diagnosis of extracardiac masses could be established only by transoesophageal echocardiography in 5 of 8 patients (62.5%). In all 23 patients the judgement of the mobility of the tumor, as well as its acoustic properties and wall adherence was markedly facilitated by transoesophageal echocardiography. Thus, this method is a useful diagnostic tool for detection of extracardiac masses, whereas in patients with atrial thrombus or myxoma it can give important additional information.

Symptomatic and asymptomatic myocardial ischemia during exercise testing and during daily activities (ST-segment analysis on 24-h Holter ECG) was studied in 109 patients with stable angina pectoris and proven coronary artery disease (coronary stenoses greater than 70%) (group I) and in 20 patients with angiographically normal coronary arteries or minimal changes (group II). During exercise testing, 94/109 (86.2%) group I patients and 6/20 (30%) group II patients showed ST-segment depression greater than or equal to 0.1 mV. During Holter ECG, transient ST-segment depression (greater than or equal to 0.1 mV; greater than or equal to 1 min) was observed in 76/109 (69.7%) group I patients and in 5/20 (25%) group II patients; all patients with positive Holter ECG also had a positive exercise tests result. Heart rate and exercise duration at the onset of ischemia during stress testing were useful parameters to estimate the incidence of ischemic episodes during Holter ECG. Patients with asymptomatic positive exercise tests showed a significantly higher percentage of asymptomatic ischemic episodes during Holter ECG than patients with a symptomatic positive exercise test (89% vs. 68% asymptomatic ischemic episodes; p less than 0.001). Therefore, in patients with coronary artery disease and stable angina pectoris, the exercise test provides information also about the activity of ischemic heart disease during daily activities.

We studied the effect of a monotherapy of isosorbiddinitrate on symptomatic and asymptomatic ischemic episodes in 15 ambulatory patients with chronic stable angina pectoris, positive exercise test, and coronary stenosis greater than 70%. Transient ST-segment depression (greater than 0.1 mV for at least 1 min) was documented by 48-h Holter monitoring during a control period without anti-ischemic therapy and at the end of 14 days of treatment with 120 mg o.d. isosorbiddinitrate slow-release. In the control period, 68 asymptomatic and 28 symptomatic ischemic episodes were detected; most of the episodes occurred in the morning between 6.00h and 12.00h (41 episodes) and in the afternoon between 12.00h and 18.00h (36 episodes). Under anti-ischemic therapy the number of episodes and the total duration of ischemia was reduced by 46% and 53%, respectively (p less than 0.01). The anti-ischemic effect was most evident during the morning and the afternoon; the ischemic episodes during the evening and the night were not significantly diminished. It is concluded that in patients with stable angina pectoris a single high-dose of isosorbiddinitrate significantly reduces the number and duration of transient ischemic episodes during daily life.