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This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate whether percutaneous mitral valve repair (PMVr) using MitraClip was more effective than surgery or medical therapy for long-term morbidity and mortality. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CENTRAL (Cochrane Library) databases to identify relevant studies that recruited adult patients with functional or secondary mitral valve regurgitation who underwent PMVr with MitraClip implantation using appropriate search terms and Boolean operators. The odds ratios (ORs) were pooled using the random-effects model. A total of 14 studies recruiting 2,593 patients were included. Within 12 months of follow-up, patients who underwent PMVr did not maintain mitral valve regurgitation grade 2+ (OR 0.22, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.12 to 0.41, p <0.0001, I 2  = 0.0%, p = 0.52) or symptom-free heart failure (OR 0.47, 95% CI 0.29 to 0.77, p = 0.0028, I 2  = 0.0%, p = 0.66) compared with their surgical counterparts. Patients were more likely to be rehospitalized for heart failure (OR 2.79, 95% CI 1.54 to 5.05, p = 0.0007, I 2  = 0.0%, p = 0.51). However, there was no difference between the groups in terms of all-cause or cardiovascular mortality. Whereas, in comparison with medical therapy, PMVr significantly reduced all-cause mortality at 12 and ≥24 months of follow-up (OR 0.41, 95% CI 0.24, 0.69, p = 0.0009, I 2  = 32%, p = 0.23 and OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.40, 0.75, p = 0.0002, I 2  = 0.0%, p = 0.45, respectively). In conclusion, there was no difference in all-cause death at 12 or 24 months of follow-up between PMVr and the surgical approach, but the durability of valvular repair was inferior with PMVr. In comparison with medical therapy, there was a significant reduction in mortality with PMVr., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors have no competing interests to declare., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background There is little evidence about the prognostic role of mitral regurgitation (MR) in patients with low-flow, low-gradient aortic stenosis undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and outcome implications of MR severity in patients with low-flow, low-gradient aortic stenosis undergoing TAVR, and to evaluate whether MR improvement after TAVR could influence clinical outcome. Methods and Results This study included consecutive patients with low-flow, low-gradient aortic stenosis undergoing TAVR at 2 Italian high-volume centers. The study population was categorized according to the baseline MR severity and to the presence of MR improvement at discharge. The primary outcome was the composite of all-cause death and hospitalization for worsening heart failure up to 1 year. The study included 268 patients; 57 (21%) patients showed MR >2+. Patients with MR >2+ showed a lower 1-year survival free from the primary outcome ( P <0.001), all-cause death ( P <0.001), and heart failure hospitalization ( P <0.001) compared with patients with MR ≤2+. At multivariable analysis, baseline MR >2+ was an independent predictor of the primary outcome ( P <0.001). Among patients with baseline MR >2+, MR improvement was reported in 24 (44%) cases after TAVR. The persistence of MR was associated with a significantly reduced survival free from the primary outcome, all-cause death, and heart failure hospitalization up to 1 year. Conclusions In this study, the presence of moderately severe to severe MR in patients with low-flow, low-gradient aortic stenosis undergoing TAVR portends a worse clinical outcome at 1 year. TAVR may improve MR severity in nearly half of the patients, resulting in a potential outcome benefit after discharge.

Objective: To analyze the incidence and causes of mitral valve replacement in patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM)., Material and Methods: There were 172 patients (98 women and 74 men) with obstructive HCM and severe mitral valve insufficiency between November 2017 and May 2023. All patients complained of chronic heart failure NYHA class III. Surgical correction of left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction and mitral valve repair with elimination of systolic anterior motion were technically successful in 160 (93.0%) patients., Results: The need for mitral valve replacement was noted in 12 (7.0%) patients. Mean cardiopulmonary bypass time was 83.5±19.2 min (94; 127), aortic cross-clamping - 62.8±14.3 min (70; 102). In 5 cases, primary mitral valve replacement was scheduled due to obvious organic lesion of the mitral valve (tearing of chords, rheumatic lesion with leaflet restriction). In 7 patients, valve replacement was forced after ineffective primary septal myectomy (LVOT pressure gradient, severe mitral insufficiency)., Conclusion: Mitral valve replacement is an involuntary strategy after ineffective myectomy with severe mitral insufficiency and high LVOT pressure gradient.

Background: The use of thiazide diuretics is recommended in the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine guidelines for advanced heart failure due to mitral insufficiency (MI) in dogs. However, there are no large-scale reports of the use of thiazide diuretics in dogs with advanced heart failure., Aim: This retrospective study evaluated the therapeutic effect of concomitant hydrochlorothiazide (HTCZ) with loop diuretics in dogs with heart failure., Methods: The study included 14 dogs diagnosed with advanced pulmonary edema with MI at two facilities. In all cases, high-dose loop diuretics (torsemide; 0.78-4 mg/kg/day) did not improve pulmonary edema. The results of the echocardiography and renal function tests before and after the administration of HTCZ (0.2-0.84 mg/kg/day) in addition to torsemide were statistically compared., Results: The echocardiographic data demonstrated significant improvement in relation to cardiac stress; left atrium to the aorta ratio, normalized left ventricular internal dimension in diastole, and E wave velocity ( m/s ) after HTCZ administration. However, blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels increased, and potassium levels decreased, indicating a decline in renal function following HTCZ administration., Conclusion: This study suggests that the administration of HTCZ in combination with loop diuretics may be beneficial during advanced heart failure due to MI in dogs. The results can also be extended to patients who are resistant to loop diuretics, resulting in the improvement of cardiac function. However, as the combination of HTCZ and loop diuretics can deteriorate renal function, caution should be exercised prior to making recommendations regarding its use, and renal function should be monitored., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Sacubitril/valsartan was shown to be effective in improving the clinical outcome and reducing hospitalization rate and mortality in patients with heart failure (HF) and reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (HFrEF). Here we report a case series of three patients with HFrEF associated with mitral insufficiency (case #1), dilated cardiomyopathy (case #2) and chronic ischaemia (case #3). The first case was a 49 year old male and the further two were 70 year old male patients. After previous ineffective treatment, the administration of sacubitril/valsartan led to a rapid and marked improvement of the clinical conditions in all three cases. Moreover, in two patients, angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI) therapy avoided a surgical intervention for the insertion of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator. In the third patient, sacubitril/valsartan interrupted a long series of hospitalizations for acute HF. Based on our experience, we conclude that treatment with ARNI allows better treatment optimization with a positive impact on the control of HF and related comorbidities.

Mitral regurgitation (MR) is among the most common valvular heart diseases in clinics. MR induces volume overload of the heart and leads to heart failure (HF). Because physiological and molecular mechanisms in nonischemic HF are distinct from that of ischemic HF, a clinically relevant animal model of nonischemic HF is important for understanding the pathophysiology and developing new therapeutics targeting this HF phenotype. Additionally, the large animal model of MR provides opportunities to test new surgical and percutaneous approaches for correcting mitral valve insufficiency.In this chapter, we describe protocols for inducing MR in pigs using percutaneous approaches. Specifically, mitral valve chords are cut by a cardiac biopsy catheter inserted either antegrade (transseptal through venous access) or retrograde (arterial access) into the left ventricle. Both acute and chronic HF can be induced using this technique, and left atrial enlargement can be found at the chronic stage.

Apoptosis occurs in atrial cardiomyocytes in mitral and tricuspid valve disease. The purpose of this study was to examine the respective roles of the mitochondrial and tumor necrosis factor-α receptor associated death domain (TRADD)-mediated death receptor pathways for apoptosis in the atrial cardiomyocytes of heart failure patients due to severe mitral and moderate-to-severe tricuspid regurgitation. This study comprised eighteen patients (7 patients with persistent atrial fibrillation and 11 in sinus rhythm). Atrial appendage tissues were obtained during surgery. Three purchased normal human left atrial tissues served as normal controls. Moderately-to-severely myolytic cardiomyocytes comprised 59.7±22.1% of the cardiomyocytes in the right atria and 52.4±12.9% of the cardiomyocytes in the left atria of mitral and tricuspid regurgitation patients with atrial fibrillation group and comprised 58.4±24.8% of the cardiomyocytes in the right atria of mitral and tricuspid regurgitation patients with sinus rhythm. In contrast, no myolysis was observed in the normal human adult left atrial tissue samples. Immunohistochemical analysis showed expression of cleaved caspase-9, an effector of the mitochondrial pathways, in the majority of right atrial cardiomyocytes (87.3±10.0%) of mitral and tricuspid regurgitation patients with sinus rhythm, and right atrial cardiomyocytes (90.6±31.4%) and left atrial cardiomyocytes (70.7±22.0%) of mitral and tricuspid regurgitation patients with atrial fibrillation. In contrast, only 5.7% of cardiomyocytes of the normal left atrial tissues showed strongly positive expression of cleaved caspase-9. Of note, none of the atrial cardiomyocytes in right atrial tissue in sinus rhythm and in the fibrillating right and left atria of mitral and tricuspid regurgitation patients, and in the normal human adult left atrial tissue samples showed cleaved caspase-8 expression, which is a downstream effector of TRADD of the death receptor pathway. Immunoblotting of atrial extracts showed that there was enhanced expression of cytosolic cytochrome c, an effector of the mitochondrial pathways, but no expression of membrane TRADD and cytosolic caspase-8 in the right atrial tissue of mitral and tricuspid regurgitation patients with sinus rhythm, and right atrial and left atrial tissues of mitral and tricuspid regurgitation patients with atrial fibrillation. Taken together, this study showed that mitochondrial pathway for apoptosis was activated in the right atria in sinus rhythm and in the left and right atria in atrial fibrillation of heart failure patients due to mitral and tricuspid regurgitation, and this mitochondrial pathway activation may contribute to atrial contractile dysfunction and enlargement in this clinical setting., (Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

In recent years, new interest is growing in the left atrium (LA). LA functional analysis and measurement have an essential role in cardiac function evaluation. Left atrial size and function are key elements during the noninvasive analysis of diastolic function in several heart diseases. The LA represents a "neuroendocrine organ" with high sensitivity to the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems. New insights highlight the importance of left atrial structural, contractile, and/or electrophysiological changes, introducing the concept of "atrial cardiomyopathy", which is closely linked to underlying heart disease, arrhythmias, and conditions such as aging. The diagnostic algorithm for atrial cardiomyopathy should follow a stepwise approach, combining risk factors, clinical characteristics, and imaging. Constant advances in imaging techniques offer superb opportunities for a comprehensive evaluation of LA function, underlying specific mechanisms, and patterns of progression. In this literature review, we aim to suggest a practical, stepwise algorithm with integrative multimodality imaging and a clinical approach for LA geometry and functional analysis. This integrates diastolic flow analysis with LA remodelling by the application of traditional and new diagnostic imaging techniques in several clinical settings such as heart failure (HF), atrial fibrillation (AF), coronary artery disease (CAD), and mitral regurgitation (MR). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on a 72 years old male patient with recurrent heart failure hospitalizations caused by severe mitral regurgitation due to severe restriction of the posterior mitral leaflet treated with the transfemoral mitral valve replacement (TMVR) system Cardiovalve. Immediate interventional success was obtained resulting in a quick mobilization and discharge.

Background: The use of thiazide diuretics is recommended in the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine guidelines for advanced heart failure due to mitral insufficiency (MI) in dogs. However, there are no large-scale reports of the use of thiazide diuretics in dogs with advanced heart failure. Aim: This retrospective study evaluated the therapeutic effect of concomitant hydrochlorothiazide (HTCZ) with loop diuretics in dogs with heart failure. Methods: The study included 14 dogs diagnosed with advanced pulmonary edema with MI at two facilities. In all cases, high-dose loop diuretics (torsemide; 0.78-4 mg/kg/day) did not improve pulmonary edema. The results of the echocardiography and renal function tests before and after the administration of HTCZ (0.2-0.84 mg/kg/day) in addition to torsemide were statistically compared. Results: The echocardiographic data demonstrated significant improvement in relation to cardiac stress; left atrium to the aorta ratio, normalized left ventricular internal dimension in diastole, and E wave velocity (m/s) after HTCZ administration. However, blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels increased, and potassium levels decreased, indicating a decline in renal function following HTCZ administration. Conclusion: This study suggests that the administration of HTCZ in combination with loop diuretics may be beneficial during advanced heart failure due to MI in dogs. The results can also be extended to patients who are resistant to loop diuretics, resulting in the improvement of cardiac function. However, as the combination of HTCZ and loop diuretics can deteriorate renal function, caution should be exercised prior to making recommendations regarding its use, and renal function should be monitored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resumen: La pérdida de la geometría ventricular es la principal causa de progresión de la insuficiencia cardiaca y de riesgo en la morbimortalidad en pacientes con cardiomiopatía dilatada. La insuficiencia mitral ocurre secundariamente a la dilatación anular, a la geometría ventricular izquierda alterada y a la disfunción del músculo papilar. La cirugía de restauración ventricular (CRV) se introdujo como una opción terapéutica con la hipótesis que mejora el funcionamiento mitral al reducir los volúmenes del ventrículo izquierdo, las distancias de los músculos papilares y restaurar la geometría cardiaca. Este trabajo presenta el caso clínico de una paciente con insuficiencia cardiaca de etiología isquémica necrótica, que fue intervenida quirúrgicamente y se le realizó restauración ventricular, células madre y matriz de colágeno biodegradable. En el seguimiento a los dos años, la paciente no necesito más ingresos por descompensación, se observó que la clase funcional (CF) (NYHA) mejoró de CF III a I. La fracción de eyección del ventrículo izquierdo (FEVI) se incrementó de 20 a 27%, la insuficiencia mitral se redujo de grado IV a II, presentando estudios complementarios con mejora en el ejercicio. Los resultados de este caso sugieren que la técnica de restauración ventricular basada en el modelo de la banda miocárdica se aproxima a la anatomía y fisiología cardiaca normal, corrigiendo la insuficiencia mitral isquémica sin asociar cirugía valvular. Abstract: Loss of ventricular geometry is the main cause of progression of heart failure and risk of mortality in patients with dilated cardiomyopathies. Mitral regurgitation occurs secondary to annular dilatation, altered left ventricular geometry and papillary muscle dysfunction. Ventricular restoration surgery was introduced as a therapeutic option with the hypothesis that improves mitral functioning by reducing left ventricular volumes, papillary muscle distances and restoring cardiac geometry. This work presents a clinical case of a patient with heart failure of necrotic ischemic etiology, who underwent surgery and had ventricular restoration, stem cells and biodegradable collagen matrix. At the two-year follow-up, the patient did not need further hospitalizations due to decompensation, it was observed that the functional class (NYHA) improved from FC III to I. On the other hand, the ejection fraction improved from 20% to 27%, Mitral Insufficiency was reduced from grade IV to grade II presenting complementary studies with improvement in exercise. The results of this case suggest that the miocardial band and the restoration technique based on this model approximate normal cardiac anatomy and physiology, correcting ischemic mitral regurgitation without associating valvular surgery.

Background: The etiology of Takayasu arteritis (TA) is unknown; however, a possible relationship between streptococcal infection and TA has been proposed. This study aimed to identify the clinical features and cardiac valvular involvement in untreated TA patients with an elevated antistreptolysin O (ASO) titer.Methods: In this retrospective study, the clinical characteristics and features of valvular involvement were compared in TA patients with or without an elevated ASO titer.Results: Of the 74 untreated TA patients, 13 patients were found have elevated ASO titers (17.6%). Mitral insufficiency was the most common in patients with elevated ASO (69.2%, 9/13), followed by aortic valve insufficiency (46.2%, 5/13) and tricuspid insufficiency (46.2%, 5/13), which were no significantly different than that in normal ASO group. The proportions of moderate to severe mitral (30.8% vs 1.6%, p = 0.000) and tricuspid valve (15.4% vs 1.64%, p = 0.023) insufficiency in the ASO positive group were significantly higher than those in the ASO negative group. The odds of mitral regurgitation in patients with elevated ASO titers were 3.9 times higher than those in the group with normal ASO titers (p = 0.053, OR = 3.929, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.983-15.694). Furthermore, the risk of moderate to severe mitral insufficiency in patients with elevated ASO titers was 41.6 times higher than that in patients with normal ASO titers (p = 0.002, OR = 41.600, 95% CI: 3.867-447.559).Conclusions: An increase in ASO titer is related to valvular involvement in TA and is closely linked to mitral insufficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) differ with respect to their pump characteristics as described by the pump characteristic curve (also called HQ‐curve). Pressure sensitive LVADs depict a flat characteristic curve while most available LVADs have a steep, less pressure sensitive characteristic curve. This in vitro study investigated the effect of LVAD pressure sensitivity with a focus on the afterload of the right ventricle (RV) which is one out of many factors influencing right heart failure (RHF). To this end, two laboratory pumps differing in pressure sensitivity were tested as LVAD in an established, active mock circulation loop (MCL). The MCL represented patients with left heart failure and mitral insufficiency as another contributing factor to RV afterload. The results show that the pressure‐volume loop (PV‐loop) of the left ventricle (LV) undergoes a leftward and thus somewhat of a downward‐shift for highly pressure sensitive support. Consequently, the LV is unloaded to a higher degree at comparable arterial blood pressure and identical cardiac output, pulmonary and systemic vascular resistance and ventricular contractility. This causes a concomitant decrease of RV afterload. This effect seems to be due to increased unloading during systole. In case of a severe concomitant mitral insufficiency and looking at left atrial pressure, the difference is 18.5%. Without mitral insufficiency, the difference is reduced to 10.2%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inflammatory substances such as interleukins (IL), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and C-reactive protein (CRP) have been demonstrated to play a role in heart failure progression. The aims of this study were two-fold: to investigate the concentration of circulating cytokines in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) in different stages, and to assess the relationship between these substances and cardiac morphology and function. For this purpose, twelve dogs with MMVD (7 stage-B2; 5 stage-C) and nine healthy controls underwent a transthoracic echocardiogram and had their serum concentrations of IL-1β, 4, 6, 10, TNF-α and CRP assessed. Data was submitted to Shapiro-Wilk normality test, groups were compared with ANOVA or Krukal-Wallis test according to distribution, and correlation coefficients were obtained with Spearman test. The IL-1β levels were different (P: 0.0056) between groups. Also, a positive correlation existed between IL-1β and left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (R: 0.56), left atrium-to-aorta ratio (R: 0.63) and echocardiography congestion surrogates. Similarly, IL-4 exhibited moderate-to-strong positive correlation with parameters of cardiac remodeling and congestion, while IL-6 was negatively correlated with the shortening fraction (R: -0.49). As the main conclusion, IL-1(3 levels increases in dogs with MMVD, and even higher levels are observed in overtly symptomatic animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ischemic mitral regurgitation (IMR) is a frequent complication after a myocardial infarction (MI), which doubles mortality. Transcatheter mitral repairs are emerging as alternative treatment options to open heart surgery for IMR, but animal models to test them are lacking. We report a percutaneous swine model of IMR. Seventeen swine were randomized to (group 1, n = 12) MI causing IMR, and (group 2, n = 5) controls. In group 1, MI was induced via percutaneous ethanol injection into the obtuse marginal branches of the left circumflex artery, resulting in ST elevating myocardial infarction. Nine animals were survived to 8-10 weeks with weekly echocardiograms and three swine were survived to 16-20 weeks with MRI at termination. In group 1 animals, average IMR fraction at termination was 26.6 ± 2.3% in the echo group, and 24.51 ± 0.41% in the MRI group. None of the animals in group 2 had IMR. Left ventricular dysfunction and significant dilatation were evident in group 1 animals, compared to the controls. In conclusion, a reproducible model of IMR is reported for use in pre-clinical testing of new mitral technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Mitral regurgitation (MR) is a common valvular disorder that has important health and economic consequences. Standardized guidelines exist regarding when and in whom to perform mitral valve surgery, but little information is available regarding medical treatment of MR. Many patients with moderate or severe MR do not meet criteria for surgery or are deemed to be at high risk for surgical therapy. We reviewed the available published data on medical therapy in the treatment of patients with primary MR. b-blockers and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors had the strongest supporting evidence for providing beneficial effects. b-blockers appear to lessen MR, prevent deterioration of left ventricular function, and improve survival in asymptomatic patients with moderate to severe primary MR. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and angiotensin receptor blocker therapy reduces MR, especially in asymptomatic patients. However, in the setting of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy or mitral valve prolapse, vasodilators can increase the severity of MR. To define the precise role of medical therapy, a larger randomized controlled trial is needed to confirm benefit and assess in which subsets of patients medical therapy is most useful. Medical therapy in some patients improves symptoms, lessens MR, and may delay the need for surgical intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We present here the first literature description of a predominantly cardiac phenotype in a patient homozygous for missense mutation p.R152W in the N-acetylogalactosamine-4-sulfatase (arylsulfatase B, ARSB) gene. An adult Caucasian woman, who displayed very few symptoms up to her late thirties, was diagnosed with mucopolysaccharidosis type VI (MPS VI) after her hospitalization due to acute heart failure originating mainly from valve disease. In addition to her cardiac phenotype some musculoskeletal involvement without other MPS characteristic features were found. Despite the common pharmacologic treatment and implementation of enzyme replacement therapy with galsulfase the patient died at the age of 38years because of decompensation of chronic heart failure. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A 66‐year‐old woman with a history of exertional chest pain was admitted to our hospital. Transthoracic echocardiography displayed an ejection fraction of 71% without regional wall‐motion abnormalities. Transesophageal echocardiography revealed severe mitral regurgitation due to prolapse of P2 scallop with posteromedial papillary muscle (PPM) rupture. Coronary angiography showed 90% stenosis in the left circumflex artery (LCx), and myocardial ischemia without infarction in the lateral wall was observed by means of stress scintigraphy. The surgical inspection and histological finding confirmed diagnosis of P2 scallop prolapse with partial PPM rupture. PPM rupture due to only myocardial ischemia was extremely rare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been suggested that oxygen free radicals (OFR) depress the excitation-contraction coupling in cardiac muscle. It is possible that a decrease in the cardiac contractility in the failing heart may be due to an increased OFR producing activity of polymorphonuclear (PMN) leukocytes. We studied the OFR producing activity (chemiluminescence) of PMN leukocytes from blood in dogs with heart failure due to chronic volume overload. The animals were divided into two groups: I) normal, (n = 10): II) dogs with mitral insufficiency (MI) of 6 to 9 months duration, (n = 10). Hemodynamic studies were done to establish the presence of heart failure. Blood samples were collected to measure PMN leukocyte chemiluminescence. There was a decrease in the cardiac index and index of myocardial contractility (dp/dt/IIP) and an increase in the left ventricular end-diastolic pressure in dogs with MI indicating left ventricular failure. The peak chemiluminescent activity of the PMN leukocytes in blood of dogs with failure was about four folds greater than that in the blood from normal dogs. These results suggest that there may be an increased OFR generation in dogs with volume overload heart failure. The decrease in the myocardial contractility in the failing heart might be due to an increase in the OFR produced by the PMN leukocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: One of the most common causes of mitral chordae rupture is a myxomatous valve disease1,2 that causes acute volume overload and progressive heart failure. We present a patient with severe volume overload due to massive mitral regurgitation and acute glomerulonephritis. The key issue was to determine the precipitating event and which condition should be treated first. Case report: 60-year-old patient with known mitral valve prolapse (MVP) and mild mitral regurgitation (MR) presented himself in a local hospital as acute heart and renal failure. Two months prior hospitalization he had experienced intolerance to physical exertion, orthopnea, night sweats and fever up to 37.5 °C and has received antibiotics due to tonsillopharyngitis. At the time of admission, he was in functional NYHA IV status with acute nephritic syndrome that required intermittent hemodialysis. One week after, the patient was transferred to University Hospital Centre Zagreb in pulmonary edema, hemodynamically unstable, referred as a suspected endocarditis, although blood cultures were sterile. Three-dimensional transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography revealed eccentric hypertrophy of the left ventricle with mild reduction of ejection fraction, left atrial enlargement (100ml), severe MR (regurgitant volume 65ml) from a ruptured chordae with complete inversion of the P1 (and prolapse of other segments). Vegetation as sign of endocarditis of the mitral were not found. Acute renal failure contributed to the volume overload of the left ventricle which caused a strain on the myxomatous mitral apparatus that primarily affected the chordae (Figure 1). Chordae rupture led to massive mitral regurgitation and acute heart failure. After initial stabilization, we tried to establish the cause of acute nephritic syndrome. Ultrasound examination of the kidneys found diffuse hyperechogenic thickening of the parenchyma. After serologic testing and renal biopsy, a rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (GN) (pauci - immune cANCA positive) was diagnosed. Treatment included corticosteroid boluses, cyclophosphamide and plasmapheresis along with intermittent hemodialysis which significantly improved renal function so the patient was prepared for cardiac surgery. The patient underwent a mitral valve replacement with a mechanical valve. Postoperative period went uneventful, except paroxysmal atrial fibrillation successfully treated with electrocardioversion. Pathohistological analysis of the resected valve showed myxomatous degeneration without bacterial infiltration. A six months follow up revealed adequate patient recovery. Conclusion: Acute glomerulonephritis progressed into renal failure, severe volume overload caused chordae rupture of the previously myxomatously altered mitral valve with a consequent development of the “circulus vitiosus”. In order to preserve the renal and cardiac function, glomerulonephritis was treated first and after stabilization, cardiac surgery was performed with an excellent recovery of the patient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Secondary mitral insufficiency is a strong risk factor for death in end-stage cardiomyopathy. The possible correction of mitral regurgitation has now been accepted as an alternative to cardiac transplantation in a special subset of patients. We propose a new surgical approach that consists of implantation of a mitral prosthesis that is smaller than the annulus, and preservation and traction of the papillary muscles to reduce sphericity of the left ventricle. Methods: Between December 1995 and September 2005, 116 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy underwent this procedure, with the following etiologic factors: ischemic (68), idiopathic (43), Chagas disease (3), viral (1), and postpartum (1). The patients were analyzed according to clinical criteria, echocardiographic findings, and morphology of left ventricle. Results: All patients were in an end-stage phase, requiring >2 hospital admissions over the past 3 months, despite receiving full medication. Furthermore, seven were in intensive care unit receiving intravenous drugs or intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation, and one was in cardiogenic shock. Hospital mortality was 16.3% (19/116), yet midterm follow-up showed a relatively flat late survival curve, with evidence of improved clinical status, better echocardiographic parameters, and reduction in ventricular sphericity. Conclusions: The high early mortality rate related to other clinical conditions at the time of surgery. However, the resultant flat survival after this early interval offers a promising long-term therapeutic alternative for the treatment of patients in refractory heart failure with cardiomyopathy that is associated with moderate or severe secondary mitral regurgitation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]