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Barth syndrome is a rare genetic disease caused by abnormal cardiolipin metabolism, characterized by high mortality within 5 years of diagnosis due to heart failure and/or infectious complications. This article describes a clinical case of an adult patient with Barth syndrome. The peculiarities of the course of the disease are described, including the transformation of the hypertrophic type of cardiomyopathy into the hypokinetic type as the patient grew older. This article demonstrates the difficulty in selecting the optimal treatment of a patient with Barth syndrome in real clinical practice, in the absence of clearly prescribed recommendations and pathogenetic therapy.

The article presents a clinical case of heart failure associated with the anthracycline-containing antitumor therapy in a breast cancer patient with an initially low risk of developing cardiovascular complications.

Aim: To evaluate the effect of Sacubitril/Valsartan (S/V) on the functional status, systolic and diastolic function of the left ventricle (LV), tolerability of therapy and to determine predictors of its effectiveness in patients with cancer therapy-related heart failure (СTRHF)., Materials and Methods: Forty patients 58 [46; 65.5] years of age with HF associated with anthracycline-containing cancer therapy were enrolled. Clinical examination, echocardiography, and assessment of potassium and creatinine levels were performed at baseline and after 6 months of S/V therapy., Results: NYHA functional class (FC) improvement was observed in 22 (64.7%) patients. Radiation therapy (RT) decreased (OR 0.091; 95% CI 0.01-0.83; p =0.03) while baseline low LV EF increased (OR 9.0; 95% CI 1.78-45.33; p =0.008) the odds of FC improvement. LV EF increased from 37.3 [30; 42.5] % to 45 [38; 48] % ( p <0.0001) and exceeded 50% in 7 (20.6%) patients. The odds of LV EF recovery increased when S/V therapy was initiated ≤1 year after anthracycline therapy (OR 10.67; 95% CI 1.57-72.67; p =0.0016) and decreased in patients with the history of RT (OR 0.14; 95% CI 0.02-0.89; p =0.0037) and in patients over 58 years (OR 0.07; 95% CI 0.01-0.68; p =0.022). LV diastolic function improvement included E/e' descent from 13.6 [10; 18.3] to 8.9 [6.9; 13.7] ( p =0.0005), and decrease in diastolic dysfunction grade in 18 (45%) patients ( p =0.0001). No significant change in serum potassium (4.45 [4.2; 4.8] versus 4.5 [4.3; 4.8]; p =0.5) and creatinine (75.4 [67.6; 85.1] versus 75.5 [68.2; 98.3]; p =0.08) levels were observed., Conclusion: S/V therapy is associated with improvement of EF, systolic and diastolic LV function, demonstrates a favorable tolerability profile in patients with СTRHF. Lack of RT and low baseline LV EF increased the odds of LV EF improvement; lack of RT, early (≤1 year) start of treatment after discontinuation of anthracycline therapy, and age <58 years increased the odds of LV EF recovery.

Aim      To evaluate a possibility of using radiofrequency catheter ablation guided by intracardiac echocardiography (ICE), its efficacy and safety for treatment of ventricular tachycardia (VT) of various etiology.Material and methods  Catheter intervention was performed for 20 enrolled patients with symptomatic VT. Ablation procedures were guided by a 3D electroanatomical mapping system and ICE.Results Mean duration of the procedure was 201.2±62.5 min. The procedure was successful (non-inducibility of VT) in 100% of cases. None of the patients had postoperative complications.Conclusion      Ablation of VT arrhythmogenic substrate guided by 3D electroanatomical navigational mapping and ICE without X-ray is feasible and safe.

The article summarizes the current experience of the nuclear medicine department of the Chazov National Medical Research Center of Cardiology in the implementation of myocardium scintigraphy with 99mTc-pyrophosphate with the differential diagnosis of the types of cardiac amyloidosis. Causes of false-positive, equivocal and non-diagnostic results, are analyzed. Possible ways to eliminate mistakes, including by modifying protocols of planar and tomographic research and optimizing the whole diagnostic algorithm for amyloidosis of the heart, are discussed.

Currently the incidence of congestive heart failure after ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) tends to increase. Reperfusion therapy is still the only effective method to reduce an infarct size. Therefore, there is a high unmet need of novel cardioprotective treatments that would improve outcomes in such patients. Recent advances in cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) methods enabled the identification of certain new infarct characteristics associated with the development of heart failure and sudden cardiac death. These characteristics can help identify new groups of high risk patients and used as a targets for novel cardioprotective treatments. This part of the review summarizes novel CMR-based characteristics of myocardial infarction and their role in the prognostic stratification of STEMI patients.

Currently, the world is constantly increasing the number of people with obesity. As was shown by the Framingham study, obesity is a risk factor for many cardiovascular diseases. The effect of obesity on the structure and function of the heart is manifested in the form of cardiac remodeling, the effect on energy metabolism in the heart and infiltration of both myocardium with lipids, and an increase in the accumulation of adipose tissue in the pericardium, imbalance of adipokines and activation of inflammatory markers. Cardiac remodeling occurs primarily due to thickening of the left ventricle (LV) walls and an increase in the LV myocardium mass. Systolic dysfunction of the heart is less common in obese individuals compared with diastolic dysfunction. However, more modern methods (tissue Doppler, visualization of the deformation of the chambers of the heart strain imaging) reveal a subclinical decrease in systolic function in people with obesity. It is not fully known whether obesity is associated with systolic dysfunction, regardless of other risk factors. In any case, it has been proven that heart failure in people with obesity can develop independently of other risk factors. As an illustration, we give an example when the presence of obesity and concomitant pathology (arterial hypertension, diabetes) led to the development of systolic dysfunction with a decrease in the LV ejection fraction to 35% (fat cardiopathy), which show the potential for the influence of both obesity itself and in combination with concomitant diseases to lead to severe systolic heart failure.

Recently, the role of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (cardiovascular magnetic resonance) in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease and acute myocardial infarction has increased significantly. This method is defined as the gold standard for differentiation between ischemic vs non-ischemic and acute vs chronic myocardial injury. This part of the review summarizes the main methods of cardiovascular magnetic resonance, its safety, indications and contraindications.

Aim To evaluate factors associated with unfavorable predictive characteristics of ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI) as per data of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).Material and methods The study included 52 patients with STEMI who underwent a primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI). Contrast-enhanced cardiac MRI was performed for all patients on days 3-7. Delayed contrast-enhancement images were used for assessing infarct size, presence of microvascular obstruction (MVO) areas, and heterogeneity zones.Results Multifactorial analysis showed that independent predictors of MVO were type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) (relative risk (RR) 1.9, confidence interval (CI): 1.1-3.26, р=0.012), increased levels of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) (RR 2.04, CI: 1.39-2.99, р=0.004) and creatine kinase (CK) (RR 2.06, CI: 0.52-0.80, р=0.02), and infarct size (IS) (RR 2.81; CI: 1.38-5.72, р=0.0004). Construction of ROC curves provided the quantitative values of study indexes, at which the risk of MVO increased. For BNP, this value was ≥276 pg/ml (sensitivity, 95.7 %; specificity, 37.9 %); for CK ≥160 U/l (sensitivity, 74.1 %; specificity, 61.9 %); and for IS ≥18.8 % (sensitivity, 79.3 %; specificity, 69.6 %). Correlation analysis of risk factors for increased size of the heterogeneity zone showed significant correlations of the heterogeneity zone size with older age of patients (r=0.544, р&lt;0.0001), higher concentrations of BNP (r=0.612, р&lt;0.0001), CK (r=0.3, 95 % CI: 0.02-0.5, р=0.03), and C-reactive protein (CRP) (r=0.59, CI: 0.3-0.7, р=0.0001). Increased levels of CK (r=0.53, 95 % CI: 0.29-0.70, р=0.0001) and BNP (r=0.55, 95 % CI: 0.28-0.70, p=0.0003) significantly correlated with increased IS.Conclusion Risk of MVO formation as per MRI data increased in the presence of type 2 DM and IS ≥18.8 % (р&lt;0.05). Formation of MVO in patients with STEMI was associated with increased levels of BNP ≥276 pg/ml and CK ≥160 U/l (р&lt;0.05). Increased levels of BNP, CK, and CRP were associated with a larger size of heterogeneity zone according to data of the correlation analysis. A larger heterogeneity zone was more typical for older patients. Increased levels of CK and BNP were also associated with larger IS. The correlation analysis did not show any significant interactions between the size of heterogeneity zone, IS, and MVO size (р&gt;0.05).

Aim: To perform comparative analysis of right ventricular (RV) structure and function in patients with various cardiovascular diseases using modern echocardiographic technologies in comparison with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)., Materials and Methods: The study included 85 patients. Group 1 consisted of 32 patients with idiopathic pulmonary hypertension (IPH) (mean age 35.910.2 years). Group 2 included 27 patients with arterial hypertension (AH) grade 3 (mean age 58.612.3 years). Group 3 consisted of 26 patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) (mean age 56.115.3 years). Control group included 28 healthy volunteers (mean age 38.710.9 years). The main method was transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) using modern technologies, such as three-dimensional echocardiography (3DE), tissue Doppler imaging (TDI), and speckle tracking echocardiography (STE). In some patients and healthy volunteers 3DE data were compared with MRI data., Results: Patients with IPH and CHF had minimal RV ejection fraction (EF) both according to 3DE and MRI. Correlation analysis revealed close correlation between RV volumes and EF according to 3DE and MRI. Minimal values of systolic indicator STV according to TDI were observed in patients with CHF. In all groups, including control group, the highest values of STV were obtained at the level of the basal segments and the lowest values at the level of apical segments. STE revealed the same pattern as TDI. According to STE minimal RV strain was observed in IPH and CHF groups and significantly differed not only from control group, but also from AH group., Conclusion: The lowest values of RV EF and strain were observed in IPH and CHF groups. There were no significant differences in these indicators between the groups, that dictates the need for thorough assessment of RV structure and function not only in patients with precapillary, but also with postcapillary pulmonary hypertension. The results of the study confirm good comparability of 3DE and MRI in assessing RV volumes and EF.

LEOPARD syndrome with multiple lentigines (cardiomyopathic lentiginosis) is a rare, genetically predetermined disease with autosomal dominant inheritance. Prevalence of this syndrome is unknown. One of pathognomonic clinical manifestations of this syndrome is the presence of multiple lentiginous pigment spots all over the body. The most common cardiac manifestation (approximately 80%) is myocardial hypertrophy. We presented a rare clinical case of detecting LEOPARD syndrome with multiple lentigines in a 32-year old female patient with major manifestations evident as pronounces morpho-functional alterations, myocardial hypertrophy, and heart rhythm disorders.

Catheter ablation is presently the main method for interventional treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF). Despite improvements of the method and accumulation of personnel's experience, incidence of recurrent AF following catheter interventions remains high. This review addresses a possibility of using contrast-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance imaging to increase the effectiveness of interventional treatment of arrhythmia.

Aim: to work out an approach of preoperative drug preparation for CAD patients with low LVEF and varying degrees of compensation for CHF, to study the possibility of using levosimendan (L) in this preparation., Materials and Methods: We studied 82 patients with severe angina pectoris, multivascular coronary disease, extensive postinfarction zone, LVEF ≤35%, chronic heart failure and proven viable myocardium, which performed CABG. All patients received long - term standard CHF therapy before surgery: loop diuretic, ACE/ARA, beta - blocker, aldosterone antagonist. In the first, retrospective part of the study (39 pts), it was determined which factors could be associated with perioperative AHF. In the second, prospective part (43 pts), the course of the operation and the early postoperative period in patients with compensated and uncompensated heart failure were compared; uncompensated pts received L 2 days before surgery in addition to standard therapy. The third, retro - prospective part of the study (37 pts) was the assessment of operation outcome in patients only with uncompensated pre - operative CHF, but with different preoperative drug preparation., Results: Statistically significant direct influence on the perioperative AHF development was provided by the combined clinical sign - venous pulmonary congestion+orthopnea (p.

Purpose: Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies were performed on healthy individuals to establish signal intensity thresholds for reproducible left atrial (LA) patchy LGE detection. Using established criteria, differences in LA patchy LGE between healthy volunteers (HV) and patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) or hypertension were analyzed., Methods: Fifty-three patents with AF (mean age 56 years, 60% men), 25 patients with hypertension and no history of AF (mean age 54 years, 40% men), and 28 HV (mean age 50 years, 52% men) were enrolled in an observational, non-interventional, case-control prospective study. LA patchy LGE quantification was performed using LGE MRI (1.5 T scanner, voxel size 1.25x1.25x2.5 mm) and the custom-built software based on estimation of LA voxel image intensity ratio and comparison with threshold value obtained from HV data., Results: Based on analysis of healthy individuals' data, the optimal threshold value for the left atrial patchy LGE quantification was determined at 1.38. Patients with AF had a higher extent of LA patchy LGE (9.1 [1.72; 18.58] %) than patients with hypertension (3.81 [0.57; 9.51] %) and HV (0.78 [0.05; 3.5] %). The predominant location of LA patchy LGE in AF was in the pulmonary vein ostia region, in hypertension - LA posterior wall, and in HV - lower part of LA posterior wall. In AF patients, the extent of LA patchy LGE correlated with LA end-diastolic volume (r=0.37) and LA ejection fraction (r=-0.4), in HV - with age (r=0.66) and LA end-diastolic volume (r=0.4)., Conclusion: AF and hypertension are associated with higher extent and different location of LA patchy LGE compared to changes caused by natural aging. The extent of LA patchy enhancement correlates with LA dilatation.

Alterations of heart rhythm are a common clinical event. They can be caused by almost any kind of heart disorder. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common type of abnormal heart rhythm. Prevalence of AF in the general population is 1-2%, and given that AF incidence rate continues to increase it can be predicted that the number of patients will be doubled within the next 50 years. This review provides the most recent diagnostic and treatment methods, including both unique domestic antiarrhythmic drugs and non - drug methods for AF treatment which were developed and implemented in clinical practice at NMRC of Cardiology of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation.

Takayasu arteritis belongs to the group of systemic vasculitis with a predominant lesion of large - caliber vessels and the development of stenosis of their lumen. In world practice, to establish the diagnosis of arteritis Takayasu apply the criteria proposed by the American College of rheumatologists. Currently, there are no randomized clinical trials related to the disease, and the diagnosis and treatment of patients are based on a number of small studies, a series of clinical cases and expert opinion. The described clinical observation of a patient with Takayasu arteritis is of interest in connection with the detected atrial myocarditis during MRI diagnosis of the heart with contrast, which allows us to discuss the feasibility of this imaging technique in complex and doubtful cases.

Aim: to assess the diagnostic meaning of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) in various clinical forms of myocarditis., Materials and Methods: 11 (8 men, mean age 32.8±11.1 years) patients (pts), hospitalized with suspected acute coronary syndrome, while an acute myocardial infarction was excluded during the examination (group I); 48 pts (31 men, 43.1±12.7 years), with clinical and instrumental signs of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) - group II; and 20 patients (12 men, 39.5±14 years), with episodes of ventricular tachycardia (group III) underwent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI). In 38 patients endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) was performed., Results: According to EMB, signs of active myocarditis were revealed in 10 (34.5%) group II pts and in 3 (37.5%) group III pts; signs of resolved myocarditis - in 8 (27.6%) patients in group II and in 3 (37.5%); minimal morphological changes - in 11 (37.9%) patients of group II and in 2 (25%) patients of group III. In 9 (81.9%) patients of group I MRI data allowed to establish the diagnosis of acute myocarditis. Signs of active inflammation from MRI data were detected in myocardium 5 (10.4%) in group II pts and 7 (35%) in group III pts. In 22 (45.8%) pts in group II and 10 (50%), CMR data corresponded to the picture of resolved myocarditis. In 21 (43.8%) cases of group II and 3 (15%) of group III, MRI revealed minimal structural changes. In pts with clinical and instrumental signs of DCM and/or ventricular tachycardia MRI allows to identify signs of &quot;active myocarditis&quot; with a sensitivity of 37.5% with a specificity of 83.4%. At the same time, in cases of resolved myocarditis and minimal morphological changes MRI has high sensitivity (70 and 71.5%) and specificity (71.5 and 75%, respectively)., Conclusion: CMR has high diagnostic significance in patients with infarct-like course of myocarditis. In patients with clinical syndrome of dilated cardiomyopathy or arrhythmias, the sensitivity of MRI in detecting active myocarditis is low (37.5%) with high specificity (83.4%). In cases of minimal structural changes in the myocardium and resolved inflammation, CMR is a good alternative to EMB.

Background: In the recent years, there has been an increasing number of publications postulating that data on left atrial (LA) structure obtained by late gadolinium enhancement magnetic resonance imaging (LGE MRI) can improve the management of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). At the same time, similar data regarding healthy LA myocardium is limited., Aim: To assess structural and functional properties of LA in healthy volunteers (HV) using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) (including LGE MRI); to compare these properties in patients with AF and HV., Materials and Methods: We included in this study 53 patients with AF (28 without signs of cardiovascular disease, 28 with hypertension) and 23 HV of similar age. All enrolled persons underwent MRI. Cine-MRI was used to assess end diastolic volume of LA (LA EDV), LA ejection fraction (LA EF), left ventricular diastolic index (LV DI). High resolution LGE MRI was performed 15-20 min after gadoversetamide injection using IR 3D gradient echo pulse sequence with fat saturation (TI 290-340 ms, TE 2.44 ms, TR 610-1100ms). On obtained images LA was segmented semiautomatically. LA fibrosis quantification was performed using developed software LGE Heart Analyzer. The extent of fibrosis was represented as percent of LA myocardium volume. Fibrosis location was determined on reconstructed rotating 3D LA model., Results: Compared with patients HV had lower LA EDV (59 [54; 78] ml and 79 [65.5; 86.6] ml, р=0.043, respectively), higher LA EF (56.1 [49; 63.2] % and 44.5 [34.5, 54.5] %, р=0.03, respectively), and lower extent of LA fibrosis (0.7 [0.05; 3.5] % and 9.1 [1.7; 18] %, р.

Aim: To identify the features of myocardial scar and fibrosis associated with the occurrence of malignant ventricular tachyarrhythmias (VTs) in high-risk patients with ischemic (ICMP) and non-ischemic cardiomyopathy (NICMP)., Materials and Methods: This prospective study included 50 patients (41 men, 9 women), age = 60 ± 13 years, 30 patients of them with ICMP and 20 patients with NICMP, who underwent echocardiography (Echo) and contrast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the heart followed by implantation of cardioverter-defibrillators (ICD) or resynchronizing devices with defibrillator (CPTD) to prevent sudden cardiac death., Results: Sustained VTs were reported in 20/30 (67%) patients with ICMP and in 5/20 (25%) patients with NICMP on follow-up [26 (22-37) months]. Successive univariate and ROC-analyses of Echo and MRI-indices between patients with and without recurrence of VTs found different results for ICMP and NICMP patients groups. In ICMP patients the VTs were associated with wide transmural fibrosis on contrast MRI that covered 3 or more segments of left ventricular. These segments were preferably localized in the middle parts of the inferior and inferolateral segments of the left ventricle. The independent predictors of VTs in NICMP patients were non-transmural fibrosis at 4.5% of the left ventricular mass by contrast MRI as well as low left ventricular ejection fraction (less than 26%) by Echo., Conclusion: To determine the indications for implantation of the ICD and CRTD for primary prevention of sudden cardiac death, it is advisable to take into account not only the value of ejection fraction of left ventricular, but also the features of the fibrosis of the left ventricle by contrast MRI of the heart.

Background: in the recent years, there has been an increasing number of publications postulating that data on left atrial (LA) structure obtained by late gadolinium enhancement magnetic resonance imaging (LGE MRI) can improve the management of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). At the same time, similar data regarding healthy LA myocardium is limited., Aim: to assess structural and functional properties of LA in healthy volunteers (HV) using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) (including LGE MRI); to compare these properties in patients with AF and HV., Materials and Methods: We included in this study 53 patients with AF (28 without signs of cardiovascular disease, 28 with hypertension) and 23 HV of similar age. All enrolled persons underwent MRI. Cine-MRI was used to assess end diastolic volume of LA (LA EDV), LA ejection fraction (LA EF), left ventricular diastolic index (LV DI). High resolution LGE MRI was performed 15-20 min after gadoversetamide injection using IR 3D gradient echo pulse sequence with fat saturation (TI 290-340 ms, TE 2.44 ms, TR 610-1100ms). On obtained images LA was segmented semiautomatically. LA fibrosis quantification was performed using developed software LGE Heart Analyzer. The extent of fibrosis was represented as percent of LA myocardium volume. Fibrosis location was determined on reconstructed rotating 3D LA model., Results: Compared with patients HV had lower LA EDV (59 [54; 78] ml and 79 [65.5; 86.6] ml, р=0.043, respectively), higher LA EF (56.1 [49; 63.2] % and 44.5 [34.5, 54.5] %, р=0.03, respectively), and lower extent of LA fibrosis (0.7 [0.05; 3.5] % and 9.1 [1.7; 18] %, р.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the level of anti-1-adrenergic receptor autoantibodies in patients with ventricular arrhythmias with no signs of organic heart disease and with presence of cardiovascular pathology in comparison with a group of healthy volunteers., Material and Methods: The study included 44 patients with ventricular arrhythmias with no signs of organic heart disease ("idiopathic"), 34 patients with diagnosed dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) of inflammatory origin, 35 patients with coronary heart disease and ventricular arrhythmias, 12patients with coronary heart disease with no ventricular arrhythmias, and 19 healthy volunteers (control group). The level of autoantibodies against the 1-adrenergic receptor was determined by the developed competitive cell-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and by the standard ELISA using peptides corresponding to the second extracellular loop of the 1-adrenergic receptor., Results: Elevated level of autoantibodies detected by a competitive cell-based ELISA was observed in 62% of patients with DCM compared to 21% of healthy volunteers (p=0.0006). In patients with "idiopathic" ventricular arrhythmias, the level of 1-adrenergic receptor autoantibodies was lower than in healthy subjects (p=0.003). Coronary heart disease patients with or without ventricular arrhythmias exhibited no differences from the control group. The number of significantly positive signals in peptide-based ELISA did not exceed 10% in any of the groups. No correlation between the data from competitive cell-based ELISA and peptide-based ELISA was found., Conclusions: This study demonstrated that competitive cell-based ELISA technique can be applied for detection of 1-adrenergic receptor autoantibodies. The results in DCM patients generally correspond to the expected. Decreased level of autoantibodies in patients with "idiopathic" ventricular arrhythmias indicates that this disease is related to changes in the immune system. Such relation is not observed in the case of coronary heart disease patients.

We report a case of bundle-branch reentrant ventricular tachycardia as a first and severe manifestation of myotonic dystrophy. Progressive cardiac conduction disturbances and cardiac arrhythmias are well-known features of myotonic dystrophy, although they are commonly found in late stage of disease in patients with established diagnosis. We review clinical manifestations, diagnostics, management, and prognostic value of cardiac involvement in myotonic dystrophy.

Cardiac involvement is a well-known feature of neuromuscular diseases. Most commonly cardiac manifestations occur later in the course of the disease. Occasionally severe cardiac disease, including conduction disturbances, life-threatening arrhythmias, and cardiomyopathy, with its impact on prognosis, may be dissociated from peripheral myopathy. We report a case of bundle branch reentrant ventricular tachycardia as primary manifestation of myotonic dystrophy and discuss associated diagnostic and treatment challenges.

Purpose: to assess status of myocardial energy metabolism in patients with different etiology of left ventricular hypertrophy by phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) compared with healthy individuals., Methods: The study included 94 people: 30 healthy volunteers (group 1), 35 patients with arterial hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy (group II), 29 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (group III). All persons underwent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and MRS on high field MR scanner. Energy metabolism index (ratio of phosphocreatine and adenosine triphosphate concentrations [Pcr/ATP]) was used for evaluation of myocardial energy metabolism., Results: Values of Pcr/ATP were 2.11 ± 0.29, 1.65 ± 0.12, and 1.32 ± 0.16 in groups I, II, and III, respectively (p < 0.05)., Conclusion: 31P MRS is an effective tool of detection of disordered energy metabolism in hypertrophic myocardium. Combined use of MRI and MRS can become an effective method of comprehensive study of the heart.

Changes of atrial structure and function are the contributors of atrial fibrillation clinical course, complications and treatment effectiveness. Effects of inflammation and mechanical stretch on atrial structural remodeling leading to atrial fibrillation are reviewed in the article. Contemporary invasive and non-invasive methods of evaluation (including late gadolinium enhancement magnetic resonance imaging) of patients with atrial structural remodeling in atrial fibrillation are also described.

Objective: To estimate the left ventricular (LV) energy index from the data of 31P-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P-MRS) in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) versus healthy individuals., Subject and Methods: The investigation included 46 persons, including 30 healthy volunteers (Group 1) without cardiovascular diseases and 16 patients with HCM (Group 2). All the persons underwent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and 31P-MRS using a high-field Achieva 3T TX MRI scanner (Philips, Netherlands). ISIS location and adiabatic pulse with iterative shimming were used to collect data., Results: The PC/ATP energy index (a phosphocreatine to adenosine triphosphate ratio) was employed to evaluate myocardial energy metabolism in the patients with HCM. The PC/ATP index was 2.08 +/- 0.35 in Group 1 and 1.32 +/- 3.3 in Group 2 (p < 0.05)., Conclusion: 31P-MRS may be used to determine the myocardial energy metabolism in patients with HCM.

Magnetic Resonant spectroscopy (MRS) in the nuclei of phosphorus is the only noninvasive method of studying the state of myocardial energy metabolism does not require the introduction of radiopharmaceuticals. This method uses the signals from the nuclei of 31P contained in such mattered phosphates like phosphocreatine and adenosine triphosphate. MRS can provide an answer to a variety of theoretical and clinical issues in the study of various cardiac diseases. The first is ischemic heart disease, as well as heart failure, hypertrophy of various origins, etc. In addition, the method can be used to control the various treatments, including therapeutic, interventional or surgical. Combined with magnetic resonance imaging of the heart gives information on the anatomy, size, function, perfusion defects, structural changes of the myocardium, as well as about the state of energy metabolism of myocardium.

The left ventricular non-compaction (spongy cardiomyopathy) is a rare, poorly known pathology. Disease according to WHO classification applies to unclassified cardiomyopathy. Clinical picture is nonspecific. Diagnosis is established by means of instrumental techniques such as echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging. Spongy cardiomyopathy usually affects the left ventricle, right ventricular failure occurs much less frequently. We present a description of the disease in 18 years old girl with signs of myocardial infarction and non-compaction of both (left and right) ventricles.

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is an acute cardiac syndrome that mimics ST segment elevation myocardial infarction. It is characterized by transient local contractility disturbances as akinesis of the apical and middle segments of the left ventricle concurrent with hyperkinesis of its basal portions in the absence of significant coronary artery changes. A description of 2 clinical cases and a review of literature on this rare myocardial disease are given.

Idiopathic (primary) pulmonary hypertension (IPH) is a rare disease of unknown etiology, which is characterized by elevated pulmonary artery pressure, increased total pulmonary vascular resistance, frequently a malignant course with evolving right ventricular decompensation, and a fatal outcome. The diagnosis of IPH is established on the increments in the mean resting and exercise pulmonary artery trunk pressure by more than 25 and more than 30 mm Hg at rest and during exercise, respectively, with a normal pulmonary artery wedge pressure. Endothelin receptor antagonists (ERA) are one of the effective classes of drugs for the treatment of patients with IPH. Bosentan is the first drug from the ERA class that blocks the receptors of both types and that has been recommended by the WHO to treat patients with functional class II-IV pulmonary hypertension. The described case demonstrates the possibility of concomitantly using bosentan in a female patient with IPH shortly after ineffective treatment with a calcium antagonist.

Left ventricular (LV) noncompaction (NC) is a rare form of cardiomyopathy which initially was diagnosed by transthoracic echocardiography (EchoCG). This paper presents description of 15 patients with diagnosis of LVNC. Aim of the study was to compare results of EchoCG with data of magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) of the heart in diagnosis of LVNC. We used the following EchoCG criteria of LVNC: (1) two layer structure of thickened LV wall with ratio of noncompacted to compacted layers more or equal 2, (2) numerous, excessively prominent trabeculations with deep intertrabecular recesses, (3) intertrabecular discontinuity on color doppler flow imaging. It was established that in assessment of ratio of noncompacted and compacted layers both methods were informative and can replace or supplement each other in diagnosis of LVNC.

We present our own experience of assessment of effect of cell therapy on functional state of the myocardium in patients with lowered contractile capacity of the left ventricular myocardium. Intracoronary administration of stem cells in acute myocardial infarction is a safe method of treatment. It does not cause additional damage of the myocardium and does not provoke appearance of malignant arrhythmia. Cell therapy does not affect global left ventricular function. Data we have obtained demonstrate tendency to improvement of myocardial contractile function in dynamics in the majority of studied patients, including patients of the comparison group. This most probably indicates that the given process has been caused by restoration of blood flow to surviving cardiomyocytes after transluminal coronary angioplasty and improvement of function. Confirmation of participation of administered cells in myocardial contraction and improvement of perfusion requires further clinical investigations.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is contraindicated to some patients with certain types of metallic devices and implants (e.g. cerebral surgical clips, defibrillators). There are some controversies concerning safety of MRI in patients with metallic coronary stents in cases when MRI examination is performed earlier then one month after stent implantation. Analysis of published data has shown that MRI performed with systems having field strength up to 3 Tesla does not cause migration and heating of both bare and coated stent and is not associated with increased risk of coronary artery thrombosis. MRI can be performed safely in first days after coronary stent implantation. Small local artifacts on MRI images do not influence interpretation of the data (except for cases of coronary magnetic resonance angiography).

Aim: To compare different techniques of calculation of left ventricular myocardial mass (LVMM) by one-, two- and three-dimentional echocardiography (EchoCG) and by MRT., Material and Methods: We calculated LVMM by formulas Penn-cub and modified ASE in one-, two- and three-dimentional EchoCG regimes and MRT; evaluated structural-geometrical characteristics of the left ventricle at various stages of hypertension in 53 hypertensive patients (42 males and 11 females)., Results: Mean LVMM values calculated according to two formulas in one-dimentional regime did not differ significantly but were higher than in two- and three-dimentional regimes. LVMM value according to three-dimentional EchoCG was closer to the results of the summation estimation in MRT., Conclusion: Conventional EchoCG methods of LVMM calculation in M-regime (Penn-cub, ASE) overestimate the results. Most compatible with three-dimentional EchoCG results are those of EchoCG in two-dimentional regime (area-length).

Aim: To elucidate feasibility of the absolute myocardial blood flow (MBF), total coronary resistance (TCR), and myocardial blood flow reserve (MBFR) quantification using MRI in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD)., Material and Methods: A total of 19 patients with angiographically documented CAD and 9 healthy subjects were studied by MRI using double-slice saturation-recovery Turbo-FLASH sequence for monitoring myocardial first pass kinetics of Gd-DTPA-BMA at rest and during hyperemia (dipyridamole 0.56 mg/kg). The signal intensity curves were acquired within ROI for perfusion beds of the three main coronary arteries (LAD, LCX and RCA) and left ventricle cavity. Eighty five myocardial segments were included in final analysis (group 1 - supplied by <> coronary arteries, n=26; group 2 - supplied by arteries with non-significant diameter stenoses <50%, n=27; group 3 - supplied by arteries with significant stenoses >/=50%, n=32). Sixteen segments were revascularized subsequently (PCI or CABG). One-compartment model and slope-method were used for flow calculation. Myocardial and blood signal intensities were converted to concentration of Gd-DTPA-BMA according to the <> calibration curve., Results: MBF was similar in groups at baseline (group 1 - 0.98+/-0.54, group 2 - 1.24+/-0.53 and group 3 - 1.28+/-0.48 ml/g/min) but significantly lower in group 3 during hyperemia (2.57+/-1.23, 2.99+/-1.14 vs. 1,79+/-0.94 ml/g/min, p<0.05). MBFR (the ratio of flow during hyperemia to flow at baseline) was significantly lower in group 3 than in groups 2 and 1 (1.4+/-0.7 vs. 2.7+/-1.3 vs. 2.9+/-1.2, respectively, p<0.01). Receiver-operator characteristic analysis of MBFR (value /=50%). TCR (mean arterial pressure divided by flow) significantly decreased (78.8+/-42.2 vs. 41.3+/-17.3 mm Hg ґ min ґ g/ml, p<0.01), MBF accordingly increased (1.61+/-0.77 vs. 2.58+/-0.91 ml/g/min, p<0.01) during hyperemia and MBFR <> (1.3+/-0.6 vs. 3.0+/-1.3, p<0.00l) in myocardial segments after revascularization., Conclusion: Absolute MBF and MBFR calculation by first-pass contrast perfusion MRI are feasible in patients with CAD before and after revascularization.

Twenty four hour blood pressure (BP) monitoring was carried out and structural state of left ventricular myocardium assessed in 20 patients with mild and moderate hypertension before and after 24 weeks of therapy with Hyzaar - fixed dose combination of losartan (50 mg) and hydrochlorothiazide (12.5 mg). According to data of 24-hour BP monitoring the use of Hyzaar was associated with lowering of diurnal (by 26.9/17.2+/-3/2 mm Hg, p<0.001), nocturnal (by 32.6/18.9+/-3/2 mm Hg, p<0.001), pulse (p<0.001) BP, and rate of morning systolic BP rise (p<0.05), decrease of nocturnal systolic and diastolic BP variability, and improvement of 24-hour BP rhythm. Trough/peak coefficients for systolic and diastolic BP (70 and 76%, respectively) reflected sufficient and steady hypotensive effect throughout 24 hours after single dose of Hyzaar. Target BP level was achieved in 70% of patients. At the background of 24-week treatment with Hyzaar left ventricular myocardial mass index significantly decreased (from 120.1+/-3.5 to 108.6+/-3.1 g/m2, D=11.5+/-1.0, p<0.001) and became normal in 60% of patients. Correlation analysis revealed independence of cardioprotective action of therapy from its hypotensive activity. Thus therapy with Hyzaar produced hypotensive and cardioprotective effects which were independent from each other.

Aortic elasticity was studied in aged patients with mild and moderate arterial hypertension using magnetic resonance imaging. The analysis of changes in cross section area (CSA) of the ascending aorta in systole has shown that in some patients maximal CSA occurs in different systolic phases while in the other patients CSA remains unchanged. Calculation with the elasticity rate proved that patients with maximal aortic diameter at the beginning of the systole have maximal aortic elasticity while those with minimal changes in aortic diameter in the course of the systole have minimal elasticity. Thus, in aged patients with mild and moderate essential hypertension aortic wall loses its elasticity to different extent. Further studies will specify clinical and pathogenetic implications of reduced aortic elasticity in arterial hypertension.