Ersoy Isik

P wave dispersion predicts recurrence of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation in patients with atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia treated with radiofrequency catheter ablation.

Background: Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) recurs in up to one‐third of patients with atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) treated with slow pathway ablation. Therefore, identification of patients at risk for recurrence of AF after slow pathway ablation is important because of the necessity for additional therapies. The purpose of this study was to determine whether successful slow pathway ablation influences P wave parameters and whether these parameters predict the recurrence of paroxysmal AF in patients with both AVNRT and paroxysmal AF after ablation.

Effects of Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention on P Wave Dispersion

Background: Several studies demonstrated that P wave dispersion (PWD) increased after coronary occlusion. The effect of primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) on PWD needs to be elucidated.

Woven Right Coronary Artery: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Woven coronary artery is an extremely rare and is still not a clearly defined coronary anomaly in which epicardial coronary artery is divided into multiple thin channels at any segment of the coronary artery, and subsequently, these multiple channels merge again in a normal conduit. A few cases have been reported till now. In this case report, we present a 58‐year‐old male with a woven right coronary artery. Copyright

Prognostic significance of electrocardiographic abnormalities in diphtheritic myocarditis after hospital discharge: a long-term follow-up study.

Objective: We aimed to investigate the long‐term cardiac mortality and the relationship between cardiac mortality and electrocardiographic abnormalities in patients with diphtheritic myocarditis who survived after hospital discharge.

The Impact of Preinfarction Angina on Electrocardiographic Ischemia Grades in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction Treated with Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Objective: Grade 3 ischemia (G3I) is defined as ST elevation with distortion of the terminal portion of the QRS (emergence of the J point >50% of the R wave in leads with qR configuration, or disappearance of the S wave in leads with an Rs configuration). Patients with G3I on the presenting electrocardiogram (ECG) had worse prognosis than the patients with lesser (grade 2‐G2I) ischemia. The aim of this study is to examine the effects of preinfarct angina (PIA) on electrocardiographic ischemia grades.

A Case of Pneumopericardium Following Endomyocardial Biopsy

Abstractu2003 Pneuomopericardium is a very rare condition, less common than isolated pneumothorax or pneumomediastinum. Since it can occasionally cause pericardial tamponade, prompt recognition and treatment of this condition is lifesaving. Up to now only one case of isolated pneumopericardium after endomyocardial biopsy has been reported in a two‐month boy with a dilated cardiomyopathy of unknown origin. In the current case, we report a 25‐year‐old man who underwent orthotopic heart transplantation three years ago in whom isolated pneumopericardium occurred following endomyocardial biopsy performed via right internal jugular vein.

Left Ventricular Function in Male Patients with Secondary Hypogonadism

Background: In addition to the effects on ventricular repolarization, testosterone could also affect left ventricular performance. The enhancement of left ventricular contractility in testosterone‐deficient rats following testosterone replacement implies to the possible testosterone effect. Objectives: The aim of the current study is to reveal the alterations of left ventricular functions, if any, in secondary hypogonadal male patients. Methods: Thirty‐four males with secondary hypogonadism comprised the study group. The control group consisted of 30 healthy subjects. Echocardiographic measurements including left ventricular dimensions, ejection fraction, mitral inflow, and left ventricular outflow parameters were obtained from all subjects. Tissue Doppler parameters were also measured from left ventricular lateral wall and interventricular septum. Results: Left ventricular diameters, wall thicknesses, and performance parameters were similar in both groups. Mitral inflow parameters showed a statistically insignificant difference. Pulse‐wave tissue Doppler interpretation of hypogonadal and healthy subjects were similar in terms of lateral and septal basal segment Sm, Em, and Am wave velocities. Conclusions: Regarding the findings of previous studies that showed impaired myocardial contractility and lusitropy in testosterone deficient rats and our study results, further studies are needed for better understanding of testosterones effects on human myocardium.

Does Coronary Artery Size Really Matter

Objective: To evaluate ischemia in right ventricle (RV) in patients with small caliber of right coronary artery (RCA). Patients and Methods: The study population consisted of 60 consecutive patients undergoing coronary angiography within 3 months. The patients were divided into three different groups according to lumen diameter of RCA and coronary dominance. Group 1, 2, and 3 consisted of patients with small diameter of RCA, dominant RCA, and dominant circumflex artery, respectively. RV ischemia was assessed by using pulse‐wave tissue Doppler sampling obtained from RV free wall close to the lateral tricuspid annulus at the apical four‐chamber view during dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE). Results: When the mean systolic velocity percentages of increase from low to peak dose dobutamine in patients with small RCA were compared to those of other groups, statistically significant difference was found between group 1 and the other groups (P = 0.007 for group 1 vs group 2; P = 0.01 for group 1 vs group 3). The mean systolic velocity at peak dobutamine dose of patients with small caliber of right coronary artery was statistically lower than the other groups (P = 0.001 for group 1 vs group 2, P < 0.001 group 1 vs group 3). Conclusions: There are a group of patients with small diameter of RCA causing probable ischemia in RV and small caliber of RCA can really matter in these patients.

A New Echocardiographic Index for Assessing Left Ventricular Function and Mechanism of Mitral Regurgitation and Its Relation to Other Echocardiographic Indices

Objective: Mitral regurgitation (MR) is a progressive disease of the mitral valve, which can be primary or functional. The assessment of left ventricular function in MR is still troublesome. In this study, we evaluated the validity of a new parameter, total dt, in patients with MR. Methods: Forty patients with severe MR constituted the study group. According to the transesophageal echocardiographic evaluation, the patients were dichotomized into two groups: (1) Primary MR; n = 21, (2) Functional MR; n = 19. The total dt was defined as the sum of time intervals from 1 ms to 3 ms (positive dt) and from 3 ms to 1 ms (negative dt) on the CW Doppler recording of MR jet. It was compared to other indices of left ventricular function and left ventricular geometry, including ejection fraction, fractional shortening, myocardial performance index, coaptation distance, left ventricular volume and diameter, sphericity index, and parameters of diastolic function. Result: The total dt correlated with myocardial performance index, coaptation distance, and sphericity index. It could differentiate between primary and functional MR with an area under curve of 0.878, followed by myocardial performance index with 0.860. The total dt > 104 ms was 79% sensitive and 81% specific for discrimination. Conclusion: The total dt is useful for assessing left ventricular function and also for differentiating primary MR from functional MR.