Werner G. Daniel
Hannover Medical School
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Featured researches published by Werner G. Daniel.
Circulation | 1991
Werner G. Daniel; R Erbel; W Kasper; C A Visser; Rolf Engberding; G R Sutherland; E Grube; P Hanrath; B Maisch; K Dennig
BackgroundDuring the past few years, transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) has been increasingly used in clinical cardiology; data concerning the practicability and safety of the technique, however, are rare. Methods and ResultsThis report analyzes the experience of 15 European centers performing TEE studies for at least 1 year. At the time of this survey, 10,419 TEE examinations had been attempted or performed in these institutions. These TEE examinations were carried out by 54 physicians, 53.7% of whom had been trained in endoscopic techniques. Within the same time period, 160,431 precordial echocardiographic examinations were performed in the 15 institutions; the ratio between TEE and transthoracic studies averaged 9.03 ± 6.4% (range of the 15 centers, 1.4-23.6%). Of the 10,419 patients, 9,240 (88.7%) were conscious inpatients or outpatients at the time of the TEE examination; the vast majority of the conscious patients did not receive intravenous sedation before TEE. In 201 cases (1.9%), insertion of the TEE probe was unsuccessfully attempted because of a lack of patient cooperation and/or operator experience (98.5%) or because of anatomical reasons (1.5%). In 90 of 10,218 TEE studies (0.88%) with successful probe insertion, the examination had to be interrupted because of the patients intolerance of the echoscope (65 cases); because of pulmonary (eight cases), cardiac (eight cases), or bleeding complications (two cases); or for other reasons (seven cases). One of the bleeding complications resulted from a malignant lung tumor with esophageal infiltration and was fatal (mortality rate, 0.0098%). ConclusionsThis multicenter survey documents that TEE studies are associated with an acceptable low risk when used by experienced operators under proper safety conditions. (Circulation 1991;83:817–821)
Journal of the American College of Cardiology | 1989
Andreas Mügge; Werner G. Daniel; Günter Frank; Paul R. Lichtlen
In 105 patients with active infective endocarditis, disease-associated complications defined as severe heart failure (New York Heart Association class IV), embolic events and in-hospital death were correlated to the vegetation size determined by both transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography. A detailed comparison between anatomic and echocardiographic findings, performed in a subgroup of 80 patients undergoing surgery or necropsy, revealed that true valvular vegetations can be reliably identified by echocardiography in the vast majority of patients; the detection rate was significantly higher for the transesophageal (90%) than for the transthoracic (58%) approach, particularly when infected prosthetic valves were evaluated. However, an accurate echocardiographic differentiation between true vegetations and other endocarditis-induced valve destruction (ruptured leaflets or chordae) is impossible. The correlation of vegetation size with endocarditis-associated complications showed that patients with a vegetation diameter greater than 10 mm had a significantly higher incidence of embolic events than did those with a vegetation diameter less than or equal to 10 mm (22 of 47 versus 11 of 58; p less than 0.01). Particularly for patients with mitral valve endocarditis, a vegetation diameter greater than 10 mm was highly sensitive in identifying patients at risk for embolic events. Vegetation size, however, was not significantly different in patients with and without severe heart failure or in patients surviving or dying during acute endocarditis. In addition, no significant correlation was found between vegetation size and location of endocarditis or type of infective organism.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Journal of the American College of Cardiology | 1988
Werner G. Daniel; Ulrich Nellessen; Eberhard Schröder; Barbara Nonnast-Daniel; Piotr Bednarski; Peter Nikutta; Paul R. Lichtlen
The incidence of left atrial spontaneous echo contrast was evaluated in 52 patients with isolated or predominant mitral valve stenosis (Group 1) and 70 other patients who had undergone mitral valve replacement (Group 2). All patients were studied by conventional transthoracic and transesophageal two-dimensional echocardiography. Spontaneous echo contrast could be visualized within the left atrium in 35 Group 1 patients (67.3%) (including 7 patients with sinus rhythm) and 26 Group 2 patients (37.1%) (all with atrial fibrillation). Patients with spontaneous echo contrast had a significantly larger left atrial diameter and a greater incidence of both left atrial thrombi and a history of arterial embolic episodes than did patients without spontaneous echo contrast. Association between spontaneous echo contrast and left atrial thrombi and a history of arterial embolization (considered individually or in combination) showed a high sensitivity and negative predictive value. It is concluded that spontaneous echo contrast is a helpful finding for identification of an increased thromboembolic risk in patients with mitral stenosis and after mitral valve replacement.
Circulation | 1991
Andreas Mügge; Werner G. Daniel; Axel Haverich; Paul R. Lichtlen
This study was conducted in 46 patients with cardiac thrombi, 15 patients with atrial myxomas, and 32 patients with other cardiac or paracardiac tumors. Diagnoses were subsequently proven by surgery, autopsy, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, or angiography in all patients. All patients underwent precordial and transesophageal two-dimensional echocardiography to assess the various mass detection rates. Atrial myxomas and predominantly left-sided cardiac tumors were identified by both echocardiographic techniques with comparable detection rates. Left ventricular apical thrombi were detected more frequently by precordial echocardiography. In contrast, transesophageal echocardiography was superior in visualizing left atrial appendage thrombi, small and flat thrombi in the left atrial cavity, thrombi and tumors in the superior vena cava, and masses attached to the right heart and the descending thoracic aorta. These data indicate that transesophageal echocardiography leads to a clinically relevant improvement of the diagnostic potential in patients in whom cardiac masses are suspected or have to be excluded in order to ensure the safety of clinical procedures.
American Journal of Cardiology | 1992
Dirk Hausmann; Andreas Mügge; Isolde Becht; Werner G. Daniel
This study compares the value of transthoracic (TTE) and transesophageal (TEE) color Doppler and contrast echocardiography for detecting a patent foramen ovale (PFO). A total of 238 patients were studied: 74 patients with a history of otherwise unexplained ischemic stroke, transient cerebral ischemic attacks or peripheral embolic events (group A), 48 with a history of similar episodes explained by other cardiac abnormalities (group B), and 116 with no embolic events (group C). A PFO was detected by contrast TEE in 50 of 238 patients (21%) compared with 45 patients (19%) by color Doppler TTE. In a subgroup of 198 patients, TEE results could be compared with TTE findings. No patient had a PFO identified by color Doppler TTE. Contrast TTE detected a PFO in 15 patients (8%) compared with contrast TEE which demonstrated a PFO in 44 of 198 patients (22%) (p less than 0.001). Prevalence of PFO by TEE was 22, 21 and 22% in groups A, B and C, respectively. A PFO was present in 50% of patients aged less than 40 years and otherwise unexplained ischemic stroke; this percentage was higher (p less than 0.05) than corresponding values found in all other groups. Thus, contrast and color Doppler TEE are significantly superior to TTE for detecting PFO. The prevalence of PFO is significantly increased in young adults with otherwise unexplained ischemic stroke.
Journal of the American College of Cardiology | 1995
Dirk Hausmann; Andreas Mügge; Werner G. Daniel
OBJECTIVES We sought to analyze the morphologic and functional characteristics of the patent foramen ovale in patients with different clinical likelihoods for paradoxic embolism. BACKGROUND The incidence of patent foramen ovale is increased in patients with otherwise unexplained arterial ischemic events. Because signs of venous thrombosis are absent in most patients, the diagnosis of paradoxic embolism is often questioned, even when patent foramen ovale is the only potential explanation for the ischemic event. METHODS Seventy-eight patients with a patent foramen ovale detected by contrast transesophageal echocardiography were studied: 21 patients with an otherwise unexplained arterial ischemic event and clinical evidence implying paradoxic embolism (group I), 30 patients with an unexplained ischemic event but no clinical evidence for paradoxic embolism (group II) and 27 patients without an ischemic event (group III). RESULTS During transesophageal contrast echocardiography, patients in group I had more severe right to left shunting (mean +/- SD 52 +/- 16% of the left atrial area filled with contrast medium) and a wider opening of the patent foramen ovale (7.1 +/- 3.6-mm separation between the septum primum and the septum secundum) than did patients in group II (35 +/- 15% and 4.4 +/- 3.2 mm, respectively, p < 0.001) or group III (23 +/- 12% and 3.0 +/- 2.0 mm, respectively, p < 0.001). The incidence of atrial septal aneurysm was similar in the three groups. Severe contrast shunting (> or = 50% of the left atrial area filled with contrast medium) and wide opening of the patent foramen ovale (> or = 5-mm separation) revealed a high sensitivity (71% and 86%, respectively) and high specificity (86% and 96%, respectively) for identification of group I patients. CONCLUSIONS Right to left contrast shunting is more severe and opening of the patent foramen ovale is larger in patients with ischemic arterial events considered to be due to paradoxic embolism. In patients with a patent foramen ovale as the only potential cause for ischemic events and no signs of venous thrombosis, morphologic and functional variables assessed by transesophageal echocardiography may be helpful in estimating the likelihood of paradoxic embolism.
Circulation | 1991
Dietrich C. Gulba; Monika Barthels; Mechthild Westhoff-Bleck; Stefan Jost; Wolfgang Rafflenbeul; Werner G. Daniel; Hartmut Hecker; Paul R. Lichtlen
BackgroundIt has been suggested that thrombolysis in a feedback reaction may generate pro-coagulant activities. Methods and ResultsFifty-five patients were treated with urokinase-preactivated pro-urokinase (n = 35) or tissue-type plasminogen activator (n =20) for acute myocardial infarction and underwent coronary angiography at 90 minutes and at 24-36 hours into thrombolysis, and fibrinogen (Ratnoff-Menzie), D-dimer (ELISA) and thrombin-antithrombin III complex levels (ELISA) were measured. Primary patency was achieved in 39 patients (70.9%), 13 of whom (33.3%) suffered early reocclusion. Nonsignificant decreases in fibrinogen levels were observed while D-dimer levels increased +3,008±4,047 gg/l (p<0.01), differences not being significant in respect to the thrombolytic agents or to the clinical course. In contrast, while thrombin-antithrombin III complex levels decreased −4.4 ± 13.0, ug/l in patients with persistent patency, they increased +7.5±13.6 pg/l in case of nonsuccessful thrombolysis (p<0.02) and + 11.9±23.8, g/l in case of early reocclusion (p <0.001). For patients with thrombin-antithrombin III complex levels greater than 6 ng/l 120 minutes into thrombolysis, the unfavorable clinical course was predicted with 96.2% sensitivity and 93.1% specificity. ConclusionGeneration of thrombin, occurring during thrombolysis, is a major determinant for the success of therapy and thrombin-antithrombin III levels may serve as predictors for the short-term prognosis. (Circulation 1991;83:937–944)
Circulation | 1985
Werner G. Daniel; W P Hood; A Siart; Dirk Hausmann; Ulrich Nellessen; H Oelert; Paul R. Lichtlen
The prognostic significance of a preoperative echocardiographic left ventricular end-systolic dimension (ESD) greater than 55 mm and/or fractional shortening (FS) of 25% or less was evaluated retrospectively in 84 patients who had undergone aortic valve replacement for isolated chronic aortic regurgitation due to various causes. Postoperative survival, improvement in symptoms, and echocardiographic evidence of regression of left ventricular dilatation and hypertrophy were compared between patients with a preoperative ESD greater than 55 mm (category 1) and those with an ESD of 55 mm or less (category 2) and between patients with FS of 25% or less (category 3) and those with FS greater than 25% (category 4). Patients in categories 1 and 3 had a higher preoperative left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (EDD) and cross-sectional area than those in categories 2 and 4, respectively, but their preoperative functional impairment (NYHA class) was similar. There were 13 deaths, only two of which (one early, one late) could be attributed to left ventricular dysfunction. In both, FS was 25% or less and in one ESD was greater than 55 mm. There was a weak association without useful positive predictive value between the echocardiographic variables and postoperative death due to all causes. Among 42 patients with a preoperative ESD greater than 55 mm and/or FS of 25% or less, 33 (79%) were alive at a mean follow-up of 29.5 months. Symptoms improved in all categories of survivors, with the postoperative NYHA class being similar between categories 1 and 2 and between categories 3 and 4. Among 48 survivors with high-quality echocardiograms both before and after surgery, EDD fell in all groups but fell to a lesser extent in category 3 than in category 4. Postoperative cross-sectional area fell to the same level in all categories. Follow-up intervals were similar in all categories. We conclude that in patients undergoing aortic valve replacement for chronic aortic regurgitation, a preoperative ESD greater than 55 mm or an FS of 25% or less does not reliably predict early or late death, does not correlate with lack of improvement in symptoms, and does not preclude postoperative regression of left ventricular dilatation and hypertrophy. Thus these echocardiographic criteria alone cannot be used for the timing of surgical intervention in these patients.
American Journal of Cardiology | 1990
Andreas Mügge; Werner G. Daniel; Gunhild Herrmann; Rüdiger Simon; Paul R. Lichtlen
Abstract Color-coded Doppler echocardiography permits visualization of the spatial distribution of flow velocities produced by valvular regurgitation with a high sensitivity. 1 Doppler color flow mapping has been used for simple noninvasive assessment of the magnitude of aortic and mitral regurgitation, and a reasonable agreement between the angiographically estimated grade of aortic or mitral regurgitation and Doppler color flow variables has been reported. 1–3 Doppler color flow mapping is a sensitive and specific technique in detecting tricuspid regurgitation. 4 However, little is known about the assessment of the magnitude of tricuspid regurgitation by color Doppler flow imaging, probably because a reliable reference standard for the assessment of tricuspid regurgitation is lacking. Therefore, we compared various measurements derived from the color Doppler flow imaging with the tricuspid regurgitant fraction obtained by a double thermodilution technique. The study group consisted of cardiac transplant patients who are known to have a high incidence of tricuspid regurgitation without any other valve abnormalities. 5,6
Circulation | 1983
Werner G. Daniel; W Döhring; H S Stender; Paul R. Lichtlen
To determine the value of nondynamic computed tomography (CT) in assessing aortocoronary bypass graft patency, we studied 67 patients with 125 grafts by CT and by coronary angiography at close time intervals. CT scans were performed before and after one to three (average 1.98 ± 0.65) 50-ml i.v. bolus injections of contrast material. Eighty-four of 92 grafts patent at angiography were also visualized by CT (sensitivity 91.3%); 29 of 33 grafts closed at angiography were considered to be occluded by CT (specificity 87.9%). Eleven of 13 grafts demonstrating one or more severe obstructions at angiography were considered to be patent by CT. Interobserver disagreement existed in four of 125 grafts (3.2%) and intraobserver variability was 1.6%. Although nondynamic CT allows a correct assessment of graft patency in many cases, it does not provide sufficient information on graft stenosis and function to replace angiography in patients who are symptomatic after surgery.