Background and Objectives: Intracardiac electrocardiograms (ECGs) from the coronary sinus (CS) provide important information for identifying a left-sided bypass tract. However, a previous study revealed an anatomical discrepancy between the CS and mitral annulus (MA) in cadaver hearts. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the anatomical relationship between the CS and MA in the living body...

BACKGROUND Long-term intake of long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs), especially eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) is associated with a low risk for cardiovascular disease. Phase-contrast cine cardiovascular magnetic resonance (PC cine CMR) can assess coronary flow reserve (CFR). The present study investigates the relationship between CFR evaluated by PC cine CMR and the serum EPA. ...

BACKGROUND Adults with an atrial septal defect (ASD) frequently develop late atrial arrhythmias. We sought to characterize the pattern and persistence of atrial electrical remodeling caused by chronic right atrial (RA) stretch in this group. METHODS AND RESULTS Thirteen ASD patients without atrial arrhythmia (42+/-10 years old; RA volume, 65+/-16 mL) and 17 normal control subjects (44+/-11 ye...

BACKGROUND Atrial fibrillation (AF) frequently complicates congestive heart failure (CHF). However, the electrophysiological substrate for AF in humans with CHF remains unknown. We evaluated the electrophysiological and electroanatomic characteristics of the atria in patients with CHF. METHODS AND RESULTS Twenty-one patients (aged 53.7+/-13.6 years) with symptomatic CHF (left ventricular ejec...

BACKGROUND Congenital anomalies of the venous system are rare, involve the inferior vena cava (IVC), a persistent left superior vena cava (PLSVC), and the left hepatic vein (LHV), and can make cardiac diagnostic and therapeutic procedures difficult. CASE PRESENTATION We present a 67-year-old woman without heterotaxy syndrome associated with interruption of the left IVC that continued with the...

OBJECTIVE Biventricular pacing has demonstrated improvement in cardiac function in treating congestive heart failure (CHF). Two different operative strategies (coronary sinus vs. epicardial stimulation) for left ventricular (LV) pacing were compared. METHODS Since April 1999, a total of 86 patients (pts, age: 63+/-10 years) with depressed systolic LV function (mean ejection fraction 24+/-9%),...

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES Implantation of electrodes via the coronary sinus (CS) can be very challenging because access to the target vessel is restricted by anatomical obstacles. Consequently, prior knowledge of coronary venous anatomy is crucial. The objective of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of hyperemic venous return angiography relative to that of occlusive retrograde venogra...

AIMS The atrioventricular (AV) septal junction includes the coronary sinus (CS) and the compact part of the AV node and its posterior extensions. It has been recognized as the target site for ablation therapy of the AV nodal reentrant tachycardia and its variant forms. Despite the clinical significance of this region, the arrangement of the musculature in the AV septal junction, including the C...

BACKGROUND The effects of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) on coronary artery disease have been previously reported; however, those of the addition of EPA to strong statins on coronary plaque components and local inflammatory cytokines are not known. METHODSANDRESULTS A total of 95 patients who had been treated with strong statin for at least 6 months were randomized into 2 groups: an EPA group (a...

BACKGROUND The anatomical variants of the relations of the left circumflex artery (LCx) andthe coronary sinus (CS) determine the safety of percutaneous mitral annuloplasty (PMA) as an occlusion of the LCx and its consequences might occur in some cases. Thus, knowledge ofthe anatomy of cardiac anatomy and any variations are important for surgeons. METHODS In 320 (126 women, age 59 ± 11) patien...