Purpose The purpose of this study was to quantify variations in the heart, pericardium, and left ventricular myocardium (LVM) caused by cardiac movement using the breath-hold technique. Patients and methods In this study, the electrocardiography-gated four-dimensional computed tomography (CT) images of 22 patients were analyzed, which were sorted into 20 phases (0-95%) according to the cardia...

To determine the better method of measuring pericardial constraint, pericardial pressure was recorded by a liquid-filled open-ended catheter and a liquid-containing flat balloon in six open-chest anesthetized dogs. Left ventricular pressure was measured by a micromanometer-tipped catheter and left ventricular anteroposterior diameter was measured by sonomicrometry. Left ventricular end-diastoli...

Fig. 1. A chest computed tomography showed a 5.5 4.5 cm sized, homogeneous, non-enhancing cystic mass with a well-defined border, situated beside the left pericardium superior to the diaphragm (A, B). Thoracoscopic view of the cyst, located at the left cardiophrenic angle which was adherent to the diaphragm and pericardium anterior to the phrenic nerve. The wall was smooth and somewhat transpar...

X' On opening the chest the right lung was found most prominent and it was covering the heart and extending over to the left side of the chest. The left lung was not evident as the pericardium was full of blood and most of the lower part of the cavity of the left side of the chest was occupied by the pericardium. On opening the pericardium and removing the blood I found that the heart was ruptu...

OBJECTIVES Immune reaction against the α-Gal(Galα1,3-Galβ1-4GlcNAc-R) epitope is known to be one of the important factors for calcification of bioprostheses. The genetically manipulated α-Gal knock-out (KO) mice lacking the α-Gal epitope and containing anti-α-Gal antibodies may simulate an immune response against xenoantigens in primates including humans. The aims of this study were (i) to comp...

We evaluated the effect of altered loading conditions on left ventricular (LV) diastolic pressure-volume relations during acute coronary artery occlusion that was produced by inflation of an intracoronary balloon. Open-chest anesthetized dogs (n = 18) were instrumented so that LV pressure (micromanometer) and LV volume (conductance) could be measured without disturbing the pericardium. The effe...

Introduction: In this paper, our objective was to compare the decellularized and conventional pericardium mechanical resistance and also its capability of inducing inflammatory response in an animal experimental model. Methods: In order to study these properties, we divided the pericardia into two groups: Group I pericardium conventionally treated with GTA and Group II – pericardium previously ...

Glutaraldehyde fixed patch grafts of bovine pericardium were implanted in myocardial windows in young (3-4 months old) sheep. The samples were retrieved after one to three weeks for study with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive x-ray microanalysis (EDX). A layer of porous material (pseudoneointima, PNI), consisting mostly of a dense mesh of fibers interspersed with blood c...

Normal pericardium consists of an outer sac called fibrous pericardium and an inner one called serous pericardium. The two layers of serous pericardium: visceral and parietal are separated by the pericardial cavity, which contains 20 to 60 mL of the plasma ultrafiltrate. The pericardium acts as mechanical protection for the heart and big vessels, and a lubrication to reduce friction between the...

BACKGROUND Right ventricular (RV) dilatation that occurs as a consequence of RV infarction is thought to produce hemodynamic instability by reducing left ventricular (LV) preload and compliance. We hypothesized that these geometric changes may also adversely affect LV systolic performance. METHODS AND RESULTS Twelve 40-kg pigs were studied. Integrated conductance catheters and micromanometers...