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Skeletonization of BIMA allows one to achieve a higher rate of arterial grafting and better outcome if compared with pedicled BIMA.

Background Several ECG voltage criteria have been proposed for the diagnosis of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). Notably, ECG criteria have been historically validated in concentric LVH but not in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), wherein the hypertrophy pattern is typically asymmetric. Objectives The aim of our study was to evaluate the performance of ECG voltage criteria for LVH diagnosis in the HCM population. Material and methods The electrocardiograms of 92 HCM patients and 41 sex- and age-matched controls were evaluated with the most frequently used ECG voltage criteria for LVH diagnosis. Cardiac magnetic resonance (MRI) was performed in HCM and controls in order to quantify LVH and its distribution. Results In the HCM population, the maximal diagnostic accuracy was achieved by Amplitude total and Amplitude total product criteria (58% for both), while the Cornell Voltage best performed in septal HCM (62%), the Sokolov in aVL and Gubner criteria in apical HCM (79% for both) and the Cornell Voltage and Product in anterior HCM (86% for both). All the ECG voltage criteria showed a poor correlation with left ventricular mass and maximal thickness measured by cardiac MRI. Conclusions In our study, only a few ECG voltage criteria used for the detection of LVH in clinical practice showed an acceptable performance in the HCM population. Further studies are needed to clarify the role of ECG for LVH detection in HCM patients.

Coronary artery fistulas are rare abnormal connections between a coronary artery and a cardiac chamber or a major vessel. Often, they are asymptomatic and the diagnosis is accidental. The case we present is the incidental finding of a fistula displayed with echocardiography during acute coronary syndrome (ACS). A 73-year-old man presented in the emergency room for non-ST-elevation ACS. Echocardiogram showed in a parasternal short axis view an abnormal diastolic flow inside the ventricular inferior wall. Angiography and CT confirmed the diagnosis of coronary fistula from the right coronary into the left ventricular cavity. A literature analysis with discussion about coronary fistulas classification and management was also performed.

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