Aim-To determine clear cut echocardiographic criteria for isolated ventricular non-compaction (IVNC), a cardiomyopathy as yet "unclassified" by the World Health Organization. The disease is not widely known and its diagnosis mostly missed. Methods and results-In seven out of a series of 34 patients with IVNC the in vivo echocardiographic characteristics were validated against the anatomical examination of the heart removed after death in four and due to heart transplantation in three patients. Four morphological criteria diagnostic for IVNC were found. (1) Coexisting cardiac abnormalities were absent (by definition). (2) A two layer structure was seen, with a compacted thin epicardial band and a much thicker non-compacted endocardial layer of trabecular meshwork with deep endomyocardial spaces. A maximal end systolic ratio of non-compacted to compacted layers of > 2 is diagnostic. (3) The predominant localisation of the pathology was to mid-lateral (seven of seven patients), apical (six), and mid-inferior (seven) areas. The pathological preparations confirmed the echocardiographic findings. Concomitant regional hypokinesia was not confined to the non-compacted segments. (4) There was colour Doppler evidence of deep perfused intertrabecular recesses. Conclusions-Four clear cut echocardiographic diagnostic criteria were established. It is suggested that the WHO classification of cardiomyopathies be reconsidered to include IVNC as a distinct cardiomyopathy. (Heart 2001;86:666-671)

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Background Turner syndrome ( TS ) is the most common sex chromosome abnormality in women and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. We describe long‐term outcomes in a large cohort of patients with TS . Methods and Results Retrospective review of patients with TS followed at Mayo Clinic Rochester from 1950 to 2017 was performed. Clinical, imaging, surgical, and genetic data were analyzed. Survival analysis was performed with the Kaplan–Meier method using age‐ and sex‐matched Olmsted County residents as the reference group. The study cohort comprised 317 patients with TS . Average age at diagnosis was 9 (range, 2–12) years, genetic testing was performed in 202 (64%), and pure monosomy X was present in 75 (37%). Congenital heart disease occurred in 131 (41%), with the most frequent lesions being bicuspid aortic valve (n=102, 32%) and coarctation of the aorta (n=43, 14%). Ascending aortic dilation was common, with mean aortic root size index 2 cm/m 2 , and aortic dissection occurred in 6 (2%) patients. The average follow‐up was 11 (range, 2–26) years, yielding 3898 patient‐years, and during this period 46 (14%) patients died; mean age at the time of death was 53±17 years. Patients with TS had reduced survival compared with the control group (82% versus 94% at 30 years; P <0.001), and the leading causes of death were cardiovascular disease, liver disease, and malignancy. Conclusions Patients with TS have reduced survival compared with age‐matched controls, and cardiovascular disease is the major cause of death. Further studies are required to determine if targeted cardiovascular risk factor modification will result in improved survival in this population.

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Because of the high prevalence of baffle leaks in adults after atrial switch operations, we propose routine screening with agitated saline contrast, particularly prior to implantation of transvenous pacemaker or defibrillator leads.