The aim of the investigation was to assess the time course of structural-and-functional and spatiogeometric changes following drug correction of euthyroidism in patients with diffuse toxic goiter and to determine prospects for restoring the cardiac functional reserve after elimination of thyrotoxicosis. The geometric parameters of the left ventricle (LV) and the readings of tissue Doppler echocardiography and exercise tests were compared in 27 female patients (mean age 53.3±9.2 years) who had thyrotoxicosis and 6 months after thyrosole-induced normalization of thyroid-stimulating and thyroid hormone. There were significant increases in myocardial mass and peak systolic and diastolic mitral ring motion rates and an increasing trend for LV linear sizes after correction of euthyroidism. Despite the fact that there were no significant differences in the majority of LV geometric parameters, with euthyroidism achievement, the cardiac functional reserve doubled as compared with the baseline values (105.7±11.4 and 57.8±14.7 W, respectively; p < 0.001), but remained below the control level (148.7±11.7 W; p < 0.05), which may contribute to the development of heart failure in future under certain conditions.

Aim. To compare effectiveness of ultrasound, radiological and invasive methods for assessing aortic valve (AV) stenosis.Material and methods. This study included 33 patients with AV stenosis. The mean age of the patients was 71,8±6,8 years. All patients underwent standard and three-dimensional echocardiography, computed tomography, and cardiac catheterization.Results. According to two-dimensional echocardiography, the AV area averaged 0,58±0,21 mm2, according to cardiac catheterization — 0,61±0,17 mm2, according to three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography — 1,13±0,42 mm2, and according to multislice computed tomography 0,88±0,48 mm2. The difference between the values was significant (p<0,05).Conclusion. For routine diagnosis of AV stenosis, two-dimensional echocardiography is the optimal research method. With indications for radical treatment methods, three-dimensional echocardiography or multislice computed tomography should be performed.

Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Background. As a rule, cardiac computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are undertaken in the supine position, and in the majority of cases, the ideal position for echocardiography is the left lateral position with the left arm raised above the head. Changing the position of the body from supine to lateral shifts the apex of the left ventricle by 1.5 cm. At the same time, the base of the heart does not alter its position. We evaluated how altering body position can affect visualization of the left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT). Aim. The purpose of this study is to examine was whether the changing of body position modifies the shape of LVOT. Methods. The study enrolled 12 patients, 2 of them had aortic valve stenosis. All these patients underwent 3D echocardiography, for 5 patients cardiac computed tomography with intravenous contrast, and for 7 patients cardiac MRI was undertaken. The LVOT shape was assessed by measuring the long and short diameter and calculating its ratios. Results. On the lateral positioning of the body, there was not observed any changes in the short diameter of the LVOT by cardiac CT and 3D echocardiography. However, the large diameter of the LVOT by cardiac CT and MRI is 1.27± 0.09 mm. In addition, on the supine position, this ratio was 1.24± 0.08 mm, p &lt; 0.005. Conclusion. An alteration in the shape of the LVOT, in particular, is due to the large diameter of the LVOT. The large diameter modifies the shape of LVOT without changing its area.