Background: The World Alliance Societies of Echocardiography (WASE) Normal Values Study evaluates individuals from multiple countries and races with the aim of describing normative values that could be applied to the global community worldwide and to determine differences and similarities among people from different countries and races. The present report focuses specifically on two-dimensional (2D) left ventricular (LV) dimensions, volumes, and systolic function. Methods: The WASE Normal Values Study is a multicenter international, observational, prospective, crosssectional study of healthy adult individuals. Participants recruited in each country were evenly distributed among six predetermined subgroups according to age and gender. Comprehensive 2D transthoracic echocardiograms were acquired and analyzed following strict protocols based on recent American Society of Echocardiography and European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging guidelines. Analysis was performed at the WASE 2D core laboratory and included 2D LV dimensions, LV volumes, and LV ejection fraction (LVEF) by the biplane Simpson method and global longitudinal strain (GLS). Results: Two thousand eight subjects were enrolled in 15 countries. The median age was 45 years (interquartile range, 32-65 years), 42.8% were white, 41.8% were Asian, and 9.7% were black. LV dimensions and volumes were larger in male subjects, while LVEF and GLS were higher in female subjects. Global

Background-Pulmonary vein stenosis (PVS) is a rare condition that can lead to worsening pulmonary hypertension and cardiac failure in children, and it is frequently lethal. Surgical and transcatheter approaches are acutely successful but restenosis is common and rapid. Methods and Results-We reviewed outcomes among patients who underwent transcatheter pulmonary vein stent implantation for congenital or postoperative PVS at Ͻ18 years of age. A total of 74 pulmonary veins were stented with bare metal, drug-eluting, or covered stents in 47 patients. Primary diagnoses included PVS associated with anomalous venous return in 51%, PVS associated with other congenital cardiovascular defects in 36%, and congenital ("de novo") PVS in 13% of patients. Median age at the time of pulmonary vein stent implantation was 1.4 years. During a median cross-sectional follow-up of 3.1 years, 21 patients died. Estimated survival was 62Ϯ8% at 1 year and 50Ϯ8% at 5 years after pulmonary vein stent implantation. Stent placement acutely relieved focal obstruction in all veins. Of the 54 stents reexamined with catheterization, 32 underwent reintervention. Freedom from reintervention was 62Ϯ7% at 6 months and 42Ϯ7% at 1 year. Stent occlusion was documented in 9 cases and significant in-stent stenosis in 17 cases. Stent implantation diameter Ն7 mm was associated with longer freedom from reintervention (hazard ratio, 0.32; Pϭ0.015) and from significant in-stent stenosis (hazard ratio, 0.14; Pϭ0.002). Major acute complications occurred in 5 cases. Conclusions-Transcatheter stent implantation can acutely relieve PVS in children, but reintervention is common. Larger stent lumen size at implantation is associated with longer stent patency and a lower risk of reintervention. (Circ Cardiovasc Interv. 2012;5:109-117.)

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