No abstract

Left atrial appendage (LAA) dysfunction identified by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is a powerful predictor of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). The aim of our study is to assess if there is a correlation between the left atrial (LA) functional parameter and LAA dysfunction in the AF patients. This cross-sectional study included a total of 249 Chinese AF patients who did not have cardiac valvular diseases and were undergoing cardiac ablation. TEE was performed in all the patients who were categorized into two groups according to their left atrial appendage (LAA) function. A total of 120 of the 249 AF patients had LAA dysfunction. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was conducted to assess the independent factors that correlated with the LAA dysfunction. Different predictive models for the LAA dysfunction were compared with the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The final ROC curve on the development and validation datasets was drawn based on the calculation of each area under the curves (AUC). Univariate and multivariate analysis showed that the peak left atrial strain (PLAS) was the most significant factor that correlated with the LAA dysfunction. PLAS did not show inferiority amongst all the models and revealed strong discrimination ability on both the development and validation datasets with AUC 0.818 and 0.817. Our study showed that a decrease in PLAS is independently associated with LAA dysfunction in the AF patients.

Transverse testicular ectopia (TTE) is a rare congenital anomaly, in which both gonads migrate toward the same hemiscrotum with increased risk of testicular malignancy and associated with various abnormalities. Proper knowledge and imaging techniques are essential in diagnosis. Ultrasonography(USG) offer an easy, safe, and convenient alternative in assessment of TTE. We report a case of 41-year-male with infertility, who presented with left reducible inguinal hernia and right undescended testis. Final diagnosis was confirmed by USG and magnetic resonance imaging(MRI). The embryology, imaging features and USG evaluation of infertility are discussed with review of pertinent literature.