Dissertation (Ph.D.)--University of South Florida, 2009. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references. Also available online.

Οι καρδιαγγειακές παθήσεις αποτελούν την κύρια αιτία θανάτου στις αναπτυγμένες χώρες. Η στένωση σε μία αρτηρία, είτε αυτή προκαλείται από μία πάθηση όπως το ανεύρυσμα, είτε προκαλείται από μία περίδεση, όπως στις περιπτώσεις των συγγενών καρδιοπαθειών, μπορεί να μεταβάλλει σε σημαντικό βαθμό τα χαρακτηριστικά της ροής του αίματος. Η μελέτη της φυσιολογικής παλλόμενης ροής μέσα από στένωση είναι ιδιαίτερα σημαντική για τη διάγνωση και αντιμετώπιση των αγγειακών νόσων. Το ιατρικό πρόβλημα το οποίο εξετάζουμε στην παρούσα εργασία, είναι η στένωση της πνευμονικής αρτηρίας από περίδεση. Η περίδεση γίνεται προφανώς για να μειωθεί η υψηλή αρτηριακή πίεση και τελικά η ροή του αίματος προς τους πνεύμονες. Πρόκειται για μία χειρουργική μέθοδο αντιμετώπισης συγγενών καρδιοπαθειών. Η περίδεση της πνευμονικής αρτηρίας (pulmonary artery banding - PAB) είτε με συμβατικό τρόπο, ή με την πλέον σύγχρονη μέθοδο μέσω της συσκευής FloWatchTM προκαλεί τη στένωσή της. Με τον συμβατικό τρόπο η στένωση μπορεί να θεωρηθεί αξονικά συμμετρική, ωστόσο με τη χρήση του FloWatchTM είναι μη αξονικά συμμετρική. Έχει αποδειχθεί ότι τόσο η αξονικά συμμετρική, όσο και η μη συμμετρική περίδεση δημιουργεί διαφόρου βαθμού ίνωση του τοιχώματος της πνευμονικής αρτηρίας. Η αναδόμηση της πνευμονικής αρτηρίας είναι πολύ ηπιότερη στην περίπτωση της περίδεσης με το FloWatchTM. Η διαφοροποίηση αυτή έγκειται κυρίως στο ότι η συμβατική περίδεση προκαλεί για συγκεκριμένη μείωση της διατομής ισχυρότερη μείωση της περιμέτρου της διατομής από εκείνης της περίδεσης με το FloWatchTM. Στην παρούσα εργασία γίνεται αναφορά και ανάλυση των διαφόρων περιπτώσεων ροής σε στενώσεις αρτηριών, των συγγενών καρδιοπαθειών και των τεχνικών περίδεσης της πνευμονικής αρτηρίας. Επιπρόσθετα, μελετήθηκαν και υπολογίστηκαν η μόνιμη και η παλλόμενη ροή σε αξονικά συμμετρική 25% στένωση προκαλούμενη από συμβατική περίδεση, καθώς και η μόνιμη και παλλόμενη ροή σε μη συμμετρική 25% στένωση της πνευμονικής αρτηρίας όπως προκαλείται από το FloWatchTM, μέσω των πακέτων Fluent και Gambit. Η υπολογιστική μελέτη του πεδίου ροής περιλαμβάνει την κατανομή ταχυτήτων, τον προσδιορισμό των περιοχών ανακυκλοφορίας, την κατανομή των πιέσεων και την σύγκριση των παραπάνω μεγεθών με τα αντίστοιχα αποτελέσματα της βιβλιογραφίας. Τέλος, με βάση τα αποτελέσματα γίνεται η σύγκριση των δύο μελετούμενων μεθόδων περίδεσης. Αριθμητικά ρεαλιστικά δεδομένα ελήφθησαν από την καρδιοχειρουργική κλινική του νοσοκομείου Παίδων «Αγία Σοφία». / Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in developed countries. A stenosis in an artery , caused either by a disease such as an aneurism or by a banding (such as in congenital diseases) can change the characteristics of the blood flow very seriously. The study of the physiological pulsatile flow through a stenosis is very important for the diagnosis and treatment of the arterial diseases. The medical problem which is examined in this study is pulmonary artery stenosis caused by a banding. The banding takes place to reduce the high arterial pressure and finally the blood flow from the heart to the lungs. It is a surgical method used for treatment of congenital heart diseases. The pulmonary artery banding either with the use of the conventional method or the most modern with the use of the FloWatchTM technology causes stenosis of the artery. With the conventional method, stenosis can be considered axially symmetrical while with the use of FloWatchTM it is asymmetrical. It has been proven that both the axially symmetrical and asymmetrical banding cause fibrosis of the pulmonary artery walls of different degrees. The reconstruction of the pulmonary artery is milder where there is banding with FloWatchTM. This differentiation is based mainly on the fact that the conventional banding causes, for a specific decrease of the cross-section, a decrease in the perimeter of the cross-section higher than that of banding with FloWatchTM. In this assignment there is a report of different cases of flow in arterial stenosis, in congenital heart diseases and pulmonary banding techniques. In addition what was studied and appreciated was the steady and pulsatile flow in axially symmetrical 25% stenosis caused by the conventional banding, as well as the steady and pulsatile flow in asymmetrical 25% stenosis of pulmonary artery caused by FloWatchTM with the use of Fluent and Gambit. The numerical study of flow distribution includes velocity distribution, designation of back flow area, distribution of pressure and comparison of these quantities with the results in bibliography. Finally, based on the results, there is a comparison of the two banding methods under study. The numerical realistic data were received from the cardio-surgical clinic of children’s hospital “Aghia Sophia”.

A Tomografia Computadorizada Dual-Source (TCDS) é uma tecnologia de imagem que permite a visualização da estenose coronária de uma maneira não-invasiva. Estudos recentes demonstraram uma alta acuracia deste teste diagnóstico, quando comparado ao padrão de referência, a angiografia coronária invasiva (ACI). O objetivo deste trabalho foi sintetizar as evidências de acurácia desta tecnologia por meio de uma revisão sistemática e uma síntese quantitativa (meta-análise) e avaliar possíveis diferenciais de acurácia relacionados aos seguintes subgrupos de pacientes: com frequência cardíaca elevada, arritmias cardíacas, escore de cálcio elevado e índice de massa corporal (IMC) elevado. Foi realizada uma busca bibliográfica nas bases de dados MEDLINE e LILACS no período de janeiro de 2000 a outubro de 2009. Foram selecionados estudos em inglês, espanhol e português que comparassem a TCDS com a ACI em pacientes com suspeita ou doença arterial coronariana (DAC) e que permitissem a extração de dados suficientes para a construção de uma tabela 2X2. Três avaliadores independentes extraíram as características dos estudos e resultados, com as divergências resolvidas por consenso. Foram incluídos 20 estudos na revisão sistemática, que utilizaram três unidades de análise: paciente, vaso e segmento arterial. Nas unidades de análises paciente, vaso e segmento arterial, os valores das sensibilidades sumárias foram respectivamente de 98% (IC de 95%, 96% a 99%), 94% (IC de 95%, 89-% a 97%) e 93% (IC de 95%, 89% a 95%) e das especificidades sumárias foram respectivamente 84% (IC de 95%, 76% a 89%), 92% (IC de 95%, 87% a 95%) e 96% (IC de 95%, 91% a 98%). Também foi avaliada a acurácia nos subgrupos de pacientes com frequência cardíaca elevada e escore de cálcio aumentado. Na análise por subgrupos de pacientes, a sensibilidade e especificidade se mantiveram altas em pacientes com frequência cardíaca elevada 93% (IC de 95%, 90% a 95%) e 98% (IC de 95%, 95% a 99%), respectivamente. Já em pacientes com elevada calcificação (> 400 unidades de agatston) a especificidade diminuiu bastante, caindo para 79% (IC de 95%, 25% a 98%). A evidência disponível aponta para uma elevada acurácia da TCDS para a detecção da estenose coronária. Entretanto, a população que mais se beneficiaria desta tecnologia população com dor torácica e risco intermediário de DAC geralmente não esteve incluída nos estudos. Foram incluídos pacientes com alta probabilidade pré-teste da doença, já que os estudos foram realizados usualmente em centros de referência, com indivíduos com indicação prévia de angiografia coronária invasiva / Dualsource computed tomography (DSCT) is an imaging technology that enables the visualization of coronary artery stenosis in a non-invasive way. Earlier studies showed high accuracy compared to conventional coronary angiography. The aims of this study were to evaluate the evidence of this technology using a meta-analytic process and its accuracy in different subgroups such as patients with high heart rates, arrhythmia, increased calcium score and high body mass index. A search of the literature in MEDLINE and LILACS was performed and articles published between January 2000 and October 2009. Studies in English, Spanish and Portuguese that compared DSCT with conventional coronary angiography performed for all patients and included sufficient data for compilation of 2 X 2 tables were included. Three investigators independently extracted the characteristics of the studies and differences were settled by consensus. Twenty studies were included in the systematic review, using three units of analysis: patient, vessels and segment. Analysis of patients, vessels and segments yielded a sensitivity of 98% (95% CI, 96% to 99%), 94% (95% CI, 89% to 97%) and 93% (95% CI, 89% to 95%) and a specificity of 84% (95% CI, 76% to 89%), 92% (95% CI, 87% to 95%) and 96% (95% CI, 91% to 98%), respectively. We also analyzed the accuracy of DSCT in subgroups of patients with high heart rate and increased calcium score. The analyses of patients subgroups demonstrated that sensitivity and specificity remained high in patients with high heart rate 93% (CI 95%, 90% to 95%) and 98% (CI 95%, 95% to 99%), respectively. In patients with increased calcium score (> 400 Agatston units) the specificity declined significantly, falling to 79% (95%, 25% to 98%). The available evidence points to a high accuracy of DSCT for the detection of coronary artery stenosis. However, the population who might benefit from this technology - individuals with chest pain and intermediate risk of coronary artery disease, CAD have not generally been included in the retrieved studies since the studies were usually conducted in reference centers where patients usually have an indication for invasive coronary angiography, and consequently a high pretest probability of CAD

A Tomografia Computadorizada Dual-Source (TCDS) é uma tecnologia de imagem que permite a visualização da estenose coronária de uma maneira não-invasiva. Estudos recentes demonstraram uma alta acuracia deste teste diagnóstico, quando comparado ao padrão de referência, a angiografia coronária invasiva (ACI). O objetivo deste trabalho foi sintetizar as evidências de acurácia desta tecnologia por meio de uma revisão sistemática e uma síntese quantitativa (meta-análise) e avaliar possíveis diferenciais de acurácia relacionados aos seguintes subgrupos de pacientes: com frequência cardíaca elevada, arritmias cardíacas, escore de cálcio elevado e índice de massa corporal (IMC) elevado. Foi realizada uma busca bibliográfica nas bases de dados MEDLINE e LILACS no período de janeiro de 2000 a outubro de 2009. Foram selecionados estudos em inglês, espanhol e português que comparassem a TCDS com a ACI em pacientes com suspeita ou doença arterial coronariana (DAC) e que permitissem a extração de dados suficientes para a construção de uma tabela 2X2. Três avaliadores independentes extraíram as características dos estudos e resultados, com as divergências resolvidas por consenso. Foram incluídos 20 estudos na revisão sistemática, que utilizaram três unidades de análise: paciente, vaso e segmento arterial. Nas unidades de análises paciente, vaso e segmento arterial, os valores das sensibilidades sumárias foram respectivamente de 98% (IC de 95%, 96% a 99%), 94% (IC de 95%, 89-% a 97%) e 93% (IC de 95%, 89% a 95%) e das especificidades sumárias foram respectivamente 84% (IC de 95%, 76% a 89%), 92% (IC de 95%, 87% a 95%) e 96% (IC de 95%, 91% a 98%). Também foi avaliada a acurácia nos subgrupos de pacientes com frequência cardíaca elevada e escore de cálcio aumentado. Na análise por subgrupos de pacientes, a sensibilidade e especificidade se mantiveram altas em pacientes com frequência cardíaca elevada 93% (IC de 95%, 90% a 95%) e 98% (IC de 95%, 95% a 99%), respectivamente. Já em pacientes com elevada calcificação (> 400 unidades de agatston) a especificidade diminuiu bastante, caindo para 79% (IC de 95%, 25% a 98%). A evidência disponível aponta para uma elevada acurácia da TCDS para a detecção da estenose coronária. Entretanto, a população que mais se beneficiaria desta tecnologia população com dor torácica e risco intermediário de DAC geralmente não esteve incluída nos estudos. Foram incluídos pacientes com alta probabilidade pré-teste da doença, já que os estudos foram realizados usualmente em centros de referência, com indivíduos com indicação prévia de angiografia coronária invasiva / Dualsource computed tomography (DSCT) is an imaging technology that enables the visualization of coronary artery stenosis in a non-invasive way. Earlier studies showed high accuracy compared to conventional coronary angiography. The aims of this study were to evaluate the evidence of this technology using a meta-analytic process and its accuracy in different subgroups such as patients with high heart rates, arrhythmia, increased calcium score and high body mass index. A search of the literature in MEDLINE and LILACS was performed and articles published between January 2000 and October 2009. Studies in English, Spanish and Portuguese that compared DSCT with conventional coronary angiography performed for all patients and included sufficient data for compilation of 2 X 2 tables were included. Three investigators independently extracted the characteristics of the studies and differences were settled by consensus. Twenty studies were included in the systematic review, using three units of analysis: patient, vessels and segment. Analysis of patients, vessels and segments yielded a sensitivity of 98% (95% CI, 96% to 99%), 94% (95% CI, 89% to 97%) and 93% (95% CI, 89% to 95%) and a specificity of 84% (95% CI, 76% to 89%), 92% (95% CI, 87% to 95%) and 96% (95% CI, 91% to 98%), respectively. We also analyzed the accuracy of DSCT in subgroups of patients with high heart rate and increased calcium score. The analyses of patients subgroups demonstrated that sensitivity and specificity remained high in patients with high heart rate 93% (CI 95%, 90% to 95%) and 98% (CI 95%, 95% to 99%), respectively. In patients with increased calcium score (> 400 Agatston units) the specificity declined significantly, falling to 79% (95%, 25% to 98%). The available evidence points to a high accuracy of DSCT for the detection of coronary artery stenosis. However, the population who might benefit from this technology - individuals with chest pain and intermediate risk of coronary artery disease, CAD have not generally been included in the retrieved studies since the studies were usually conducted in reference centers where patients usually have an indication for invasive coronary angiography, and consequently a high pretest probability of CAD

Introdução – Pouco se publicou na literatura médica a respeito de projeções angiográficas dedicadas às anatomias especiais. Neste cenário, propomos uma projeção angiográfica para a exposição da bifurcação do tronco da artéria coronária esquerda (TCE) quando o conjunto de projeções rotineiras previamente utilizadas foi ineficaz para exibir com clareza essa região. Pacientes e Métodos – 84 pacientes foram submetidos à projeção Lateral Direita (90-120°) associada a Cranial (30-40°). Estudo de reprodutibilidade, realizado com a participação de dois observadores independentes, julgou a eficácia da projeção proposta. O índice kappa, ajustado para a prevalência e viés (PABAK) com IC de 95%, foi utilizado para demonstrar a intensidade da concordância inter e intraobservador: ≤ 0,20 = ruim, 0,21 – 0,40 = fraca, 0,41 – 0,60 = moderada, 0,61 – 0,80 = substancial e 0,81 – 1,0 = quase perfeita. Resultados – A projeção proposta foi eficaz em 79% dos angiografias com concordância de 0,76 (0,6 – 0,9; P ≤ 0,001). A origem e o segmento proximal da artéria coronária descendente anterior foram expostos em 89% com concordância de 0,86 (0,7 – 1,0; P ≤ 0,001), a origem e o segmento proximal da artéria circunflexa foram expostos em 83% com concordância de 0,72 (0,5 – 1,0; p ≤ 0,001) e a origem e o segmento proximal do ramo intermediário, quando presente, foram expostos em 89% com concordância de 0,79 (0,6 – 1,0; p ≤ 0,001). Conclusão – A projeção proposta é eficaz, segura e reproduzível. Em situações especiais, onde projeções rotineiras falham, essa poderá exibir detalhes importantes da anatomia da bifurcação do TCE à cinecoronariografia ou ser a projeção de trabalho durante a intervenção coronariana percutânea. / Objectives – We propose a 90 – 120° right lateral with 30-40° cranial angiographic view to expose the bifurcation of the left main coronary artery (LMCA) when previously used routine projections were inefficient at clearly showing this region. Background – Little has been published in the medical literature regarding angiographic projections dedicated to special anatomies. Methods – A total of 84 patients were subjected to the proposed projections. A reproducibility study, conducted with the participation of two independent observers, judged the effectiveness of the proposed projection. The Prevalence and Bias Adjusted Kappa (PABAK) index, with a 95% confidence interval (CI), was used to demonstrate the intensity of intra- and inter-observer agreement: ≤ 0.20 = poor, 0.21 – 0.40 = slight, 0.41 – 0.60 = moderate, 0.61 – 0.80 = substantial and 0.81 – 1.0 = almost perfect. Results – The proposed projection was efficient in 79% of the angiograms, with agreement of 0.76 (0.6 – 0.9; P ≤ 0.001). The origin and the proximal segment of the anterior descending coronary artery were exposed in 89% of the angiograms, with agreement of 0.86 (0.7 – 1.0; P ≤ 0.001); the origin and the proximal segment of the circumflex artery were exposed in 83% of the angiograms, with agreement of 0.72 (0.5 – 1.0; P ≤ 0.001); and the origin and the proximal segment of the intermediate branch, when present, were exposed in 89% of the angiograms, with agreement of 0.79 (0.6 – 1.0; P ≤ 0.001). Conclusion – The proposed projection is effective, safe and reproducible. In special situations where routine projections fail, this proposed projection can reveal important details of the anatomy of the bifurcation of the LMCA during conventional / Tese (Doutorado)

L'anévrisme intracrânien est la prédisposition mortelle la plus fréquente chez le sujet jeune. Sa compréhension demeure limitée alors que nous assistons au développement de nouveaux traitements endovasculaires permettant le traitement d'anévrismes de plus en plus complexes. L'essentiel des études sur le sujet repose sur des séries cliniques peu informatives, l'utilisation de méthodes de simulation numérique limitées et cible presque exclusivement les phénomènes mécaniques intrasacculaires sans tenir compte des conséquences de l'anévrisme sur l'artère porteuse. In vitro, l'utilisation d'anévrismes en silicone au sein d'un simulateur cardiovasculaire a permis d'objectiver un impact de l'anévrisme sur l'écoulement au sein du vaisseau porteur caractérisé par une diminution de sa résistance. In vivo, cet effet a été objectivé et mesuré en IRM de flux par l'analyse des courbes de débit volumétrique. Le flux sanguin en aval des anévrismes était caractérisé par une démodulation systolo-diastolique avec diminution des index de résistance et de pulsatilité. Cet effet était fortement corrélé au volume de l'anévrisme. Les stents flow diverters permettaient une « reconstruction hémodynamique » mesurable du vaisseau porteur en restaurant un flux normo-modulé et des index de pulsatilité et de résistance dans les limites de la normale. Une méthode originale pour la segmentation de l'artère carotide interne en IRM en contraste de phase 2D a été proposée. Elle se base sur l'application de la Transformée de Fourier sur les images de phase et la prise en compte de la cohérence temporelle des vitesses au sein du voxel. La méthode a été caractérisée et comparée à deux méthodes de référence / Intracranial aneurysms are the most common lethal predisposition amongst young adults. Its understanding remains limited to date while the development of new innovative endovascular treatments are increasingly available and allow for the treatment of more and more complex aneurysms with a non negligeable rate of complications. Most of the previous studies on intracranial aneurysms are based on low informative clinical series and the use of limited numerical simulation methods. They almost exclusively target the intrasaccular mechanical phenomena irrespective of the changes in the parent vessel induced by the aneurysm. In vitro, the use of silicone aneurysms embedded in a cardiovascular simulator showed an impact of the aneurysm on the the parent vessel flow conditions characterized by a decrease of its resistance. In vivo, flow MRI allowed to quantify this effect by analyzing the volumetric flow rate curves. Downstream to the aneurysm, the blood flow was dampened and presents a systolic diastolic demodulation with a collapse of resistive and pulsatility indexes. This effect was strongly correlated to the aneurysm volume. The flow diverter stents allowed for a measurable « hemodynamic reconstruction » of the parent vessel by restoring a normo modulated flow, and normal resistive and pulsatility indexes. An original method for the segmentation of internal carotid artery in 2D phase contrast MRI was proposed. It is based on the application of the Fourier Transform on the phase images and by taking into account the temporal coherence of velocities within the voxel. The method was characterized and compared to two reference methods

Introdução: A liberação de biomarcadores de necrose miocárdica após revascularização miocárdica cirúrgica (RM) ocorre com frequência. No entanto, a correlação entre a liberação de biomarcadores e o diagnóstico do infarto agudo do miocárdio (IAM) periprocedimento gera controvérsias, especialmente com o aumento da sensibilidade nos ensaios de troponina (Tn). Neste estudo, objetivou-se quantificar a liberação dos biomarcadores cardíacos em pacientes submetidos à RM, sem o uso de circulação extra corpórea (CEC), que não apresentaram evidências de infarto do miocárdio por meio da avaliação do realce tardio pelo gadolínio (RTG) na ressonância magnética cardíaca (RMC). Métodos: Pacientes portadores de doença arterial coronária estável e função ventricular preservada, com indicação eletiva para RM sem CEC, foram incluídos. RMC com RTG foi realizada em todos os pacientes antes e depois do procedimento. Aferições seriadas de Tn e creatinoquinase fração MB (CK-MB) foram realizadas antes do procedimento e até 72h após. Pacientes com RTG na RMC após o procedimento foram excluídos. Resultados: 73 pacientes foram referenciados para a realização eletiva da RM sem CEC e 20 (27%) foram excluídos, 14 (19%) por causa do surgimento de um novo RTG na RMC. Dentre os 53 pacientes sem evidência de IAM periprocedimento pela RMC, 37 (70%) eram do gênero masculino, a média da idade foi 63 (± 10) anos e o escore SYNTAX médio encontrado foi 20 (±7). Após a RM, todos os pacientes apresentaram um pico de elevação de Tn acima do percentil 99; em 48 (91%) pacientes a elevação foi superior a 10 vezes esse limite. Por outro lado, 41 (76%) pacientes apresentaram pico de CK-MB acima do percentil 99 e em apenas 7 (13%) este pico foi superior à10 vezes o percentil 99. A mediana do pico de liberação da Tn foi 2,0 (0,8 - 3,7) ng/mL, valor 50 vezes superior ao percentil 99. Conclusão: Diferente da CK-MB, a liberação da troponina I ocorre, frequentemente, após procedimento de RM sem CEC na ausência de realce tardio pela RMC / Background: The release of myocardial necrosis biomarkers after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) frequently occurs. However, the correlation between biomarker release and the diagnosis of procedurerelated myocardial infarction (MI) (type 5) has been controversial. This study aims to evaluate the amount and pattern of cardiac biomarker release after elective OPCAB in patients without the image of a new MI assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) with late gadolinium enhancement (LGE). Methods: Patients with normal baseline cardiac biomarkers referred for elective OPCAB were prospectively included. CMR with LGE was performed in all patients before and after interventions. Measurements of troponin I (cTnI) and creatinekinase MB fraction (CK-MB) were systematically performed before and after the procedure. Patients with a new LGE on the post-procedure CMR were excluded. Results: Of the 53 patients without the evidence of a procedure-related MI assessed by the CMR after OPCAB, all patients exhibited cTnI elevation peak above the 99th percentile. In 48 (91%), the peak value was greater than 10 times this threshold. However, 41 (76%) had CK-MB peak above the limit of the 99th percentile, and this peak was greater than 10 times the 99th percentile in only 7 patients (13%). The median peak release of cTnI was 0.20 (0.8 - 3.7) ng/mL, which is 50-fold higher than the 99th percentile. Conclusions: In contrast to CK-MB, cTnI release often occurs after an elective OPCAB procedure, despite the absence of a new LGE on CMR

This doctoral thesis deals with the analysis of ultrasound (US) video sequences. It specifically focuses on long-term tracking of the common carotid artery (CCA) in transversal section and measurement of its geometric parameters in a sequence of US images. The design and implementation of a system for automatic tracking of the artery is described in this thesis. The proposed system utilizes Viola-Jones detector and Hough transform to localize the artery in the image. Interest points are detected in the area of the artery wall. These points are then tracked using optical flow. The proposed system comprises a number of innovative methods which allow to perform accurate long-term measurement of parameters of CCA and store the results. A novel mathematical model describing the movement of CCA in transversal section during a cardiac cycle is defined afterwards taking the influence of breathing into consideration. A number of artificial sequences of US images based on this model have been created. These sequences were consequently used to evaluate the accuracy of the proposed system in terms of measuring the parameters of CCA. The sequences are unique because of their length which makes them suitable for evaluation of tracking accuracy even in long video sequences.

Introduction: Cardiovascular surgery is a relatively young but progressively evolving field in medicine. More specifically, in the past decades, cardiac surgery achieved significant advances in understanding the causes, progression and treatments of ischemic heart disease (IHD). The IHD is the most common coronary disease, and it ranks first in morbidity and mortality in the developed world. It justifies the need for significant fundamental research as well as its study in clinical practice. It now includes specialized cardiovascular centres with the complex specialized treatments. A group of interventional cardiologists capable of performing routine examinations of the coronary veins using selective angiography has been established. They can eventually also perform percutaneous coronary interventions with direct stent implants. Thus the advances have been made in comprehensive indication of the patients towards their optimal treatments under the regime of a cardio-team. Such team comprises of a cardio-surgeon, interventional cardiologist, echocardiography specialist and the attending physician who is usually the cardiologist. The IHD treatments involve preventive cardiology with the regime measures and checks, pharmacotherapy, interventional cardiology and cardiac surgery to spa treatment and...

Morbus​ ​Perthes​ ​(LCP)​ ​is​ ​an​ ​idiopathic​ ​defect​ ​in​ ​the​ ​blood​ ​flow​ ​of​ ​the​ ​proximal femoral​ ​epiphysis,​ ​where​ ​morphological​ ​and​ ​functional​ ​pathologies​ ​of​ ​the​ ​hip​ ​joint occur.​ ​Unfavorable​ ​prognostic​ ​factors​ ​include​ ​aspheric​ ​and​ ​incongruent​ ​hip,​ ​often manifested​ ​by​ ​the​ ​appearance​ ​of​ ​hinge​ ​abduction.​ ​The​ ​head​ ​is​ ​no​ ​longer​ ​remodeling after​ ​"golden"​ ​period​ ​of​ ​remodellation.​ ​Anteromedial​ ​Wedge​ ​Reduction​ ​Osteotomy (AWRO)​ ​is​ ​a​ ​new​ ​surgical​ ​method​ ​to​ ​improve​ ​the​ ​shape​ ​and​ ​reduce​ ​the​ ​femoral head​ ​and​ ​thus​ ​extend​ ​the​ ​life​ ​of​ ​a​ ​significantly​ ​altered​ ​hip​ ​joint. We​ ​evaluated​ ​10​ ​patients​ ​after​ ​the​ ​AWRO​ ​and​ ​established​ ​3​ ​hypotheses,​ ​in​ ​the clinical​ ​part​ ​of​ ​the​ ​study.​ ​1st​ ​hypothesis​ ​"AWRO​ ​leads​ ​to​ ​the​ ​reshape​ ​of​ ​the​ ​head" was​ ​confirmed​ ​following​ ​the​ ​Stulberg's​ ​classification.​ ​2nd​ ​hypothesis​ ​"AWRO​ ​leads to​ ​a​ ​reduction​ ​in​ ​the​ ​mediolateral​ ​diameter​ ​of​ ​the​ ​head",​ ​was​ ​confirmed​ ​by​ ​measuring the​ ​capitodiaphyseal​ ​index,​ ​which​ ​was​ ​reduced​ ​in​ ​all​ ​femoral​ ​heads​ ​after​ ​AWRO. The​ ​3rd​ ​hypothesis​ ​"Harris​ ​Hip​ ​Score​ ​improved​ ​in​ ​medium-term​ ​follow​ ​up​...