Minisha Kochar

Publications (2)10.44 Total impact

• Article: Unusual echocardiographic features seen in a case of giant cell myocarditis.

  Minisha Kochar, Angel López-Candales, Gautam Ramani, Navin Rajagopalan, Kathy Edelman
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  ABSTRACT: The case of an 18-year-old college football player with a recent history of streptococcal pharyngitis who was experiencing progressive disabling dyspnea on exertion with easy fatigability and lack of stamina, and was taken to the hospital after a syncopal episode is described. The patient was initially diagnosed with heart failure and treated accordingly. However, because of a fulminant clinical deterioration, an endomyocardial biopsy was recommended, which showed focal giant cell transformation consistent with giant cell myocarditis. Treatment with methylprednisolone and cyclosporine was promptly initiated. Several apical clots were noted during treatment, but the patient attained full recovery with treatment.
  The Canadian journal of cardiology 12/2008; 24(11):855-6. · 3.36 Impact Factor
• Article: Systolic eccentricity index identifies right ventricular dysfunction in pulmonary hypertension.

  Angel López-Candales, Navin Rajagopalan, Minisha Kochar, Beth Gulyasy, Kathy Edelman
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  ABSTRACT: Systolic eccentricity index (sEI) has been shown to correlate with pulmonary hypertension (PH). However, its relative value with regards to other echocardiographic indices of right ventricular (RV) size and function in PH has not been studied. Consequently, several echocardiographic variables were collected from 103 patients (mean age 54+/-15 years, 46 males) with a mean PASP 62+/-37 mm Hg (range 24 to 130 mm Hg). Of the studied variables sEI was the only multivariate predictor of PH (p<0.0001, 95% CI -0.924 to -0.671). This was further confirmed in a subgroup of patients who underwent invasive cardiac hemodynamic assessment showing a similar correlation between invasive hemodynamics and sEI. Based on these results, sEI appears to be an easily obtained variable that should be routinely included in the identification of RV dysfunction in PH patients.
  International journal of cardiology 08/2007; 129(3):424-6. · 7.08 Impact Factor