title: The vortex--an early predictor of cardiovascular outcome?
abstract: Blood motion in the heart features vortices that accompany the redirection of jet flows towards the outlet tracks. Vortices have a crucial role in fluid dynamics. The stability of cardiac vorticity is vital to the dynamic balance between rotating blood and myocardial tissue and to the development of cardiac dysfunction. Moreover, vortex dynamics immediately reflect physiological changes to the surrounding system, and can provide early indications of long-term outcome. However, the pathophysiological relevance of cardiac fluid dynamics is still unknown. We postulate that maladaptive intracardiac vortex dynamics might modulate the progressive remodelling of the left ventricle towards heart failure. The evaluation of blood flow presents a new paradigm in cardiac function analysis, with the potential for sensitive risk identification of cardiac abnormalities. Description of cardiac flow patterns after surgery or device therapy provides an intrinsic qualitative evaluation of therapeutic procedures, and could enable early risk stratification of patients vulnerable to adverse cardiac remodelling.
authors.affiliation: Department of Engineering and Architecture, University of Trieste, Piazzale Europa, 1, 34127 Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Gianni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pedrizzetti
authors.affiliation: Echocardiography Unit, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina, 58, 20132 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: La Canna
authors.affiliation: Cardiac Surgery Department, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina, 58, 20132 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Ottavio
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Alfieri
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Division, G. d'Annunzio University, Via dei Vestini, 31, 66100 Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tonti
mesh_terms: D018056:Hemorheology; D006801:Humans; D057446:Hydrodynamics; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000503:physiopathology*; D020257:Ventricular Remodeling / Q000502:physiology*