The latest issue of CASE is now available with intriguing reports, including “The Spectrum of Diagnostic Findings in Postcardiotomy Tamponade.” CASE Editor-in-Chief Vincent Sorrell, MD, FASE, remarked, “Every month, CASE reminds us why it was started as a mechanism to add value to our clinical practice. This month’s issue was no different as Kamran et al. elegantly described carefully performed echocardiography including correlative CT scans and right heart hemodynamic data. These authors reported their findings on two patients to showcase the array of diagnostic modalities for localized postcardiotomy tamponade. Their first case example with focal RA collapse due to a localized hemorrhage is an impressive image that could very easily be overlooked. In my large, university clinical practice, this deadly pathologic finding is either missed entirely or identified late in its clinical course at least once every year. Reports such as this serve as educational tools to remind us of this post-operative complication and its variable clinical presentation. All individuals who interpret or acquire echo images should read this report to maintain a high index of suspicion so as not to miss this localized tamponade finding.”

This issue opens with the Interventional Echocardiography category, providing readers with a greater understanding of the symbiotic relationship between echo and percutaneous structural heart repairs. Reports include a successful edge-to-edge repair of an interscallop origin of MR, TEE to guide percutaneous mitral valve repair in three patients who were post mitral annuloplasty, and percutaneous mechanical circulatory support in a patient with a post-infarct ventricular septal rupture. A case in the Multimodality Imaging category includes a contrasting comparison between two unique LV apical pathologies with an emphasis on the value of complementary tomographic imaging. Congenital Heart Disease rounds out this issue, reporting on the unintended consequences of a patient who underwent surgery for an atrial septal defect and was found to have a persistent shunt.

In this final issue of 2024, Dr. Sorrell’s editorial describes the connection between echocardiography and crystals, the latter of which we can all appreciate for their embodiment of growth and change as we head into the new year.

SUBMIT your case report to us! Whether it will be your first time submitting a case or your 50^th, we are here to make it a great experience. Email us with questions or submit your report today!

The December issue of JASE includes a state-of-the-art review titled, “Noninvasive Imaging for Native Aortic Valve Regurgitation.” Lead author Vidhu Anand, MBBS, FASE, remarks, “Comprehensive evaluation of aortic regurgitation (AR) includes assessing valve morphology, AR severity and mechanism, and left ventricular (LV) remodeling. Quantification of regurgitant volume and effective regurgitant orifice area is essential, with integration of semiquantitative and qualitative parameters when quantification is not feasible. Advanced imaging techniques, such as cardiac magnetic resonance, are valuable for assessing AR severity and detecting early LV dysfunction, especially when echocardiographic findings are inconclusive or discordant.”

This issue’s original investigations incorporate a variety of topics including early fetal echocardiography, congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries, cardiac mechanics in HCM, and glycemic control and cardiac function in diabetes mellitus. One editorial comment accompanies the original investigation in early fetal echocardiography, discussing early heart checks and the role of transvaginal cardiac imaging in clinical practice. Four brief research communications follow with reports on LV diastolic dysfunction in patients with heart failure with a higher ventricular ejection fraction, how to balance safety with accuracy in lung ultrasound, improving prenatal detection of congenital heart disease, and the RV to pulmonary artery coupling and prognosis in transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis. Rounding out this issue are two letters to the editor related to the impact of perivascular amyloid deposition on cardiac remodeling in AL amyloidosis.

This month’s President’s Message highlights a gift you might like to consider for yourself this holiday season: attendance at ASE’s 50^th anniversary celebration in Nashville next September. Attendees of the ASE 50 Experience will have many exciting improvements in store including an ASE Goes Green campaign to reduce the environmental footprint, a new content delivery platform, and more!

A new call for papers is open now! A focus issue on chamber quantification is set for publication in early 2026. Papers that address any aspect of echocardiography in quantitative assessment of the cardiac chambers should be submitted by June 1, 2025. Please direct questions to JASE managing editor Debbie Meyer at dmeyer@asecho.org.

Tune into our Author Spotlight page for interviews between JASE Editor-in-Chief Patricia Pellikka, MD, FASE, and authors of recently published papers. November’s interview features Nils Sofus Borg Mogensen, MD, discussing his paper, “Dobutamine Stress Echocardiography in Low-Gradient Aortic Stenosis.”

Please see the December ASE Education Calendar for a listing of educational opportunities far and wide.

The latest issue of CASE is now available with intriguing reports, including “Exaggerated Pressure Recovery during Pregnancy: A Multimodal Approach to Assessment of Prosthetic Aortic Stenosis Severity.” CASE Editor-in-Chief Vincent Sorrell, MD, FASE, remarked, “Connor et al. reported serial Doppler echocardiography on a complex young, pregnant woman with Turner syndrome, prior aortic valve and ascending aortic surgery. They compare findings to both baseline and an earlier uncomplicated pregnancy, including mean and peak CWD gradients, indexed effective orifice areas (note: indexing is important, given the history of Turner and suspected short stature), invasive hemodynamics, and a dynamic cardiac CT of the prosthetic AVR for correlation. The major discrepancies between echo and cath stimulated the authors to write this report which provides readers with a fabulous discussion regarding the many factors that contributed. These differences were the results of her progressing pregnancy, previous valve and aortic surgery, and important impact of pressure recovery phenomenon. If you enjoy cardiovascular physiology and the many factors that alter echo hemodynamics, be sure to read all about it.”

Panidapu et. al add to this Hemodynamic Corner category with their report on how coexistent severe tricuspid regurgitation can lead to underestimating the severity of mitral stenosis. Two reports in the Cardiac Tumors and Pseudotumors category uphold the importance of echo through the discovery of a large right atrial thrombus and pulmonary embolism in a 22-month-old girl, and a case of synchronous cardiac diffuse B-cell lymphoma, treated successfully by chemotherapy after early rapid diagnosis with echocardiography. Coronary Artery Disease rounds out this issue, reporting on the methods of echocardiographic detection of a partially obscured ventricular septal defect in a patient with a post-infarction ventricular septal rupture.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, be sure to read Dr. Sorrell’s editorial as he expresses gratitude for all that the field of echocardiography bestows upon its patients and practitioners.

SUBMIT your case report to us! Whether it will be your first time submitting a case or your 50^th, we are here to make it a great experience. Email us with questions or submit your report today!

The November issue of JASE includes a state-of-the-art review titled, “Advances in the Assessment of Patients With Tricuspid Regurgitation: A State-of-the-Art Review on the Echocardiographic Evaluation Before and After Tricuspid Valve Interventions.” Lead author Luigi Badano, MD, PhD, FASE, remarks, “The tricuspid valve (TV) is not merely the right counterpart of the mitral valve. It has a distinct anatomy, featuring three leaflets as opposed to two, and a more pliable annulus. Additionally, it functions in a unique hemodynamic environment, working in a volume pump rather than a pressure pump. Therefore, it requires a specialized approach and different threshold values for evaluating its severity before and after valve repair interventions. Conventional parameters used to evaluate right ventricular geometry and function may be misleading in patients with moderate to severe tricuspid regurgitation. Three-dimensional echocardiography has significantly enhanced our understanding of tricuspid valve anatomy, the pathophysiology of tricuspid regurgitation, and the assessment of right ventricular geometry and function.”

This issue’s original investigations incorporate many topics including stress echocardiography in low gradient aortic stenosis, diastolic function and prognosis in heart failure, myocardial shear wave analysis in children, and perinatal cardiac function in congenital heart disease. Additionally, there are five brief research communications and three editorial comments. These reports cover diagnosing severe mitral stenosis, applying appropriate use criteria for echo in an underserved population, effectiveness of negative pressure booths in mitigating airborne infection risk during TEE, prognostic value of echo parameters of the subpulmonary LV in adults with a systemic RV, and shear wave elastography in children with a Fontan circulation. Rounding out this issue are two letters to the editor—one addresses how guidelines reinforce treatment disparities for patients with aortic stenosis and the other describes the importance of a complete hemodynamic assessment of the aortic valve.

This month’s President’s Message highlights the important work of ASE’s advocacy team as they navigate challenges and opportunities within the fluctuating economic realm of cardiovascular ultrasound.

Tune into our Author Spotlight page for interviews between JASE Editor-in-Chief Patricia Pellikka, MD, FASE, and authors of recently published papers. November’s interview features Nils Sofus Borg Mogensen, MD, discussing his paper, “Dobutamine Stress Echocardiography in Low-Gradient Aortic Stenosis.”

Please see the November ASE Education Calendar for a listing of educational opportunities far and wide.

The October issue of JASE includes, “Sonothrombolysis Before and After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Provides the Largest Myocardial Salvage in ST Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction.” Lead author Prajith Jeyaprakash, MD, remarks, “We are excited to share the results of our REDUCE pilot trial, which found that sonothrombolysis delivered pre- and post-pPCI may salvage up to 30% more myocardium than pPCI in STEMI. This data helps to provide a mechanistic understanding of the specific benefits of pre-pPCI sonothrombolysis delivery. It has also provided valuable insights for our multicenter RCT which will be powered for infarct size as its primary endpoint.”

This issue’s clinical investigations incorporate many topics including echocardiographic predictors of outcome in heart failure, ventricular strain in cardiomyopathy, postprandial and exercise echo in HCM, and sonothrombolysis in myocardial infarction. Two editorial comments accompany these clinical investigations as well as four brief research communications with reports on right atrial and ventricular strain in patients with carcinoid heart disease, perivascular amyloid deposition, indexing of aortic dimensions in overweight and obese patients, and the learning curve for left atrial strain analysis. An In Memoriam for Arthur E. Weyman, MD, FASE, shares the story of his life and many contributions to the field as one of echocardiography’s greats. Also included in this issue is a letter to the editor on considerations while screening for polyethylene glycol hypersensitivity in patients receiving ultrasound enhancing agents. To conclude, there is the annual photo spread from this year’s Scientific Sessions in Portland.

This month’s President’s Message details the goals of current ASE President Theordore Abraham, MD, FASE, for his 2025 term. As ASE celebrates its 50^th anniversary next year, there are many plans in motion to propel the Society into another 50 years of exemplary contributions to the field of cardiovascular ultrasound.

Stay tuned for our October Author Spotlight for an interview between JASE Editor-in-Chief Patricia Pellikka, MD, FASE, and Mark Sherrid, MD, FASE.

Please see the October ASE Education Calendar for a listing of educational opportunities far and wide.

For nearly four decades, ASE’s State-of-the-Art Echocardiography™ (SOTA) has featured outstanding faculty who share the latest in echocardiography education with attendees. The 37^th Annual SOTA will take place February 14-17, 2025, at the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, Arizona. The 2025 program follows the themes of structural heart disease, myocardial and pericardial disease, coronary artery disease, and interventional echocardiography. During the course, presentations will highlight what echocardiography brings to each theme, help clinicians recognize and avoid common errors and pitfalls, and demonstrate how to apply the guidelines in a practical manner. Additionally, participants who also sign up for the Preconference Learning Lab will have the opportunity to interact with the faculty one-on-one. Register early to save up to $225!

Get ready for Coffee Day 2024! Mark your calendars from September 29 – October 5 to help the ASE Foundation raise $5,000 to support our newest initiative: Cardiovascular Sonographer Leadership Development. Funding toward this initiative aims to provide support for sonographer members volunteering in leadership positions within ASE and ASEF.

Alan D. Waggoner Student Scholarship Winner Alexandre Campos Dias, RDCS, has already pledged his support. Thank you, Alex! If you’re planning to contribute, join Alex by making your pledge known. Contact the ASE Foundation at Foundation@ASEcho.org.

In 2025, ASE is offering a variety of new membership promotions to celebrate our 50^th Anniversary and reach our goal of 20,000 members! One of these new promotions, ASE Soulmates, is replacing the current ASE Ambassador program in 2025. To become an ASE Soulmate, refer two new members to join ASE by August 31, 2025, and save 25% on your 2026 membership. Refer three or more new members and save 50% on your 2026 membership! Some exclusions apply, so be sure to visit the ASE Soulmates page for details.

YOU make ASE the largest voice in cardiovascular imaging in the world and help create a stronger community of collaboration that advances the field and improves patient lives! We thank you for your membership and want to recognize the 137 ASE Ambassadors who participated in 2024 resulting in 353 new members!