Concepts for ventricular function tend to assume that the majority of the myocardial cells are aligned with their long axes parallel to the epicardial ventricular surface. We aimed to validate the existence of aggregates of myocardial cells orientated with their long axis intruding obliquely between the ventricular epicardial and endocardial surfaces and to quantitate their amount and angulation. To compensate for the changing angle of the long axis of the myocytes relative to the equatorial plane of the ventricles with varying depths within the ventricular walls, the so‐called helical angle, we used pairs of cylindrical knives of different diameters to punch semicircular slices from the left ventricular wall of pigs, the slices extending from the epicardium to the endocardium. The slices were pinned flat, fixed in formaldehyde, embedded in paraffin, sectioned, stained with azan or hematoxilin and eosin, and analyzed by a new semiautomatic procedure. We made use of new techniques in informatics to determine the number and angulation of the aggregates of myocardial cells cut in their long axis. The alignment of the myocytes cut longitudinally varied markedly between the epicardium and the endocardium. Populations of myocytes, arranged in strands, diverge by varying angles from the epicardial surface. When paired knives of decreasing diameter were used to cut the slices, the inclination of the diagonal created by the arrays increases, while the lengths of the array of cells cut axially decreases. The visualization of the size, shape, and alignment of the myocytic arrays at any side of the ventricular wall is determined by the radius of the knives used, the range of helical angles subtended by the alignment of the myocytes throughout the thickness of the wall, and their angulation relative to the epicardial surface. Far from the majority of the ventricular myocytes being aligned at angles more or less tangential to the epicardial lining, we found that three‐fifths of the myocardial cells had their long axes diverging at angles between 7.5 and 37.5° from an alignment parallel to the epicardium. This arrangement, with the individual myocytes supported by connective tissue, might control the cyclic rearrangement of the myocardial fibers. This could serve as an important control of both ventricular mural thickening and intracavitary shape. Anat Rec Part A 288A:565–578, 2006.

Purpose To investigate the progression characteristics of ellipsoid zone (EZ) loss in eyes with macular telangiectasia type 2 (MacTel) as reflected by area and linear measurements, and their relevance for visual acuity. Methods Participants were selected from the MacTel Study cohort. Linear and area measurements of EZ loss were performed in Spectral‐Domain Optical Coherence Tomograph (SD‐OCT) volume scans. Progression characteristics and correlations between linear and area measurements were analysed using linear mixed effects models. Results A total of 134 eyes of 70 patients were included (85 eyes with follow‐up, mean 4.7 years, range: 1.4–8 years). Ellipsoid zone (EZ) loss significantly progressed at a mean annual increment of 0.057 mm2 (p = 0.005). The progression rate was non‐linear and interacted significantly with initial EZ lesion size indicating an exponential growth before reaching a plateau. There was a strong heterogeneity in area sizes between fellow eyes. EZ break length had a significant linear effect on EZ break area (b = 1.06, p < 0.001) and could predict it. The location of the EZ break had a significant impact on visual acuity. Conclusion Ellipsoid zone (EZ) loss in MacTel has a non‐linear progression characteristic, and its rate depends on area size at baseline, which must be taken into account at sample selection in clinical trials. Our results show a good correlation of linear and area measures of EZ loss and a segregation of best‐corrected visual acuity by EZ location, which may help routine clinical practice.

With the increasing interest now paid to volume reduction surgery, in which the cardiac surgeon is required to resect the ventricular myocardium to a

Purpose The aim of this pilot study was to test whether mathematical parameters of the vascular morphology of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) can be used as biomarkers and to investigate how these parameters change during anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy. Methods Treatment-naive CNV in exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) was diagnosed in 28 patients. OCT-angiography (OCT-A) (Avanti/FA Optovue) performed before and after anti-VEGF therapy. The OCT-A data sets were exported to an external image processing program and vessel skeletonization was accomplished by means of edge detection. Based on this technique the total vessel length, the number of segments and the fractal dimension (FD) of the CNV were calculated before and after therapy. The results were compared with other clinical parameters such as VA and central retinal thickness (RT). Results The total vessel length of the CNV was significantly reduced by anti-VEGF-therapy (mean value 652 pixels vs. 397 pixels; p < 0.0001), as well as the number of individual vessel segments of the CNV (mean value 117 vs. 76; p < 0.0001). The FD of the CNV also decreased significant reduction during therapy (mean 1.23 vs. 1.16, p < 0.0001). The changes in these parameters during treatment corresponded with an increase in VA and a reduction in RT. Conclusion This pilot study demonstrates that the vascular pattern of CNV in AMD can be visualized and described using mathematical parameters of OCT-A. The changes during therapy correlate significantly with established “activity” parameters of CNV, so changes in these parameters (especially FD) may represent additional CNV “activity” biomarkers.