1/316. Left ventricular apical diastolic collapse: an unusual echocardiographic marker of postoperative cardiac tamponade. A 37-year-old woman was evaluated for signs and symptoms of cardiac tamponade 11 days after mitral valve replacement and tricuspid valve repair. The transthoracic echocardiogram showed a large, compartmentalized pericardial effusion that resulted in left ventricular apical diastolic collapse. Also noted were right ventricular posterior wall diastolic collapse and hemodynamic findings consistent with cardiac tamponade. This case highlights the atypical echocardiographic findings in patients with pericardial effusions after cardiac surgery. ( info) |
2/316. Successful percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty in a patient with left atrial thrombus--a case report. Percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty (PBMV) described by Inoue et al, is a safe FDA (food and Drug Administration) approved procedure in patients with severe mitral stenosis. One of the contraindications of the procedure is presence of a left atrial thrombus; however, it has been reported that intense warfarin therapy may led to dissolution of the thrombus. The authors report a patient who was referred for PBMV and was found to have a left atrial thrombus. After intense warfarin therapy, successful PBMV was undertaken without complications. ( info) |
3/316. Single coronary artery with "high take-off" origin in a patient with rheumatic mitral stenosis--a case report. In this case report, a patient with rheumatic mitral stenosis and R-1 subtype single coronary artery arising from the ascending aorta ("high take-off" origin) and coursing between the aorta and pulmonary artery is presented. The clinical significance and differential diagnosis are discussed. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first case reported in the literature with a single R-1 subtype coronary artery that shows "high take-off" origin. ( info) |
4/316. Expeditious diagnosis of primary prosthetic valve failure. Primary prosthetic valve failure is a catastrophic complication of prosthetic valves. Expeditious diagnosis of this complication is crucial because survival time is minutes to hours after valvular dysfunction. The only life-saving therapy for primary prosthetic valve failure is immediate surgical intervention for valve replacement. Because primary prosthetic valve failure rarely occurs, most physicians do not have experience with such patients and appropriate diagnosis and management may be delayed. A case is presented of a patient with primary prosthetic valve failure. This case illustrates how rapidly such a patient can deteriorate. This report discusses how recognition of key findings on history, physical examination, and plain chest radiography can lead to a rapid diagnosis. ( info) |
5/316. Difficult mitral valvuloplasty: an "over the wire" modification of Inoue technique. Failure to cross the mitral valve remains an important cause of the technical failure in performing mitral valvuloplasty with the Inoue technique, especially during initial experience of the operator. We report two such cases where conventional methods failed and an "over the wire" modification of the Inoue technique had to be utilized. This particular modification can be beneficial in the rare cases where negotiating the Inoue balloon across the mitral valve is particularly difficult. ( info) |
| takayasu arteritis is a rare chronic vasculitis primarily involving the aorta and its main branches. We report an adolescent girl with takayasu arteritis who presented with an isolated aortic valve regurgitation as part of a systemic inflammatory process. This patient was initially misdiagnosed as having rheumatic heart disease and the correct diagnosis was made only 1 year later. CONCLUSION: takayasu arteritis should be considered among the diagnostic possibilities in patients who present with an unexplained systemic inflammatory syndrome and a cardiac murmur. ( info) |
| Cardiac operations are occasionally required during pregnancy. Despite a low maternal mortality, fetal mortality remains high. Previous reports have suggested maintenance of high perfusion pressure and flow rate as protective measures to maintain fetal viability. Recent experimental data suggest pulsatile perfusion may help preserve placental hemodynamic function. The successful use of pulsatile bypass to replace the aortic valve in a 25-year-old female at 14 weeks gestation, with both maternal and fetal survival, is presented. ( info) |
8/316. Perinatal mitral valve interventions: a report of 10 cases. BACKGROUND: Rheumatic mitral valve stenosis is still an endemic disease in some parts of the world and may complicate pregnancy and perinatal period. During the 10-year period between January 1988 and December 1997, 10 pregnant women with mitral stenosis were operated on. methods: Combined cesarean delivery and closed mitral valvulotomy (CMV) were performed on 6 patients, combined cesarean delivery and Mitral Valve Replacement (MVR) were performed on 1 patient, and 3 patients had CMV during their third trimester. RESULTS: There was 1 stillbirth. All other patients and delivered babies were healthy. MVR was necessary for mitral restenosis in one patient 5 years after her CMV. Three of the remaining patients had some degree of restenosis but did not require reoperation. CONCLUSION: CMV when indicated during pregnancy can be performed with low risk. For symptomatic patients responding to medical therapy, a combined approach of cesarean section and CMV will prevent possible complications that may arise on perinatal period due to hemodynamic fluctuation. ( info) |
9/316. String-plucking as a mechanism of chordal rupture during balloon mitral valvuloplasty using inoue balloon catheter. Percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy using the Inoue technique was performed in a 59-year-old female with mitral stenosis and a severely calcified mitral leaflets. Although not entrapped in the subvalvular apparatus, the balloon catheter was deviated away from the mitral orifice-apex axis of the left ventricle during the inflation of the proximal balloon, which plucked and severed the chordae tendineae of the posterior mitral leaflet and resulted in severe mitral regurgitation. ( info) |
10/316. Early proarrhythmia during intravenous amiodarone treatment. We present a case of early (within the first 24 hours) development of malignant torsades de pointes (TdP) associated with intravenous amiodarone therapy. After correction of predisposing factors (heart failure, hypokalemia, digoxin) amiodarone again resulted in torsades. This observation suggests that in patients who have experienced amiodarone-induced proarrhythmia, amiodarone administration under different, more stable clinical conditions may still be hazardous. ( info) |