Tracheo-innominate artery fistula: two cases.

Tracheo-innominate artery fistula (TIF) is a rare but catastrophic and almost always fatal complication of tracheostomy. Two surgically intervened TIF cases are presented. In both cases, innominate artery ligation was performed.

Surgical treatment of cardiac hydatid disease: A report of 7 cases.

Cardiac echinococcosis is a rare but potentially very serious complication of hydatid disease. It is a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge due to the variability of signs and symptoms at presentation and to its numerous, often unpredictable, preoperative complications. Our clinical experiences with 7 cases of cardiac echinococcosis are reported, and the diagnostic and therapeutic considerations for the management of patients are discussed, together with a review of the literature.

Effects on reperfusion injury of adding diltiazem to tepid blood cardioplegia.

Background: Although the present techniques of myocardial preservation for limiting ischemia/reperfusion injury in open heart operations yield excellent results for most patients, certain subgroups of patients with advanced coronary artery disease present a challenge in terms of intraoperative safety.

Methods: In a prospective, randomized, controlled study, we assessed the myocardial protective effects of a total dose of 150 +/- 150 = 300 microg/kg diltiazem added to induction and terminal (reperfusion) doses of tepid blood cardioplegia. We determined the myocardial morphological (ultrastructural) and enzymatic (serum assays for the cardiospecific isoenzyme of creatine kinase [CK-MB]) changes and functional recovery (atrioventricular [AV]-node recovery time and postoperative need for inotropic support) in patients undergoing elective coronary artery bypass operations.

A rare presentation of cardiac hydatid cyst: stroke and acute aortic occlusion.

Cardiac involvement in hydatid disease is uncommon. We report a case of a surgically treated ruptured left ventricular hydatid cyst, which presented with acute stroke and was later complicated by distal aortic embolism due to perioperative dislodgement of the germinative membrane.

Intravenous leiomyomatosis extending into the right ventricle after subtotal hysterectomy.

A case of intravenous leiomyomatosis with extension into the right ventricle is described. A tumor in the inferior vena cava was detected three years after a subtotal hysterectomy had been performed for a myomatous uterus but was misdiagnosed as a thrombus. The tumor enlarged and intruded into the right ventricle for which she underwent surgery.