Oleuropein attenuates the progression of heart failure in rats by antioxidant and antiinflammatory effects.

Much of the beneficial effects of olive products have been attributed to oleuropein. This study examined the effects of oleuropein in rats with heart failure induced by permanent ligation of left coronary arteries. Twenty-four hours after the operation, the rats were assigned to five groups including a sham assigned to receive vehicle (1 ml/day) and four coronary ligated groups assigned to receive vehicle or oleuropein at 5, 10, or 20 mg/kg/day.

Oleuropein offers cardioprotection in rats with acute myocardial infarction.

Myocardial infarction causes a cascade of events, which leads to heart failure, debilitation and death. This study examined possible cardioprotective effect of oleuropein in rats with acute myocardial infarction. Male Sprague-Dawly rats were allocated to five groups: sham, myocardial infarction receiving vehicle, and three myocardial infarction receiving oleuropein at 10, 20, and 30 mg/kg/day for 7 days, and underwent sham operation or coronary ligation.

Right ventricular thrombus: a rare complication of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome.

A 22 years old lady was admitted because of progressive dyspnea, severe abdominal protrusion and lower extremity edema. She had undergone ovarian hyperstimulation for primary infertility by Clomiphen and Human chorionic gonadotropin for 3 months. Abdominopelvic ultrasonography revealed bilateral enlarged multi cystic ovaries and massive ascites.

Microembolic signals in patients with cryptogenic stroke with or without patent foramen ovale.

Background: To evaluate the incidence, frequency, and contributing factors of microembolic signals (MESs) in patients with cryptogenic stroke with or without patent foramen ovale (PFO).

Methods: Transcranial Doppler monitoring for MESs detection was performed for 62 patients with acute cryptogenic stroke with PFO (PFO(+)) and 34 patients with acute cryptogenic stroke without PFO (PFO(-)).

Results: The incidence of MESs was not significantly higher in PFO(+) patients (17/62, 27.

Nitinol wire mesh fracture and traumatic left atrial thrombus in a patient with atrial septal defect amplatzer occluder.

Although wire device frame fracture associated with thrombus formation has been reported in some types of atrial septal defect occluders, it has not been detected in patients with Amplatzer devices. Here, we describe an unusual case of Nitinol wire mesh fracture associated with left atrial endocardial damage and thrombus formation in an adult with Amplatzer septal occluder.

Posttraumatic coronary artery-right ventricular fistula with multiple ventricular septal defects.

The combination of posttraumatic coronary artery-right ventricular fistula and multiple ventricular septal defects is a rare and interesting phenomenon. We describe a case of a 19-year-old male with these findings following a blunt chest trauma after a motorcycle accident.

Perivalvular abscess of tricuspid valve: a rare complication of infective endocarditis.

Infective endocarditis is a serious complication of intravenous (IV) drug abuse, with a reported mortality of 5 to 10%. A 21-year-old man, who was an intravenous drug abuser, presented with fever and dyspnea. Transthoracic echocardiography showed a highly mobile, large vegetation on the anterior leaflet of the tricuspid valve.

Isolated tricuspid valve Libman-Sacks endocarditis and valvular stenosis: unusual manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus.

The most common valves involved in systemic lupus erythematosus are the mitral and aortic valves. Although isolated tricuspid valve involvement is quite rare, the authors report such a case. A 42-year-old woman presented with exertional dyspnea and was found to have a cardiac murmur.

Patent foramen ovale in patients with tension headache: is it as common as in migraineurs? An age- and sex-matched comparative study.

The association of patent foramen ovale (PFO) and atrial septal aneurysm (ASA) with migraine headache attack (MHA) has been clearly shown. The same findings have been recently demonstrated also in cluster headache. Although tension-type headaches (TTH) are the most common kind of headache, their association with these atrial septal abnormalities has never been studied before.

Effect of extreme exercise on myocardial function as assessed by tissue Doppler imaging.

Background: Response of the human heart to exercise has been studied extensively, but little information is available on the effects of exhaustive exercise on cardiac performance.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of severe prolong exercise on both left and right ventricular performance. To maximize the sensitivity of our study we used tissue Doppler imaging.

Thrombus entrapped in tricuspid chordae masquerading as tumour.

We report on a 55-year-old man with effort dyspnoea that transesophageal echocardiography disclosed was due to a mass originating from the chorda of the tricuspid valve. Histological examination revealed the mass to be an organized thrombus without tumour components. This case illustrates the unusual presentation of a thrombus confined to the tricuspid chordae mimicking a chordae tumour.

Interventricular mechanical dyssynchrony: a novel marker of cardiac events in Brugada syndrome.

Background: Risk stratification in Brugada syndrome is controversial, especially in asymptomatic individuals.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate tissue Doppler echocardiography in risk stratification of Brugada syndrome.

Methods: Patients with Brugada ECG pattern were enrolled in the study.

Pericardial PEComa: echocardiographic features.

The patient was a 19 year old man referred to our center due to progressive effort dyspnea and left sided pleuritic chest pain for 1 month. Echocardiographic examination showed a posteriorly located, giant, well demarcated mass, that compresses the left atrium. It was encased by moderate pericardial effusion.

Left ventricular to right atrial communication (Gerbode-type defect) after mitral valve replacement.

A 51-year-old woman with severe rheumatic mitral stenosis underwent mitral valve replacement. One week later, she was admitted with abdominal pain and lower extremities edema. On physical examination, her blood pressure was 120/60 mm Hg and holosystolic murmur (3/6) was heard at the left sternal border.

Acquired accessory left atrium.

The patient was a 61-year-old woman brought to our hospital due to dyspnea and lower extremity swelling in shock state three weeks after mitral valve replacement due to rheumatic mitral regurgitation. Cardiothoracic examination revealed bilateral diffuse rales, metallic first heart sound and a loud holo systolic murmur in apex with radiation to axilla. Transesophageal echocardiography revealed a large echo lucent area representing a separate chamber in the lateral part of left atrium which communicates with left ventricle through a relatively large orifice far from normal functioning prosthesis.

Rapid progression of aortic wall vegetation.

The patient was a 28-year-old man referred to our center because of presence of a cardiac murmur and persistence of fever for 3 weeks. A harsh, loud systolic murmur in the left sternal border without radiation to the neck and an early diastolic murmur in the right second intercostal space could be heard. Transesophageal echocardiography revealed a subaortic web with moderate to severe aortic regurgitation and a large vegetation on the sinotubular junction of the aorta.

'Giant fleshy leaflet myxoma'.

A 25-year-old woman was admitted to the neurology department because of sudden onset of weakness of her left upper and lower extremities. Cardiac auscultation revealed an extra sound. Transesophageal echocardiography showed a huge mobile fleshy mass on the atrial side of anterior mitral leaflet protruding into the left ventricle during diastole.

Significance of aortic atheroma in elderly patients with ischemic stroke. A hospital-based study and literature review.

Objectives: Cardioembolism accounts for 15-30% of ischemic strokes. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is useful in detecting potential sources of cardiac embolism. Aortic atheromas have recently been recognized as important causes of stroke.