Off-pump resection of a giant inflamed epicardial cyst.

Background: Epicardial cysts are rarer benign tumors than pericardial cysts. There have been few reports on surgical management for epicardial cysts.

Case Presentation: A 73-year-old woman with dyspnea on exertion had a giant cyst (12 × 10 cm in diameter) on preoperative computed tomography.

Effect of tricuspid annuloplasty concomitant with left heart surgery on right heart geometry and function.

Objectives: To elucidate the effect of tricuspid annuloplasty concomitant with left-sided valve surgery on the right heart in patients with mild or more tricuspid regurgitation (TR).

Methods: We enrolled 78 patients with mild or more TR who underwent left-sided valve surgery. Forty-three patients underwent only left-sided valve surgery (group non-T) and 35 underwent concomitant tricuspid annuloplasty (group T).

Rupture of Anterolateral Papillary Muscle Resulting From Small Artery Occlusion.

A 69-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for dyspnea and fever. Echocardiography showed a mobile mass on the anterolateral papillary muscle and severe mitral regurgitation. Coronary artery angiography showed no stenotic lesion.

Multiple Spontaneous Iliac and Femoral Arteriovenous Fistulas.

An arteriovenous fistula (AVF) in a limb involves an abnormal connection between a limb artery and vein. It can be due to trauma or iatrogenic injury. Traumatic AVFs can be caused by penetrating or gunshot injuries to the limb, whereas iatrogenic causes include catheter intervention to the groins or open surgery of the inguinal space.

Popliteal Artery Pseudoaneurysm Caused by Osteochondroma.

A 16-year-old boy developed pulsating pain and dysesthesia in his right knee. Computed tomography showed a large aneurysm in the right upper popliteal artery and a spiked bone tumor arising from the right distal femoral shaft. Pseudoaneurysm due to osteochondroma was suspected, and the patient underwent emergency surgery.

[Impact of Patent False Lumen at the Descending Aorta after Total Aortic Replacement for Acute type A Aortic Dissection].

Objective: Acute type A aortic dissection remains one of the most challenging diseases facing cardiovascular surgeons. It is associated with high mortality and morbidity. However, prevention of disease process progression in the residual dissected aorta is an important aspect of the patient's long-term outcome.

CD34-negative mesenchymal stem-like cells may act as the cellular origin of human aortic valve calcification.

Although various osteogenic inducers contribute to the calcification of human aortic valve interstitial cells, the cellular origin of calcification remains unclear. We immunohistochemically investigated the cellular origin of valve calcification using enzymatically isolated cells from both calcified and non-calcified human aortic valve specimens. CD73-, 90-, and 105-positive and CD45-negative mesenchymal stem-like cells (MSLCs) were isolated from both types of valve specimens using fluorescence-activated cell sorting.

Enucleation of calcium core and in-situ valve replacement for massive posterior mitral annular calcification.

A 67-year-old female was admitted to our hospital for surgical treatment of the aortic and mitral valvular disease. She had chronic renal failure and dialysis was started 13 years previously. A diagnosis of severe aortic stenosis and regurgitation with severe mitral stenosis was made, and she underwent aortic valve and mitral valve replacement.