Peri-infarction block, a marker for VT risk?

We present a monomorphic ventricular tachycardia (VT) in a patient with a history of myocardial infarction and syncope. The ECG shows an acceleration-dependent peri-infarction block inferiorly. The authors suggest that this old (but forgotten) ECG-entity may serve as a marker for assessing the risk of post-infarction VT.

Syncope due to unexpected paroxysmal sinus arrest.

We present two cases with unexpected long sinus arrest resulting in syncope. There were no signs or symptoms of either sick sinus syndrome or increased vagal tone before the occurrence of pauses in these patients. The fact that these patients remained asymptomatic for quite long shows striking resemblance to paroxysmal sub-AV nodal block.

[The value of early repeated N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide measurement in acute heart failure].

Introduction: The determination of natriuretic peptide levels in patients hospitalized for suspected acute heart failure is important for the confirmation of the diagnosis and for the prognosis. Changes in natriuretic peptide levels in response to therapy have a strong prognostic value.

Aim: To decide whether repeated natriuretic peptide measurements for acute heart failure show changes that could influence the diagnosis and/or the prognosis.

[The prognostic role of extremely high levels of the B-type natriuretic prohormone with regard to the in-hospital mortality of patients hospitalized for heart failure].

Introduction: Patients hospitalized for heart failure have a very high in-hospital as well as one-year mortality. Natriuretic peptides play both a diagnostic and a prognostic role in this disease. Changes of natriuretic peptide levels in response to therapy are a well-known prognostic marker.

[The prevalence of atrial fibrillation in Hungary].

Unlabelled: To estimate the prevalence and incidence of atrial fibrillation in the entire population of Hungary.

Methods: Analysis of the National Health Insurance Fund Administration database between 2007 and 2009 considering data from 2002. We assumed that patients with atrial fibrillation would turn to health care providers at least once either as outpatients or inpatients in a 5-year period.

Isolated spontaneous septal myocardial infarction.

Isolated occlusion of the septal perforating branch of the left anterior descending coronary artery is extremely rare. As a result, little is known about its electrocardiographic manifestations compared with those of an anteroseptal myocardial infarction. We present the case of an isolated septal myocardial infarction with ST-segment elevation.

[Reverse Takotsubo syndrome pattern induced by local anaesthesia].

We report a new entity of the Takotsubo syndrome. While the classic form of Takotsubo syndrome presents as transient apical ballooning, in reverse Takotsubo syndrome we see just the opposite, i.e.

Dangerous single lead ST elevation.

Discriminating among the various coronary obstruction patterns influences early management decisions. One of the most important tasks is the identification of ST-elevation myocardial infarction caused by left main occlusion. We present a case of single-lead ST-segment elevation in aVR caused by acute left main coronary artery occlusion.