[Corynebacterium diphtheriae endocarditis complicated by septic arthritis and cerebral abscess].

The authors report a rare case of the mitis type Corynebacterium diphteriae endocarditis on a prosthetic valve complicated by septic arthritis and cerebral abscess. The authors underline the importance of regular transoesophageal echocardiographic control and underline the diagnostic value of ultrafast computed tomography for the diagnosis of aortic annular and interventricular septal abscesses in patients with mechanical prosthetic valves.

[Struma cordis: right intraventricular ectopic thyroid].

The authors report the case of a benign tumour composed of hyperplasic thyroid tissue in the right ventricle, diagnosed in a 43 year old woman by echocardiography after a syncopal episode. The outcome was favourable with a 13 year follow-up after surgery.

[Left coronaro-ventricular fistula after septal myectomy].

The authors report the case of a 17 year old patient operated for valvular aortic stenosis associated with severe hypertrophy of the interventricular septum. The operation consisted of aortic valve replacement and septal myectomy. Color-flow imaging in the postoperative period showed a coronary artery--left ventricular fistula in the region of the septal myectomy.