Cardiomyopathy in the peripartum period due to left ventricular non-compaction and association with Ebstein's anomaly: a case report.

Background: Left ventricular non-compaction (LVNC) cardiomyopathy is a persistence of abnormal foetal myocardium and is a rare cause of cardiomyopathy in the peripartum period. Unlike other causes of peripartum cardiomyopathy which typically improve, LVNC has significant long-term personal and family implications and needs lifelong follow-up.

Case Summary: We describe a unique case of a 30-year-old woman who developed cardiomyopathy in the peripartum period which was revealed on cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging to be due to occult LVNC.

Radiation-induced dystrophic calcification and severe valvular stenosis: the central role of multimodality 3D cardiac imaging in disease assessment and planning of combined transcatheter aortic and mitral valve replacement.

Cardiac disease after mediastinal radiotherapy can result in progressive valvular thickening and dystrophic calcification with ensuing leaflet restriction and dysfunction. This can ultimately manifest as valvular stenosis and/or regurgitation. We report a case of a 61-year-old woman with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis and severe mitral stenosis due to severe dystrophic calcification postmediastinal radiotherapy for lymphoma.

Heart disease in pregnancy: ischaemic heart disease.

Coronary artery disease and in particular acute coronary syndromes in pregnancy are increasing with high risk of mortality and significant morbidity. Whilst women with atherosclerotic risk factors are at greater risk of developing problems in pregnancy, it is important to remember that women can develop problems even in the absence of atherosclerosis-secondary to thrombosis or coronary dissection. A low threshold to investigate women with chest pain is paramount, and women with raised troponin levels should be investigated seriously.

Specific beta(2)AR blocker ICI 118,551 actively decreases contraction through a G(i)-coupled form of the beta(2)AR in myocytes from failing human heart.

Background: We have observed direct (noncatecholamine-blocking) negative inotropic effects of the selective beta(2)-adrenoceptor (AR) antagonist ICI 118,551 in myocytes from failing human ventricle. In this study we characterize the effect in parallel in human myocytes and in myocytes from animal models where beta(2)ARs or G(i) proteins are overexpressed.

Methods And Results: Enzymatically isolated, superfused ventricular myocytes were exposed to betaAR agonists and antagonists/inverse agonists, and contraction amplitude was measured.