Ebstein's anomaly: a potential cause of misinterpretation of myocardial perfusion scintigraphy.

We present the case of a 43-year-old woman with a history of Ebstein's anomaly, who was referred for a myocardial perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) study due to angina-like symptoms. Dilatation of the right ventricle and right atrium, apical displacement of the septal tricuspid leaflet, small left ventricle with good left ventricular and a moderate degree of tricuspid regurgitation with mild pulmonary hypertension were found on echocardiography. Myocardial SPECT perfusion imaging with [99m Tc]tetrofosmin demonstrated a large defect in the inferior septal wall in the stress study with mild partial reversibility at rest.

Clinical and prognostic value of elevated CA125 levels in patients with congestive heart failure.

Background: Increased serum levels of carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125), a tumor marker associated with ovarian cancer, have also been reported in other malignant and non-malignant diseases. We assessed the correlation of the CA125 serum levels with the severity of congestive heart failure (CHF) and investigated their potential prognostic value in relation to major cardiovascular events.

Methods: CA125 levels were measured in 95 male patients aged 70+/-10 years, admitted for decompensated CHF.

Discordance between echocardiographic and MRI findings in two cases of acute myocarditis mimicking myocardial infarction.

Two male adolescents were admitted due to chest pain influenced by the respiratory movements. A lobar pneumonia caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae, was radiographically and serologically diagnosed in the first patient (a 15-year-old boy) and a febrile diarrhea of unidentified etiology, despite repetitive stool cultures and serological assessments in the second one (a 19-year-old male). Both patients combined the aforementioned infectious conditions with outstanding thoracic pain the previous hours before admission, markedly elevated cardiac enzymes and ST-segment elevation in the inferior and left precordial leads with a normal coronary angiogram, thus composing a clinical setting highly indicative of acute myocarditis.

Atrioventricular conduction disturbances in a young patient with Fabry's disease without other signs of cardiac involvement.

A 30 year-old male patient with a history of Fabry's disease, was referred to hospital with symptoms of dizziness, hypotension and weakness. Fabry's disease had been diagnosed 2 years before, based on angiokeratoma and hypohidrosis on physical examination and complete lack of alpha-galactosidase A on laboratory examination. The ECG on admission demonstrated sinus bradycardia, with a poor response to atropine administration.

The significance of CA125 levels in patients with chronic congestive heart failure. Correlation with clinical and echocardiographic parameters.

Objective: To assess serum levels of carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125) in patients with chronic congestive heart failure (CHF) and to assess any correlation with clinical symptoms and echocardiographic indices.

Patients And Methods: We enrolled 77 male patients (mean age: 73+/-10 years) admitted to the Cardiology Emergency Department (ED) with cardiac symptoms requiring hospitalization. Diagnosis of CHF was based upon medical history or initial echocardiographic evaluation on current admission.