[Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in evaluation of cardiomyopathies].

The cardiomyopathies are a heterogeneous group of disorders primarily having myocardial dysfunction in common. Phenotypical classification relies on morphological and functional criteria. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) has advanced into an imaging modality, which allows assessment of structure and function in addition to myocardial tissue characterization and evaluation of the myocardial iron content, inflammation and fibrosis.

[Initial evaluation and management of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia].

The paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardias (SVT) are commonly encountered arrhythmias and include atrioventricular nodal re-entrant tachycardia, atrioventricular reciprocating tachycardia, and focal atrial tachycardia. These tachycardias share several clinical features as well as similar management strategies. The probable mechanism of paroxysmal SVT can often be diagnosed from the clinical findings and a 12-lead ECG.

[Clinical considerations in the interpretation of elevated troponin levels].

The essential role of cardiac troponin (cTn) in the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction has led to the development of high-sensitivity assays, which are able to detect very small amounts of myocardial necrosis. However, although elevated blood levels of cTn indicate myocardial injury, they do not provide a causal explanation. The differential diagnosis of minor elevations of the cTn-level is broad and includes both acute and chronic cardiac and non-cardiac conditions.

Nitroglycerine induced acute myocardial infarction in a patient with myocardial bridging.

Muscle overlying an intramyocardial segment of a coronary artery is termed a myocardial bridge. The intramyocardial segment, the tunneled artery, is compressed during systole. The condition is generally benign but may occasionally cause myocardial ischemia, infarction, arrhythmia, or sudden cardiac death.

[Atypical manifestation of infective endocarditis].

Infective endocarditis is a serious disease associated with a high mortality. The initial presentation may be non-specific and misleading, thus delaying correct diagnosis. In this case report, we describe a 46-year-old woman, who presented with symptoms suggestive of systemic lupus erythematosus, including malar rash, arthritis, acute renal failure and thrombocytopenia, but she was subsequently proven to have infective endocarditis involving the mitral valve.