Tumor lamination in mediastinal giant tumors.

Mediastinum tumors may grow slowly and reach giant proportions without symptoms, hindering surgical removal. Tumor big dimensions difficult surgical maneuvers, with risk of uncontrollable bleeding and prejudice to surrounding structures. It may be necessary the use of exceptional measures such as venous-venous circulatory deviation, pre-operatory embolization and total extracorporeal circulation.

Treatment of Chronic Atrial Fibrillation During Surgery for Rheumatic Mitral Valve Disease.

Introduction: The result of surgical ablation of atrial fibrillation remains controversial, although prospective and randomized studies have shown significant differences in the return to sinus rhythm in patients treated with ablation versus control group. Surgery of the Labyrinth, proposed by Cox and colleagues, is complex and increases the morbidity rate. Therefore, studies are needed to confirm the impact on clinical outcomes and quality of life of these patients.

Pantoprazole provides myocardial protection similar to ischemic preconditioning: experimental study of isolated hearts of rats.

Objective: To evaluate pantoprazole effect in the functional recovery of isolated hearts of rats, submitted to ischemia and reperfusion with and without ischemic preconditioning.

Methods: In four groups of eight Wistar breed rats, the hearts were removed after anesthesia and perfused with Krebs-Henseleit solution (95% O2, 5% CO2, 37 ºC). GI, GII, GIII and GIV hearts were submitted to ischemia (20 min) and reperfusion (30 min).

Repercussions of raloxifen, tamoxifen and estrogen on aortic atherosclerotic lesions of female rabbits submitted to ovariectomy and hypercholesterol diet.

Background: The role of hormone-replacement therapy in decreasing the risk of cardiovascular disease in women has not been firmly established. Recent studies have shown that the selective estrogen receptor modulators raloxifene, and tamoxifene, posses hypolipidemic and antiatherogenic properties.

Methods And Results: Forty-three adult female rabbits were submitted to ovariectomy (moment 1).

Ventricular remodeling and mitral valve modifications in dilated cardiomyopathy: new insights from anatomic study.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to analyze the behavior of the mitral valve ring and the left ventricle in dilated cardiomyopathy.

Methods: We analyzed 68 fixed adult human hearts, divided into 48 hearts with dilated cardiomyopathy of ischemic or idiopathic origin and 20 hearts free of pathologic heart conditions. Digital images of the mitral ring perimeter, attachment of the anterior and posterior leaflets, and fibrous and muscular portions were collected.