What is the normal composition of pericardial fluid?

Objective: Biochemical and cytological pericardial fluid (PF) analysis is essentially based on the knowledge of pleural fluid composition. The aim of the present study is to identify reference intervals (RIs) for PF according to state-of-art methodological standards.

Methods: We prospectively collected and analysed the PF and venous blood of consecutive subjects undergoing elective open-heart surgery from July 2017 to October 2018.

Histologic Assessment of Drug-Eluting Grafts Related to Implantation Site.

Drug-eluting vascular prostheses represent a new direction in vascular surgery to reduce early thrombosis and late intimal hyperplasia for small calibre grafts. Subcutaneous implantation in rats is a rapid and cost-effective screening model to assess the drug-elution effect and could, to some extent, be useful to forecast results for vascular prostheses. We compared biological and histological responses to scaffolds in different implantation sites.

Acute myocardial infarction as first manifestation of left atrial myxoma in a young woman: role of echocardiography.

We report the case of a young woman with an acute myocardial infarction secondary to coronary embolization from a left atrial myxoma, as unusual presentation of a cardiac tumor.We also describe the role of transthoracic echocardiograpy in the multidisciplinary approach to diagnosis and treatment of this life-threatening condition.

Aortic valve replacement with 17-mm mechanical prostheses: is patient-prosthesis mismatch a relevant phenomenon?

Background: We sought to evaluate the long-term performance of a consecutive cohort of patients implanted with a 17-mm bileaflet mechanical prosthesis.

Methods: Between January 1995 and December 2005, 78 patients (74 women, mean age=71±12 years) underwent aortic valve replacement with a 17-mm mechanical bileaflet prosthesis (Sorin Bicarbon-Slim and St. Jude Medical-HP).

Tricuspid valve replacement with mechanical prostheses: long-term results.

Background And Aim Of The Study: Historically, tricuspid valve replacement (TVR) has been associated with high mortality and morbidity, and current knowledge in the long-term outcome of TVR is limited. The study aim was to review the authors' experience from a consecutive series of patients.

Methods: Between January 1990 and December 2005, a total of 43 patients (seven males, 36 females; mean age 52 +/- 14 years) underwent TVR.

Paclitaxel-eluting biodegradable synthetic vascular prostheses: a step towards reduction of neointima formation?

Background: Clinical small-caliber vascular prostheses are unsatisfactory. Reasons for failure are early thrombosis and late intimal hyperplasia. We thus prepared biodegradable small-caliber vascular prostheses using electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) with slow-releasing paclitaxel (PTX), an antiproliferative drug.

Validation of a rat model of cardiopulmonary bypass with a new miniaturized hollow fiber oxygenator.

Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is an essential component of cardiac surgery, with still unknown device/patient interactions. To evaluate the response of CPB to hemodynamic, biochemical, inflammatory, as well as thermo-pharmacodynamic interactions, a novel miniaturized oxygenator with controlled and standardized specifications has been developed together with an improved surgical central cannulation technique. A hollow-fiber small priming volume (6.

Primary bi-atrial Burkitt lymphoma with severe inflow impairment in an immunocompetent patient.

We report herein a case of sporadic primary cardiac bi-atrial Burkitt lymphoma (BL) occurred in a 67-year-old white immunocompetent patient and presenting with signs and symptoms of severe bilateral atrioventricular inflow impairment. Extranodal BL involving the heart is rare and seldom recognized clinically. Delayed discovery contributes to significant mortality.