Clinical and echocardiographic course in tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy: Long-term follow-up from a multicenter study.

Objectives: To jointly describe clinical characteristics, ECG and echocardiographic findings, and adverse cardiovascular events in patients with tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy (TC) in the long-term.

Methods: Longitudinal multicenter study including retrospective analysis of clinical and ECG data, and follow-up evaluation with clinical interview, electrocardiogram and echocardiogram.

Results: Data from 66 cases of TC were available for analysis of clinical and adverse cardiovascular events, and 56 of them completed the follow-up visit including electrocardiogram and echocardiogram.

Three-Dimensional Transesophageal Echocardiography in the Anatomical Assessment of Isolated Parachute Mitral Valve in an Adult Patient.

Parachute mitral valve (PMV) is a rare congenital anomaly of the mitral valve apparatus usually evidenced in infants and young children. Adult presentation is extremely rare and is generally mild in terms of mitral stenosis. A 73-year-old woman was admitted to the emergency department due to progressive dyspnea, with NYHA functional class IV symptoms on presentation.

Prognostic value of different serum biomarkers for left ventricular remodelling after ST-elevation myocardial infarction treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Background: Mortality derived from ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) has decreased due to primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Paradoxically, the incidence of heart failure secondary to left ventricular remodelling (LVR) is on the rise due to the survival derived from reperfusion strategies. The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic value for LVR of biomarkers involved in several pathophysiological mechanisms activated during STEMI treated with primary PCI.

Value of NT-ProBNP level and echocardiographic parameters in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction treated by primary angioplasty: relationships between these variables and their usefulness as predictors of ventricular remodeling.

Introduction And Objectives: To assess the value of N-terminal fragment of brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) measurement and echocardiography for predicting ventricular remodeling after myocardial infarction and to investigate relationships between the NT-proBNP level and echocardiographic parameters at discharge and in the medium term.

Methods: The study involved 159 patients with myocardial infarction treated by primary coronary angioplasty. The NT-proBNP level was measured on admission, at discharge and after 6 months.

Patent foramen ovale not so patent.

Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) with agitated saline contrast is the most sensitive tool for diagnosing patent foramen ovale (PFO), but false positives can result. We report a patient who underwent a TEE during the study of a cryptogenic stroke. Contrast appeared in the left atrium with the Valsalva maneuver.

A heart inside the heart: blood cyst of mitral valve.

We report a case of giant blood cyst originating from the anterior mitral valve leaflet, which was discovered during a two-dimensional echocardiography examination performed for investigation of a systolic murmur in a 34-year-old healthy man. Three-dimensional microbubble-enhanced images showed a heart-shape appearance that may be pathognomonic for blood cyst of the mitral valve.

Massive intracardiac metastases secondary to squamous cell carcinoma located at the level of the penis.

Penile cancer is an uncommon malignancy in the Developed World. They are dispersed mainly via the lymphatic pathway. We present a single case of massive intracardiac metastases secondary to epidermoid carcinoma of the penis.

Double-chambered right ventricle associated with mural and pulmonic valve endocarditis: description of a clinical case and review of the literature.

A double-chambered right ventricle is a relatively uncommon congenital cardiac defect characterized by the presence of anomalous muscle bundles dividing the right ventricle into a high-pressure proximal chamber and a low-pressure distal chamber. This pathology is often wrongly diagnosed in adult patients. We report the first case of a patient with double-chambered right ventricle associated with a mural and pulmonic valve endocarditis caused by Streptococcus parasanguis diagnosed with two-dimensional echocardiography.

[Study of heart valve function on obese patients treated with sibutramine].

Background: Some anorectic drugs have been related with he development of heart valve lesions. Sibutramine is a new anorectic drug used for the treatment of obesity. Although data reported to date suggest that sibutramine does not induce heart valve lesions, there are no published reports performing longitudinal echocardiographic studies before and after treatment with sibutramine.