Recognition of unprovoked (idiopathic) pulmonary embolism-Prospective observational study.

Background: The assessment of the clinical symptoms is the weakest link of the pulmonary embolism (PE) diagnostic algorithm. Despite the presence of highly sensitive and specific imaging methods, verifying PE remains difficult due to nonspecific clinical symptoms and frequently its subclinical course.

Objective: The aim of this study is to improve the recognition of PE by investigating the clinical presentation and short-term prognosis of unprovoked PE in comparison to provoked PE.

Catheter ablation of typical atrial flutter with the superior approach in a patient with inferior vena cava interruption.

Inferior vena cava (IVC) interruption is a rare condition that might pose difficulties during typical flutter ablation. When azygos vein continuation is present ablation via the femoral route could be performed. In the absence of azygos vein continuation, typical atrial flutter ablation via a superior approach from the SVC is feasible.

Rare diagnosis of fibrous cardiac diverticulum in an adult followed by urgent surgical intervention.

We describe the case of a 59-year old male patient with an acute onset of chest pain who was admitted to our unit with a suspected rupture of the left ventricle pseudoaneurysm, compressing the left atrium and the ascending aorta. Our urgent surgical intervention caused us to reject our initial diagnosis and revealed a cardiac diverticulum arising from the left ventricle outflow tract, spreading to the sub-valvular area compressing the left atrium, the ascending aorta and the pulmonary trunk, and compromising the aortic and mitral valve, causing moderate regurgitation. We removed the defect and replaced the aortic valve, eliminating the compression of the left atrium, aorta and pulmonary trunk.