An atypical assessment of Ebstein's anomaly in an 86-year-old man.

We present the echocardiographic analysis of an 86-year-old man affected by Ebstein's anomaly. In the natural history of this congenital disease only 5% of patients survive beyond the fifth decade. The patient presented severe right atrial dilatation and right heart failure, and he was referred to our institution for supraventricular tachycardia.

Evaluation of retinal abnormalities in essential hypertension: qualitative fundoscopy versus central retinal artery resistance index as indicators of target organ damage.

Purpose: To compare qualitative fundoscopy with resistance index (RI) of the central retinal artery determined using color Doppler examination as indicators of target organ damage in a large population of patients with essential hypertension.

Method: We compared qualitative fundoscopy and central retinal artery RI (CRARI) in 459 patients with grade I and II essential hypertension. Correlations with left ventricular mass, carotid structural changes, and diastolic function were investigated.

Feasibility, accuracy, and clinical relevance of a rapid thyroid evaluation during carotid duplex ultrasonography in hypertensive patients.

Carotid ultrasonography can detect thyroid nodules without increasing examination duration. The authors analyzed whether management is influenced by reporting such findings during routine carotid ultrasonography in hypertensive patients vs waiting for 6 months to repeat them. This is a population-based study of 1216 hypertensive patients.