[Caseous calcification of the mitral annulus: case report and review of the literature].

Caseous calcification of the mitral annulus is an uncommon variant of mitral annular calcification. It appears as a round echodense mass containing central areas of echolucencies resembling liquefaction and with no flow in the central zone on color Doppler. In most cases it involves the posterior mitral annulus region, particularly in female subjects.

One-Year Outcomes of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation Using the Direct Aortic Approach.

Background: The direct aortic (DA) approach allows for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in patients with difficult peripheral vascular anatomy. The CoreValve ADVANCE Direct Aortic (ADVANCE DA) study was performed to assess the outcomes of DA TAVI with the CoreValve System (Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN) in routine practice.

Methods: Patients were selected for the DA approach by local cardiac surgical teams, and TAVI was performed with patients under general anesthesia.

Transaxillary versus transaortic approach for transcatheter aortic valve implantation with CoreValve Revalving System: insights from multicenter experience.

Background: About one-third of candidates for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) suffer from severe peripheral artery disease, making the routine femoral approach difficult or impossible. The aim was to compare the transaxillary (TAx) and the transaortic (TAo) route for TAVI with Medtronic CoreValve Revalving System (CRS).

Methods: Out of 1049 consecutive TAVI with 18F CRS, 242 (23%) were treated in 4 high-volume Italian Centre through TAx (61%) and TAo (39%).

Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for Acute Fulminant Myocarditis in Adult Patients: A 5-Year Multi-Institutional Experience.

Background: Acute fulminant myocarditis (AFM) may represent a life-threatening event, characterized by rapidly progressive cardiac compromise that ultimately leads to refractory cardiogenic shock or cardiac arrest. Venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) provides effective cardiocirculatory support in this circumstance, but few clinical series are available about early and long-term results. Data from a multicenter study group are reported which analyzed subjects affected by AFM and treated with VA-ECMO during a 5-year period.

Italian multicentre study on type A acute aortic dissection: a 33-year follow-up†.

Objectives: Despite substantial progress in surgical techniques and perioperative management, the treatment and long-term follow-up of type A acute aortic dissection (AAD) still remain a major challenge. The objective of this retrospective, multicentre study was to assess in a large series of patients the early and long-term results after surgery for type A AAD.

Methods: We analysed the preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative conditions of 1.

Role of different vascular approaches on transcatheter aortic valve implantation outcome: a single-center study.

Objective: To compare different vascular approaches on clinical outcome of patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) with self-expandable bioprosthesis.

Methods: We included all the patients undergoing CoreValve implantation at our institute between September 2007 and March 2014. They were divided into four groups based on the vascular approach: percutaneous transfemoral (pTF), cut-down transfemoral (cTF), transaxillary (TAx) and transaortic (TAo).

Platypnea and orthodeoxia in a patient with pulmonary embolism.

The platypnea-orthodeoxia syndrome is a rare clinical manifestation. Platypnea is defined as shortness of breath that worsens in the upright position, and orthodeoxia represents hypoxemia that aggravates in the upright position. We report a case of a patient with platypnea-orthodeoxia syndrome associated with pulmonary embolism and patent foramen ovale.

Triple-orifice valve repair in severe Barlow disease with multiple-jet mitral regurgitation: report of mid-term experience.

Objectives: Barlow disease represents a surgical challenge for mitral valve repair (MR) in the presence of mitral insufficiency (MI) with multiple regurgitant jets. We hereby present our mid-term experience using a modified edge-to-edge technique to address this peculiar MI.

Methods: From March 2003 till December 2010, 25 consecutive patients (mean age 54 ± 7 years, 14 males) affected by severe Barlow disease with multiple regurgitant jets were submitted to MR.

Edge-to-edge mitral valve repair for isolated prolapse of the anterior leaflet caused by degenerative disease.

Objective: The use of new techniques to correct mitral regurgitation due to prolapse of the anterior leaflet has been shown to expand the original surgical armamentarium and to improve postoperative outcome. We retrospectively analysed our experience with isolated prolapse of the anterior mitral leaflet repaired using the edge-to-edge technique.

Methods: From October 1986 to June 2004, 790 patients underwent mitral valve repair for mitral regurgitation at our institution.

The triple-orifice repair: a new technique for the treatment of mitral regurgitation in severe Barlow's disease.

We report a case of severe Barlow's disease with a very complex pathology, in which we applied the "edge-to-edge" technique, creating a triple-orifice mitral valve. Different techniques should be used to correct a similar valve defect; the combination of different surgical procedures and the valve pathology may influence the post-repair recurrence of regurgitation. We believe that it is better to perform a simple and reproducible repair than to carry on with combined complex procedures that could increase the risk of a suboptimal outcome.