Role of plaque calcification regulators osteoprotegerin and matrix Gla-proteins in stable angina and acute myocardial infarction.

Aim: To assess serum levels of the plaque calcification regulators osteoprotegerin (OPG) and Matrix Gla-proteins (MGP) in individuals with stable angina and acute myocardial infarction submitted to coronary angiography and their relation to coronary artery disease burden.

Methods: The study included 40 individuals affected by ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and 40 individuals with stable angina who all underwent coronary angiography, with evaluation of the extent of coronary artery disease by Syntax Score calculation and measurement of serum OPG and MGP levels. Osteoporosis was excluded by femoral and vertebral computerized bone mineralometry.

Comparison of incidence and predictors of left bundle branch block after transcatheter aortic valve implantation using the CoreValve versus the Edwards valve.

Conduction disorders and permanent pacemaker implantation are common complications in patients who undergo transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). The aim of this study was to assess the incidence and clinical significance of new bundle branch block in patients who underwent TAVI with the Medtronic CoreValve Revalving System (MCRS) or the Edwards SAPIEN valve (ESV). Data from 238 patients with no previous pacemaker implantation, left bundle branch block (LBBB) or right bundle branch block at baseline electrocardiography who underwent TAVI with either MCRS (n = 87) or ESV (n = 151) bioprostheses from 2007 to 2011 were analyzed.

An unusual case of acute coronary syndrome late after stent implantation.

We report a case of a 66-year-old Caucasian male who presented to our department with unstable angina in July 2011. He had a medical history of trivessel coronary artery disease and underwent several percutaneous coronary interventions (2003, 2004, and 2006). The latest coronary angiography, performed in January 2011, showed mild intimal hyperplasia within the proximal left anterior descending segment, treated with a sirolimus-eluting stent in 2003.

A 'clover' coronary artery: role of coronary computed tomography to indicate optimal treatment in aneurysmal coronary artery disease.

We report the case of a 61-year-old man referred to our department for exertional angina with a history of tri-vessel aneurysmal coronary artery disease. Exercise stress echocardiography was positive for inferior wall hypokinesia. Coronary computed tomography (CT) provided a more accurate characterization of the coronary aneurysms.

Unrepaired tetralogy of fallot in an 85-year-old man.

Tetralogy of Fallot is the most common cyanotic congenital heart defect and accounts for about 5% of all congenital cardiopathies. The definitive treatment modality for tetralogy of Fallot is reparative surgery, which is recommended to be performed by the time of diagnosis. Without surgical repair, most patients would die during their childhood.