The relationship between causative microorganisms and cardiac lesions caused by infective endocarditis: New perspectives from the contemporary cohort of patients.

Background: The etiology of infective endocarditis (IE) is changing. More aggressive forms with multiple IE cardiac lesions have become more frequent. This study sought to explore the relationship between contemporary causative microorganisms and IE cardiac lesions and to analyze the impact of multiple lesions on treatment choice.

Prediction of a good response to cardiac resynchronization therapy in patients with severe dilated cardyomyopathy: could conventional echocardiography be the answer after all?

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the performance of echocardiographic parameters to predict response to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT).

Background: CRT reduces morbidity and mortality due to the proper selection of candidates for CRT.

Methods: The 12-month trial was performed on 70 optimally medicated patients with standard inclusion criteria: NYHA class III or IV heart failure, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤ 35%, and QRS ≥ 120 ms.

Galectin-3 expression in papillary thyroid carcinoma: relation to histomorphologic growth pattern, lymph node metastasis, extrathyroid invasion, and tumor size.

Background: Galectin-3 has been recently recognized as a promising presurgical marker of thyroid malignancy.

Methods: Galectin-3 expression was examined immunohistochemically in 202 specimens of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) in relation to histomorphologic subtypes and clinicopathologic data. RESULTS.