Endocarditis in Adult Congenital Heart Disease Patients: Prevention, Recognition, and Management.

Purpose Of Review: Present an updated overview of the prevention, diagnosis, and management of infective endocarditis in adult patients with congenital heart disease.

Recent Findings: Care for patients with infective endocarditis is changing in the areas of specialized teams, diagnostics, and prevention. Endocarditis teams should be involved in the care of ACHD patients.

Alternative molecular mechanisms for force transmission at adherens junctions via β-catenin-vinculin interaction.

Force transmission through adherens junctions (AJs) is crucial for multicellular organization, wound healing and tissue regeneration. Recent studies shed light on the molecular mechanisms of mechanotransduction at the AJs. However, the canonical model fails to explain force transmission when essential proteins of the mechanotransduction module are mutated or missing.

Thoracic Stent Grafts Induce Persistent Aortic Remodeling in Aortic Coarctation.

Background: This study's objective is to describe outcomes of adult patients who underwent thoracic stent graft placement treatment for primary or recurrent aortic coarctation.

Methods: This is a retrospective study of 30 adult patients who underwent thoracic stent graft placement for aortic coarctation at our institution. Average age was 46.

Percutaneous Balloon Dilation of the Pulmonary Valve in a 79-Year-Old With Congenital Pulmonary Valve Stenosis.

• Congenital valvar PS is a rare cause of heart failure in the geriatric population. • Transcatheter PV dilation is an effective treatment of congenital PS in older adults. • Cardiac CT can be very useful in the evaluation of suspected valvar PS in adults.

Left Ventricular Pseudoaneurysm in an Adult With a Repaired Partial Atrioventricular Canal Defect.

• LV pseudoaneurysm formation is rare after congenital heart disease repair. • Conservative management of LV pseudoaneurysm was successful in this unique case. • CCT and 3D printing are valuable in the characterization of LV pseudoaneurysm.