Coronary Sinus Lead Placement in Patients With Coronary Sinus Ostial Atresia: An Innovative Approach.

This case series demonstrates 2 innovative approaches to successful coronary sinus lead placement in the setting of coronary sinus ostial atresia. Use of venous phase coronary angiography, a computed tomography scan with venous phase, or a left-sided upper extremity venogram may help reveal a variant anatomy and guide tool selection. ().

Outcomes following cryoballoon ablation for atrial fibrillation guided by pressure waveform monitoring without the routine use of pulmonary venography.

Purpose: Pressure waveform analysis has the potential for facilitated assessment of pulmonary vein occlusion during cryoballoon ablation for atrial fibrillation. Data on clinical outcomes using this method are lacking. We sought to validate through clinical outcomes the use of pressure waveform analysis as the primary method of determining pulmonary vein occlusion during cryoballoon ablation.

Left atrial septal pouch in cryptogenic stroke.

Background: The left atrial septal pouch (LASP), an anatomic variant of the interatrial septum, has uncertain clinical significance. We examined the association between LASP and ischemic stroke subtypes in patients undergoing transesophageal echocardiography (TEE).

Methods: We determined the prevalence of LASP among consecutive patients who underwent TEE at our institution.

Effect of morbid obesity on in-hospital mortality and coronary revascularization outcomes after acute myocardial infarction in the United States.

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of morbid obesity (body mass index ≥40 kg/m(2)) on in-hospital mortality and coronary revascularization outcomes in patients presenting with acute myocardial infarctions (AMI). The Nationwide Inpatient Sample of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project was used, and 413,673 patients hospitalized with AMIs in 2009 were reviewed. Morbidly obese patients constituted 3.

Comparison of bivalirudin versus heparin plus glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors in patients undergoing an invasive strategy: a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.

Objective: This meta-analysis was performed to assess the efficacy and safety of bivalirudin compared with unfractionated heparin or enoxaparin plus glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa inhibitors in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Background: Pharmacotherapy for patients undergoing PCI includes bivalirudin, heparin, and GP IIb/IIIa inhibitors. We sought to compare ischemic and bleeding outcomes with bivalirudin versus heparin plus GP IIb/IIIa inhibitors in patients undergoing PCI.

Meta-analysis of studies comparing coronary artery bypass grafting with drug-eluting stenting in patients with diabetes mellitus and multivessel coronary artery disease.

This meta-analysis was undertaken to assess the efficacy and safety of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) compared to drug-eluting stenting (DES) in patients with diabetes mellitus and multivessel coronary artery disease (CAD). CABG has been the preferred revascularization strategy in patients with diabetes compared to DES. Drug-eluting stents reduce the rate of target vessel revascularization compared to bare-metal stents.

Meta-analysis of clinical studies comparing coronary artery bypass grafting with percutaneous coronary intervention and drug-eluting stents in patients with unprotected left main coronary artery narrowings.

The aim of this study was to compare the safety and efficacy of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) using drug-eluting stents (DES) in patients with unprotected left main coronary artery (ULMCA) disease. The current American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association guidelines recommend CABG for the treatment of patients with ULMCA disease on the basis of clinical trials demonstrating a survival benefit with CABG compared to medical therapy. DES reduce the rate of target vessel revascularization compared with bare-metal stents in ULMCA PCI and may be a safe alternative to CABG.

The partially folded homodimeric intermediate of Escherichia coli aspartate aminotransferase contains a "molten interface" structure.

The role of intersubunit side chain-side chain interactions in the stability of the Escherichia coli aspartate aminotransferase (eAATase) homodimer was investigated by directed mutagenesis at 10 different interface contacts. The urea-mediated unfolding pathway of this enzyme proceeds through the formation of a dimeric intermediate, D*, that retains only 40% of the native enzyme secondary structure as judged by circular dichroism. Disruption of any single intersubunit interaction results in a >2.

Cystic schwannoma of the anterior tentorial hiatus. Case report and review of the literature.

Intracranial schwannomas not arising from the facial, trigeminal, or vestibular nerves in the absence of neurofibromatosis are extremely rare. We report a case of a schwannoma arising in the region of the anterior tentorial hiatus and posterior cavernous sinus. A 17-year old girl presented with headaches and intermittent diplopia.