[Cortical blindness as initial manifestation of nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis].

Nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis, formerly known as marantic endocarditis, it is an infrequent entity in which sterile, fibrin vegetations develop on heart valve leaflets. It is often diagnosed at the time of autopsy or in latestage malignancies. The most common malignancies associated with nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis are lung, pancreatic, gastric cancer and adenocarcinomas of an unknown primary site.

[Papillary fibroelastoma: retrospective analysis. Clinical presentation and surgical results].

Papillary ibroelastomas are small benign intracardiac tumors known for their embolic potential. Since the introduction of echocardiography with improved resolution and transesophageal imaging techniques, they are being increasingly detected in clinical practice. In recent series, papillary fibroelastoma is considered the most frequent benign tumor of the heart.

[Acute aortic regurgitation due to infective endocarditis].

Acute aortic regurgitation (AAR) due to infective endocarditis (IE) is a serious disease and usually requires surgical treatment. Our study aims to compare the clinical, echocardiographic, and microbiological characteristics as well as in-hospital outcome of patients with AAR according to the severity of heart failure (HF) and to evaluate predictors of in-hospital mortality in a tertiary centre. In a prospective analysis, we compared patients with NYHA functional class I-II HF (G1) vs.

Validation of the 2014 European Society of Cardiology Sudden Cardiac Death Risk Prediction Model in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy in a Reference Center in South America.

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is a common cause of death in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HC). Our aim was to conduct an external and independent validation in South America of the 2014 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) SCD risk prediction model to identify patients requiring an implantable cardioverter defibrillator. This study included 502 consecutive patients with HC followed from March, 1993 to December, 2014.

Influence of the timing of cardiac surgery on the outcome of patients with infective endocarditis and stroke.

Background: The timing of cardiac surgery after stroke in infective endocarditis (IE) remains controversial. We examined the relationship between the timing of surgery after stroke and the incidence of in-hospital and 1-year mortalities.

Methods: Data were obtained from the International Collaboration on Endocarditis-Prospective Cohort Study of 4794 patients with definite IE who were admitted to 64 centers from June 2000 through December 2006.

[Clinical finding and follow-up of chronic constrictive pericarditis].

The aim of this study was to describe the etiology, clinical findings, diagnostic methods, treatment, outcome and long-term prognosis of 35 patients with chronic constrictive pericarditis (CCP) that were prospectively analyzed according to a pericardial disease protocol performed in our Institution. Etiology of CCP was idiopathic in 24 patients (68%), and specific in 11 (32%). The majority (34 patients, 97%) underwent pericardiectomy.

Analysis of the impact of early surgery on in-hospital mortality of native valve endocarditis: use of propensity score and instrumental variable methods to adjust for treatment-selection bias.

Background: The impact of early surgery on mortality in patients with native valve endocarditis (NVE) is unresolved. This study sought to evaluate valve surgery compared with medical therapy for NVE and to identify characteristics of patients who are most likely to benefit from early surgery.

Methods And Results: Using a prospective, multinational cohort of patients with definite NVE, the effect of early surgery on in-hospital mortality was assessed by propensity-based matching adjustment for survivor bias and by instrumental variable analysis.

[Infective endocarditis. A changing disease].

In spite of the advance in diagnosis and antibiotic and surgical treatment, mortality of infective endocarditis remains high. Recent studies in various countries and in Argentina have shown that the clinical profile of infective endocarditis has changed. Currently the patients are older with higher frequency of degenerative valve disease and prosthetic valve and nosocomial endocarditis.

Contemporary clinical profile and outcome of prosthetic valve endocarditis.

Context: Prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) is associated with significant mortality and morbidity. The contemporary clinical profile and outcome of PVE are not well defined.

Objectives: To describe the prevalence, clinical characteristics, and outcome of PVE, with attention to health care-associated infection, and to determine prognostic factors associated with in-hospital mortality.

Epidemiologic, clinical, and microbiologic profile of infective endocarditis in Argentina: a national survey. The Endocarditis Infecciosa en la República Argentina-2 (EIRA-2) Study.

Background: This study aimed to determine the epidemiologic, clinical, microbiologic characteristics, and inhospital outcome of infective endocarditis (IE) in Argentina and compare the results with those of the 1992 IE national survey.

Methods: A prospective, multicenter study was conducted in 82 hospitals representing 16 of 24 provinces of Argentina. Patients with diagnosis of IE according to the Duke criteria were surveyed during an 18-month period.