Aorto-cavitary fistula: a rare case of infective endocarditis complicated by aortic root abscess and fistula to the right ventricle.

are a rare cause of infective endocarditis (IE). We present an interesting case of a 51-year-old intravenous drug user with IE of a prosthetic aortic valve and a fistula into the right ventricle. He underwent surgical repair and 6 weeks of intravenous meropenem.

Repair of Less Than Severe Tricuspid Regurgitation During Left-Sided Valve Surgery: A Meta-Analysis.

Background: This systematic review and meta-analysis was undertaken to investigate the short- and long-term clinical outcomes of concurrent repair of mild or moderate tricuspid regurgitation (TR) during left-sided valve surgery.

Methods: Medline, PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Libraries were searched, and 12 studies were identified, comprising 1373 patients who underwent TR repair during left-sided valve surgery and 1553 patients who did not. Of these studies, 6 were classified as having a low risk of bias (randomized controlled trials or propensity-matched studies), and 6 were considered as having a high risk of bias (nonmatched observational studies).

Pulmonary vasodilator therapies are of no benefit in pulmonary hypertension due to left heart disease: A meta-analysis.

Background: Pulmonary hypertension complicating left heart disease (PH-LHD) is the most common cause of PH. Off-label use of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) medications for PH-LHD is prevalent, despite a lack of clinical data supporting their use.

Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed.

Dietary supplementation with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids modulate matrix metalloproteinase immunoreactivity in a mouse model of pre-abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Background: Two-day infusion of angiotensin II to apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE(-/-)) mice provides a model of pre-abdominal aortic aneurysm. Long chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) have anti-inflammatory effects. This study examined the effect of an eight-week low or high n-3 PUFA diet in ApoE(-/-) mice on matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) expression and elastin degradation.

N-3 PUFAs protect against aortic inflammation and oxidative stress in angiotensin II-infused apolipoprotein E-/- mice.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm is associated with infiltration of inflammatory cells into the aortic wall. The inflammatory response is also evident in animal models, such as apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE-/-) mice that have been infused with angiotensin II, prior to development of aortic aneurysm. Since omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) and their metabolites have anti-inflammatory and pro-resolving activity, we hypothesised that dietary supplementation with n-3 PUFAs would protect against inflammatory processes in this mouse model.