A case of sinus of Valsalva-right ventricle fistula without a typical aneurysm, and a single origin of the coronary arteries.

Few previous reports have described a sinus of Valsalva fistula without an aneurysm in Japanese patients. A single origin of the coronary arteries is a rare coronary anomaly. We describe a 75-year-old woman with a single origin of the coronary arteries and a sinus of Valsalva fistula without a typical aneurysm.

Assessing muscle vasodilation using near-infrared spectroscopy in cardiac patients.

Background: In patients with chronic heart failure, an inadequate increase in muscle blood flow resulting from impaired vasodilation plays a key role in their exercise intolerance. However, no non-invasive methods to assess muscle vasodilation during dynamic exercise were available. We investigated whether the changes in tissue hemoglobin and myoglobin content (total-Hb + Mb) determined by non-invasive measurement using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) reflect vessel conductance of working muscle during exercise.

Magnesium sulphate infusion suppresses the cardiac release of noradrenaline during a handgrip stress test.

Background: Magnesium has several important cardiovascular effects, but its effect on cardiac sympathetic efferent neuron activity has not been clarified.

Objectives: To examine the effect of magnesium sulphate infusion on cardiac sympathetic efferent postganglionic neuronal liberation of noradrenaline.

Patients And Methods: Twenty-two patients who underwent cardiac catheterization were randomly allocated to the control group or the magnesium group.