Papillary fibroelastomas are rare, primary, benign cardiac tumors most frequently located in the heart valves. They are a potential cause of systemic embolization and may be associated with myocardial ischaemia, transient ischaemic attacks, strokes, or sudden death. We describe the case of 75-year-old woman with diagnosed aortic insufficiency who was admitted to hospital with acute coronary syndrome.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnlabelled: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the main cause of death and disability in Poland. There are many risk factors of CVD which are modifiable due to preventive strategies. Knowledge about these factors among population at risk of CVD is the most important condition for success of them.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInappropriate implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) therapy is the commonest adverse event in patients with ICD. We present a case of sinus rhythm restoration after an inappropriate shock in a man with permanent atrial fibrillation and dilated cardiomyopathy. During follow-up, clinical improvement has been observed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Post-MI patients are highly susceptible to sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) and sudden cardiac death (SCD) resulting from ventricular arrhythmia (VA). The search for new clinical predictors to identify those patients who are at the highest risk of these events is therefore essential. Numerous data indicate that the presence of polymorphisms and mutations in the cardiac ion channel genes SCN5A, KCNQ1 and KCNE1 might serve as such a predictor.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The present study of patients with Wenckebach-type second-degree sinoatrial block (W-block) evaluated the probability of the development of a more advanced grade of sinoatrial block. Data on the clinical significance of W--block are limited. It is unknown whether W-block predicts a more advanced grade of sinoatrial block.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Patients after myocardial infarction (MI) are at greater risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) than people in the overall population. The aim of this study was to detect mutations, including intronic ones, in the KCNQ1 gene coding for proteins of cardiac potassium channels and evaluate their possible effects on the clinical course in patients after MI.
Methods: The study group was composed of 100 Polish patients after MI, which included 27 women (mean age 69 years) and 73 men (mean age 67 years).
The paper presents a case of a 20-year-old student with a history of cardiac arrest due to ventricular fibrillation. The episode of cardiac arrest occurred when the patient did not complain of any health problems, and there was no visible structural heart disease. Consequently, permanent anoxaemic brain damage was observed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe muscle bridge is an anomaly which is found in 0.5-2.5% of coronary angiography examinations and may lead to impairment of coronary blood flow.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPrimary Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA) is increasingly common method of treatment patients with acute myocardial infarction. The aim of the study was to assess the left ventricular function in patients with myocardial infarction subjected to thrombolysis or primary PTCA. Gated Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography was performed in 40 patients 6 months after myocardial infarction treated either with thrombolysis or primary PTCA.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThere has been an increase in the incidence of obesity, which is a substantial component of metabolic syndrome. It is visceral obesity, which especially favours the occurrence of insulin resistance endothelial dysfunction and acceleration of atherogenesis. The influence of inflammation, neuro-humoral balance, genetic background and sleep apnoea on the metabolic syndrome development are discussed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Aim: Of this study was to assess the serum homocysteine concentration in subjects with acute myocardial infarction and its correlation with the course of infarction and further prognosis considering particularly left ventricle dysfunction, heart rate and conduction disorders as well as to assess the usefulness of metionin load test as a prognostic test in patients with myocardial infarction.
Material And Methods: 66 patients were studied: 36 with recent myocardial infarction and 30 healthy individuals as a control group. Fasting serum homocysteine and its concentration two hours after metionin load were determined in all patients.
The aim of this study was the assessment of long-term repeatability of tilt-table test and parameters of heart rate variability analysis. Westminster protocol tilt-table test extended with nitroglycerin test was combined with analysis of heart rate variability. Five-minute intervals of ECG record were evaluated before and after the upright tilting, before syncope and 24-hour record was analysed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe aim of the study was the assessment of selected inflammatory markers in patients with stable and unstable angina pectoris, in comparison to patients with dyslipidemia without coronary artery disease. The study group included 61 patients (37-79 years old), divided into three subgroups: group I. 26 (43%) with unstable angina, group 2.
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