Cutting balloon angioplasty and stent implantation for aorto-ostial lesions: clinical outcome and 1-year follow-up.

Background: Percutaneous interventions for aorto-ostial narrowing of native coronary arteries are challenging because of early elastic recoil after the procedure and the high restenosis rate. Cutting balloon angioplasty may reduce this complication.

Hypothesis: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes of cutting balloon angioplasty and stent implantation for aorto-ostial lesions with a 1-year clinical follow-up.

Clinical and echocardiographic predictors of morbidity and mortality in infective endocarditis: the significance of vegetation size.

Background: Infective endocarditis is a common disease with significant morbidity and mortality.

Objectives: To define clinical and echocardiographic parameters predicting morbidity and in-hospital mortality in patients with infective endocarditis hospitalized in a tertiary hospital from 1991 to 2000.

Methods: All patients with definite infective endocarditis diagnosed according to the Duke criteria were included.