Ultrasonography and lung mechanics can diagnose diaphragmatic paralysis quickly.

Diaphragmatic paralysis after cardiovascular surgery requires early diagnosis prior to extubation. The effectiveness of ultrasonography and a lung mechanics assessment was evaluated. Paralysis of the diaphragm was diagnosed when the diaphragm failed to move or moved in a cephalad direction during inspiration.

Infected left atrial myxoma.

A 47-year-old Japanese woman with a continuing high fever was promptly diagnosed as having infected atrial myxoma one day after admission based on transthoracic echocardiographic findings and positivity for bacteria in blood culture. The mass was removed by an urgent open heart surgery. Histopathological examination confirmed that this mass was a myxoma with gram-positive bacterial colonies.