Acute Exacerbation Impairs Right Ventricular Function in COPD Patients.

Introduction: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may impair right ventricular (RV) function. Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) is helpful in the noninvasive evaluation of RV longitudinal function. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of acute COPD exacerbation on RV function assessed by TDI.

The acute effect of cardiac pacing mode on endothelial vasodilation: prospective, double-blind, cross-over, comparative clinical study.

Background: Compared to atrioventricular sequential pacing, ventricular demand pacing is known to have somewhat more deleterious hemodynamic effects, which probably arise from increased sympathetic tonus and inappropriate baroreceptor activation. Endothelial function is affected by various local and systemic factors including baroreceptor activity. The aim of this study was to explore whether cardiac pacing would have any effect on endothelial functions.

Inferior vena caval tumor thrombus extending into the right atrium in a patient with pancreatic cancer.

Venous thromboembolism is a common complication in patients with cancer and an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Idiopathic thrombosis, migratory or recurrent thrombophlebitis may be the first manifestation of an occult malignancy. While deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism are the most common thrombotic conditions in patients with malignant disease, tumor thrombus may be seen in inferior vena cava, mainly in patients with renal cell carcinoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, testicular tumors or adrenal carcinoma.