Cirrhotic Cardiomyopathy: Another Case of a Successful Approach to Treatment of Hepatorenal Syndrome.

Hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) is defined as a failure of renal function, potentially reversible, in patients with liver cirrhosis and ascites. Recently, a component of cardiomyopathy associated with HRS was described, but the use of positive inotropic medicine as part of the treatment of the acute phase has not been extensively evaluated. We report a second case in our hospital of a patient with HRS type I without previous heart disease, with secondary hemodynamic decompensation due to liver disease, in which the abnormalities in systolic function by speckle-tracking echocardiography were observed and could be reversed by the use of inotropes.

Pulmonary Disease Secondary to Reflux Mimicking Interstitial Pneumonia in Systemic Sclerosis: Case Report and Literature Review.

Systemic sclerosis is a complex disease due to the variety of clinical presentations, often superimposed on other conditions, related or not to the connective tissue. We report a 43-year-old Brazilian woman with limited systemic sclerosis and pulmonary symptoms secondary to gastroesophageal reflux disease, with a clinical presentation similar to a diffuse interstitial lung disease. Because of the frequency of interstitial lung injury due to systemic sclerosis, this was an important differential diagnosis, which could be excluded after optimized treatment of reflux disease, with clinical and radiological improvement.

Smoking and Its Association With Morbidity in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Evaluated by the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology Damage Index: Preliminary Data and Systematic Review.

Objective: Due to the increased availability of effective treatments, patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) now have longer survival times, and factors involved in cumulative chronic damage in SLE need to be better understood. This study was undertaken to evaluate the relationship between smoking and cumulative chronic damage in SLE patients.

Methods: A cross-sectional study of SLE patients was performed to investigate the possible association between smoking exposure (ever [previous or current, active or secondhand smokers] or never) and cumulative chronic damage as measured by the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology Damage Index (SDI).

Nobel prizes: contributions to cardiology.

The Nobel Prize was created by Alfred Nobel. The first prize was awarded in 1901 and Emil Adolf von Behring was the first laureate in medicine due to his research in diphtheria serum. Regarding cardiology, Nobel Prize's history permits a global comprehension of progress in pathophysiology, diagnosis and therapeutics of various cardiac diseases in last 120 years.

Hepatorenal syndrome with cirrhotic cardiomyopathy: case report and literature review.

The hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) is defined as a potentially reversible kidney failure in patients with cirrhosis and ascites. An association of HRS and cirrhotic cardiomyopathy has been reported recently, but there are no result studies about the use of positive inotropes as part of the acute phase treatment. We report the case of a patient diagnosed with HRS, with high levels of NT pro-BNP, but with normal ejection fraction of the left ventricle, which showed abnormalities in systolic function through speckle tracking in echocardiography, reversible after the infusion of dobutamine.

Orbital Pseudotumor: Uncommon Initial Presentation of IgG4-Related Disease.

IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) encompasses a group of fibroinflammatory conditions recognized in recent times. The main clinical features include variable degrees of tissue fibrosis, tumorlike expansions, perivascular lymphocytic infiltration rich in IgG4-positive plasma cells, and elevated serum IgG4. A case has been reported of an elderly patient with an unexplained unilateral exophthalmia; biopsy was performed and revealed lymphocytic infiltration, suggesting IgG4-RD.

[Utility of B-type natriuretic peptide measurement in outpatients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction].

Introduction: Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFPEF) is a highly prevalent syndrome that is difficult to diagnose in outpatients. The measurement of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) may be useful in the diagnosis of HFPEF, but with a different cutoff from that used in the emergency room. The aim of this study was to identify the BNP cutoff for a diagnosis of HFPEF in outpatients.

Digital stethoscope as an innovative tool on the teaching of auscultatory skills.

Physical cardiovascular examination, particularly cardiac auscultation, is one of the most difficult clinical skills for students during their medical training. Studies suggest that the use of technologies such as digital stethoscope increase the accuracy of clinical examination, however, its impact on the teaching of cardiac auscultation for undergraduate students of medicine is not known. The objective is to demonstrate the usefulness of the digital stethoscope compared to traditional methods as a tool in the teaching of auscultatory skills.

Left atrium measurement in patients suspected of having heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

Background: The pathophysiological model of heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (HFPEF) focuses on the presence of diastolic dysfunction, which causes left atrial (LA) structural and functional changes. The LA size, an indicator of the chronic elevation of the left ventricular (LV) filling pressure, can be used as a marker of the presence of HFPEF, and it is easily obtained.

Objective: To estimate the accuracy of measuring the LA size by using indexed LA volume and diameter (ILAV and ILAD, respectively) for diagnosing HFPEF in ambulatory patients.