Diagnosis of Primary Cardiac T-cell Lymphoma: Feasibility and Safety of Endomyocardial Biopsy Guided by Pre-acquired Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance.

Background: Multimodality imaging of a cardiac mass lesion may raise suspicion of a primitive cardiac lymphoma (PCL). However, a definitive diagnosis requires histopathological confirmation.

Methods: This report describes the methodology we used to perform biopsy sampling of a cardiac mass lesion affecting a 45-year-old man.

Clinical outcomes of AF patients treated with the first and second-generation of circular mapping and ablation catheter: insights from a real world multicenter experience.

Purpose: Complete pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is the best documented target for catheter ablation, and different technologies have shown comparable outcomes. The multielectrode phased-RF/duty cycled (PhRF/DC) pulmonary vein ablation catheter (PVAC) and its second generation (PVAC-GOLD) have shown promising clinical results in single and multicenter experiences. Our aim is to assess and compare the safety and efficacy in the real clinical practice among two generations of circular PhRF/DC catheters by performing PVI in patients suffering from recurrent atrial fibrillation (AF).

Influence of myocardial viability on responsiveness to cardiac resynchronization in ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy: a prospective observational cohort study.

Objective: To understand whether patients with post-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy and myocardial viability (MV) could benefit from cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) in terms of clinical, echocardiographic and neuro- hormonal parameters compared to patients without MV.

Methods: One hundred and four consecutive patients were enrolled in a prospective observational cohort study. Using dobutamine stress echocardiography, 2 groups were identified: group A of 51 patients with MV and group B of 53 patients without MV.

Initial experience with the Mesh catheter for pulmonary vein isolation in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

Background: A novel catheter design (HD Mesh ablator, Bard) combining high-density circumferential mapping and direct radiofrequency (RF) energy delivery has been developed to map and isolate the pulmonary veins (PVs).

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of the Mesh catheter for PV isolation in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF).

Methods: Twenty consecutive patients (mean age 56.

Diagnostic value of endomyocardial biopsy guided by electroanatomic voltage mapping in arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy/dysplasia.

Unlabelled: Voltage Mapping-Guided Biopsy in ARVC/D.

Introduction: To improve the endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) diagnostic sensitivity for arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy/dysplasia (ARVC/D), we hypothesized a biopsy sampling focused on selected right ventricle (RV) low-voltage areas identified by electroanatomic voltage mapping.

Methods And Results: The study population (22 patients, 10 men; mean age 34 +/- 10 years) included 11 patients with overt ARVC/D (group A) and 11 patients with suspected ARVC/D (group B), according to both arrhythmic profile and standardized noninvasive diagnostic criteria.

[Reduction of radiological exposure time during radiofrequency catheter ablation procedures using a novel intracardiac localization system based on the Ohm's law].

Background: Three-dimensional nonfluoroscopic system may be helpful to guide radiofrequency catheter ablation procedures and to reduce the radiological exposure. A new intracardiac navigation and multicatheter visualization system based on Ohm's law (LocaLisa, Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN, USA) has been recently introduced. The aim of our study was to assess the efficacy of the Loca-Lisa system in comparison to fluoroscopy-based approach in reducing the radiological exposure time required for radiofrequency catheter ablation procedures.

Successful treatment of post-exertion acute myocardial infarction by primary angioplasty and stenting in a patient with antiphospholipid antibody syndrome.

Antiphospholipid syndrome is a disorder characterized by arterial and venous thromboses, thrombocytopaenia and stroke. Acute myocardial infarction is rarely associated with this syndrome. The treatment of these patients is a clinical challenge.

[Type A acute aortic dissection presenting as mental status confusion: is it an atypically really uncommon presentation?].

The most common initial symptom of acute aortic dissection is chest or abdominal pain. Nevertheless, in a minority of cases, it may have an atypical presentation, making the diagnosis clinically challenging. This article reports on a case of acute type A aortic dissection presenting as mental status confusion.