Mortality after myocardial infarction: the role of renal function and systolic and diastolic functions of the left ventricle.

Background: The relationship between renal dysfunction and mortality after myocardial infarction (MI) has been demonstrated in patients with reduced ejection fraction. The importance of diastolic dysfunction in this scenario is unknown.

Methods: We studied 749 patients with acute MI who were evaluated within 24 hours of symptom onset.

Streptococcus gallolyticus infective endocarditis in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus: a three-dimensional echocardiography evaluation.

A 42 year-old woman was referred to our hospital with a history of fever and poor general status for the last 30 days. She presented tachycardia and a systolic apical murmur. Laboratory tests revealed leukocytosis of 13,100/mL, hemoglobin of 8.

Caseous calcification of the mitral annulus: case report.

We present a rare case of probable caseous calcification of the mitral. This pathology is more frequently detected in asymptomatic women older than 70 years. To recognize this image is important because echocardiography is the easiest way to elucidate this diagnosis, and more importantly because this structure could be easily misdiagnosed as tumors, thrombus and vegetations, which are much more common.

Comparison of late results of percutaneous coronary intervention among stable patients ≤65 versus >65 years of age with an occluded infarct related artery (from the Occluded Artery Trial).

Although opening an occluded infarct-related artery >24 hours after myocardial infarction in stable patients in the Occluded Artery Trial (OAT) did not reduce events over 7 years, there was a suggestion that the effect of treatment might differ by patient age. Baseline characteristics and outcomes by treatment with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) versus optimal medical therapy alone were compared by prespecified stratification at age 65 years. A p value <0.