Quantitative evaluation using single-photon emission computed tomography with acetazolamide is reliable for preoperative evaluation before cardiac surgery in severe carotid intracranial artery stenotic and/or occlusive disease: a case report.

Background: Severe carotid and intracranial artery stenosis disease (CIAD) is major risk for perioperative stroke in coronary artery bypass grafting. Then, preoperative risk assessment is quite important.

Case Presentation: A 58-years old Japanese woman with bilateral carotid stenosis and bilateral middle cerebral artery occlusion was suffered from worsening effort angina due to severe three coronary vessel disease.

Mitral degenerative disease mimicking a valvular tumor: a case report.

Background: In rare cases, echo findings of degenerative valve disease is similar to valvular mass.

Case Presentation: A 56-year-old woman was evaluated for palpitation. Echocardiography revealed an 8- mm mass on the anterior mitral leaflet with minimal mitral insufficiency.

Structural valve deterioration in a starr-edwards mitral caged-disk valve prosthesis.

Background: The durability of the Starr-Edwards (SE) mitral caged-disk valve, model 6520, is not clearly known, and structural valve deterioration in the SE disk valve is very rare.

Methods And Results: Replacement of the SE mitral disk valve was performed in 7 patients 23-40 years after implantation. Macroscopic examination of the removed disk valves showed no structural abnormalities in 3 patients, in whom the disk valves were removed at <26 years after implantation.

Aortic valve replacement in patients with an anomalous left circumflex artery: technical considerations.

The abnormal origin of the left circumflex artery from the proximal right coronary artery (RCA) is considered a coronary artery anomaly. Most of the coronary artery anomalies are diagnosed incidentally by coronary artery angiography, and several considerations are needed to avoid fatal complications in patients undergoing aortic valve replacement (AVR). We report a case of AVR with anomalous origin of the left circumflex artery from a common ostium of the RCA, and discuss the use of a smaller prosthesis to avoid compression of the anomalous left circumflex artery.

Concurrent submitral left ventricular aneurysm and an aneurysm of the sinus of valsalva: report of a case.

We herein describe a rare case of a concurrent submitral left ventricular (LV) aneurysm and an aneurysm of the sinus of Valsalva in a 65-year-old Japanese woman. The patient had a history of mitral valve replacement (MVR) for mitral regurgitation caused by a submitral LV aneurysm at the age of 58. At the time of the MVR, the orifice of the submitral LV aneurysm without thrombi was beneath the posterior leaflet, but surgical repair of the submitral LV aneurysm was not attempted.

Twelve-year experience with the Carpentier-Edwards pericardial aortic valve at a single Japanese center.

Our aim was to evaluate the long-term results of implantation of the Carpentier-Edwards pericardial (CEP) valve in the aortic position. Between January 1996 and December 2007, 244 patients who underwent aortic valve replacement using the CEP valve were enrolled in this study. A 19-mm valve was used in 39 patients, a 21-mm valve in 94 patients, a 23-mm valve in 81 patients, and a 25-mm valve in 30 patients.

Recurrent mitral regurgitation due to calcified synthetic chordae.

We report a case of recurrent mitral regurgitation due to calcification of the expanded polytetrafluoroethylene sutures. According to pathologic findings, it was believed that due to the dystrophic calcification of the fibrous tissue covering the expanded polytetrafluoroethylene sutures, there was increased hyalinization, leading to sclerosis and shortening of the chordae. Calcification of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene sutures after mitral valve repair is a rare complication; however, careful follow-up should be needed because such change may occur in long-term periods after implantation.

Transcatheter coil embolization for patent ductus arteriosus in the elderly: report of a case and review of the published work.

Patent ductus arteriosus is the third most common congenital cardiovascular anomaly, however, it is rarely found in the elderly. We describe a case of patent ductus arteriosus in a 72-year-old woman in whom patent ductus arteriosus was successfully managed by transcatheter coil embolization. The patient had been diagnosed with a heart murmur for the first time 1 year earlier at the age of 71.