Long-term changes in left ventricular performance following mitral valve replacement for pure rheumatic mitral regurgitation.

Our data indicate that MVR, with or without chordal preservation, for pure severe MR in symptomatic younger rheumatic patients with a good preoperative ejection fraction results in normalization of LV size and performance by 1 year. Normalization of LV performance was only achieved at 1 year after surgery, and it is therefore essential to extend the assessment of LV function to at least 1 year postoperatively.

Study of critically ill patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objectives: To determine the presenting features, prognostic factors, course, and outcome of critically ill patients with systemic lupus erythematosus admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU).

Design: Retrospective patient record review.

Setting: Two academic teaching hospitals.

Cyanosis and clubbing in a patient with iatrogenic Lutembacher syndrome.

A patient with rheumatic mitral and aortic stenosis is described in whom balloon dilatation of the mitral valve was complicated by an iatrogenic atrial septal defect with a small left to right shunt. Over the course of 4 years, the patient became progressively cyanosed and clubbed and was found to have reversed the shunt across the atrial septal defect due to the occurrence of severe tricuspid stenosis. The tricuspid valve was successfully dilated with re-establishment of a net left to right shunt.

Frequency of prosthetic valve-related complications with very low level warfarin anticoagulation combined with dipyridamole after valve replacement using St. Jude Medical prostheses.

The safety of a very low level of anticoagulation combined with dipyridamole in a rheumatic population (mean age 31 +/- 13 years) with the St. Jude Medical (SJM) prosthesis has not yet been tested. Furthermore, no data are available on the safety of relatively infrequent monitoring of anticoagulation levels and of the necessity for different therapeutic targets according to valve position, number of risk factors, and other baseline risk factors for thromboembolism.