[Hypocalcemic dilated cardiomyopathy: rare cause of heart failure].

Hypocalcemic dilated cardiomyopathy is a rare cause of heart failure in adults. We report a case in a 19-year-old woman who developed congestive heart failure induced by severe chronic hypocalcemia disclosing primary hypoparathyroidism. Complete regression of the clinical signs was achieved with vitamin-calcium treatment, but left ventricular systolic dysfunction persisted eight months after treatment.

[Obstructive left triatrial heart in the adult. Echocardiographic appearances].

The authors report the case of a 23-year old man who presented with signs of pulmonary hypertension due to an obstructive left triatrial heart in adulthood. Transthoracic and transoesophageal echocardiography showed a partially calcified intra-left atrial membrane perforated in its centre. Doppler analysis of flow through the membrane showed continuous systolo-diastolic flow at high velocity indicating haemodynamic obstruction.

[Malignant mediastinal schwannoma in Recklinghausen's disease presenting as cardiac tamponade. Report of two cases].

The authors report two cases of Recklinghausen's disease admitted for cardiac tamponade. Two-dimensional echocardiography showed a pericardial tumour in addition to a compressive pericardial effusion. After pericardial drainage, the outcome was rapidly fatal.

[Cardiac tamponade and transient ischemia revealing a syndrome of primary antiphospholipid antibodies].

The authors report a case of echocardiographically confirmed cardiac tamponade, which required emergency pericardial aspiration, and a transient ischaemic attack revealing an underlying primary antiphospholipid antibody syndrome in a 29-year-old patient. The test for antiphospholipid antibodies was positive on 2 occasions (IgG > 91.41 micrograms/l).