Sclerosing Mesenteritis as an Uncommon Site of Involvement of IgG4-Related Disease: A Case Report With an Updated Review of the Literature.

Immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is an uncommon immune-mediated disorder most commonly involving the pancreas, lacrimal, and salivary glands. Immunoglobulin G4-related sclerosing mesenteritis (IgG4-RSM) is a rare site of involvement that usually mimics the imaging characteristics of mesenteric malignancies. Herein, we report a case of IgG4-RSM followed by an updated and comprehensive review of the literature.

Pathology of the thoracic aorta: a morphologic review of 338 surgical specimens over a 7-year period.

A total of 338 surgical specimens of the thoracic aorta were studied morphologically. These were obtained from patients (238 males, 100 females) operated on for aortic aneurysm or dissection at the Careggi Hospital, Florence, Italy, between January 1999 and June 2005. Medial degeneration was diagnosed in 299 cases (138 aneurysms, 161 dissections), atherosclerosis with extensive medial destruction was seen in 32 cases (26 aneurysms, 6 dissections), and giant cell arteritis (GCA) was found in 7 cases (all aneurysms).

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma as a primary cardiac tumor.

We describe the case of a malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) of the heart, presenting with an obstinate cough and clinically misdiagnosed as myxoma, in an 80-year-old woman. Fourteen months after surgical removal, an embolic episode revealed recurrence of the tumor. To plan the best surgical management, MFH, rare as it is, should be borne in mind when evaluating a cardiac intracavitary mass, especially if located in the left atrium.

Hepato-splenic lymphoma: a rare entity mimicking acute hepatitis: a case report.

We reported a case of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma where liver involvement was the predominant clinical manifestation. A 27-year old man presented with markedly elevated serum aspartate aminotrasferase, alanine aminotransferase and lactate dehydrogenase, reduced prothrombin activity, thrombocytopenic purpura and hepato-splenomegaly without adenopathy. Viral, toxic, autoimmune and metabolic liver diseases were excluded.

Secundum atrial septal defect and pulmonary hypertension in an 86-year-old woman: a case report and review of the literature.

A case of well tolerated secundum atrial septal defect in a woman who died at 86 years of age is described and the lesions responsible for pulmonary hypertension are discussed. Previous reports of over-70-year-old patients with untreated secundum atrial septal defect are also reviewed.

Constrictive pericarditis associated with hydrops fetalis.

We report a rare case of constrictive pericarditis coexistent with a unique heart malformation in a fetus. Cardiac abnormalities, possibly due to a transplacental viral infection, were responsible for severe hydrops fetalis.

Giant cell arteritis presenting with annuloaortic ectasia.

Four cases of giant cell arteritis causing severe aortic regurgitation secondary to an aneurysm of the ascending aorta are described. In two cases, the nature of the aortic pathology could be suspected considering the past clinical evidence of temporal arteritis and/or polymyalgia rheumatica. In the two other cases, the cardiothoracic manifestations represented the onset of Horton disease.