Surgical management of mycotic aneurysm of the left anterior descending artery.

Mycotic aneurysms of the coronary artery with underlying infective endocarditis are rare. The present report discusses the case of a 53-year-old woman with acute ST elevation myocardial infarction in the setting of native aortic valve endocarditis. Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty was performed.

Transcatheter closure of atrial septal defect (secundum type): the role of echocardiography in evaluating interatrial defects.

Atrial septal defects are among the most common congenital heart defects seen in the adult population. The diagnosis is usually made in children and closure is attempted before they are school age. In other cases, where the diagnosis is missed until adulthood, atrial arrhythmias and congestive heart failure are commonly seen.

Role of magnetic resonance imaging in visualizing coronary arteries.

Ischemic heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. At present, coronary angiography is the gold standard for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease. Conventional coronary angiography is an invasive procedure with a small, yet inherent risk of myocardial infarction, stroke, potential arrhythmias, and death.

Thrombotic occlusion of Bjork-Shiley prosthetic aortic valve.

Thrombotic occlusion of a prosthetic Bjork-Shiley valve is a potentially fatal complication. We present the case of a male, 62 years of age, diagnosed with thrombotic occlusion of prosthetic Bjork-Shiley aortic valve approximately 17 years post implantation. A brief review of the literature focusing on potential risk factors associated with the development of this condition and currently available diagnostic modalities used for evaluation and treatment are presented.

Left atrial mass: thrombus mimicking myxoma.

A 31-year-old woman underwent elective transthoracic echocardiography for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, which showed a large left atrial mass. A two-dimensional echocardiogram showed a large left atrium mass. Subsequent transesophageal echocardiography showed a 3 cm x 3 cm circular mass with smooth contours.

Current diagnosis and treatment of infective endocarditis.

The incidence of infective endocarditis continues to rise with a yearly incidence of around 15,000 to 20,000 new cases in the USA. As a result, rapid diagnosis, effective treatment and prompt recognition of complications are essential to desirable clinical outcomes. Recent guidelines such as the Duke criteria have incorporated echocardiography for diagnosis of infective endocarditis, making this diagnostic test mandatory for patients with suspected infective endocarditis.

Myocardial infarction in a patient with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.

A 63-year-old male with a prior history of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura was admitted with sudden onset of syncope. He denied chest pain. His initial blood chemistries were consistent with acute relapse of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura as indicated by microangiopathic hemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia.