Surgical treatment of intramural hematoma of the ascending aorta.

Introduction: Intramural hematoma of the aorta presents potentially fatal condition developing as a result of a vasa vasorum rupture. It is a major risk factor for developing a frank aortic dissection.

Case Outline: A 65-year-old woman was admitted to our clinic for the second time, after her symptoms of chest pain and vertigo (with no electrocardiographic signs of myocardial infarction) hadn't disappeared after several months of medicament treatment (indicated in the first hospitalization).

Reductive annuloplasty of double orifices in patients with primary dilated cardiomyopathy.

Background: Patients with primary dilated cardiomyopathy exhibit extensive remodeling of the left ventricle, mitral and tricuspid annular dilation and both mitral and tricuspid regurgitation. These factors significantly contribute to heart failure, and are predictors of early lethal outcome. The aim of this study is to show hemodynamic and clinical improvement after reductive annuloplasty of both mitral and tricuspid orifices in primary dilated cardiomyopathy.