Structural Heart Disease in the Tropics: A Comprehensive Review.

Structural heart disease (SHD) remains a significant global health challenge, disproportionately impacting populations in tropical regions where the burden of infectious diseases, limited healthcare infrastructure, and socio-economic disparities exacerbate the issue. The tropics are uniquely affected by conditions such as rheumatic heart disease (RHD), endomyocardial fibrosis, tropical cardiomyopathies, and pericardial diseases, often resulting from or complicated by endemic infections like malaria, dengue, tuberculosis, and parasitic diseases. Moreover, Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Associated Cardiac Disease (HIVAC) represents an emerging concern in regions with high HIV prevalence, adding complexity to the interplay between infectious and structural cardiac conditions.

Rheumatic Heart Disease and Endomyocardial Fibrosis: A Complex Novel Case of Heart Failure.

Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) and endomyocardial fibrosis (EMF) are major causes of cardiac disease in low-income countries. We present a case of a patient with mitral stenosis and restrictive cardiomyopathy, initially attributed to severe RHD, but with disease progression despite valve replacement, likely secondary to previously undiagnosed EMF.

Role of Multimodality Imaging in Cardiac Sarcoidosis: A Retrospective Single-Center Experience.

Cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) is a rare entity characterized by granulomatous infiltration of the myocardium, which can lead to myocardial fibrosis, conduction abnormalities, and the development of heart failure, thereby elevating the risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD). While endomyocardial biopsy (EMBx) is regarded as the gold standard for diagnosis, its low sensitivity and inherent procedural risks may limit its practical application. This study retrospectively explored the role of advanced imaging modalities, specifically cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) and fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET), in the diagnosis and management of CS within a single center.

Cardiac involvement in a female patient with Beçhet's disease: newer diagnostic and therapeutic approaches-a case report.

Background: Behçet's disease (BD) is a multisystemic chronic inflammatory disorder. Cardiac manifestations in BD are extremely rare. There have been no reports of cardiac involvement of BD and especially endomyocardial fibrosis in the left ventricle (LV).

Histopathological Characteristics of Percutaneous Endomyocardial Biopsy in Heart Transplant Rejection Surveillance: A Single Center Experience.

Background: Heart transplantation (HT) remains the ultimate treatment for end-stage heart failure. An endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) is "the gold standard" diagnostic procedure used in HT rejection surveillance. The aim of this study is to provide a detailed analysis of the histopathological characteristics of the EMB and to investigate if there is a correlation between some histopathological changes, such as fibrosis, vasculitis, Quilty effect (Q.

Behçet's Syndrome With Multiple Bilateral Pulmonary Aneurysms Associated With Endomyocardial Fibrosis Presented With Pulmonary Emboli: A Case Report.

Behçet's syndrome (BS) is a rare chronic multisystemic inflammatory disorder of unknown etiopathogenesis. BS is classified as a vasculitis of variable vessel size, which can manifest in both arterial and venous blood vessels. BS commonly presents with mucocutaneous and ocular manifestations.

Novel Immunohistochemical and Morphological Approaches in a Retrospective Study of Post-Mortem Myocarditis.

This study presents a retrospective analysis of 26 autopsy cases from a single centre, primarily focusing on forensic cases, with a majority of male individuals. We systematically analysed autopsy reports and cardiac tissue slides using haematoxylin-eosin stain and immunohistochemistry for CD3, CD163, and IL-6. The histological assessment evaluated key variables such as inflammation severity, necrosis, and background changes using a standardised grading system.

Extensive myocardial calcifications: a systematic literature review of a rare pathological phenomenon.

Introduction: Myocardial calcifications (MC) represent a relatively rare pathological process, which may accompany different cardiovascular conditions and can be broadly categorized as dystrophic or metastatic. Myocardial infarction (MI) has been traditionally regarded as the main cause of MC overall; however, no updated comprehensive data on the relative incidence of different forms of MC is available. The purpose of this systematic review of the literature is to analyze the currently available evidence on MC in terms of pathophysiology, diagnosis, and clinical presentation.

The three stages of eosinophilic cardiac damage: A series of case reports.

Unlabelled: Hypereosinophilic syndrome is a rare systemic condition characterized by eosinophil-mediated organ damage. Cardiac involvement is common and typically occurs in sequential stages. We present two cases that demonstrate these different stages and presentations of eosinophilia-mediated myocardial disease, where multimodality imaging was essential for the diagnosis.

Are Endomyocardial Ventricular Biopsies Useful for Assessing Myocardial Fibrosis?

Myocardial fibrosis is an important factor in the progression of cardiovascular diseases. However, there is still no universal lifetime method of myocardial fibrosis assessment that has a high prognostic significance. The aim of the study was to determine the significance of ventricular endomyocardial biopsies for the assessment of myocardial fibrosis and to identify the severity of myocardial fibrosis in different cardiovascular diseases.

Cardiac fibrosis as a predictor for sudden cardiac death after transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Background: Cardiac fibrosis plays a major pathophysiological role in any form of chronic heart disease, and high levels are associated with poor outcome. Diffuse and focal cardiac fibrosis are different subtypes, which have different pathomechanisms and prognostic implications. The total fibrosis burden in endomyocardial biopsy tissue was recently proved to play an independent prognostic role in aortic stenosis patients after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI).

A challenging case of eosinophilic myocarditis leading to heart failure and transplantation.

The large spectrum of etiologies, severities, and histologic appearances of eosinophilic myocarditis (EoM) poses challenges to its diagnosis and management. Endomyocardial biopsy is the current gold standard for diagnosis. However, cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging is becoming more frequently used to diagnose acute myocarditis because of enhanced sensitivity when compared to histopathologic examination, and its less invasive nature.

Atrial structural remodeling and atrial fibrillation substrate: A histopathological perspective.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) substrate progresses with the advancement of atrial structural remodeling, resulting in AF perpetuation and recurrence. Although fibrosis is considered a hallmark of atrial structural remodeling, the histological background has not been fully elucidated because obtaining atrial specimens is difficult, especially in patients not undergoing open-heart surgery. Bipolar voltage reduction evaluated using electroanatomic mapping during AF ablation is considered a surrogate marker for the progression of structural remodeling; however, histological validation is lacking.

Loeffler's Endocarditis- A cause of endomyocardial fibrosis in a patient of juvenile idiopathic arthritis: A Case Report.

Endomyocardial fibrosis secondary to hyper-eosinophilic syndrome also known as Loeffler's Endocarditis is a rare cause of restrictive cardiomyopathy. If left untreated, it carries a very high morbidity and mortality rate. The case of a 20 years old girl, a known case of polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis since the age of 13 years was reported at Federal Government Polyclinic Hospital, Islamabad on 14th May 2022.