Lipomatous hypertrophy of the interatrial septum and fibrosing mediastinal lymphadenopathy causing superior vena cava obstruction.

Lipomatous hypertrophy of the interatrial septum (LHIS) is an uncommon cause of superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS). Fibrosing mediastinal lymphadenopathy is another cause of SVCS. We present a 65-year-old female patient with a history of tuberculosis (TB) and the coexistence of LHIS and fibrosing mediastinitis due to TB of the lung.

Mechanisms of oxidative stress and myocardial protection during open-heart surgery.

Cold heart protection via cardioplegia administration, limits the amount of oxygen demand. Systemic normothermia with warm cardioplegia was introduced due to the abundance of detrimental effects of hypothermia. A temperature of 32-33°C in combination with tepid blood cardioplegia of the same temperature appears to be protective enough for both; heart and brain.

Translation and validation of the Greek version of the hypertension knowledge-level scale.

Aims And Objectives: To translate and validate a Greek version of the Hypertension Knowledge-Level Scale.

Background: The major barrier in the management of hypertension is the lack of adherence to medications and lifestyle adjustments. Patients' knowledge of the nature of hypertension and cardiovascular risk factors is a significant factor affecting individuals' adherence.

Low dose dabigatran versus uninterrupted acenocoumarol for peri-procedural anticoagulation in atrial fibrillation catheter ablation.

Background: Left atrial ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with a transiently increased risk of thromboembolic and hemorrhagic events. We tested the hypothesis that the low dose dabigatran [110mg twice a day (bid)] can be safely used as an alternative to uninterrupted acenocoumarol for periprocedural anticoagulation in left atrial ablation procedures.

Methods And Results: A total of 149 consecutive patients undergoing pulmonary vein antral isolation for AF were included; 64 patients were on low dose dabigatran (110mg bid) and 85 patients were on acenocoumarol with therapeutic international normalized ratios.

Successful endovascular treatment of transplant intrarenal artery stenosis in renal transplant recipients: Two case reports.

Transplant renal artery stenosis (TRAS) is a relatively rare complication after renal transplantation. The site of the surgical anastomosis is most commonly involved, but sites both proximal and distal to the anastomosis may occur, as well. Angioplasty is the gold standard for the treatment of the stenosis, especially for intrarenal lesions.

Successful Living-Related Renal Allograft in a Recipient With Factor V Leiden Deficiency: A Case Report.

Thrombophilia due to activated protein C resistance (Leiden mutation) is the most common inherited thrombophilic disorder with 5% incidence in whites. Renal transplant of these patients entails a risk of vascular thrombosis soon after the transplant; and acute rejection episodes and graft loss within the first year. We present a case of a successful living-related renal transplant in man with a recent history of repeat episodes of vascular access thrombosis attributed to inherited thrombophilia (heterozygosity for factor V mutation Q506 and homozygosity for mutation T677 for methylene-tetrahydrofolate reductase).

Meta-Analysis on Risk Stratification of Asymptomatic Individuals With the Brugada Phenotype.

The prognosis of asymptomatic subjects remains the most controversial issue in Brugada syndrome (BS). A meta-analysis on the prognostic role of spontaneous type 1 electrocardiographic (ECG) pattern and programmed ventricular stimulation (PVS) in asymptomatic subjects with Brugada electrocardiogram was performed. Current databases were searched until March 2014.

Catheter ablation of persistent atrial fibrillation: The importance of substrate modification.

Accumulating data have shown that elimination of atrial fibrillation (AF) sources should be the goal in persistent AF ablation. Pulmonary vein isolation, linear lesions and complex fractionated atrial electrograms (CFAEs) ablation have shown limited efficacy in patients with persistent AF. A combined approach using voltage, CFAEs and dominant frequency (DF) mapping may be helpful for the identification of AF sources and subsequent focal substrate modification.

Carboxyhemoglobin and methemoglobin levels as prognostic markers in acute pulmonary embolism.

Objectives: Carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) and methemoglobin (MetHb) levels have been associated with a poor outcome in patients with various pathological conditions including cardiovascular diseases. Our aim was to retrospectively assess the prognostic value of arterial COHb and MetHb in patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE).

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of 156 patients admitted in a pulmonary clinic due to acute PE.

Early pulmonary vein reconnection as a predictor of left atrial ablation outcomes for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

Aim: The objective of the study was to investigate whether early pulmonary vein reconnection (PVR) is a predictor of late arrhythmia recurrence after a single ablation procedure for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF). Further ablation was delivered to patients with acute PVR to test whether this strategy could reduce recurrences.

Methods And Results: One hundred and forty-four consecutive patients with symptomatic, drug-refractory paroxysmal AF, undergoing pulmonary vein isolation (PVI), were assigned to the 'PVR30 test' group, where PVR was monitored for 30 min after initial PVI and further ablation was applied if needed, and compared with a control group of 128 patients, where the procedure was terminated after initial successful isolation.

Perioperative prostate specific antigen levels among coronary artery bypass grafting patients: Does extracorporeal circulation and body temperature induce prostate specific antigen levels alterations?

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to compare the perioperative total prostate specific antigen (tPSA) levels among coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) patients with and without extracorporeal circulation (ECC), to investigate the changes overtime of tPSA in each group separately and to determine the effect of body core temperature on tPSA levels.

Materials And Methods: A prospective study was conducted. Our sample was allocated to: (a) Seven patients who underwent off pump CABG (Group I) and (b) 16 CABG patients with ECC (Group II).

Catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation in the elderly.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) catheter ablation has emerged as a promising treatment strategy for AF, but has not been widely adopted in the elderly population. The present study aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of AF catheter ablation in the elderly population.

Methods And Results: The study population consisted of 316 patients with paroxysmal AF who underwent left atrial ablation.

Pyrexia in patients with uncontrolled systemic hypertension: could they have an aortic dissection?

Aortic dissection can present in a variety of ways and one of the most documented risk factors includes systemic hypertension. Occasionally aortic dissection can be diagnosed late due to an insidious presentation. Fever has been described in people with aortic dissection but rarely as the main presenting feature.

Blood stream infections in renal transplant recipients: a single-center study.

Introduction: Bacteremias among renal transplant recipients are more frequent as a result of immunosuppression. They are considered extremely high-risk because they are correlated with decreased allograft and recipient survival.

Patients And Methods: All episodes of bacteremia among renal transplant recipients were documented following review of medical records, from January 2010 to May 2013.

Effect of transient BK viremia and viruria on long-term renal allograft survival and function.

Introduction: The purpose of this study is to present the five-year survival and function of the renal allograft of recipients who were diagnosed with BK viremia and viruria during the first year after renal transplantation.

Patients And Methods: BK virus was studied in 32 new renal allograft recipients, from the first postoperative day until 18 months after the transplantation. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to detect and quantitate BK viral load in serum and urine samples.

Proposal of categorization of expanded criteria donors in renal transplantation.

Introduction: Transplantation of renal allografts that have been procured from expanded criteria donors (ECD) have prevailed in an attempt to expand the donor pool. Even though ECD is an acceptable source of donors, the wide range of age along with the presence or not of risk factors necessitates further categorization. The aim of this study was to analyze the allograft and recipient survival of the ECD renal grafts and to propose an ECD categorization model.

Differences in quality of life, anxiety and depression in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and common forms of atrioventricular reentry supraventricular tachycardias.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to evaluate the differences in quality of life and psychosocial stress parameters among patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) and common forms of atrioventricular reentry supraventricular tachycardias (SVTs).

Methods And Results: The total study population included 106 patients, 54 patients with paroxysmal AF (32 males, age 56.64±12.

Flow-regulated external lumbar drain: applications and complications.

Background: A novel flow-regulated external drain (FRED) was devised to overcome the problems of the pressure-regulated systems and serial lumbar taps.

Methods: Eleven patients who underwent lumbar external drainage received a flow-regulated system using simple and inexpensive materials available in most hospital settings.

Results: The system proved to be reliable at removing a set amount of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).

Steroid-induced femoral head osteonecrosis in immune thrombocytopenia treatment with osteochondral autograft transplantation.

Osteonecrosis of the femoral head is a devastating complication of steroid administration and has rarely been observed in the treatment of immune thrombocytopenia. The treatment of osteochondral defects in advanced stages of avascular necrosis (AVN), characterized by collapse of the subchondral bone, remains an unsolved burden in orthopedic surgery. In this report, we present a case of a 19-year-old female that was admitted in the Emergency Department with walking disability and painful hip joint movement due to steroid-induced femoral head osteonecrosis.

Association of quality of life, anxiety, and depression with left atrial ablation outcomes.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with significant impairment of quality of life (QoL). Anxiety and depression are common in AF patients and might predispose to AF. We sought to investigate associations of preablative QoL and stress parameters with AF ablation outcomes, as well as possible changes in QoL, anxiety, and depression parameters after ablation.