Usefulness of 16S rDNA sequencing for the diagnosis of infective endocarditis caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae.

We report a rare case of infective endocarditis caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae in an 8-year-old boy, 2 years after a right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction with a bovine Contegra valved conduit. The patient recovered well after an RV-PA conduit enblock explantation and replacement with an aortic homograft with antibiotic treatment. All bacteriological cultures of excised tissue and blood were negative.

Spontaneous recovery of complete atrioventricular block complicating acute anterior wall ST elevation myocardial infarction.

Background: Complete atrioventricular block complicating acute anterior wall ST elevation myocardial infarction (MI) is classically considered one of the worst prognostic indicators.

Methods: We present the case of a gentleman who developed complete atrioventricular block during the course of acute anterior wall ST elevation MI, and had spontaneous resolution of the same. Mechanisms of spontaneous resolution of complete atrioventricular block in the setting of acute MI are discussed.

Ascending aortic transection: useful adjunct in pulmonary artery reconstruction.

Pulmonary artery reconstruction is frequently needed during surgery for congenital heart disease. Exposure of the main pulmonary artery and its branches is difficult if they are hypoplastic with a large anteriorly placed aorta. In redo operations, adhesions make this not only technically difficult, but also prone to bleeding.

Pseudosequestration of the left lung.

Bronchovascular malformations of the lung constitute a broad spectrum of developmental disorders in which a part of the lung is perfused exclusively from the systemic arterial tree with or without tracheobronchial communication. We report the case of an infant with severe pulmonary artery hypertension whose entire left lung was supplied by collateral vessels from the celiac trunk and the left subclavian artery. The left tracheobronchial tree was normal.

Fatal secondary pulmonary hypertension due to cardiac involvement in AIDS-associated Burkitt's lymphoma.

Primary cardiac lymphomas are rare lesions in children with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Most of them are high-grade Burkitt's or Burkitt-like lymphomas. They usually present with congestive cardiac failure, pericardial effusion or tamponade, arrhythmias, with predominant systemic 'B' symptoms and often with widespread extranodal involvement.