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J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2019 Feb 14. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Saitama Medical Center, Jichi Medical University, Saitama, Japan.

Objective: Left ventricular free wall rupture is a catastrophic complication of acute myocardial infarction. Sutureless repair has been reported to be an effective surgical procedure for left ventricular free wall rupture. However, the outcomes of sutureless repair remain unclear. Read More

Arch Pharm Res 2019 Mar 15. Epub 2019 Mar 15.

National Research Laboratory for Stem Cell Niche, Center for Medical Innovation, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, 110-744, Republic of Korea.

Currently, coronary artery disease accounts for a large proportion of deaths occurring worldwide. Damage to the heart muscle over a short period of time leads to myocardial infarction (MI). The biological mechanisms of atherosclerosis, one of the causes of MI, have been well studied. Read More

Atheroscler Suppl 2019 Mar;36:19-23

Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University - Beijing Institute of Heart, Lung and Blood Vessel Diseases, 100029, China; Department of Atherosclerosis, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100029, China. Electronic address:

Homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia developed into severe cardiovascular consequences early. Untreated HoFH usually cannot survive over 30 years old. Acute coronary syndrome(ACS) caused by plaque rupture is one of the main causes of death in HoFH. Read More

Vet Clin North Am Equine Pract 2019 Mar 11. Epub 2019 Mar 11.

Department of Large Animal Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, Merelbeke 9820, Belgium. Electronic address:

Pericardial, myocardial, and great vessel diseases are relatively rare in horses. The clinical signs are often nonspecific and vague, or related to the underlying cause. Physical examination usually reveals tachycardia, fever, venous distension or jugular pulsation, a weak or bounding arterial pulse, ventral edema, and abnormal cardiac auscultation such as arrhythmia, murmur, or muffled heart sounds. Read More

Cureus 2018 Dec 31;10(12):e3805. Epub 2018 Dec 31.

Cardiology, Long Island Jewish Forest Hills Hospital, New York, USA.

Myocardial infarction (MI) is associated with complications in spite of appropriate management. The incidence of mechanical complications declined over time secondary to reperfusion therapies, improved control of blood pressure, the use of beta blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, and aspirin. A high degree of suspicion is required, especially in elderly patients with complications post-PCI (percutaneous coronary intervention). Read More

Eur Heart J 2019 Mar 12. Epub 2019 Mar 12.

Advanced Heart Failure and Heart Transplant Unit, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario A Coruña, A Coruña, Spain.

Cardiology 2019 Mar 8;141(4):226-232. Epub 2019 Mar 8.

Department of Cardiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha,

Background: Postinfarction ventricular septal rupture (PI-VSR) is a rare but devastating complication of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Risk stratification in the acute phase is crucial for decision-making, and this study analyzed the risk factors for early mortality and the effects of various management options on the outcome of PI-VSR patients in the era of percutaneous intervention.

Methods: A total of 96 patients with PI-VSR were identified and divided into an acute-phase survivor group (n = 46, survived ≥2 weeks after admission) and a nonsurvivor group (n = 50, died within 2 weeks after admission). Read More

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019 Mar 8. Epub 2019 Mar 8.

Centre Interdisciplinaire de Nanoscience de Marseille (CINaM), CNRS, Aix Marseille University, 13009 Marseille, France;

Mechanosensing by T cells through the T cell receptor (TCR) is at the heart of immune recognition. While the mechanobiology of the TCR at the molecular level is increasingly well documented, its link to cell-scale response is poorly understood. Here we explore T cell spreading response as a function of substrate rigidity and show that remarkably, depending on the surface receptors stimulated, the cellular response may be either biphasic or monotonous. Read More

Cardiovasc Revasc Med 2019 Feb 8. Epub 2019 Feb 8.

University of California, San Diego, United States of America. Electronic address:

SVG aneurysms are relatively rare clinical entities most often encountered discovered as an incidental finding in patients with prior CABG surgery. There is a substantial risk of complications including rupture and death, thus surgical or percutaneous management may be considered in particular in symptomatic patients. Here, three cases are presented highlighting various percutaneous management options and considerations, including covered stent placement, coil occlusion, and a combined approach with the use of a peripheral covered stent. Read More

J Vasc Surg 2019 Mar 5. Epub 2019 Mar 5.

Department of Surgery, University of Tennessee, Memphis, Tenn.

Objective: Endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) remains a challenging clinical scenario when there is a short or nonexistent segment of healthy infrarenal aorta. This study sought to determine the safety and effectiveness of endosuture aneurysm repair (ESAR) using the Endurant II/IIs endograft (Medtronic Vascular, Santa Rosa, Calif) in conjunction with Heli-FX EndoAnchors (Medtronic Vascular) in the treatment of short-neck AAA.

Methods: In this subgroup analysis, 70 patients were identified from the Aneurysm Treatment Using the Heli-FX EndoAnchor System Global Registry (ANCHOR) who had an infrarenal neck length <10 mm down to 4 mm based on core laboratory measurements. Read More

S D Med 2019 Jan;72(1):16-18

University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine, Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Ventricular pseudoaneurysm is an uncommonly encountered complication of myocardial infarction (MI) in the era of percutaneous coronary intervention. Its presentation can be very non-specific, and diagnosis requires a high index of suspicion. Urgent surgical repair is generally warranted to prevent potentially catastrophic complications. Read More

Clin Case Rep 2019 Feb 9;7(2):397-400. Epub 2019 Jan 9.

Second Department of Cardiology "Evangelismos" General Hospital of Athens Athens Greece.

Mechanical complications of acute myocardial infarction include ventricular septal rupture (VSR), free wall rupture, and ischemic mitral regurgitation. Postinfarction VSR is a rare but serious complication of myocardial infarction. VSR has a lower incidence in the era of new reperfusion therapies. Read More

Sci Rep 2019 Mar 7;9(1):3909. Epub 2019 Mar 7.

Laboratory for Clinical Thrombosis and Haemostasis, Department of Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands.

Atherosclerosis is a progressive inflammatory vascular disorder, complicated by plaque rupture and subsequently atherothrombosis. In vitro studies indicate that key clotting proteases, such as factor Xa (FXa), can promote atherosclerosis, presumably mediated through protease activated receptors (PARs). Although experimental studies showed reduced onset of atherosclerosis upon FXa inhibition, the effect on pre-existing plaques has never been studied. Read More

Int J Mol Sci 2019 Mar 5;20(5). Epub 2019 Mar 5.

Department of Medical Biochemistry, Amsterdam UMC, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Marfan syndrome (MFS) patients are at risk for cardiovascular disease. In particular, for aortic aneurysm formation, which ultimately can result in a life-threatening aortic dissection or rupture. Over the years, research into a sufficient pharmacological treatment option against aortopathy has expanded, mostly due to the development of rodent disease models for aneurysm formation and dissections. Read More

Tex Heart Inst J 2019 02 1;46(1):44-47. Epub 2019 Feb 1.

Ventricular septal defect (VSD) is a rare, potentially fatal complication of acute myocardial infarction. When surgical closure is contraindicated, transcatheter closure may be an alternative. Residual shunting after transcatheter closure of postinfarction VSDs has been reported; however, we found few cases of this in patients who also had severe heart failure or hemolysis. Read More

Circ Res 2019 Mar 5. Epub 2019 Mar 5.

Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University.

Rationale: Targeting inflammation has been shown to provide clinical benefit in the field of cardiovascular diseases. Although manipulating regulatory T cell (Treg) function is an important goal of immunotherapy, the molecules that mediate their suppressive activity remain largely unknown. Interleukin 35 (IL-35), an immunosuppressive cytokine mainly produced by Tregs, is a novel member of the IL-12 family and is composed of an Epstein-Barr virus-induced gene 3 (EBI3) subunit and a p35 subunit. Read More

Cardiovasc Res 2019 Mar 4. Epub 2019 Mar 4.

Department of Surgery, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.

Aims: The Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) is an intracellular innate immune receptor activated by nucleic acids shed from dying cells leading to activation of the innate immune system. Since innate immune system activation is involved in the response to myocardial infarction (MI), this study aims to identify if TLR7 is involved in post-MI ischemic injury and adverse remodeling after MI.

Methods And Results: TLR7 involvement in MI was investigated in human tissue from patients with ischemic heart failure, as well as in a mouse model of permanent left anterior descending artery occlusion in C57BL/6J wild type and TLR7 deficient (TLR7-/-) mice. Read More

Chin Med J (Engl) 2019 Feb 26. Epub 2019 Feb 26.

Department of Cardiology, Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China.

Background: Cardiac rupture (CR) is a major lethal complication of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, no valid risk score model was found to predict CR after AMI in previous researches. This study aimed to establish a simple model to assess risk of CR after AMI, which could be easily used in a clinical environment. Read More

Can J Cardiol 2019 Mar 4;35(3):270-279. Epub 2018 Dec 4.

Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA; Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Electronic address:

Understanding why persons with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) have accelerated atherosclerosis and its sequelae, including coronary artery disease (CAD) and myocardial infarction, is necessary to provide appropriate care to a large and aging population with HIV. In this review, we delineate the diverse pathophysiologies underlying HIV-associated CAD and discuss how these are implicated in the clinical manifestations of CAD among persons with HIV. Several factors contribute to HIV-associated CAD, with chronic inflammation and immune activation likely representing the primary drivers. Read More

J Coll Physicians Surg Pak 2019 Mar;29(3):205-209

Cardiology Unit, Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar, Pakistan.

Objective: To determine the association between hypertensive retinopathy (HR) and post ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) complications among successfully thrombolysed patients.

Study Design: A cohort study.

Place And Duration Of Study: Cardiology Unit, Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar, from June 2016 to December 2017. Read More

Int J Mol Sci 2019 Feb 28;20(5). Epub 2019 Feb 28.

Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, St. Boniface Hospital Research Centre, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R2H 2A6, Canada.

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) refers to ischemic conditions that occur as a result of atherosclerotic plaque rupture and thrombus formation. It has been shown that lipid peroxidation may cause plaque instability by inducing inflammation, apoptosis, and neovascularization. There is some evidence showing that these oxidized lipids may have a prognostic value in ACS. Read More

Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2019 Feb 28. Epub 2019 Feb 28.

Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Sanger Heart and Vascular Institute, Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, North Carolina, United States.

Gradual dilatation of the ascending aorta is a common phenomenon in patients with Marfan's disease, which often leads to dissection and rupture. It is estimated that around two-thirds of the patients either die or require major surgery before the age of 42 years. In the mirror of the experience of 40 years with aortic wall reinforcement, the author forward the postulate that whenever the ascending aorta of an individual with proven Marfan's disease reaches adult size, that is, approximately 3. Read More

BJOG 2019 Feb 27. Epub 2019 Feb 27.

Academic Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, 369 Fulham Road, London, SW10 9NH, United Kingdom.

Objective: Pregnancies in women with Loeys Dietz Syndrome (LDS) are rare, and typically documented in case reports only. Early reports suggested high rates of maternal complications during pregnancy and the puerperium, including aortic dissection and uterine rupture, but information on fetal outcomes was very limited.

Design: A retrospective cohort study. Read More

Appl Bionics Biomech 2019 23;2019:2784172. Epub 2019 Jan 23.

Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK.

Background: Surface roughness can be used to identify disease within biological tissues. Quantifying surface roughness in the coronary arteries aids in developing treatments for coronary heart disease. This study investigates the effect of extreme physiological loading on surface roughness, for example, due to a rupture of an artery. Read More

Int J Cardiol 2019 Feb 14. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy; I.R.C.C.S. Neuromed, Pozzilli, Isernia, Italy. Electronic address:

Background: Deficiency of NADH dehydrogenase [ubiquinone], the mitochondrial complex I, represents an emerging mechanism of cardiovascular diseases. Ndufc2, a subunit of mitochondrial complex I, is involved in stroke development. We aimed to gain some insights on the role of Ndufc2 into acute coronary syndrome (ACS) through the assessment of its gene expression, along with that of anti-oxidant proteins and of mitochondrial function parameters, in circulating mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of ACS versus stable angina (SA) patients. Read More

Atherosclerosis 2019 Feb 14;283:79-84. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Kitasato University School of Medicine, Sagamihara, Japan.

Background And Aims: Intraplaque cholesterol crystal (CC) is recognized as a component of vulnerable plaques. However, the clinical characteristics of patients with CC and the impact of CC on clinical events remain unknown.

Methods: A total of 340 consecutive patients who underwent optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging of culprit lesions were included in the study. Read More

Ann Vasc Surg 2019 Feb 22. Epub 2019 Feb 22.

Endothelium and Cardiometabolic Medicine Unit. Department of Internal Medicine. Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, Madrid, Spain.

Introduction: Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is an important cardiovascular (CV) related disease that requires surgical treatment to prevent rupture. The elevation of arterial stiffness (AS) is an increasingly recognized independent determinant of CV morbidity and mortality and plays a special role in atherosclerosis. The importance of the surgical technique used for AAA repair in the long-term outcomes still needs to be clarified, and whether endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) or open surgical repair (OSR) confer high AS measurements and thus, worse prognosis in terms of CV morbidity needs further investigation. Read More

Heart Surg Forum 2019 01 30;22(1):E024-E026. Epub 2019 Jan 30.

Clinic for Cardiac Surgery, Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia.

The paper presents collaboration of an abdominal surgeon and heart team in deciding upon surgical management of a patient with the implanted left ventricular assist device, who has undergone emergency abdominal operation for spleen rupture. The paper focuses on the significance of prompt diagnostics, clinical challenges of hemodynamic and anticoagulant treatment, abdominal organ exposure along the placed left ventricular assist device driveline, identification of vascular structures in conditions of continuous blood flow, and reconstruction of the surgical wound in the driveline projection. Read More

Transfusion 2019 Feb 23. Epub 2019 Feb 23.

Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Library, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China.

Background: The ability to predict risk factors for blood transfusion after postpartum hemorrhage could enhance the performance of lifesaving procedures in patients who experience postpartum hemorrhage. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate these risk factors and create a scoring system for blood transfusion evaluations and risk in obstetric patients.

Study Design And Methods: Diagnosis and blood transfusion data of 14,112 women who delivered between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2015, were analyzed. Read More

Am J Vet Res 2019 Mar;80(3):221-229

OBJECTIVE To describe a technique for endoscopic evaluation of the coelomic viscera of koi (Cyprinus carpio) and to evaluate the ability to visually examine coelomic structures by use of an approach cranial or caudal to the pelvic girdle. ANIMALS 16 subadult koi. PROCEDURES Koi were anesthetized with buffered tricaine methanesulfonate. Read More

World J Pediatr Congenit Heart Surg 2019 01;10(1):37-41

2 Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Hyogo Prefectural Amagasaki General Medical Center, Hyogo, Japan.

Objective: Emergency surgical treatment is required for idiopathic acute mitral regurgitation due to chordae rupture in infants. Nevertheless, mitral valve repair for such a patient population still remains challenging. We report our experience with mitral valve repair for idiopathic acute mitral regurgitation due to chordae rupture in infants. Read More

Med Hypotheses 2019 Mar 2;124:76-83. Epub 2019 Feb 2.

Department of Medical Physics & Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Iran; Research Center for Biomedical Technologies and Robotics (RCBTR), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address:

The currently available robotic systems rely on rigid heart stabilizers to perform totally endoscopic coronary artery bypass (TECAB) surgery on beating hearts. Although such stabilizers facilitate the anastomosis procedure by immobilizing the heart and holding the surgery site steady, they can cause damage to the heart tissue and rupture of the capillary vessels, due to applying relatively large pressures on the epicardium. In this paper, we propose an advanced robotic approach to perform TECAB on a beating heart with minimal invasiveness. Read More

J Vasc Surg 2019 Mar;69(3):680-691

Division of Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Ala. Electronic address:

Objective: The purpose of the Society for Vascular Surgery Vascular Quality Initiative thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) for dissection project is to assess the effectiveness of TEVAR for type B dissection by evaluation in a prospective quality improvement registry. Here we describe the project cohort and 30-day outcomes of TEVAR for both acute dissection (AD) and chronic dissection (CD) patients and focus specifically on outcomes of uncomplicated AD patients based on timing of treatment.

Methods: Summary statistics were performed comparing patients with AD (<30 days) and patients with CD. Read More

Wiad Lek 2019 ;72(1):137-141

Klinika Chorób Wewnętrznych i Metabolicznych, Szpital Czerniakowski w Warszawie, Warszawa, Polska, Katedra i Zakład Medycyny Rodzinnej, Warszawski Uniwersytet Medyczny, Warszawa, Polska.

Kounis syndrome or allergic myocardial infarction is an acute coronary syndrome in the course of an allergic reaction. In allergic patients in response to a specific condition - nourishment, inhalation, environmental substances, drug or insect bite there is an allergic reaction involving many different cells and mediators that can cause coronary artery spasm or initiate the process of rupture and activation of atherosclerotic plaque resulting in acute coronary syndrome. The paper describes a case of a young man with allergy to pollen and confirmed sensitization to nuts, who developed a full-blown anaphylactic shock after eating the nut mix and experienced a rapidly passing acute coronary syndrome with troponin up to 4. Read More

PLoS One 2019 22;14(2):e0209502. Epub 2019 Feb 22.

Department of Cardiology, Swiss Cardiovascular Center, University Hospital Bern, Bern, Switzerland.

Background: The study aims to assess characteristics and outcomes of patients suffering a mechanical complication (MC) after ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in a contemporary cohort of patients in the percutaneous coronary intervention era.

Methods And Results: This retrospective single-center cohort study encompasses 2508 patients admitted with STEMI between March 9, 2009 and June 30, 2014. A total of 26 patients (1. Read More

J Vasc Surg Venous Lymphat Disord 2019 Feb 18. Epub 2019 Feb 18.

DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center, Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, Tex.

Objective: Outflow tract stenosis is the leading cause of hemodialysis access loss. Many lesions are highly resistant to endovascular treatment, necessitating open surgical intervention. We present our experience using medial claviculectomy for treatment of recalcitrant lesions at the thoracic outlet. Read More

J Vasc Surg 2019 Feb 18. Epub 2019 Feb 18.

Department of Surgery, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; Department of Vascular Surgery, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Brisbane, Australia.

Background: Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) represent a significant burden of disease worldwide, and their rupture, without treatment, has an invariably high mortality rate. Whereas some risk factors for ruptured AAAs (rAAAs) are well established, such as hypertension, smoking, and female sex, the impact of seasonal and meteorologic variables is less clear. We systematically reviewed the literature to determine whether these variables are associated with rAAA. Read More

Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann 2019 Feb 19:218492319833280. Epub 2019 Feb 19.

Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Central Chest Institute of Thailand, Nonthaburi, Thailand.

A rare presentation of ascending aortic aneurysm eroding into the anterior chest wall and skin is described. Only a few reports of this lethal condition associated with luetic disease have been published previously. A 72-year-old man with a history of blunt chest injury subsequently developed a saccular aneurysm of the ascending aorta protruding out of the anterior chest wall. Read More

World Neurosurg 2019 Feb 15. Epub 2019 Feb 15.

Department of Neurology, University of Missouri Hospital and Clinics, Columbia, Missouri, USA.

Background: Dantrolene has a safe side-effect profile and a mechanism of action that makes it attractive as an option for treatment of cerebral vasospasm. The authors report two cases of refractory cerebral vasospasm secondary to aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage that were successfully treated with intra-arterial dantrolene.

Case Descriptions: Two patients, a 63-year-old woman and 36-year-old woman, developed severe vasospasm refractory to intra-arterial vasodilators after rupture of anterior communicating artery aneurysms. Read More

Clin Pract Cases Emerg Med 2019 Feb 28;3(1):85-86. Epub 2019 Jan 28.

Palmerston North Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine, Roslyn, Palmerston North, New Zealand.

Autops Case Rep 2018 Oct-Dec;8(4):e2018048. Epub 2018 Oct 9.

University of Campinas (Unicamp), School of Medical Sciences, Department of Gastroenterology (Gastrocentro). Campinas, SP, Brazil.

The differential diagnosis of hepatic focal lesions is challenging because the etiology can be inflammatory, infectious, and even neoplastic. A rare cause of metastatic liver nodules is cardiac angiosarcoma. We report a case of this tumor, which was diagnosed only after autopsy. Read More

Biophys J 2019 Mar 30;116(5):831-835. Epub 2019 Jan 30.

Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing, Heidelberg University, Mathematikon, Heidelberg, Germany; Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies, Heidelberg, Germany. Electronic address:

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is a familial heart disease linked to mutations in several desmosomal proteins, but the specific effects of these mutations on the molecular level are poorly understood. Among the many documented ARVC-related genetic variants, a striking hotspot of nine mutations has been identified in the plakin domain of desmoplakin. This hotspot can be found at the meeting point of three different subdomains of desmoplakin: two spectrin repeats and a Src homology 3 domain. Read More

Am J Cardiol 2019 Feb 7. Epub 2019 Feb 7.

Division of Cardiology University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; McAllister Heart Institute, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Electronic address:

ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) occurring in patients hospitalized for a noncardiac condition is associated with a high mortality rate and thus we sought to determine the mechanisms underlying STEMI in this patient population. This is a single center retrospective study of 70 patients who had STEMI while hospitalized on a noncardiac service and underwent coronary angiography. Thrombotic in-hospital STEMI was defined by angiographic or intravascular imaging evidence of intracoronary thrombus, plaque rupture, or stent thrombosis. Read More

Kyobu Geka 2019 Feb;72(2):144-147

Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Sendai Cardiovascular Disease Center, Sendai, Japan.

A 74-year-old man was transferred to our hospital for heart failure and ventricular tachycardia. Left ventricular aneurysm of a huge size( 6×9 cm) was found on the imaging test, and was suspected to be a pseudo-false aneurysm because of its thick wall with small orifice. Occulusion of the right coronary artery (#1) was revealed by coronary arteriography and the diskinetic aneurysm in the inferior wall was revealed by left ventriculography. Read More

Ann Vasc Surg 2019 Feb 12. Epub 2019 Feb 12.

Heart Institute "Niculae Stancioiu" Cluj-Napoca, Calea Motilor nr 19-21, 400001 Cluj-Napoca, Roumania.

Background: Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has recently emerged as a useful predictor of cardiovascular risk and adverse outcomes. According to previous studies, an NLR > 5 has the highest sensitivity and specificity for postoperative morbidity and mortality in cardiovascular disease. This study aims to evaluate the NLR in cases of unruptured (uAAA) and ruptured (rAAA) infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) and to assess the role of NLR as a prognostic marker of 30-day mortality in patients with unruptured and ruptured AAA who underwent surgical repair. Read More

Int J Cardiol 2019 Feb 5. Epub 2019 Feb 5.

Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, United States of America.

Background: Placental insufficiency may be the cause of the high preterm birth rate in women after Fontan operation. In this study we reviewed the clinical course and pregnancy outcome of women with Fontan physiology with a focus on placental pathology.

Methods: We reviewed clinical charts and placental pathology from 7 women with Fontan physiology who had pregnancies at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota. Read More

Front Physiol 2018 30;9:1921. Epub 2019 Jan 30.

Department of Ultrasound, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.

The bicuspid aortic valve, a kind of heart disease that comes from parents, has been paid attention around the world. Although most bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) patients will suffer from some complications including aortic stenosis, aortic regurgitation, endocarditis, and heart dysfunction in the late stage of the disease, there is none symptom in the childhood, which restrains us to diagnose and treatment in the onset phase of BAV. Hemodynamic abnormalities induced by the malformations of the valves in BAV patients for a long time will cause BAV-associated aortopathy: including progress aortic dilation, aneurysm, dissection and rupture, cardiac cyst and even sudden death. Read More

Can J Cardiol 2019 Feb 7;35(2):229.e7-229.e9. Epub 2018 Dec 7.

Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of South Florida, Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, Florida, USA. Electronic address:

We describe the case of a 68-year-old woman presenting with stress cardiomyopathy (SCM), with concomitant cardiogenic shock, left ventricular outflow tract obstruction, and ventricular septal rupture. These complications have not simultaneously been reported in a single SCM case. The importance of early diagnosis of serial complications of SCM and using mechanical circulatory support as a treatment strategy are highlighted. Read More

Eur J Case Rep Intern Med 2018 24;5(4):000827. Epub 2018 Apr 24.

Doncaster Royal Infirmary, Doncaster, United Kingdom.

Atraumatic splenic rupture is a rare but potentially life-threatening event. It mostly happens when the spleen is already diseased; however, sometimes it can be drug induced in a previously normal spleen. Although anticoagulation has been attributed to spontaneous splenic rupture quite frequently, the role of dual antiplatelet therapy is underestimated. Read More

Cardiovasc Revasc Med 2019 Jan 23. Epub 2019 Jan 23.

Division of Cardiology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China. Electronic address:

Background: Differences in the predictors between ventricular septal rupture (VSR) and free wall rupture (FWR) have not been fully studied. Data on the prevalence and clinical outcome of heart rupture are limited.

Hypothesis: This study aimed to investigate heart rupture incidence and clinical results in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Read More