To investigate the pathological changes in the heart induced by pulmonary embolism, 20 autopsy cases of pulmonary embolism and 10 control cases of acute death from traumatic injury were examined. Adding to the routine hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, immunostaining with CD68 pan-macrophage marker was performed on the specimens obtained from both ...

Left atrial myxoma was diagnosed in a 42-year-old woman who had cutaneous and neurological manifestations without cardiac symptoms or signs. A two-dimensional echocardiogram revealed an orange-sized mobile mass in the left atrium. Magnetic resonance imaging showed multiple cerebral infarctions. Cardiac surgery for removal of the left atrial myxoma was successful ...

A 42-year-old Japanese man who had undergone amputation of the left leg below the knee because of Buerger disease required emergency thrombectomy 7 months later. He complained of acute abdominal pain after thrombectomy. At aortography the distal superior mesenteric artery and its branches were not well visualized. Emergency laparotomy was ...

A left atrial mass in a 2.7-year-old girl who presented with congestive heart failure, which surgical pathology revealed to be a myxoma, is reported. The timely precise diagnosis obtained by means of two-dimensional echocardiography allowed the immediate surgical treatment of this rare, benign but potentially lethal cardiac tumor in infancy.

Primary cardiac sarcomas are extremely rare. We report a case of a primary cardiac sarcoma with myxoid change, which originally presented as a benign cardiac myxoma on a two- dimensional echocardiogram. On operating, the mass was found to extend into the posterior left atrial wall, the left pulmonary vein, and ...

Carney complex is a rare cardiocutaneous syndrome with an autosomal-dominant inheritance pattern. Apart from its cutaneous manifestations of multiple blue naevi and lentigines, it can involve multiple other organ systems, particularly the heart, where myxoma tumours commonly develop and can potentially lead to serious complications such as cerebrovascular accidents and ...

A huge thrombus was observed in the proximal portion of the right coronary artery (RCA) in a 75-year-old patient. He presented with symptoms of cardiogenic shock due to acute myocardial infarction. Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor (Tirofiban) was administered intra-coronary first, coronary angioplasty was performed later and, dramatic thrombus dissolution was observed ...

Atrial myxomas are the most common benign primary tumor of the heart and occur in as many as 3 in 1000 patients. These tumors are a major cause of patient morbidity and mortality. Although the majority of atrial myxomas occur in the left atrium, 3 separate familial myxoma syndromes can ...

Primary neoplasms of the cardiac valves are extremely rare. However, papillary fibroelastoma is the third most common primary tumor of the heart [Ann Thorac Surg 52 (1991) 1127]. These tumors can be found anywhere in the heart, but most commonly involve the cardiac valves [Ann Thorac Surg 52 (1991) 1127; ...

A case of left atrial (LA) myxoma presenting as pseudobulbar palsy, due to multiple cerebral infarcts, without any cardiac manifestations, is presented. LA myxoma is rare cause of embolization to CNS causing ischemic infarcts. Due to multiple CNS infarcts patient can present with varied clinical picture and pseudobulbar palsy is ...

Thrombus-containing lesions are frequently observed in patients with acute coronary syndromes. These lesions are prone to increased procedural risks, including distal embolization and abrupt closure of the vessel. This preliminary report evaluates if thrombus removal using a new X-Sizer catheter could reduce thrombotic burden and optimize angioplasty results. Thrombectomy was ...

BACKGROUND: Aim of the study was to compare 1) transesophageal echocardiographic (TEE) measurements of the left atrial appendage (LAA) with postmortem casts and 2) the TEE with the postmortem diagnosis of LAA thrombi. METHODS: From the TEE images and LAA casts length, orifice, diameter and number of branches were assessed. ...

Thromboembolic events are associated with atrial fibrillation and with cardioversion to sinus rhythm. Although studies have demonstrated the risk of this complication is reduced by a 3-week period of anticoagulation prior to cardioversion, limited data have suggested a longer period of anticoagulation is necessary for thrombus resolution. We identified and ...

Sixty-year-old woman admitted with dyspnea and cough. Three weeks ago she underwent primary stenting for acute anterior myocardial infarction and received antiplatelet therapy (clopidogrel). Echocardiography and left ventriculography revealed left ventricular segmental dysfunction at anterolateral-apical region but no thrombus. On last admission, despite the clopidogrel therapy, echocardiography showed giant-partly mobil ...

A left lateral bisegmentectomy was performed in a 29-year-old man presenting a primary lymphoma of the liver. Surgical exploration revealed a left-side gallbladder, located under the left lobe of the liver. During hepatic parenchyma dissection, performed strictly at the left of the round ligament and the umbilical portion of the ...

A 43-year-old male with recurrent cerebral infarctions and high titers of antiphospholipid antibodies was found to have a thrombus in his left ventricular outflow tract by transthoracic echocardiography. This thrombus disappeared after less than 24 hours of intravenous heparin therapy due to resolution or asymptomatic embolism. Left ventricular thrombi in ...

Plaque rupture and subsequent thrombus formation inside the coronary arteries has been known for years. Mechanical devices have been used for the extraction or dissolution of thrombus inside the coronary arteries. This report illustrates the use of the Rescue Percutaneous Thrombectomy Catheter in a right coronary artery loaded with thrombus. ...

Left ventricle thrombi occurring following myocardial infarction are usually left to spontaneous resolution to avoid a left ventriculotomy in the early phase of myocardial healing. We describe a simple and safe method of ventricular closure in patients with left ventricular thrombi embolizing to the lower extremities following acute anterior myocardial ...

Results from previous trials have shown conflicting results from local delivery of thrombolytic agents to diminish thrombus burden before intervention in native coronary arteries and saphenous vein grafts. We described a patient with an acute coronary syndrome who was treated for 24 hours with systemic tirofiban (Aggrastat), a glycoprotein IIb/IIIa ...

We describe a patient with a paradoxical coronary embolism diagnosed by transesophageal echocardiography. The patient developed a stroke followed by a myocardial infarction. Coronary angiography showed an obstruction of the left main coronary artery. Transesophageal echocardiography showed the mechanism of the neurologic and cardiac events to be a paradoxical embolism. ...

BACKGROUND: Ventricular thrombus formation is a frequent and potentially dangerous complication in patients with ischemic heart disease. Although transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is generally used as diagnostic technique, we explored the role of contrast-enhanced (CE)-MRI to detect ventricular thrombi. METHODS AND RESULTS: In 57 patients with acute myocardial infarction, chronic myocardial ...

OBJECTIVES: In this single-center study we reviewed our experience with a significant number of cardiac myxoma cases occurring over the past two decades. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Cardiac myxomas represented 86% of all surgically treated cardiac tumors at our center. Specifically, there were 49 consecutive patients, each with at least one ...

Left ventricular aneurysmectomy in patients with mobile, protruding thrombi is associated with increased risk of neurological complications due to loss during left ventricular luxation or embolisation of residual thrombotic material after incomplete removal. Embolisation can be prevented by application of an intra-aortic filter device. Here, we report on a case ...

Cardiac papillary fibroelastoma is a primary cardiac neoplasm that typically affects the cardiac valves, mainly the aortic and mitral valves, and very rarely the endocardium of cardiac chambers. Cardiac papillary fibroelastoma is rarely diagnosed during life, as the majority are incidental findings at autopsy, but with the advent of echocardiography, ...

Angioscopy allows direct visualization of the coronary artery lumen and provides detailed information regarding the surface characteristics of the vessel wall and specific lesions causing acute coronary syndromes. Disruption of a plaque, ulceration, tears, fissures, lipid-rich or fibrous lesions, and luminal or mural thrombus can be readily detected in vivo. ...

Isolated cardiac metastasis from a primary liposarcoma of noncardiac origin is a rare occurrence. A patient who presented with biventricular failure and constrictive hemodynamics years after successful resection of a primary liposarcoma of the thigh is described. Extensive cardiac encasement by tumor was suspected on diagnostic imaging. Hemodynamic instability and ...

A 77-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with transient dysarthria. The patient had atrial fibrillation without a history of valvular disease. Echocardiographic examination showed evidence of a floating mass going and returning between the left atrium and the mitral orifice. With this finding, the cause of the brain embolic ...

We report a very rare case of a lumbar nerve root schwannoma presenting with torsion and infarction. The patient was a 16-year-old male presenting with severe low back pain and urinary retention following an aggressive game of hockey. Subsequent MRI of the lumbar spine revealed a nonenhancing lumbar intradural lesion ...

Peripartum cardiomyopathy is a rare cardiac disorder characterized by the development of heart failure in the last month of pregnancy or up to 5 months postpartum in women without other determinable causes of cardiac failure. Intracardiac thrombi have been found at autopsy in some patients with this condition and have ...

We report a rare case of complete embolization of a left atrial myxoma resulting in total occlusion of the suprarenal abdominal aorta. A 54-year-old man was admitted to hospital because of acute thoracic pain with paraplegia and acute renal failure. Abdominal computed tomography and angiography showed evidence of total occlusion ...

OBJECTIVES: To report the detection of a thrombus entrapped in a patent foramen ovale by echocardiography in a patient with recurrent pulmonary embolism. DESIGN: Case report. SETTING: Intensive care unit of a university hospital. PATIENT: A 62-yr-old man with initial deep venous thrombosis and recurrent minor pulmonary embolism followed by ...

A29-year-old woman with Behçet's disease was admitted to our cardiology department with a history of cough, dyspnea, and palpitation. Transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography revealed a right atrial mass. She was operated on to remove the mass, which was shown by histopathological examination to be a thrombus. Three months later, echocardiography ...

Cardiac tumor is an infrequent but serious manifestation of lymphoma and optimal management has not been well defined in these rare cases. Here we describe a patient who after autologous transplant for large B-cell lymphoma, relapsed with an invasive cardiac tumor, infiltrating the full thickness of the right myocardial wall. ...

To overcome the adverse complications of balloon angioplasty in thrombus burden lesions (i.e., distal embolization, platelet activation, no-reflow phenomenon with persistent myocardial hypoxemia), mechanical removal of the thrombus or distal embolization protection devices is required. Pulsed ultraviolet excimer laser light at 308 nm can vaporize thrombus and suppress platelet aggregation. ...

A case of left atrial (LA) myxoma presenting as pseudobulbar palsy, due to multiple cerebral infarcts, without any cardiac manifestations, is presented. LA myxoma is rare cause of embolization to CNS causing ischemic infarcts. Due to multiple CNS infarcts patient can present with varied clinical picture and pseudobulbar palsy is ...

OBJECTIVE: Clinical epidemiological and echocardiographic risk factors relating to the development of a left ventricular thrombus were studied retrospectively in patients with acute myocardial infarction. METHODS AND RESULTS: The data on 1833 consecutive patients treated for acute myocardial infarction during a 10-year period were processed retrospectively. Transthoracic echocardiography was performed ...

A 27-year-old asymptomatic woman was investigated for an abnormal finding in the cardiac contour on routine chest radiography. Echocardiography revealed a heterogeneous mass in the anterolateral left ventricular wall. Excision of the tumor disclosed an absence of communication between the residual cavity and the left ventricular endocardium. Histological features of ...

The authors report the intraoperative diagnosis using transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) of an unsuspected myxoma in a patient admitted for an acute occlusion of the aorta, resulting in emergency excision of the atrial tumor. This observation illustrates the usefulness of intraoperative TEE examination to identify life-threatening pathology.

A 65-year-old-man was referred for echocardiographic examination because of palpitations. He had a history of an atrial septal defect surgically treated with an artificial synthetic polyester textile fiber patch. TTE showed a large, mobile mass in a dilated left atrium. The attachment site of the mass was not clear by ...

Left atrial myxoma, if left untreated, is inexorably progressive and usually fatal. The classical management of this disease is prompt surgical removal. However, there may be exceptions to this traditional dogma. The authors report an 85-year-old man who presented with features of chronic obstructive airway disease and congestive heart failure ...

Primary cardiac sarcoma is extremely rare and seldom causes symptoms until late in its course. Discomfort may occur only when the mass causes obstruction to the intracardiac flow. Early diagnosis is vital because it allows prompt and relevant management. We describe the history and echocardiographic features in four patients with ...

A 50-year-old woman was referred after the discovery of adenoid cystic carcinoma in an excised left submandibular gland. Treatment involved clearance of the left submandibular fossa, and bilateral levels II and III selective neck dissections. A left-sided submandibular haematoma developed during the immediate postoperative period. After removal of the clot, ...

We present a patient with a left atrial hemangioma associated with shortness of breath and irregular heart-beats. Imaging modalities used to evaluate this rare tumor demonstrated characteristic features of its vascular nature. After successful surgical excision of the tumor under cardiopulmonary bypass, there were no clinical or echocardiographic evidence of ...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Coronary arteriovenous fistula (CAVF) is a rare congenital anomaly in pediatric patients. Its clinical manifestations vary considerably and its long-term outcome is not fully understood. This study sought to determine the natural history and long-term outcome in CAVF patients treated over a 17-year period at Cathay General ...

We report two cases of left ventricular thrombi identified by routine echocardiography in the presence of normal ventricular function to highlight the rarity and clinical significance of this condition. A 14-year-old boy, positive for anticardiolipin and antinuclear antibodies, was found to have a left ventricular thrombus. A 30-year-old male, who ...

Patients with a left atrial thrombus are considered as being at high risk for thromboembolic events. Although embolization may be asymptomatic, embolic events related to large thrombi are usually clinically manifest and tend to be associated with a worse prognosis. We describe the very unusual case of a patient with ...

In this case report, we describe a 33-year-old woman with a history of two unprovoked thrombo-embolic events presenting with acute myocardial ischaemia. She had a normal coronary angiogram (CAG). The diagnosis primary antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), an acquired hypercoagulability disorder, was established by the presence of antibodies directed against phospholipids. The ...

Intracoronary thrombus in the infarct-related artery remains a challenge for interventional catheter-based techniques in acute myocardial infarction and may result in severe complications due to distal embolization. We describe a patient with acute myocardial infarction in whom a large intracoronary thrombus of the left anterior descending coronary artery was successfully ...

A 66-year-old woman admitted with dyspnea on exertion had atrial fibrillation and left ventricular dysfunction. Echocardiography revealed an atrial septal defect (ASD) and a soft, easily deformable thrombus in the dilated left atrium. The atrial mass suddenly disappeared on the 10th day after admission, and contrast-enhanced chest computed tomography and ...

The authors assessed the usefulness of the electrocardiography in patients with left atrial myxoma. The authors retrospectively reviewed the records of 15 patients with left atrial myxoma before and after tumor excision. The 12-lead electrocardiogram presented the P-wave abnormality shown by a broad P wave in lead II (PDII) and/or ...