Sheehan's syndrome with reversible dilated cardiomyopathy: a case report and brief overview

Sheehan's syndrome is a rare condition characterized by post-partal panhypopituitarism due to necrosis of adenohypophysis resulting from severe post-partum hemorrhage. Lethargy, amenorrhea and failure of lactation are the usual presenting features. Cardiac involvement in Sheehan's syndrome is rare. The case presented here describes dilated cardiomyopathy in a 36-year-old lady who failed to respond adequately to the standard anti-failure treatment. Further investigation revealed the diagnosis of Sheehan's syndrome. Besides other manifestations, cardiac function reverted to normal after giving replacement therapy with glucocorticoid, levothyroxine and sex hormone. Physicians, specially those in developing countries, should have high index of suspicion for the diagnosis of Sheehan's syndrome while dealing with a case of 'peripartal dilated cardiomyopathy'. Persistent amenorrhea and failure of lactation may be important clues in this context. Timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment can lessen the sufferings of the patients

Unprotected Left Main Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in a 108-Year-Old Patient

With the increase in life expectancy, the proportion of very elderly people is increasing. Coronary artery disease (CAD) is an important cause of mortality and morbidity in this age group, for which myocardial revascularization is often indicated. Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in the very elderly bears the inherent risks of complications and mortality, but the potential benefits may outweigh these risks. A number of observational studies, registries, and few randomized controlled trials have shown the safety and feasibility of PCI in octogenarians and nonagenarians. However, PCI is only rarely done in centenarians; so, the outcome of percutaneous coronary revascularization in this age group is largely unknown. PCI in a centenarian with complex CAD is described here; the patient presented with unstable angina despite optimum medical therapy, and surgery was declined. Good angiographic success was followed by non-cardiac complications, which were managed with a multidisciplinary approach.

Chiari network: a case report and brief overview

The Chiari network is mobile, net-like structures occasionally seen in right atrium near the opening of inferior vena cava and coronary sinus. This is usually of no clinical significance and is often diagnosed incidentally. However, sometimes it may cause diagnostic confusion with right atrial pathologies, and may favour thromboembolism by causing flow obstruction. It may be associated with infective endocarditis, arrhythmias, and migraine. Sometimes, it acts as a physical barrier during invasive procedures. The Chiari network has also been described to protect from pulmonary embolism by acting as an inferior vena cava filter due to its sieve-like effect at the cavo-atrial junction. Here, the Chiari network has been described in a case of Ebstein anomaly of tricuspid valve which produced diagnostic confusion during echocardiography. A brief overview has also been presented

Ortner Syndrome due to Concomitant Mitral Stenosis and Bronchiectasis

Ortner syndrome or cardiovocal syndrome is a rare condition characterized by hoarseness of voice associated with cardiovascular pathology. Compression of the left recurrent laryngeal nerve by the pulmonary artery or left atrium is usually responsible. Recurrent aspiration pneumonia may cause significant morbidity and mortality. Early recognition and treatment along with removal of the underlying cause, if possible, may change an otherwise poor prognosis of the condition. The case presented here describes a 35-year old female with hoarseness of voice in association with mitral stenosis and bronchiectasis. Presence of dual pathology contributed to the overall pathophysiology of the disease, and made its management difficult.