Persistent pleural effusion after open heart surgery: giant hydatid cyst of the liver and its demonstrative images. A case report.

BACKGROUND: Approximately in 50% of the patients who have undergone coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG), pleural fluid collection occurs at the early postoperative period and resolves spontaneously. CASE REPORT: CABG was performed on a 54-year-old male. In the early postoperative period, the chest roentgenogram revealed right pleural collection. The preoperative and the postoperative hepatic function tests were nor-mal. MR scanning revealed a giant hydatid cyst at the apex of the liver. The cyst was excised through thoracotomy transphrenically and primary capitonage was applied. CONCLUSIONS: In the persistent right pleural effusion that occurs after open heart surgery hydatid cyst of the liver should be remembered, especially in the endemic regions.

Effect of cardiac resynchronization therapy on left atrial appendage function and pulmonary venous flow pattern.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown improvement in left ventricular function and development of the reverse remodeling in the left ventricle and left atrium after cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of CRT on left atrial appendage (LAA) function and pulmonary venous flow pattern. METHODS: Eighteen patients with systolic heart failure and complete left bundle branch block underwent implantation of biventricular pacemaker devices. In order to follow changes in LAA, transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiographic examinations were performed 1 week before and repeated 1 and 6 months after pacemaker implantation. RESULTS: CRT resulted in significant clinical improvement and decrease in NYHA functional class in 17 patients (94%). Maximum and minimum areas of left atrial appendage (LAAAmax and LAAAmin) decreased, with a concomitant increase in LAA ejection fraction. [LAAAmax: from 4.6+/-2 to 4.2+/-1.8 cm2 at the first (P < 0.001) and to 4.0+/-1.8 cm2 at the sixth month (P < 0.001); LAAAmin: from 2.7+/-1.3 to 2.3+/-1.2 cm2 at the first (P < 0.001) and to 2.2+/-1.2 cm2 at the sixth month (P < 0.001) and LAA ejection fraction: from 41+/-12% to 46+/-10% at the first (P = 0.007) and to 47+/-8% at the sixth month (P = 0.003)]. LAA active emptying and filling flow and pulmonary venous systolic velocities also increased after CRT. The appendage active emptying velocity correlated significantly with left ventricular ejection fraction (r = 0.50, P = 0.002), LAA ejection fraction (r = 0.51, P = 0.002), left atrial maximal volume, LAVmax (r = -0.44, P = 0.007), left atrial minimal volume, LAVmin (r = -0.50, P = 0.002) and pulmonary vein systolic flow velocity (r = 0.33, P = 0.05). CONCLUSION: Treatment of heart failure by CRT results with marked improvements in LAA function and increases pulmonary venous systolic velocity.

Effect of cardiac resynchronization therapy on left atrial reverse remodeling and spontaneous echo contrast.

Recent studies revealed reverse remodeling in left ventricle with cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). However, effects on left atrial remodeling, left atrial total emptying fraction and left atrial spontaneous echo contrast (SEC) have not been adequately evaluated. The aim of this study was to investigate the long-term changes in SEC, left atrial reverse remodeling, and left atrial total emptying fraction after CRT. Twenty patients with systolic heart failure and complete left bundle-branch block underwent implantation of biventricular pacemaker devices. Transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography were performed one week before and one and six months after pacemaker implantation. After biventricular pacemaker implantation, significant clinical improvement was observed in all patients. Left atrial maximal and minimal volumes showed a significant progressive decline after CRT (reverse remodeling). Left atrial total emptying ejection fraction (LATEF) was 33 +/- 19% at baseline and increased to 37 +/- 10% and 41 +/- 11% at the 1st and 6th months respectively (p = 0.01 and p = 0.04). SEC was detected in 18 of 20 patients (90%) at the beginning of the study. After six months SEC disappeared in 5 patients and frequency of SEC reduced to 45%. Decrease in the intensity of the SEC was also statistically significant (at the 1st and 6th months; p = 0.001 and p < 0.001 respectively). Long-term CRT results in atrial reverse remodeling, increases LATEF, and reduces both frequency and intensity of atrial SEC.

Effects of coronary artery bypass grafting on cellular immunity with or without cardiopulmonary bypass: changes in lymphocytes subsets.

Cell-mediated immunity responses decrease after all kinds of surgical procedures. Either anesthesia or surgical trauma plays an important role in this effect. Identification of functional lymphocyte subsets, by using appropriate monoclonal antibodies and analysis of flow cytometry data, appears to provide an accurate measurement of cellular immune competence. We found a significant decrease in the total number of T helper/inducer cells (p<0.035), B cells (p<0.043) and natural killer cells (NK) (p<0.018) but in contrast, increase in NK cell activity (p<0.012) in the peripheral arterial blood of ten patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting with cardiopulmonary bypass (group 1) immediately after surgery and postoperative day 1 (POD1). On the other hand, there was no significant change of these parameters occurred in the peripheral arterial blood of ten patients (group 2) who were undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting without cardiopulmonary bypass. Therefore, we conclude that coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with cardiopulmonary bypass induce a greater decrease in immunologic response than CABG without cardiopulmonary bypass (off pump) operations. Nevertheless, off pump CABG operations do not induce a greater decrease in immunologic response than other surgical operations.