Diagnosing Cardiac Amyloidosis: From Heart Failure to Electrical Storm.

Cardiac amyloidosis is a condition when amyloid fibers are deposited in the extracellular space of the heart causing tachyarrhythmias, heart failure, or sudden cardiac death. We present a 71-year-old woman presenting with dyspnea on admission. Echocardiogram revealed diastolic heart failure and left ventricular hypertrophy with strain pattern concerning for an infiltrative process. She was discharged with diuretic therapy and scheduled for a cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. One week after discharge, she was readmitted with progressive shortness of breath and syncope. She was found to be in shock and had multiple episodes of cardiac arrest with both ventricular tachycardia and pulseless electrical activity. She developed electrical storm and eventually passed within 24 hours. Autopsy revealed gross cardiomegaly and left ventricular hypertrophy with Congo red staining revealing amyloid fibrils with apple-green birefringence. This case demonstrates the rapid progression of cardiac amyloidosis from acute-onset diastolic heart failure to uncontrollable ventricular tachycardia, and eventually death. We review the literature regarding multiple diagnostic modalities that facilitate the confirmation of cardiac amyloidosis.

Coronary vein angioplasty with noncompliant balloon for resistant coronary vein stenosis during left ventricular lead implantation.

This report describes a patient who underwent cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) in the setting of a severe stenosis in the lateral coronary vein that prevented passage of a left ventricular lead. The stenosis was unresponsive to standard compliant balloon dilatation but was successfully treated with a noncompliant balloon. Venoplasty with noncompliant balloon should be considered for resistant coronary vein stenosis encountered during CRT device implantation.

Spasticity of the pelvic floor mimicking an obstructive anomaly.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Hematocolpos or hydrocolpos in menstruating women raises suspicion of a partial uterine or vaginal obstruction. The study objective is to report two unusual cases of a spastic pelvic floor leading to urine collecting in the vagina and mimicking an outflow obstruction. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS: The study took place at a tertiary care university's Reproductive Health Care Clinic for Women with Developmental Disabilities and involved two patients with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy and developmental disabilities who presented with irregular menses and abdominal pain and whose radiological evaluations were suspicious for an outflow obstruction. Medical records, including clinic visits, radiological findings, and surgical findings, were reviewed. INTERVENTIONS: Both patients underwent ultrasound and MRI evaluation of their reproductive tracts that demonstrated fluid collections in the vagina. An examination under anesthesia was performed in one patient to rule out an obstruction. In the second patient, a pelvic examination under ultrasound observation revealed initial vaginal distension with urine, which resolved after placement of a speculum. RESULTS: In both cases, the pseudo-obstruction was felt to be a urine-distended vagina due to a spastic pelvic floor. CONCLUSION: A spastic pelvic floor in an incontinent patient with spastic quadriplegia may result in urine accumulation in the vagina, mimicking an outflow tract obstruction. If the history, pelvic examination, and radiological images are inconsistent, performing an ultrasound-guided examination may assist with diagnosis.