ABSTRACT
Structural valvular interventions have skyrocketed in the past decade with new devices becoming available and indications for patients who would previously have been deemed inoperable. Furthermore, while echocardiography is the main imaging tool and the first line for patient screening, cardiac magnetic resonance and CT are now essential tools in pre-planning and post-procedural follow-up. This review aims to address imaging modalities and their scope in aortic, mitral and tricuspid structural valvular interventions, including multimodality imaging. Pulmonary valve procedures, which are mostly carried out in patients with congenital problems, are discussed. This article presents a guide on individualised imaging approcahes on each of the available interventional procedures.
ABSTRACT
Marantic endocarditis is a rare non-infectious endocarditis that mostly affects the aortic and mitral valves. It is often an autopsy finding that is most commonly seen in advanced malignancies thought to be due to a hypercoagulable state. When diagnosed antemortem, it typically presents with signs and symptoms of embolisation. We report a case of a 44-year-old Caucasian man with marantic endocarditis secondary to metastatic small cell lung cancer. Our patient presented with a short history of lower back pain with no signs/symptoms of embolisation, and a pansystolic murmur on initial physical examination. Serial blood cultures were negative and transthoracic echocardiography revealed vegetation on the posterior leaflet of the mitral valve. Further imaging in the form of MRI spine and CT thorax/abdomen/pelvis showed pulmonary lesions with liver and bony metastasis. Subsequent image-guided biopsy confirmed metastatic small cell lung cancer of T1N2M1c grade, which was treated with palliative chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Subject(s)
Endocarditis, Non-Infective/etiology , Lung Neoplasms/complications , Small Cell Lung Carcinoma/complications , Adult , Diagnosis, Differential , Humans , Low Back Pain/etiology , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Male , Neoplasm Metastasis , Tomography, X-Ray ComputedABSTRACT
Idiopathic giant cell myocarditis (GCM) is a rare and rapidly progressing form of myocarditis predominantly affecting younger people. We report a case of a 23-year-old athletic patient who presented with features of acute heart failure due to GCM and discuss his management that included a left ventricular assist device as a bridge to transplant. He died immediately following the transplant.We also review the literature on this rare disease, highlighting the advances in the management of the disease including immunosuppressive therapy, ventricular assist devices and heart transplantation.
