Reversing the Tide: A Case of a Mechanical Aortic Valve Recipient Lost to Follow-up, Education on Rivaroxaban Contraindications, and the Vital Role of Acenocoumarol in Preventing Valve Thrombosis.

Aortic stenosis is the most common heart valve disease, especially among the elderly. Symptomatic aortic valve stenosis is linked to a poor prognosis and a high mortality rate if left untreated. The only effective treatment for severe symptomatic aortic stenosis is aortic valve replacement using either a mechanical or a biological prosthesis. Mechanical valve prostheses, while highly durable, are thrombogenic, necessitating lifelong anticoagulation with oral anti-vitamin K agents, such as acenocoumarol. Conversely, bioprosthetic valves, though less durable, carry a minimal thrombogenic risk and do not require anticoagulation. Currently, there is no proven role for direct-acting oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in patients with mechanical heart valves due to insufficient clinical trial data regarding their safety in this patient population. Herein, we present the case of a 59-year-old female known to have aortic stenosis, who underwent surgical treatment with mechanical aortic valve replacement eight years ago. Post-surgery, acenocoumarol was initiated. However, 18 months prior to presenting at our institution, the patient started taking rivaroxaban (a DOAC) instead of acenocoumarol due to the unavailability of acenocoumarol during the ongoing economic crisis in Lebanon, without consulting her cardiologist. Although she was followed up by her general practitioner and reported having a mechanical valve, her son contradicted this, claiming she had a biological valve. After thorough investigations, including chest X-ray, echocardiography, and fluoroscopy, it was confirmed that the patient indeed had a normally functioning mechanical aortic valve. Immediate corrective measures were taken, starting with IV unfractionated heparin and acenocoumarol, targeting an International Normalized Ratio (INR) between 2.5 and 3, while educating the patient about her condition and the importance of adhering to acenocoumarol therapy.

Cor Triatriatum Dexter With a Sinus Venosus Atrial Septal Defect in a 50-Year-Old Woman: A Case Report.

The diagnosis of atrial septal defect (ASD) may be delayed until adulthood or even later in life as it is a well-tolerated congenital heart disease. If patients are not examined and investigated well in childhood, the diagnosis may be delayed until later in adulthood when patients present with palpitations and sometimes dyspnea due to the right chambers dilatation from right ventricular volume overload. In this report, we present a case of a 50-year-old female patient with symptoms of heart failure and atrial fibrillation who was found to have dilated right cardiac chambers, dilated pulmonary artery, severe tricuspid regurgitation, pulmonary hypertension, and a pulmonary-to-systemic flow ratio (Qp/Qs) of more than 1.5 by transthoracic echocardiography and Doppler, indicating left to right shunt at the atrial level. However, transthoracic echocardiography could not visualize the defect, and two-dimensional (2D) transesophageal echocardiography was done in this patient and documented the presence of a sinus venosus ASD with an incomplete cor triatriatum dexter membrane; all four pulmonary veins were identified going to the left atrium. Since the presence of an incomplete cor triatriatum dexter membrane (despite causing no symptoms) makes the percutaneous closure of the sinus venosus ASD and the percutaneous repair of tricuspid regurgitation very difficult, we decided to advise surgical ASD closure and tricuspid valve repair for the patient.

Prolapsing Intrigue: A Case of Superior Vena Cava Mass Visualized by Echocardiography From the Subcostal Window Unveiling an Anterior Mediastinal Type B2 Thymoma.

Imaging the superior vena cava (SVC) during two-dimensional (2D) transthoracic echocardiographic examination is challenging and should be performed routinely. Here, we present a case where a lower (juxta-atrial) SVC mass was seen prolapsing into the right atrium by 2D transthoracic echocardiography; in this case, the imaging of the lower (juxta-atrial) SVC was done from the subcostal window. It was not possible to image the SVC from the suprasternal, right supraclavicular, left parasternal, or apical windows. CT scan of the chest with intravenous contrast was done in this case and showed an anterior mediastinal mass invading the SVC and prolapsing into the right atrium. CT-guided biopsy proved the mass to be a type B2 thymoma.

ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction in a 56-Year-Old Man With Acute Myeloid Leukemia: A Case Report.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the most common form of acute leukemia, is an aggressive lethal hematological malignancy that mainly occurs in older adults with a slightly higher predominance in males. It is prompted by the clonal expansion of immature myeloid blasts in the bone marrow, peripheral blood, and/or extramedullary tissues. Leukostasis in AML is a critical medical condition mainly affecting the lungs and brain and arises when tissue perfusion is compromised due to the clustering of white blood cells (WBCs) within the microvasculature. Cardiac involvement in this condition is exceptionally uncommon. Here, we present a case of a 56-year-old man, recently diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia M4 and leukostasis, who developed acute anterior ST-elevation myocardial infarction six days after presentation and in whom emergent coronary angiography showed proximal left anterior descending (LAD) artery lesion with a large clot obstructing the flow and thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) I flow, and urgent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was done; thromboaspiration and drug-coated balloon angioplasty were performed with good angiographic results. Antiplatelet (aspirin and clopidogrel) and anticoagulation (enoxaparin) were started immediately before PCI. Emergent leukapheresis was initiated in addition to hydroxyurea with complete resolution of chest pain. Four days post PCI, the patient developed right-sided hemiparesis with an evident infarct on a CT scan of the brain, and he also developed acute limb ischemia involving the distal right foot. Five days post PCI, the patient had a sudden sustained ventricular tachycardia followed immediately by asystole, and cardio-pulmonary resuscitation was done for 25 minutes but with no response.

Subaortic Membrane With Mitral Chordae Rupture Mimicking Left Ventricular Outflow Tract Obstruction in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is an autosomal-dominant disorder that can lead to left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction. Some patients present with syncope, dyspnea, chest pain, or sudden cardiac death. A subaortic membrane (SAM) is an unusual cause of ventricular outflow tract obstruction causing symptoms that can imitate HCM. It is essential to differentiate between these two entities, as it has important implications in guiding treatment and determining the type of intervention. Echocardiography is the gold standard modality for the diagnosis. In this report, we present a case of a 56-year-old man presenting with subaortic stenosis with ruptured mitral chordae misdiagnosed as HCM with SAM.

Role of Echocardiography in the Diagnosis of Light Chain Amyloidosis: A Case Report and Review of Literature.

Amyloid light-chain (AL) amyloidosis is a rare disease with a broad clinical presentation that depends on the affected organ. Cardiac amyloidosis, a rare entity, can present as an isolated form of AL amyloidosis. This isolated form is considered a challenging diagnosis due to its broad nonspecific clinical presentation. In this article, we report a case of an adult male who presented with shortness of breath and was found to have many specific features of cardiac amyloidosis on echocardiography. In absence of other organ involvement, the results of the echocardiography directed us toward the diagnosis of AL cardiac amyloidosis. In addition, we highlight the role of echocardiography in the diagnosis of cardiac amyloidosis.