Calcific embolization with infective endocarditis involving the posterior mitral leaflet in a patient with underlying hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy.

We report a case of infective endocarditis (IE) involving the posterior mitral leaflet (PML) with calcific embolization in a patient with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM). Amongst HOCM patients with IE, the anterior mitral leaflet and basal septal myocardium are almost always involved due to the endocardial damage caused by recurrent outflow obstruction and valvular regurgitation. The management of our patient was complicated by moderate mitral stenosis, repeated calcific embolic strokes, dynamic left ventricular outflow track obstruction, and respiratory failure due to flash pulmonary edema. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of PML involvement in HOCM presenting in this manner.

Age- and gender-related changes in ventricular performance in wild-type FVB/N mice as evaluated by conventional and vector velocity echocardiography imaging: a retrospective study.

Detailed studies in animal models to assess the importance of aging animals in cardiovascular research are rather scarce. The increase in mouse models used to study cardiovascular disease makes the establishment of physiologic aging parameters in myocardial function in both male and female mice critical. Forty-four FVB/N mice were studied at multiple time points between the ages of 3 and 16 mo using high-frequency echocardiography. Our study found that there is an age-dependent decrease in several systolic and diastolic function parameters in male mice, but not in female mice. This study establishes the physiologic age- and gender-related changes in myocardial function that occur in mice and can be measured with echocardiography. We report baseline values for traditional echocardiography and advanced echocardiographic techniques to measure discrete changes in cardiac function in the commonly employed FVB/N strain.

ST-elevation myocardial infarction due to a spontaneous thrombus in the left anterior descending artery in a young HIV-infected patient.

With increasing life expectancy due to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), the spectrum of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated morbidity and mortality has shifted from opportunistic infections toward associated chronic medical conditions. We report on a 26-year-old female patient receiving HAART for HIV infection, who developed spontaneous thrombosis of the proximal left anterior descending (LAD) artery, resulting in acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction. She had none of the conventional risk factors for the development of coronary artery disease. Following diagnostic coronary angiography that showed a large (16x3.4 mm) spontaneous thrombus in the proximal LAD artery, percutaneous coronary intervention was performed with prior aspiration of the occluding thrombus and implantation of a bare-metal stent. The patient was discharged with instruction of appropriate medical therapy. This case highlights the association between immunosuppression with HAART, particularly protease inhibitors, and the development of accelerated atherosclerosis in patients with HIV infection.

Acinetobacter endocarditis presenting as a large right atrial mass: an atypical presentation.

This paper discusses a 26-year-old woman with end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis and Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-baumannii complex endocarditis. The patient had an indwelling right internal jugular catheter that was probably the nidus of infection. Transthoracic echocardiogram revealed an atypical presentation of the endocarditis as a large intracardiac mass, measuring in centimeters and occupying more than 50% of the right atrial cavity. The mass was attached to the lateral wall of the right atrium without valvular involvement. The patient was treated with prompt removal of the indwelling catheter, intravenous antibiotics, and surgical resection of the mass with an uneventful recovery. A literature search for cases of "Acinetobacter endocarditis" reveals this as the first case reported of Acinetobacter endocarditis presenting in this manner.

Inflammatory aneurysm of the thoracoabdominal aorta with associated dissection.

The inflammatory variant of aortic aneurysms has 3 unique features: marked thickening of the aneurysm wall, fibrosis of the adjacent retroperitoneum, and rigid adherence of the adjacent structures to the anterior aneurysm wall. Abdominal tenderness with or without a pulsatile abdominal mass is the most common finding, although it is present in only about 33% of patients. Systemic symptoms, such as fever, malaise, and weight loss, are reported in about 20% to 50% of patients. A contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan, magnetic resonance imaging, and a transesophageal echocardiogram are among the best modalities to evaluate for inflammatory thoracoabdominal aneurysm, but a transthoracic echocardiogram can frequently be very suggestive. Medical treatment options include corticosteroids or other anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive therapies. Surgical intervention usually consists of a transperitoneal approach with infrarenal aortic clamping. This case review describes a 64-year-old woman with a history of hypertension and dyslipidemia who presented with anemia, lower back pain, and a recent 30-pound weight loss.

Symptomatic metastatic right atrial lymphoma in a patient with AIDS presenting with pulmonary embolization.

Tumors involving the heart are rare, and the majority of them are benign. Secondary lymphoma with localization to the heart is the third most common malignant heart tumor and is more common, by far, than primary cardiac lymphomas. In patients with human immunodeficiency virus, the risk of development of systemic lymphoma is 60 to 200 times higher than in the general population. Symptoms usually consist of chest pain and dyspnea. Patients can also present with obstructive symptoms, based on the location and size of the tumor, and signs such as elevated jugular venous pressure, peripheral edema, ascites, and hepatomegaly. Transthoracic echocardiography is the initial modality of choice for diagnosis of cardiac lymphomas because it is readily available and helps localize the tumor, but transesophageal echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging remain the best tests for evaluation. Treatment consists primarily of chemotherapy, and anticoagulation can be used in certain cases where embolization of the tumor is likely. This case review describes a 37-year-old man with past medical history significant for herpes zoster and stage 1 syphilis who presented with complaints of weight loss, intermittent fevers, and vague chest pains of 1-month duration.