Cardiac Platypnea-Orthodeoxia Syndrome: A Rare Case of Flow-Directed, Right-to-Left Shunt via a Patent Foramen Ovale Exacerbated by Aortic Root Enlargement.

Cardiac platypnea-orthodeoxia is a unique clinical syndrome characterized by dyspnea and deoxygenation when moving from a supine to an upright position. In this case report, we detail the experience of a 78-year-old male with persistent hypoxemia following a paradoxical embolic ischemic stroke. Despite proper management of his respiratory symptoms, the patient continued to be affected by marked dyspnea and hypoxemia, particularly when upright or in a right-sided decubitus position. Subsequent investigation revealed that his hypoxemia was a result of cardiac platypnea-orthodeoxia syndrome (POS). This condition was attributed to the enlargement of his aortic root and ascending aorta, coupled with a counterclockwise rotation of the heart axis. These factors facilitated a flow-directed, right-to-left interatrial shunt through a patent foramen ovale, even in the absence of elevated right heart pressures.

Successful Treatment of Severe Paravalvular Leak by Repositioning a Self-Expandable Percutaneous Aortic Valve Bioprosthesis (Evolut PRO+) Using the "Double Snare" Technique.

Significant (moderate or severe) paravalvular leak (PVL) after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) remains a common phenomenon and has been associated with decrease survival and quality of life. Transcatheter valve embolization and migration (TVEM) is a rare post-TAVR complication that can occur in 1% of cases and has been associated with worse patient outcomes. Valve embolization or migration into the left ventricle can result in significant PVL causing hemodynamic instability, shock, heart failure, and hemolytic anemia. Although this complication most commonly occurs in the acute setting (90%) within 4 hours of TAVR, it can also present late (4 hr-43 days later) in 10% of cases. There are no clear guidelines as to how this condition should be managed; however, several percutaneous bailout techniques exist that can ultimately spare the patient from emergent cardiovascular surgery. We present a rare case of late ventricular transcatheter aortic valve migration 3 days after TAVR causing severe PVL and heart failure symptoms that was successfully treated using the percutaneous "double snare" technique.

Perflutren microspheres for contrast echocardiography in a bloody pericardiocentesis.

We report the cases of 2 patients who presented with clinical and echocardiographic evidence of cardiac tamponade. Therapeutic echocardiographic-guided pericardiocentesis yielded bloody fluid. In both patients, Definity perflutren lipid microspheres were used for echocardiographic contrast, which helped to assess the needle's location. To the best of our knowledge, this is the 1st reported use of perflutren microspheres for this purpose.

Prosthetic valve endocarditis.

Prosthetic valve infective endocarditis represents a defined pathological entity which follows an epidemiological and nosological pattern in accordance to an arbitrary classification. Chronologically it is divided into the entities of early and late prosthetic valve endocarditis, each with its own unique characteristics. The clinical features, complications and diagnosis do not vary much from native valve endocarditis. There are clear and precise indications to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of this entity which differ from native valve endocarditis.