RESUMO
Adipose tissue is a normal anatomical finding in the heart but fat infiltration in cardiac valves is extremely rare with very few cases reported in the literature. We report a case of fatty infiltration in a mitral valve replaced for mitral valve prolapse causing severe mitral regurgitation in a 65-year-old male who presented with shortness of breath and upper respiratory tract infection. The histopathological examination of the mitral valve revealed sheets of mature adipocytes in the spongiosa layer leading to replacement of collagen and elastic fibers. The presence of adipocytes in the prolapsed valve could be considered to arise from the proliferation of pluripotent valvular interstitial cells. Herein, we have reviewed the previously reported cases of fatty infiltration in the mitral valve and discussed the pathogenesis and effect on valvular function.
RESUMO
Harry Levinson died June 27, 2012, in Delray Beach, Florida. He was born on January 16, 1922, in Port Jervis, New York. Levinson was, and remains, one of the premier translators of clinical psychological and psychoanalytic knowledge to the workplace and to organizations. True to his childhood dream, Levinson was a life-long educator (at Menninger's, Harvard University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, among other institutions), but he was equally adept at professional practice. Harry's professional work had significant impact. Levinson was revered by colleagues and students from a variety of backgrounds. He was direct and forceful in the expression of his views and, no matter what the setting, courageous in speaking truth to power and to professional colleagues.
