Idiopathic Pericardial Ossification Causing Chronic Constrictive Pericarditis.

BACKGROUND: Chronic constrictive pericarditis (CCP) is usually caused by the fibroinflammatory reaction of the visceral and parietal pericardium that encase the heart. The cause of CCP is various including tuberculosis, trauma, prior surgery, radiation, and malignancy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We examined the pericardiectomy specimen of a case of CCP in a 17-year-old boy. RESULTS: The histopathology of the pericardium revealed pericardial ossification bony remodeling and hematopoiesis within the intertrabecular marrow spaces. No granulomatous or neoplastic etiology was identified. CONCLUSION: Idiopathic pericardial ossification can cause CCP in pediatric patients.

Diagnosis of absent right superior vena cava with intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography in a child with Holt-Oram syndrome: Anesthetic and perfusion implications.

Holt-Oram syndrome is a rare autosomal disorder with cardiac, vascular, and upper limb anomalies. Previous reports have described anesthetic and perioperative challenges including difficulty in arterial and venous cannulations, airway management and rhythm, and temperature abnormalities. There are no previous reports of absent right superior vena cava (SVC) in children with Holt-Oram syndrome. We present images of a case where the diagnosis of absent right SVC with persistent left SVC was made with intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography and discuss the anesthetic and perfusion implications of such findings.

Peripheral Cardiopulmonary Bypass in Two Patients With Symptomatic Tracheal Masses: Perioperative Challenges.

Tracheal tumors or masses causing critical airway obstruction require resection for symptom relief. However, the location and extent of these tumors or masses often preclude conventional general anesthesia and tracheal intubation. Peripheral cardiopulmonary bypass often is required before anesthetizing these patients. Herein, two cases of patients with tracheal masses, in whom awake peripheral cardiopulmonary bypass was instituted, are reported. The first case was that of an obese male child weighing 102 kg, with tracheal rhinoscleroma, who developed Harlequin, or north-south, syndrome after institution of femorofemoral venoarterial partial cardiopulmonary bypass. The second case was that of a female patient with adenoid cystic carcinoma of the trachea causing near-total central airway occlusion. She had severe pulmonary artery hypertension, which prevented the use of venovenous bypass. Instead, femoral vein-axillary artery venoarterial bypass was established to avoid Harlequin syndrome. Some of the challenges encountered were the development of Harlequin syndrome with risk of myocardial and cerebral ischemia, type and conduct of extracorporeal bypass, choice of monitoring sites, and provision of regional anesthesia for peripheral extracorporeal cannulations. Management of such patients needs frequent troubleshooting and multidisciplinary coordination for a successful surgical outcome.

Ebstein's anomaly presenting with the acute coronary syndrome-a rare combination.

Ebstein's anomaly is a relatively rare congenital heart disorder characterised by downward displacement of septal and posterior leaflets of the tricuspid valve into the right ventricle cavity. The usual presenting symptoms are cyanosis, right-sided heart failure and arrhythmia. Progressive heart failure or tachyarrhythmia may worsen cyanosis. The acute coronary syndrome is rarely reported in Ebstein's anomaly. We report a patient of undiagnosed Ebstein's anomaly who was apparently asymptomatic but presented with the acute coronary syndrome. This case report deals with a rare combination of congenital heart disease (Ebstein's anomaly) and coronary artery disease. Ebstein's anomaly (EA) has a prevalence of 1% of all congenital heart diseases, and little evidence is reported in the literature where EA along with coronary artery disease (CAD) exists in individuals less than 45 years old. Therefore, this case report brings attention to the rarity of those pathologies, which individually are already considered rare. And in this case, the association turns this diagnosis exceptional and highlights the complexity of the treatment.

Triple Blow Injury to a Limb: Ipsilateral Hip and Knee Dislocation with Vascular Occlusion.

Ipsilateral hip and knee dislocation (double blow) occurring simultaneously during trauma are rare occurrences that are associated with secondary complications. These are high energy injuries that warrant acute emergency management more so if associated with vascular compromise. We encountered a poly trauma patient having a combined right anterior hip and ipsilateral knee dislocation with vascular occlusion at popliteus level apart from associated segmental radius fracture of the left upper limb. This young patient presented after 22 h being referred form elsewhere making the situation critical to the surgical team. An attempted thrombolysis was done but as gangrenous changes started, we ended up in a below knee amputation. This case highlights a typical scenario in a developing country where facilities involving super specialty services are scarce and even patients are complacent about need for emergent referral. All this adds to surgical dilemma as guidelines are unclear for the best treatment.