Journal of cardiovascular medicine
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J Cardiovasc Med (Hagerstown) · Nov 2006
Case ReportsA case of acute myocardial infarction during 5-fluorouracil infusion.
Cardiac toxicity is an uncommon side-effect of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) treatment, consisting mainly of chest pain episodes with or without electrocardiographic changes and dysrhythmias. Here, we describe the case of a 56-year-old male patient with a diagnosis of advanced colorectal cancer who developed an acute myocardial infarction during 5-FU infusion. ⋯ Given the great number of cancer patients receiving 5-FU containing chemotherapeutic regimens, this rare but severe cardiac side-effect may be observed in both cardiologic and oncologic clinical practice. We suggest a tight clinical monitoring of all patients receiving 5-FU infusions, even in those without a prior history of heart disease.
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J Cardiovasc Med (Hagerstown) · Nov 2006
Clinical TrialAcute and long-term outcome of transvenous cryothermal catheter ablation of supraventricular arrhythmias involving the perinodal region.
Cryoenergy is a new valuable treatment option to perform ablation close to the atrioventricular (AV) node in the cure of supraventricular tachycardias because of its favourable properties, such as the possibility of creating reversible lesions. The aim of this study was to report our experience on the effectiveness and safety of catheter cryoablation performed in "critical areas" to treat a large cohort of patients with supraventricular arrhythmias. ⋯ Cryoablation is a safe and effective technique with a high success rate in the long term. It may be particularly useful when performing ablation close to the AV node or His bundle owing to the possibility of validating the ablation site with ice mapping, which creates only a reversible lesion, mainly in the midseptal APs.
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J Cardiovasc Med (Hagerstown) · Oct 2006
Case ReportsTranscatheter treatment of perimembranous ventricular septal defect, secundum atrial septal defect and patent ductus arteriosus in a child.
A 4-year-old child with patent ductus arteriosus, perimembranous ventricular septal defect and ostium secundum atrial septal defect was successfully treated with the use of a simultaneous transcatheter for all of the anomalies present. The patent ductus arteriosus was closed first by using a coil, then the perimembranous ventricular septal defect was closed by using a 10-mm Amplatzer eccentric device. Finally, a 10-mm Amplatzer atrial septal defect device was implanted to treat the atrial septal defect.
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J Cardiovasc Med (Hagerstown) · Jul 2006
ReviewEchocardiography in the diagnosis and management of pericardial disease.
This review covers the role of echocardiography in the diagnosis and management of the main pericardial disorders. The sensitivity of echocardiography in detecting pericardial fluid is very high and this technique allows the detection of effusion as well as the definition of the size of effusion (small, moderate and severe). The evaluation of the pericardial sac should be carefully performed through all the echocardiographic windows, differentiating diffuse from loculated (regional) effusions. ⋯ The role of echocardiography is extremely important in atypical clinical presentation such as in patients in the postoperative period after cardiac surgery. Moreover, drainage of the effusion is mandatory in the presence of cardiac tamponade and in this regard echo-guided pericardiocentesis is the gold-standard method. Finally this review covers the echocardiographic diagnosis of pericardial cysts and masses and constrictive pericarditis.
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Cardiac ultrasound plays a pivotal role in assessing pulmonary artery pressures. Estimation of right atrial pressure can be derived from the dimensions and respiratory variation of the inferior vena cava and Doppler modalities provide an accurate and comprehensive evaluation of right ventricular and pulmonary artery pressures. ⋯ Recent data indicate that analysis of right ventricular function using myocardial Doppler echocardiography may also provide new insights for the non-invasive estimation of pulmonary artery pressures. In particular, right ventricular isovolumic relaxation time measured by myocardial Doppler echocardiography at the tricuspid annulus may provide an alternative method for estimating pulmonary artery pressure, especially in patients with tricuspid regurgitation not detectable or spectral Doppler not properly interpretable.