International journal of cardiology
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Comparative Study
Peripartum versus idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy in young women--a comparison of clinical, pathologic and prognostic features.
Clinicopathologic features of 13 women with peripartum cardiomyopathy were compared to 13 women aged 19 through 38 with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. No presenting clinical or pathologic variable distinguished either group. However, the clinical course differed between the groups. ⋯ Patients in this group succumbed one year or more after disease onset. Five of 13 patients with peripartum cardiomyopathy had poor outcome, with death occurring 9 months or less after disease onset. The clinical course of peripartum cardiomyopathy appears distinct from that of idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy in young women.
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Review Case Reports
Pulmonary wedge aspiration cytology in the diagnosis of recurrent tumour embolism causing pulmonary arterial hypertension.
Recurrent subacute pulmonary embolism leading to pulmonary arterial hypertension is an uncommon presentation of malignancy. We describe one such patient who presented to us with features of pre-capillary pulmonary arterial hypertension. A novel yet simple technique, involving pulmonary wedge aspiration cytology, provided the tissue diagnosis of trophoblastic malignancy, thus enabling prompt institution of chemotherapy and consequent impressive clinical improvement. This technique appears to be a hitherto unreported indication for intravascular catheterisation in the diagnostic work up of pulmonary arterial hypertension.