Asian cardiovascular & thoracic annals
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Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann · Dec 2002
Case ReportsNeuroleptic malignant syndrome: uncommon postoperative diagnostic dilemma.
Neuroleptic malignant syndrome occurred in a 71-year-old man on haloperidol therapy for mild depressive dementia. After coronary artery bypass grafting, he developed hyperthermia, elevated creatine kinase without a corresponding rise in the MB-isoenzyme, leukocytosis, raised liver enzymes, urea, and creatinine. His condition responded to bromocriptine therapy.
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Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann · Dec 2002
Case ReportsCaught in the act: impending paradoxical embolism.
In a 73-year-old woman admitted with pulmonary embolism, a thrombus wedged across a patent foramen ovale was revealed by transesophageal echocardiography. After systemic anticoagulation, cardiac embolectomy and closure of the atrial septal defect were considered. Before surgery, repeat transesophageal echocardiography revealed only a small patent foramen ovale with no residual thrombus. We assumed dissolution of the thrombus as the patient had no sign of systemic or recurrent pulmonary embolism.
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Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann · Dec 2002
Case ReportsFalse aneurysm due to suture loosening after aortic arch replacement.
We describe a case of false aneurysm due to loosening of the anastomotic sutures 5 years after graft replacement for subacute type A aortic dissection. Leakage from the graft was controlled by tightening the suture slack indicating that suture loosening was the cause of the aneurysm. The mechanism was probably the progressive thinning of the edematous swollen aortic wall over the years causing the sutures to loosen.
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Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann · Dec 2002
Case ReportsAcquired tracheoesophageal fistula following blunt trauma to the chest.
Tracheoesophageal fistula following blunt chest trauma is rare. Typically the patient is a young male with an elastic chest wall who is involved in a motor vehicle accident. In this case the victim was a motorcyclist who collided with a stationary lorry. He underwent surgery 4 weeks after the injury made an uncomplicated recovery.
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Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann · Sep 2002
Case ReportsRetroesophageal hematoma caused by fish bone perforation of the esophagus.
A 39-year-old man complained of acute dysphagia and dorsal pain while eating fish. Radiologic and endoscopic studies revealed a retroesophageal mass, which was later shown to be a hematoma.