Heart : official journal of the British Cardiac Society
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Review Case Reports
Continuous left hemidiaphragm sign revisited: a case of spontaneous pneumopericardium and literature review.
In pneumopericardium, a rare but potentially life threatening differential diagnosis of chest pain with a broad variety of causes, rapid diagnosis and adequate treatment are crucial. In upright posteroanterior chest radiography, the apical limit of a radiolucent rim, outlining both the left ventricle and the right atrium, lies at the level of the pulmonary artery and ascending aorta, reflecting the anatomical limits of the pericardium. ⋯ Acute haemodynamic deterioration should prompt rapid further investigation and cardiac tamponade must be actively ruled out. Spontaneous pneumopericardium in a 20 year old man is presented, and its pathophysiology described.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Comparison of permanent left ventricular and biventricular pacing in patients with heart failure and chronic atrial fibrillation: prospective haemodynamic study.
To compare clinical and haemodynamic variables between left ventricular and biventricular pacing in patients with severe heart failure; and to analyse haemodynamic changes during daily life and maximum exercise during chronic left ventricular and biventricular pacing. ⋯ During symptom limited and daily life exercise tests, chronic biventricular pacing provides better haemodynamic performance than left ventricular pacing. In heart failure patients with wide QRS complexes, the interventricular dyssynchronisation induced by left ventricular pacing may impair myocardial function during exercise.
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Review Case Reports
Mitral valve endocarditis in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: case report and literature review.
Mitral endocarditis complicating hypertrophic cardiomyopathy occurs predominantly on the left ventricular aspect of the anterior mitral valve leaflet in the presence of outflow tract obstruction. It is a rare condition and the estimated cumulative 10 year probability of developing endocarditis in patients with obstruction is < 5%. ⋯ A case of community acquired Staphylococcus aureus mitral valve endocarditis is reported in a previously asymptomatic young man with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy. The potential treatment options are discussed.