New frontiers in the pathology and therapy of heart valve disease: 2006 Society for Cardiovascular Pathology, Distinguished Achievement Award Lecture, United States-Canadian Academy of Pathology, Atlanta, GA, February 12, 2006.

New Frontiers in the Pathology and Therapy of Heart Valve Disease

Pathology of inflammatory native valvular heart disease.

Rheumatic disease is an important cause of inflammatory native heart valve disease. However, with increased understanding of the pathoetiology of valve disease and valve injury, it is evident that inflammation may play a role in many valve disorders. We are only beginning to understand these complex processes. With increasing knowledge that many of these processes are active, there may be oppor...

Pathology and pathogenesis of infective endocarditis in native heart valves.

Infective endocarditis is an endovascular microbial infection of cardiovascular structures, including large intrathoracic vessels and intracardiac foreign bodies. The characteristic lesions consist of vegetations composed of platelets, fibrin, microorganisms, and inflammatory cells, as well as leaflet disruption. The commonly accepted pathogenetic theory is herein reported, from endothelial inj...

Epidemiologic study of 40 patients with lupus nephritis in Imam Khomeini

Introduction: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an inflammatory systemic disease that involves different organs such as heart, lungs, hematologic and musculoskletal systems, gastrointestinal tract and kidneys. Renal involvement has specific importance in disease prognosis. The present study was conducted to identify epidemiologic status, short term effects of treatment on renal involvemen...

Pathological considerations in replacement cardiac valves.

The long-term outcome following cardiac valve replacement is primarily determined by three factors: irreversible cardiac and pulmonary pathology secondary to the valvular disease (especially left ventricular myocardial hypertrophy and degeneration, and pulmonary vascular disease), pre-existing cardiac disease, including congenital lesions and coronary arterial atherosclerotic occlusions, and pr...