Fluoroscopy (FS)- or transesophageal echocardiography (TEE)-guided heartworm removal was carried out using flexible alligator forceps to compare the rate of worm removal. As a result, the worm removal rates were similar between the two procedures. However, the TEE-guided procedure does not involve radiation exposure, and facilitates observation of worms in the cardiac chamber and pulmonary arte...

bronchial leiomyoma is extremely rare. to date less than 60 cases have been reported in the world literature. the presented case here is a 30 year old woman who had been treated for bronchial asthma for several years. her chest radiograph showed bulluos emphysematous changes in the right lung and computer tomography scan found the tumor in the right main bronchus near carina. diagnosis was made...

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common complication in patients with atrial septal defects (ASDs). The link between AF and ASD is fairly complex and entails modifications in electrophysiologic, contractile and structural properties, at the cellular and tissue level, of both atria, mainly due to chronic atrial stretch and dilation. Surgical repair or percutaneous closure of ASDs are equally effect...

Cryptogenic stroke is a form of cerebral vascular accident that has an unknown origin and is rarely associated with patent foramen ovale (PFO) and migraine headaches. This is an uncommon occurrence in young, healthy, active adults, and it is increasingly rare for the episode to occur during an athletic competition. Stroke is easily recognizable with its distinct signs and symptoms, but it is al...

BACKGROUND Injury to the circumflex artery after mitral valve (MV) repair or replacement is a recognized complication of this procedure. We designed an echocardiographic method to visualize the course and flow of the circumflex artery, to detect iatrogenic injury to this structure intraoperatively, as well as to predict the coronary dominance pattern in MV surgery patients. METHODS After Ethi...

RATIONALE Pectus excavatum (PE) in the setting of congenital heart disease is not uncommon. The surgical strategy has evolved over the last 20 years from a staged approach to simultaneous repair of both defects. PATIENT CONCERNS A 3-year-old boy was admitted for elective repair of PE and atrial septal defect (ASD). DIAGNOSES Clinically, there were obvious features of PE and a grade 2 systol...