INTRODUCTION In Port-Access cardio-surgical procedures, both intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and fluoroscopy can be used for placement of the catheters and cannulae needed for cardiopulmonary bypass. Our study sought to clarify whether it is possible to rely exclusively on TEE for catheter placement without increasing the risk for the patient. MATERIALS AND METHODS Forty...

Dear colleagues, It is my pleasure to welcome you in the third issue of Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Medicine and I hope you find it interesting. In this issue, beside the valuable original articles and an interesting case report, a useful review article have been published concerning the role of nuclear medicine in the management of solitary pulmonary nodule.I am proud to announce you that Journ...

PURPOSE: We present an Australian perspective on the use of flank incision as a surgical strategy in the management of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with vena cava thrombus. METHOD: A retrospective analysis of all patients who had a flank incision for RCC with caval thrombus performed at our tertiary centre, from June 1997 to June 2011 was performed. The following parameters were studied: demograp...

Introduction Juvenile scleroderma (JS), represents a rarely seen group of connective tissue disease with multiple organ involvement. Although quite rare in childhood, cardio-vascular and pulmonary involvements are the most important mortality and morbidity factors. Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), the most important sequelae of pulmonary involvement, could be determined by echocardiograph...

The breathing pattern of many different air-breathing vertebrates, including lungfish, anuran amphibians, turtles, crocodiles and snakes, is characterized by brief periods of lung ventilation interspersed among apnoeas of variable duration. These intermittent ventilatory cycles are associated with characteristic increases in pulmonary blood flow and tachycardia. In animals with central vascular...