Little information is available concerning patients with multivalvular endocarditis (MVE) that simultaneously affects at least two cardiac valves. Current understanding of MVE is primarily based on sporadic case reports 6-9 and rarely on systematic retrospective investigation. Our aim was to investigate clinical and echocardiographic characteristics, microbiological profile, management and outc...

A bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) demonstrating moderate valvular stenosis and mild insufficiency was identified in an asymptomatic 1-year-old male cryptorchid English bulldog by transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography. The BAV was most consistent with type 3 morphology, based upon human classification. Pulmonary valve dysplasia with mild pulmonary stenosis and a suspected persistent lef...

Chronic venous disease (CVD) is an insufficiency of distal veins caused by their partial or total obstruction, endothelial distension and functional disorders. Chronic venous disease of lower limbs is common problem and affects millions of people. In this article we suggest that inflammatory process is involved in the structural remodeling in venous valves and in the venous wall, leading to val...

Patients: 123 patients (mean age 59 y, 78% men) with clinically stable chronic heart failure (New York Heart Association class II and III) for 3 months before enrollment, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) < 40%, and ability to exercise. Exclusion criteria were hemodynamically significant valvular heart disease, uncontrolled diabetes mellitus or hypertension, orthopedic or neurologic pro...

Background/Introduction In Algeria prevalence of rheumatic fever(RF) has steadily decrease especially after the establishment of the national program against the RF in 1990; the national incidence decreased from 04.7 /100,000 in 2002 to 02.5 /100,000 in 2003, 02.3 /100,000 in 2004, in 2009 the national incidence decreased to 1.01cas /100,000 of 04 to 19 years. However, the share of rheumatic pa...

Introduction Functional mitral regurgitation (FMR) is a ventricular disease characterized by mitral valve insufficiency in the absence of structural abnormalities of the valve leaflets or sub-valvular apparatus.1 It commonly provokes heart failure and frequently confers an increase in patient mortality and morbidity. Medical therapy has a limited role for management of FMR. When treated, FMR is...

Antiphospholipid syndrome spans many medical disciplines. Classic criteria include the presence of anticardiolipin antibody or lupus anticoagulant with typical complications of thrombosis or pregnancy loss. Other common associated manifestations include livedo reticularis, thrombocytopenia, valvular heart disease, and nephropathy with renal insufficiency, hypertension, and proteinuria. Treatmen...

Infective endocarditis (IE) continues to be one of the most serious complications following cardiovascular surgery, particularly that for replacement of valves. In order to define more clearly the clinical course and the role of surgical therapy, clinical and necropsy data were reviewed in 16 adult patients with prosthetic aortic valvular endocarditis (PAVE) and compared with the experience cit...

An appreciation of the natural history of acquired valvular heart disease is a prerequisite to an understanding of how surgical intervention has altered the natural outlook. The prognosis for a patient with valvular heart disease treated medically is dependent on the stage of the disease at which he is first seen. Therefore, assessment for surgery requires evaluation of the pathophysiologic con...