Total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (TAPVC) with direct connection of the pulmonary veins to the morphologically right atrium is exceedingly rare other than in the setting of isomerism of the right atrial appendages. We present an interesting case of TAPVC in a patient with situs solitus that connected to the right atrium via a broad-mouthed common chamber.

We showed in the Sprague Dawley rat that the principal ascending cardiac lymphatic is similar in location to that of man and dog and can be readily visualized by injection of a small amount of T1824 blue dye (Evans) into the apex of the left ventricle. We also showed that it is possible to ligate and thereby obstruct this principal cardiac lymphatic near its entry beneath the left atrial append...

The right atrial appendage can be the origin of focal atrial tachycardias. Their ablation can be challenging owing to the complexity of the appendage anatomy. To our knowledge, we describe the first successful solid tip cryoablation of a focal tachycardia within the right atrial appendage in a patient presenting with tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy.

Calcified marine organisms typically experience increased oxidative stress and changes in mineralization in response to ocean acidification and warming conditions. These effects could hinder the potency of animal weapons, such as the mantis shrimp's raptorial appendage. The mechanical properties of this calcified weapon enable extremely powerful punches to be delivered to prey and aggressors. W...

e know that the risk of stroke is increased in patients with trial fibrillation (AF), presumably because stagnant blood ow within the left atrium leads to thrombus formation. mportantly, 90% of thrombi, when seen by echocardiograhy in patients with nonrheumatic AF, are located in the eft atrial appendage (LAA) (1,2). Standard treatment of atients with AF is anticoagulation with warfarin. If war...

A 76-year-old man underwent implantation of a model 5386 Identity ADx XL DR pacemaker (St. Jude Medical, Sylmar, CA, USA) for intermittent, high-degree atrioventricular (AV) block. A model 4480 passive bipolar lead (St. Jude) was placed in the right atrial appendage, and a model 1688T active fixation lead (St. Jude) was placed on the right ventricular midseptum. The device was programmed in DDD...

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia affecting elderly patients. Management and treatment of AF in this rapidly growing population of older patients involve a comprehensive assessment that includes comorbidities, functional, and social status. The cornerstone in therapy of AF is thromboembolic protection. Anticoagulation therapy has evolved, using conventional or newer medicat...

The penetration of cefonicid and cefazolin into cardiac tissue was compared after a single 30-mg/kg dose in 30 patients undergoing aortocoronary artery bypass graft surgery. Samples of the right atrial appendage, pericardial fluid, and serum were obtained at various times and assayed for drug content. The concentrations of cefonicid in serum and the atrial appendage were at least twice those ob...

Congenital pericardial defects (CPDs) are infrequent anomalies that are usually asymptomatic and are discovered incidentally during unrelated interventions. Here we report the case of a CPD with herniation of an enlarged left atrial appendage identified during total thoracoscopic ablation (TTA) for persistent atrial fibrillation (AF). The persistent AF was successfully treated with a hybrid pro...

BACKGROUND The reverse-remodeling effect of angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker (ARB) on atrial fibrillation (AF) is unclear. METHODS AND RESULTS Sustained AF was induced in 20 dogs by 4-week rapid atrial pacing. The AF duration, atrial effective refractory period (AERP) and intra-atrial conduction time (CT) were measured every 2 weeks. After 4-week pacing, dogs were randomly assigned to c...