Biomarkers such as natriuretic peptides (NPs) have evolving clinical utility beyond the scope of heart failure. The role of NPs in the management of valvular heart disease is a growing area of investigation. NPs have much potential in the assessment of asymptomatic patients with hemodynamically significant valvular lesions who have traditionally been excluded from consideration of surgical inte...

The presence of amyloidosis was detected in 33 out of 213 (15.5%) mitral and aortic valves that had been surgically removed for chronic valvular disease. No correlation could be found with age or type of valvular disease, neither was there any clinical evidence of an associated generalised amyloidosis. Histologically, the amyloid deposits were microscopic and restricted to areas of dense scar t...

Despite significant advancements in the field of cardiovascular imaging, transoesophageal echocardiography remains the key imaging modality in the management of valvular pathologies. This paper provides echocardiographers with an overview of the modern role of TOE in the diagnosis and management of valvular disease. We describe how the introduction of 3D techniques has changed detection and gra...

Cardiac ventriculography is used to define the anatomy and function of the ventricles and related structures in patients with congenital, valvular, coronary, and myopathic heart disease (1–5). Specifically, left ventriculography may provide valuable information about global and segmental left ventricular function, mitral valvular incompetence, and the presence, location, and severity of a numbe...

In the present study, we examined the association between vascular and valvular calcification and the prognosis of patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). Data were collected from the records of patients introduced onto CAPD therapy during 1999 - 2006 at the Department of Nephrology, Saitama Medical University. At the start of CAPD, cardiac and vascular echography were use...

INTRODUCTION Pergolide is an ergot derived dopamine agonist that is widely used for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. Studies have found an association between pergolide and valvular heart abnormalities although there is still much to be learned about the clinical significance of the valvular changes, who is at risk, and whether there is duration of exposure effect. OBJECTIVE To assess th...

RATIONALE Drug-induced valvular heart disease (DI-VHD) remains an under-recognized entity. PATIENT CONCERNS This report describes a heart valve replacement which was complicated by intractable systemic pulmonary arterial hypertension in a 61-year-old female with severe restrictive mitral and aortic disease. The diagnosis of valvular disease was preceded by a history of unexplained respiratory...

An organism resembling Corynebacterium striatum was isolated from the blood of a patient with acute aortic valvular insufficiency and no history of valvular heart disease. At autopsy, histopathologic examination of the aortic valve revealed pleomorphic gram-positive bacilli and destruction of valvular tissue. Our isolate differed from other nondiphtherial corynebacteria, including the type stra...