The dehiscence of saphenous vein grafts (SVGs) is a rare, often fatal, complication of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). We present the case of a 57-year-old man who underwent hemiarch graft interposition and CABG for a Stanford type A aortic dissection. Five months after discharge, the patient developed streptococcal sepsis caused by a hemodialysis catheter. Complete rupture of the proxi...

A male Holstein Friesian calf affected with superior cervical ectopia cordis was examined macroscopically and histologically to assess the severity and elucidate other anomalies. This calf died 10 minutes after birth. The heart was round, weighed 380gm, was enveloped in the pericardium, and situated in the swollen part of the ventrocervical region underneath the skin. Inside the spacious perica...

Below we present a case of a young man with symptoms of progressive weakness, fever, cough, rapid decrease in body weight and the presence of a tumor in the left axillary region. The chest radiography and echocardiography revealed gas bubbles in the pericardium. The more detailed diagnostics and computed tomography of the chest showed an infiltration of the left lung cavity and a fistula among ...

Coronary artery perforation is a rare and dangerous complication of percutaneous coronary intervention. Its consequences may range from minimal dye staining of the pericardial cavity to haemodynamic collapse, and it requires urgent treatment. Nearly half of cases occur due to the use of stiff and hydrophilic guidewires. Perforations due to stent deployment or strut rupture are seen more rarely,...

Primary mesothelioma of the pericardium is a rare tumor and carries a dismal prognosis. This case report presents a 38-year-old man who suffered from recurrent pericardial fluid. Initial symptoms were unspecific, with dry cough and progressing fatigue. Pericardiocentesis was performed, but analyses for malignant cells and tuberculosis were negative. After recurrence a pericardiectomy was planne...

A case of pericardial actinomycosis mimicking a pericardial tumour is reported. After the appearance of non-specific subpleural pulmonary nodules, a 48 year old woman presented with fever and clinical signs of pericardial tamponade. Subxiphoid pericardiotomy yielded a culture negative fluid and inflammatory reactive histopathology in the pericardial biopsy specimen. Because of suspected infecti...

We studied 19 patients with pericardial disease using two-dimensional and three-dimensional transthorathic echocardiography (2DTTE and 3DTTE, respectively) in order to determine whether 3DTTE provides incremental value on top of 2DTTE in the evaluation of these patients. With 3DTTE a more comprehensive assessment of pericardial effusion can be made and both the parietal and visceral layers of t...

AIMS To examine the value of the anteroposterior pericardial sac diameter (APD) for prediction of the volume of pericardial effusion. METHODS AND RESULTS We measured the APD by echocardiography before 52 pericardiocentesis procedures and correlated it with the aspirate volume, etiology, symptoms, and clinical outcome. The volume of the aspirate ranged from 60 to 2300 ml (median 650 ml). The A...

Primary malignant neoplasms of the pericardium are rare and are predominantly mesotheliomas, followed by benign localized fibrous mesothelioma, malignant fibrosarcoma, angiosarcoma and benign and malignant teratomas. 1 This article concerns an atypical presentation of this malignant tumor with symptoms and signs of pericardial effusion. This unusual feature was complete encasement of the h...