Identification of high-risk and low-risk subgroups of patients with mitral-valve prolapse

Article Abstract:

Mitral-valve prolapse is a common, and sometimes serious, disorder of the heart valves in which the cusp (leaf- like portion) of the mitral valve slips out of place. The function of the heart valves is to control the direction of blood flow. This disorder is prevalent in about 4 percent of the general population. Diagnosis of the condition is inconsistent, but use of ultrasound (US) remains an ideal technique for visualizing multiple views of the shape and movement of the mitral valve. Researchers conducted a study in which patients with classic mitral-valve prolapse, in which the leaflets thicken, were compared with patients suffering from the nonclassic form of the disorder, to determine the relative prevalence of complications. The study reveals that there is indeed a subgroup of patients with classic mitral-valve prolapse who are at higher risk for serious complications. However, this subgroup of patients could not be distinguished from the larger subgroup with the nonclassic form of the disease on the basis of the clinical criteria examined in the study. Patients with classic mitral-valve prolapse are at higher risk for endocarditis (inflammation of the membrane lining the heart) and should receive preventive antibiotic therapy.

Medical examination, Health risk assessment, Endocarditis, Bacterial, Bacterial endocarditis, Mitral valve prolapse, Mitral valve insufficiency, Mitral valve

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Echocardiographic detection of left atrial extension of bronchial carcinoma

Article Abstract:

Tumors in the heart whose origin is from cancer elsewhere in the body can be found in from 1.5 to 20.6 percent of all cancer patients. The most common primary causes, in order of frequency, are lung cancer, breast cancer, malignant melanoma, lymphoma and leukemia. Metastatic tumors of the heart may be missed at autopsy because the patient developed no symptoms indicating their presence. Echocardiography, the use of ultrasound to non-invasively produce an image permits visualization of tumors of the heart in patients with bronchial carcinoma, a type of lung cancer. The list of pathologies causing the patient's signs and symptoms includes blood clot, growth of bacteria, and tumors originating in the heart as well as metastatic tumors. The differentiation between the various causes by means of ultrasound may prove difficult, as they may have a similar anatomic appearance in the echocardiograph.

Diagnosis, Heart, Cancer, Lung cancer, Cancer diagnosis

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Sirolimus for the prevention of in-stent restenosis in a coronary artery

Article Abstract:

The drug sirolimus, which is also called rapamycin, can prevent coronary arteries from becoming blocked again after angioplasty. The drug is released by a small cylinder called a stent that is placed inside the artery to keep it open. It may not be as effective in diabetics as it is in other patients.

Evaluation, Stent (Surgery), Stents, Sirolimus, Coronary restenosis

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