Case report and literature review: cardiac hematic cyst.

A 49-year-old female patient, asymptomatic, presented to the cardiology office for a right atrial mass, identified incidentally in a non-electrocardiogram (ECG)-gated contrast-enhanced computed tomography, performed for follow-up of pulmonary tuberculosis. Echocardiography, surprisingly, showed an anechogenic ovoid mass in the right atrium measuring 40 × 40 mm2, implanted in the interatrial septum without affecting the tricuspid valve. ECG-gated computed tomography angiography (CTA), confirmed the dimensions of the mass, which presented homogeneous content, calcified areas, and a 12-mm pedicle implanted near the ostium of the coronary sinus. Additionally, contrast uptake and infiltration of adjacent structures were ruled out. In the surgical field, an encapsulated mass with blood content was found, which pathology reported as a hematic endocardial cyst (HEC). These are rare cardiac masses, constituting 1.5% of all primary cardiac tumors. It is usually an incidental finding, and its clinical presentation will depend on its dimensions and the intracardiac hemodynamic impact. A highlighting feature is its anechogenic content on ultrasound, however, multimodality imaging allows for making diagnostic assumptions, discerning between primary cardiac tumors, and provides morphological and hemodynamic information useful for therapeutic decision making. The age of the patient, the large size of the HEC, and its location in the interatrial septum make up a completely atypical presentation of this rare disease, which motivated this report.

Complex aortic plaques: hidden danger in aortic stenosis. Role of transesophageal echocardiography.

Aortic stenosis is associated with aortic plaques in up to 85% of cases because they share risk factors and pathogenic pathways. Intrinsically, complex aortic plaques carry a high risk of stroke, which has also been demonstrated in the context of aortic stenosis, especially in patients who underwent percutaneous or surgical replacement. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is the imaging test of choice to detect plaques in the thoracic aorta and classify them as complex plaques. Furthermore, the 3D modality allows us to better specify its dimensions and anatomical characteristics, such as added thrombi or the presence of ulcers inside. This review aims to evaluate the use of TEE to detect complex aortic plaques in patients with an indication for percutaneous or surgical aortic valve replacement. To highlight the association between aortic stenosis and complex aortic plaques, we attached to the review some TEE studies from our experience.

La estenosis aórtica se asocia con placas aórticas hasta en un 85% de los casos, porque comparten factores de riesgo y vías patogénicas. Intrínsecamente, las placas aórticas complejas conllevan un alto riesgo de accidente cerebrovascular, lo que también se ha demostrado en el contexto de estenosis aórtica, especialmente en pacientes sometidos a reemplazo percutáneo o quirúrgico. La ecocardiografía transesofágica (ETE) es la prueba de imagen de elección para detectar placas en la aorta torácica y clasificarlas como placas complejas. Además, la modalidad 3D nos permite precisar mejor sus dimensiones y características anatómicas como trombos añadidos o la presencia de úlceras en su interior. Esta revisión tiene como objetivo evaluar el uso de ETE para detectar placas aórticas complejas en pacientes con indicación de reemplazo valvular aórtico percutáneo o quirúrgico. Para resaltar la asociación de estenosis aórtica y placas aórticas complejas adjuntamos a la revisión algunos estudios de ETE de nuestra experiencia.

Acute left anterior descending artery occlusion after IVUS leading to urgent percutaneous coronary intervention complicated with coronary perforation: Case report.

Background: Intravascular ultrasonography (IVUS) has become an important complementary tool in interventional cardiology, both for preprocedural planning and for optimizing the performance of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, this tool is not free of potential complications, because of that it is essential to be aware of them and their management. Over time, new uses of IVUS have emerged, and it is currently a potential tool for predicting the risk of coronary perforation. Case report: We present the clinical case of a 51-year-old male patient who was admitted in the context of post-infarction angina. During coronary angiography, the patient presented with two acute complications, one of them associated with IVUS and the other associated with severe coronary calcification that predisposed to coronary perforation. Both complications were successfully treated. Conclusion: IVUS, although a very useful imaging tool before and during PCI, is not without risk. The overall rate of complications with certain or possible relation to IVUS is 3.9%. Vascular spasm is the most frequent complication and acute vascular occlusion, with the need for emergency coronary artery by-pass grafting, the least frequent. On the other hand, IVUS can predict the risk of developing other complications, such as coronary perforation, by means of the C-CAT sign. Knowledge of the possible complications during PCI and the rapid procedure of the hemodynamic team allows adequate management of these potentially fatal complications.

Multimodal imaging in Ig G4- related aortitis: case report.

We present the case of a 56-year-old patient with fever of unknown origin associated with chest and lumbar pain. Multimodality imaging revealed diffuse peri-aortitis in the thoracic aorta without involvement of the aortic valve, contributing substantially to the diagnosis of Ig G4-associated aortitis. Immunosuppressive therapy was started. Follow-up at five months with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging showed a reduction in the inflammatory process in the thoracic aorta.

Presentamos el caso de un paciente de 56 años, con cuadro febril de origen desconocido asociado a dolor torácico y lumbar. La imagen multimodal demostró periaortitis difusa en la aorta torácica sin afectación de la válvula aórtica, lo que contribuyó sustancialmente al diagnóstico de aortitis asociada a Ig4. Se inició tratamiento inmunosupresor. El seguimiento a los 5 meses, la resonancia magnética cardíaca mostró una reducción del proceso inflamatorio en la aorta torácica.

Collection of cardiac masses. Up-to-date echocardiography and cardiac MRI tools.

Heart masses, including tumors (primary and secondary) and pseudotumor (cysts and thrombus), are rare entities, but of increasing interest in cardiac imaging areas. The clinical manifestations are related to the intracardiac effect of mass, embolization, and systemic symptoms in the case of tumors; however, some of them are detected incidentally. Nowadays, imaging techniques and the advancement of their tools perform the morphological, functional, and tissue characterization of the masses, and additionally know the anatomical relationships, which are crucial factors for the treatment and surgical planning.

Takotsubo syndrome and atrial myxoma-identifying a new trigger: a case report.

Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is a rare cardiomyopathy, but its prevalence is increasing due to the greater availability of diagnostic tools, whose pathophysiology is unknown; however, the evidence points to an excess of catecholamines that ends up generating cardiac stunning. The cause of excessive sympathetic discharge is multifactorial, and some tumors may be related to their origin. In this case report, we present a female patient with TTS whose only identified triggering factor was an atrial myxoma, which generated an unusual clinical presentation. Current multimodal diagnostic tools together with the multidisciplinary evaluation of the HeartTeam allowed an accurate diagnosis and an adequate management of the clinical picture.

Non-valvular infective endocarditis associated with central venous catheter bloodstream infection: a case report.

Non-valvular Infective endocarditis (IE) is exceedingly rare; however, its incidence has risen in tandem with the increased usage of intracardiac devices and the growing prevalence of risk factors associated with IE. We present a clinical case involving an 18-year-old patient with IE occurring at an atypical location, concomitant with central venous catheter bloodstream infection. The patient underwent targeted antibiotic therapy but ultimately required surgical resection of the vegetation due to multiple risk factors associated with a poor prognosis. This case underscores the importance of maintaining a low threshold of suspicion for IE and emphasizes the need for heightened vigilance regarding non-valvular tissues hosting foreign bodies. These less common locations pose a risk for vegetation development. Additionally, we underscore the pivotal role of 3D echocardiography tools in anatomically characterizing the vegetation, including dimensions, implantation area, and related anatomy. These tools provide realistic images that facilitate informed decision-making. Furthermore, the timely selection of surgical intervention in patients at elevated risk of therapeutic failure is a cornerstone in effective management.

La endocarditis infecciosa (EI) no valvular es extremadamente infrecuente; sin embargo, su incidencia ha aumentado paralelamente al incremento del uso de dispositivos intracardiacos y a la creciente prevalencia de factores de riesgo asociados a la EI. Se presenta un caso clínico de un paciente de 18 años con EI en una localización atípica, concomitante con infección del torrente sanguíneo por catéter venoso central. El paciente fue sometido a un tratamiento antibiótico específico, pero finalmente requirió la resección quirúrgica de la vegetación debido a múltiples factores de riesgo asociados a un mal pronóstico. Este caso resalta la importancia de mantener un umbral bajo de sospecha de EI y hace hincapié en la necesidad de una mayor vigilancia de los tejidos no valvulares que albergan cuerpos extraños. Estas localizaciones menos frecuentes suponen un riesgo para el desarrollo de vegetación. Asimismo, subrayamos el papel fundamental de las herramientas de ecocardiografía tridimensional en la caracterización anatómica de la vegetación, incluidas las dimensiones, el área de implantación y la anatomía relacionada. Estas herramientas proporcionan imágenes realistas que facilitan la toma de decisiones informadas. Además, la selección oportuna de la intervención quirúrgica en pacientes con alto riesgo de fracaso terapéutico es una piedra angular en el manejo eficaz.