Determining Infected Aortic Aneurysm Treatment Using Focused Detection of Helicobacter cinaedi.

We detected Helicobacter cinaedi in 4 of 10 patients with infected aortic aneurysms diagnosed using blood or tissue culture in Aichi, Japan, during September 2017-January 2021. Infected aortic aneurysms caused by H. cinaedi had a higher detection rate and better results after treatment than previously reported, without recurrent infection.

Posterior Mitral Leaflet (PML) Perforation due to Infective Endocarditis (IE) Complicated with Cerebral Infarction.

A 64-year-old man on dialysis presented to the emergency department with a fever and chills. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) showed small vegetation on the posterior mitral leaflet (PML). Antibiotic therapy was initiated. Two weeks later, right hemiparesis occurred. MRI of the head showed occlusion of the left middle cerebral artery, which suggested an embolism derived from the vegetation. The patient was then referred to the department of cardiovascular surgery. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) revealed perforation of the PML and severe mitral regurgitation (MR). The patient underwent mitral valve repair. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient was discharged after six weeks of antibiotic treatment. A fresh autologous pericardium is the material of choice to repair the valve.

Posterior Mitral Leaflet Prolapse and Subsequent Mitral Valve Endocarditis Complicated With Anterior Leaflet Perforation.

A 68-year-old male presented with a two-week history of fever, and further investigations revealed mitral valve endocarditis caused by Staphylococcus epidermidis, with associated severe mitral regurgitation (MR). The patient was referred for mitral valve surgery but developed new neurological symptoms two days before the operation, which were diagnosed as symptomatic epilepsy. During surgery, kissing lesions were found on the posterior mitral leaflet (PML), which were not detected on preoperative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). Mitral valve repair was completed using autologous pericardium. The current case highlights the importance of careful examination of leaflets during surgery and not relying solely on preoperative imaging to detect all lesions. It is essential to promptly diagnose and treat infective endocarditis to prevent further complications and ensure successful outcomes.

Pulsatile thrombus evacuation from the false lumen of an occluded carotid artery in acute aortic dissection.

Herein, we present a case of aortic dissection with right carotid artery occlusion that was treated successfully with thrombus evacuation from the false lumen of the occluded carotid artery during hemiarch replacement. This procedure is performed with two maneuvers: aggressive retrieval of the thrombus from the innominate artery during circulatory arrest and thrombus evacuation from the false lumen of the right common carotid artery through a right neck incision with the heart beating. In this alternative method, thrombi can be evacuated more naturally and briskly, using pulsatile flow.

Management of Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Using an Arteriovenous Fistula: An Intraoperative Change in the Preoperative Plan.

Regarding coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in patients on hemodialysis, in situ internal thoracic artery (ITA) grafting of the left anterior descending artery (LAD) improves survival and freedom from cardiac events. Although a problem with the ITA can possibly occur, using the ITA ipsilateral to an arteriovenous fistula (AVF) in the upper extremity of patients on hemodialysis can cause coronary subclavian steal syndrome (CSSS). CSSS is a condition of myocardial ischemia caused by the diversion of blood flow from the ITA following coronary artery bypass surgery. CSSS has been reported to occur in cases of subclavian artery stenosis, AVF, and low cardiac function. A 78-year-old man with end-stage renal disease experienced angina pectoris during hemodialysis. The patient was scheduled for CABG, including anastomosis of the left internal thoracic artery (LITA) and LAD. After completion of all anastomoses, the LAD graft demonstrated retrograde blood flow, suggestive of ITA anomalies or CSSS. The LITA graft was transected at the proximal part and anastomosed to the saphenous vein graft with sufficient flow to the high lateral branch eventually.

Partial Arch Replacement Using Common Trunk Perfusion in Type A Acute Aortic Dissection.

An 80-year-old woman was referred to our hospital following a syncope. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed an acute type A aortic dissection with a bovine aortic arch and an enlarged innominate artery. The dissection affected only the ascending aorta and not the common trunk, which is composed of the innominate and left common carotid arteries. Cardiopulmonary bypass was established using common trunk perfusion and vena cava drainage. Following a thorough evaluation, a surgical intervention involving the replacement of the ascending aorta and partial arch, accompanied by the excision of the dilated innominate artery, was meticulously carried out. In instances where the common trunk remains unaffected by the dissection, it presents as a viable alternative perfusion site. Therefore, opting for an approach involving the resection of the common trunk followed by the separate reconstruction of the innominate and left common carotid arteries during the replacement of the ascending aorta and partial arch may serve as a preventative measure against potential vascular events in the future.

Sudden Cardiac Arrest Due to Spontaneous Coronary Artery Rupture - A Case Report with a Diagnostic Challenge.

Spontaneous coronary artery rupture (SCAR) is a rare, life-threatening disease, and the diagnosis is often challenging. We herein report a 70-year-old man who suffered sudden cardiac arrest due to SCAR with pericardial fluid. At first, emergent coronary angiography (CAG) failed to detect abnormalities. The emergent operation revealed that the presence of pericardial fluid was caused by bleeding that had spontaneously occurred at the left circumflex artery (LCx). A careful retrospective CAG review showed slight contrast spillage from the distal LCx. SCAR should be suspected in patients with unknown etiology of pericardial effusion, and careful inspection of CAG is necessary.