[Quadricuspid aortic valve; report of two cases].

Quardicupid aortic valve( QAV) is a comparatively rare congenital anomaly, which presents with frequent aortic regurgitaion ( AR) due to sclerotic changes. We report 2 cases (a 67-year-old woman and a 53-year-old man) of QAV associated with AR. We made an definite diagnosis by preoperative transthoracic and intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography. Intraoperative findings showed type C QAV in case 1 and type B QAV in case 2 according to the Hurwitz classification. The left coronary ostia was slightly shifted to the aortic root in case 1. There were no other congenital anomalies, therefore only aortic valve replacement with mechanical prosthesis was performed in both cases. The postoperative courses were uneventful.

[Penetrating injury of the left ventricle caused by a nail gun; report of a case].

Penetrating cardiac injuries are life-threatening emergencies. We present a case of a 24-year-old construction worker who accidentally shot himself with a nail gun. Chest X-ray showed a 6 cm-long nail overlapping the cardiac shadow. A computed tomography (CT) scan revealed the nail penetrating the left ventricle and a large amount of pericardial effusion. Median sternotomy was performed and cardiopulmomary bypass was established. Then, the nail was removed and the left ventricular wound was repaired by 4-0 Prolene mattress sutures buttressed with felt-strips. He had an uncomplicated postoperative course and was discharged 7 days postoperatively.

[Papillary fibroelastoma attached to the underside of the aortic valve; report of a case].

We report a case of papillary fibroelastoma of the aortic valve. A 72-year-old man was referred to our hospital with cardiac tumor incidentally detected by transthoracic echocardiography. Transesophageal echocardiography showed a mobile tumor on the ventricular side of the aortic valve. We performed semi-emergency surgery and resected the tumor with a blade to prevent embolism. Pathologic findings revealed papillary fibroelastoma. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient was discharged 10 days arter surgery. Follow-up transthoracic echocardiography has not shown any evidence of local recurrence.

Pre-operative endostent placement to allow the complete and safe resection of a recurrent tumor that had tightly adhered to the subclavian artery: A case report.

Radiation and tumor infiltration confer a high risk of bleeding on surgical removal of tumor. We report on the case of a 42-year-old woman with a recurrent occult subclavian tumor in her right breast. Computed tomography revealed enhanced tumor adhesion to the subclavian artery at the infraclavicular lymph node. No other metastases were detected. We pre-operatively performed stenting of the right subclavian artery, and the tumor was resected completely and safely.