[Massive pulmonary embolism treated with selective infusion of tenecteplase]. / Embolia polmonare massiva trattata con infusione selettiva di tenecteplase.

Massive pulmonary embolism (PE) is a cardiovascular emergency due to a substantial obstruction of the pulmonary vascular bed, resulting in rapid right heart failure with a potentially fatal outcome.We present the case of a 50-year-old woman with massive PE and recent trans-sphenoid surgery because of pituitary adenoma. An occluding embolus, arising from deep venous thrombosis of the lower limbs, was demonstrated in the right pulmonary artery with selective angiography and treated with selective loco-regional infusion of low-dose tenecteplase. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of selective administration of low-dose tenecteplase in the pulmonary artery with successful resolution of PE without the need for adjunctive interventional procedures.

Two cases of tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy in Caucasians.

Tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy is a recently described disease characterized by chest pain, transient left ventricular dysfunction and specific electrocardiographic changes. The disease takes its name from the typical left apical ballooning observed at left ventriculogram. Tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy was first described by Sato in 1990. Since then sporadic cases were reported by Japanese authors, and only a few European publications are available. We describe 2 cases of patients affected by this syndrome.

Rupture of an aortic dissection into the right atrium in a patient with a previous aortic valve replacement: a case report.

We report the case of a 73-year-old man with a history of previous aortic valve replacement in 1990 and rupture of an aortic dissection into the right atrium. The patient was admitted to the emergency room because of chest pain, stopped not long after. The electrocardiogram did not show any signs of ischemia and myocardial enzymes were not increased. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed aortic root dilation (maximum diameter 60 mm) extended to the aortic arch, and the presence of a flow from the ascending aorta to the right atrium (evocative of a fistula between the two chambers). The aortic valvular prosthesis function was good. Transesophageal echocardiography confirmed an aorta-right atrium fistula. Cardiac catheterization did not show any luminal obstructions in the coronary arteries; there was a small shunt from the aorta to the right atrium. The ascending aorta and the aortic root were replaced with a Dacron graft. Right and left sinuses were reimplanted to the graft. The fistula was repaired with 4-0 pledgeted Prolene sutures. The surgeon's diagnosis was "type A aortic dissection in a patient with an ascending aorta aneurysm and an old ascending aorta-right atrium fistula".

[The risk of noncardiac surgery in patients with heart disease: a new way for an easy approach to a right preoperative assessment]. / Il rischio della chirurgia non cardiaca in pazienti cardiopatici: un'ipotesi di lavoro per una corretta valutazione preoperatoria.

The aim of cardiovascular preoperative evaluation in noncardiac surgery is to assess the current cardiovascular status of patients, to find underlying unknown diseases, to advise about medical management for patients in the preoperative period and, eventually, to postpone noncardiac surgery until cardiac conditions are improved or stabilized. The basic clinical evaluation, obtained by history, physical and ECG examination, provides enough data to estimate the cardiovascular risk. Cardiovascular risk factors and specific surgery risk have a huge importance in this evaluation; the specific surgery risk can be classified into three categories: high, intermediate, and low. However, the evaluation of cardiac risk is not simple and the eventual legal consequences are important. For this reason we propose this hypothesis for an easy approach to a right preoperative assessment based on a succession of eight steps; this way would be a support for specialists and young physicians that are called to give a clinical report on surgery timing and on possible problems of patients with cardiovascular disease undergoing noncardiac surgery.