The Canadian journal of cardiology
-
Comparative Study
Incidence and significance of pericardial effusion in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension.
The incidence of pericardial effusion (PEF) during long-term follow-up among patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is unknown. We aimed to determine the incidence and prognostic significance of developing a new PEF among PAH patients. ⋯ PEF develops frequently in PAH patients. In patients with no PEF at baseline, the appearance of a new moderate-size or larger PEF is associated with increased mortality, whereas no significantly increased mortality was observed when a small PEF develops.
-
Case Reports
Infective endocarditis presenting as an isolated aneurysm of the posterior mitral leaflet.
We describe the case of a 64-year-old woman in whom an aneurysm located on the posterior mitral leaflet was detected. Blood cultures grew methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus epidermidis, and histologic examination of the operative specimen showed polymorphonuclear neutrophilic infiltration of the valve wall associated with fibrin and necrosis, consistent with a diagnosis of endocarditis. The posterior mitral location of the aneurysm and the absence of vegetation are exceptionally rare in this setting. This case demonstrates that a mitral aneurysm may be the sole cardiac presentation of infective endocarditis.