Jennifer Johns

Clinical implications of the morphological features of central pulmonary artery thromboemboli shown by transoesophageal echocardiography.

OBJECTIVES--To illustrate the use of transoesophageal echocardiography in the detection of the morphological features of central pulmonary artery thromboemboli and their clinical implications. DESIGN--Review of five cases of central pulmonary artery thromboemboli detected by transoesophageal echocardiography. SETTING--University teaching hospital. PATIENTS--Five patients (three men and two women) admitted under general medical units. RESULTS--Central pulmonary artery thromboemboli were detected by the use of transoesophageal echocardiography in all the patients presented. Presentations were acute, subacute, or chronic. The morphological features of the thromboemboli on transoesophageal echocardiography were used to correlate with the time course of the illness, and to guide treatment. Two patients received thrombolytic treatment, one patient was treated with anticoagulation alone, and two patients had inferior vena caval filters implanted. CONCLUSIONS--Transoesophageal echocardiography is an alternative diagnostic tool in the detection of central pulmonary artery thromboemboli. Morphological features of central pulmonary thromboemboli on echocardiography can provide useful information that may help to guide treatment.

PREVALENCE OF LEFT VENTRICULAR HYPERTROPHY IN ELDERLY PATIENTS WITH WELL CONTROLLED HYPERTENSION

1. Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) was measured by echocardiography in 154 patients, mostly males, aged 55 years or more, with hypertension who had been well controlled for at least 2 years.

Bacterial Mural Endocarditis. A Case Series

Mural endocarditis represents a rare subset of intracardiac infections, with potentially life threatening sequelae. Clinically alike, with many shared aetiologies, substrates and risk factors such as valvular endocarditis, it can be difficult to differentiate without the use of sophisticated cardiovascular imaging techniques. Despite high rates of complications, there are no definite strategies for management. Herein we present three interesting cases of left ventricular mural endocarditis, without valvular involvement, due to staphylococcus aureus.

Pulmonary artery pressure and blood flow as predictors of outcome from lung cancer resection

Objective:  Pulmonary hypertension is a putative risk factor for lung resection but catheter measurements are invasive. The aim of the present study was to assess prediction of mortality and complications from lung resection by Doppler echocardiographic estimates of pulmonary artery pressure (PAp) and soluble gas uptake estimates of effective pulmonary blood flow (Q̇RB).