Orhan Kemal Salih

Simultaneous Heart and Bilateral Lung Hydatid Cyst Operated in a Single Session

A 48 year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of coughing with dispnoea and chest pain. On physical examination he showed marked respiratory difficulty, with a respiratory rate of 25 breaths per minute, and his jugular veins were mildly distended. Transthoracic echocardiography showed a cystic mass located in the diaphragmatic surface of the right ventricular wall without any protrusion into the ventricular cavity. These cardiac and also bilateral pulmonary hydatic cysts were demonstrated by thoracic CT imaging. There were three hydatic cysts which were located in the right middle lobe medial segment (20 mm × 20 mm) and two of them were located in the left lower lobe laterobazal segment (15 mm × 15 mm and 17 mm × 14 mm). Extracorporeal bypass via median sternotomy was used and all components of hydatid cysts in heart and lungs were removed in same session. Patient recovered well. So one-stage surgery by median sternotomy is an excellent approach for cardiac and lung cyst hydatid.

A rare presentation of cardiac hydatid cyst: stroke and acute aortic occlusion.

Cardiac involvement in hydatid disease is uncommon. We report a case of a surgically treated ruptured left ventricular hydatid cyst, which presented with acute stroke and was later complicated by distal aortic embolism due to perioperative dislodgement of the germinative membrane.

Effects on Reperfusion Injury of Adding Diltiazem to Tepid Blood Cardioplegia

BACKGROUND Although the present techniques of myocardial preservation for limiting ischemia/reperfusion injury in open heart operations yield excellent results for most patients, certain subgroups of patients with advanced coronary artery disease present a challenge in terms of intraoperative safety. METHODS In a prospective, randomized, controlled study, we assessed the myocardial protective effects of a total dose of 150 +/- 150 = 300 microg/kg diltiazem added to induction and terminal (reperfusion) doses of tepid blood cardioplegia. We determined the myocardial morphological (ultrastructural) and enzymatic (serum assays for the cardiospecific isoenzyme of creatine kinase [CK-MB]) changes and functional recovery (atrioventricular [AV]-node recovery time and postoperative need for inotropic support) in patients undergoing elective coronary artery bypass operations. The determinations were made with respect to values for control patients, who received the same cardioplegia but without the addition of diltiazem. RESULTS The mean isoenzyme CK-MB levels and semiquantitative ultrastructural score values of the diltiazem group were significantly less than those of the control group. Although AV-node recovery time was significantly prolonged (P < .05), this factor did not have major clinical impact. CONCLUSIONS We concluded that the addition of 150 +/- 150 microg/kg diltiazem to the induction and terminal doses of tepid cardioplegia enhanced myocardial protection in elective aortocoronary bypass surgery in high-risk patients and presented no significant additional operative risk.

Congenital aorto-left atrial tunnel--an unusual communication: a case report.

Congenital aortico-cameral communications are rarely seen. We present an asymptomatic patient in whom there was a congenital vascular communication rising from the aortic root and terminating in the left atrium. She had an atrial septal defect (ASD). The diagnosis was made with echocardiography and confirmed by aortography. She was treated by closing the tunnel and the ASD. The outcome was satisfactory in this extremely rare case of a congenital cardiac lesion. Coincidental diagnosis could be made during careful echocardiographic examination.

Short- and mid-term results of xenograft–bovine pericardial patch in the repair of intracardiac defects: final results of a single-centre study

INTRODUCTION A variety of patch materials have been used in the repair of intracardiac defects. We evaluated the short- and mid-term clinical and echocardiography results of glutaraldehyde-preserved bovine pericardium patches used to repair intracardiac defects in our clinic. METHODS AND RESULTS This study examines the short- (up to 30 days post-operatively) and mid-term (up to 24 months post-operatively) results of 533 patients with intracardiac defects who underwent surgical correction with glutaraldehyde-preserved bovine pericardium patches between 2004 and 2010 at a university clinic. Short- and mid-term post-operative echocardiographic studies showed no evidence of calcification, thrombus, or aneurysmal dilatation on the patch. Vegetation developed in two (0.37%) of the 533 patients. CONCLUSION These results that have been obtained from a group of large number of patients imply that the glutaraldehyde-preserved bovine pericardium patches may be preferable in the closure of cardiac defects because of their low complication rates and ease of use.

Urgent surgery for cardiac hydatid cyst located in interventricular septum.

A 6-year-old girl was referred with acute chest pain and dyspnea. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed a single large well-defined intramyocardial cystic mass in the interventricular septum. A serologic test was positive for echinococcal infection. Urgent open heart surgery was undertaken to remove the cyst, and albendazole treatment was started. The postoperative course was satisfactory, and the patient was discharged on the 5th postoperative day without any complication.

Left ventricular pseudoaneurysm perceived as a left lung mass

Left ventricular pseudoaneurysm is a rare complication of aneurysmectomy. We present a case of a surgically treated left ventricular pseudoaneurysm, which was diagnosed three years after coronary artery bypass grafting and left ventricular aneurysmectomy. The presenting symptoms, diagnostic evaluation, and surgical repair are described.

A Case of Neonatal Heart Failure Caused by Left Ventricular Diverticulum: Successful ECMO Support Application.

Congenital left ventricular diverticulum is a rare cardiac anomaly. During the newborn period, symptomatic patients are diagnosed with heart failure findings. We present a 23-day-old male newborn with congenital left ventricular diverticulum diagnosed during fetal echocardiographic examination. After the birth, the patient had heart failure symptoms and his echocardiographic examination showed low cardiac ejection fraction. Diverticulum was operated with endoventricular circular patch plasty (DOR) technique, and after, cardiopulmonary bypass venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support was performed because of low cardiac output syndrome. On postoperative day 17, he was discharged with no problem.

Giant Thoracic Aneurysm Associated with Coarctation of the Aorta

A 39-year-old male with low back pain, fatigue, and nausea of 2 years duration was referred with a suspected mass in the left lung. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed a giant aneurysm associated with a coarctation of the descending thoracic aorta. A Dacron tube graft was interposed. Histopathologic examination revealed atherosclerosis of the aneurysmal wall.

Aortic regurgitation in Behçet's disease with aortitis and myxoid degeneration of the aortic valve leaflets

A case of Behçets disease (BD) associated with aortic regurgitation (AR) is presented. The patient had all four major criteria of BD. He also had AR complicated by pulmonary edema and heart failure. He was medically treated for his hemodynamic status after which he had an aortic valve replacement operation. The histopathological examination of the aortic wall revealed lymphocytic vasculitis of vasovasorum and fibrous thickening, and myxoid degeneration was observed in the aortic leaflets.