1/6. Cardiac failure after initiation of insulin treatment in diabetic patients with beta-thalassemia major.diabetes mellitus is a complication of beta-thalassemia major. Two patients are described who developed severe cardiac failure after initiation or intensification of insulin treatment. We hypothesize that insulin-induced fluid retention combined with reduced cardiac reserve was responsible for the cardiac failure. Careful initiation of insulin treatment in these patients is important.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = cardiac failure, cardiac (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/6. Severe lower limbs lymphedema following breast carcinoma treatment revealing radiation-induced constrictive pericarditis--a case report.In patients treated for breast carcinoma, unilateral lymphedema of the upper limb is usual. However, to the authors' knowledge, lower limb lymphedema has never been reported as a complication of breast carcinoma therapy. They report here the first case of a radiation-induced constrictive pericarditis revealed by severe lower limbs lymphedema. A 60-year-old woman was treated for left breast carcinoma with quadrantectomy, axillary lymphadenectomy, and combined radio chemotherapy (60 grays). Three and a half years later she suffered from a diffuse and increasing lower limbs lymphedema, which became huge and disabling. radiation-induced constrictive pericarditis was evidenced by right cardiac cavities catheterization. A dramatic improvement was rapidly obtained after pericardectomy. Histopathologic analysis of the pericardium did not reveal neoplastic cells. radiation-induced constrictive pericarditis is usually responsible for lower limbs edema, but lymphedema is exceptional. This case highlights the need to search for a constrictive pericarditis also in the case of lower limbs lymphedema, particularly in a patient treated with mediastinal radiotherapy or combined radio chemotherapy.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.055022260156772keywords = cardiac (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/6. Reversible attenuation of the ECG voltage due to peripheral edema associated with treatment with a COX-2 inhibitor.A 74-year-old man developed peripheral edema as a side effect of the cyclooxygense-2 selective receptor inhibitor rofecoxib, which he had been taking for severe chronic arthritis. Discontinuation of rofecoxib led to augmentation of electrocardiographic (ECG) voltage and loss of weight gain (and reversibility of peripheral edema), which correlated well (r=0.82; p=0.0002). Other good correlations of the weight and other ECG variables and intercorrelations of ECG parameters underscore the multiple reversible influences peripheral edema has on the ECG. This case highlights an enhanced role of the ECG in monitoring patient therapy with other than strictly cardiovascular drugs. Recently, a syndrome pertaining to the influence of peripheral edema on the ECG was described; its mechanism is via the transforming effect of the body volume conductor on the surface transfer of the heart's potentials. The objective of this report is to describe a patient who developed peripheral edema as a side effect of a cyclooxygenase-2 selective receptor inhibitor.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.0030616090659352keywords = heart (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/6. Fluid removal by haemofiltration in diuretic resistant cardiac failure.A 60 year old woman with diuretic resistant cardiac failure was treated with intermittent haemofiltration before tricuspid valve replacement. This technique can remove large quantities of fluid rapidly, thus controlling oedema and allow appropriate fluid replacement. Haemofiltration is thus a simple and safe method of managing unresponsive oedema in cardiac failure sometimes allowing corrective cardiac surgery.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2.8899554796865keywords = cardiac failure, cardiac (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/6. Idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.A 43-year-old man had a 9-year history of congestive heart failure manifested by an enlarged heart and symptoms of shortness of breath and chest discomfort. heart failure had been preceded by a "viral illness" and he had been a heavy alcohol user until that time. autopsy showed congestion and edema characteristic of heart failure and cardiomegaly with biventricular dilatation. Either viral or alcoholic disease, or both, could have been the cause of the cardiac problems.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.082897455380161keywords = cardiac, heart failure, heart (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/6. Idiopathic hydropericardium as a cause of death of a preterm neonate.We report a case of a very premature infant who died on day 17 of life because of clinically unsuspected cardiac tamponade due to a pericardial effusion with no gross or microscopic features of myocardial inflammation or perforation. The pericardial effusion probably accumulated for 8 days prior to his death, as evidenced by chest X-ray films. The only relevant microscopic finding was a prominent pericardial and myocardial interstitial edema. Although staphylococcus epidermidis line sepsis, central venous catheter trauma, hypoalbuminemia, anemia, and heart failure could be possible contributory factors, no definitive cause of the pericardial effusion was found and the etiology of this condition remains obscure.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.067429053235499keywords = cardiac, heart failure, heart (Clic here for more details about this article) |