Faculty Bibliography

Libman-Sacks endocarditis (LSE) is a common manifestation of valve disease in antiphospholipid syndrome. Mitral valve LSE is characterized by verrucous vegetations on the atrial surfaces of valve leaflets. In this report, mitral valve LSE was visualized by real time 3D transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). 3D TEE provides a unique en face view of the mitral valve akin to a surgical or autopsy view that allows for an accurate determination of the size, shape, and location of the vegetations. (Echocardiography 2012;29:E100-E101).

A patient with severe Parkinson's disease experienced a syncopal attack due to skeletal muscle myopotential inhibition of an implanted ventricular demand pacemaker. The problem was diagnosed with the aid of Holter monitoring, and was corrected by noninvasively programming the pacemaker to a lower sensitivity

We examined the effect of pergolide, a semisynthetic ergot alkaloid, alone or combined with carbidopa and levodopa (Sinemet), on the cardiac rhythm of 12 patients with Parkinson's disease. The patients were selected on the basis of severe Parkinson's disease and stable cardiac rhythm as determined by 1 to 5 days of Holter monitoring. Monitoring was then carried out for an additional period of between 2 and 10 wk while the patients were on pergolide. Seven of the 12 patients had repetitive ventricular rhythms (RVRs). These were isolated, infrequent, and not associated with increases in premature ventricular contractions. The dose at which the RVRs occurred may be a function of the presence or absence of heart disease, but the significance of RVRs remains to be determined

The findings in a patient with atrial flutter whose audible atrial sounds uniquely modulated an aortic regurgitant murmur are presented, with phonocardiographic and echocardiographic correlates, which suggest a ventricular origin for these sounds

A 30-year-old man with a history of a murmur since childhood had progressive ascites for 2 years. The patient was found to have severe stenoses of the pulmonic and tricuspid valves with a well-developed right ventricle. Impressive clinical improvement occurred after pulmonic valvotomy, infundibulectomy, and replacement of the stenotic tricuspid valve with a porcine xenograft. The clinical, echocardiographic, hemodynamic, surgical, and pathological features are presented

A patient with Marfan's syndrome and subacute bacterial endocarditis is presented. Echocardiographic studies demonstrated dilatation of the aortic root, prolapse of the posterior leaflet of the mitral valve, and the appearance of shaggy echoes on the anterior miltral leaflet, of the kind previously described as representing bacterial vegetations

Two patients, catheterized primarily for the preoperative assessment of clinically apparent aortic stenosis and insufficiency, were found to have a patent ductus arteriosus as well at cardiac catheterization. The association of aortic valve disease and patent ductus arteriosus is reviewed, and the importance of making the diagnosis prior to aortic valve replacement is stressed, emphasizing the routine use of the hydrogenplatinum electrode system