S. gallolyticus is one of the pathogenic agents of endocarditis, and mitral valve aneurysm is a rare but potentially devastating complication. We present a case of S. gallolyticus aortic valve endocarditis with concomitant anterior mitral valve leaflet aneurysm. Patient underwent surgery before aneurysm perforation, and postoperative course was uneventful. Time of surgery is crucial to avoid severe complications due to aneurysm rupture.
As permanent pacemaker implantation is increasingly becoming a common practice, it is important to understand potential complications associated with the procedure. We present a 78-year-old Caucasian female who developed contralateral pneumomediastinum, pneumothorax, and pneumopericardium after undergoing implantation of a dual-chamber pacemaker.
Sodium glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors have been widespread in patients with heart failure; however, there is little information regarding its feasibility and safety among patients after the Fontan procedure. We presented five adults after the Fontan procedure who were treated with SGLT-2 inhibitors. All patients reduced oedema and/or pleural effusion despite other conjunct medications were ineffective. Although we did not measure the urine volume in all patients, all patients themselves reported an increase in urinary output after the administration of a SGLT-2 inhibitor. In addition, administration of a SGLT-2 inhibitor resulted in weight loss (4/5), an increase in systemic oxygen saturation (4/5), an increase in serum albumin level (4/5), an increase in estimated glomerular filtration ratio (4/5), and a decrease in plasma brain natriuretic peptide level (4/5). Our case series supported the feasibility and safety of SGLT-2 inhibitors in patients with Fontan circulatory failure, although the exact changes in urinary output were unknown in all patients. Further investigation will be required to explore a diuretic effect by SGLT-2 in patients after the Fontan procedure.
This case series demonstrates how COVID-19 infection might affect the heart in the context of acute myocardial infarction. Atrioventricular (AV) block might appear as one of the significant cardiac complications of acute MI in patients who tested COVID-19 PCR positive regardless of the presence of CVOID-19 infection symptoms. In our series, conduction disorders as a complication of acute inferior STEMI are more common in patients who tested positive for the COVID-19 infection. 11 patients out of 18 inferior STEMI patients who have tested positive for the COVID-19 infection have atrioventricular block disorders.