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CASEOUS MITRAL ANNULAR calcification (CMAC) is an uncommon variant of mitral annular calcification. This case demonstrates the need for a high level of clinical suspicion in order to correctly diagnose CMAC, as it could be easily mistaken for an atrial tumor, an abscess, or a vegetation. Making the correct diagnosis of CMAC can facilitate the implementation of appropriate treatment strategies, which could potentially reduce cerebral vascular accidents. Additionally, the use of multimodal imaging in characterizing such intracardiac masses is essential.Correlation of 2-Dimensional and 3-Dimensional Echocardiographic Analysis to Surgical Measurements of the Tricuspid Valve Annular Diameter
This study sought to determine if 3-dimensional (3D) echocardiography would more closely correspond to direct surgical measurements of the maximal tricuspid valve (TV) annular diameter than 2-dimensional (2D) measurements.Iatrogenic Aortic Pseudoaneurysm After an Aortic Valve Replacement Requiring Emergency Reoperation
Pseudoaneurysms of the thoracic ascending aorta are a rare complication after cardiac surgery. Postsurgical etiologies include infection and anastomotic dehiscence along suture lines and cannulation sites.1 The authors describe a case of a patient after an aortic valve replacement, in whom immediate postbypass transesophageal echocardiography suggested aortic disruption that later manifested as an aortic pseudoaneurysm requiring emergent surgical intervention.Residual Left Atrial Mass After Myxoma Resection
A 68-YEAR-OLD WOMAN was admitted to the authors’ institution complaining of shortness of breath and chest pain. Her workup demonstrated a large (5 cm×5 cm) atrial mass by transthoracic echocardiography. She subsequently was scheduled for resection. On the day of surgery, transesophageal echocardiography confirmed the presence of this large, pedunculated left atrial mass, which originated from the interatrial septum just proximal to the orifice of the right superior pulmonary vein. Its visual appearance resembled that of a myxoma.
