Differential Diagnosis of a Left Atrial Mass: Role of 3D Transesophageal Echocardiography

An 81-year-old female patient was admitted to our clinic due to an episode of loss of consciousness... On admission the clinical examination revealed bradyarrhythmia with normal heart sounds, a soft systolic apical murmur consistent with mild mitral regurgitation and no signs of pulmonary congestion... A transthoracic echocardiogram showed a left ventricle of normal dimensions with a preserved systolic function and a mass inside the left atrium... (excerpt

Cardiac Tumors

Cardiac tumors represent a relatively rare, yet challenging diagnosis. Secondary tumors are far more frequent than primary tumors of the heart. The majority of primary cardiac tumors is benign in origin, with primary malignant tumors accounting for 25% of cases. Metastatic tumors usually arise from lung, breast, renal cancer, melanomas, and lymphomas. Clinical manifestations of cardiac tumors depend on the size and location of the mass and the infiltration of adjacent tissues rather than the type of the tumor itself. Echocardiography is the main diagnostic tool for the detection of a cardiac mass. Other imaging modalities (C-MRI, C-CT, 3D Echo) may offer further diagnostic information and the establishment of the diagnosis is made with histological examination. Management depends on the type of the tumor and the symptomatology of the patient

Multimarker approach in cardiovascular risk prediction

Various biomarkers express different pathways and pathophysiologic mechanisms of cardiovascular disease, such as inflammation, oxidative stress, myocardial injury, activation of the neurohormonal pathways, myocardial stress and renal function. Current thinking supports the notion that the combination of these biomarkers could increase their diagnostic and prognostic value. The multimarker approach offers benefits since it increases the diagnostic and prognostic information and may help in the design of a strategy for prevention or management of cardiovascular diseases. The purpose of the current review is to describe the characteristics of promising biomarkers which have shown an important additive value in the assessment of cardiovascular risk. Also, an extended reference is made regarding studies that address the prognostic value of multimarker models in the settings of primary prevention of cardiovascular disease and secondary prevention for patients with acute coronary syndromes, chronic coronary artery disease and heart failure