Tuberculous dilated cardiomyopathy: an under-recognized entity?

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) is a common public health problem in many parts of the world. TB is generally believed to spare these four organs-heart, skeletal muscle, thyroid and pancreas. We describe a rare case of myocardial TB diagnosed on a post-mortem cardiac biopsy. CASE PRESENTATION: Patient presented with history suggestive of congestive heart failure. We describe the clinical presentation, investigations and outcome of this case, and review the literature on the involvement of myocardium by TB. CONCLUSION: Involvement of myocardium by TB is rare. However it should be suspected as a cause of congestive heart failure in any patient with features suggestive of TB. Increasing recognition of the entity and the use of endomyocardial biopsy may help us detect more cases of this "curable" form of cardiomyopathy

THE MIDDLE AORTIC SYNDROME

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Transmyocardial acupuncture a new approach to myocardial revascularization

A new approach to myocardial revascularization by the creation of numerous channels which directly convey blood from the ventricular cavity into the myocardium is described. These channels, created by transmyocardial acupuncture, effectively meet the challenge of acute coronary artery occlusion, as is shown by experimental studies. These channels remain patent and contain fresh blood over an 8 week follow-up. There is an analogy between this mode of blood supply to the myocardium and the myocardial circulation in lower vertebrates