Anti-phospholipid antibody syndrome (APLS) is characterized by the presence of anti-phospholipid antibodies, arterial or venous thrombosis, recurrent abortion, and thrombocytopenia. Although heart valve abnormalities are found in most patients with APLS, acute type A dissection associated with APLS is rare. A 44-year-old woman with systemic lupus erythematosus and APLS, who had been treated with corticosteroids, immunosuppressive agents, and warfarin, was admitted with severe back pain. Computed tomography demonstrated aortic dissection extending from the ascending to the abdominal aorta. Emergency ascending aorta replacement was performed. The hypercoagulation associated with APLS made it difficult to achieve optimal postoperative anticoagulant control. Moreover, corticosteroids and immunosuppressive agents may result in postoperative infection. However, this patient was discharged without complications 14 days after the operation.

A 65-year-old man was admitted with a high fever and back pain. Because magnetic resonance imaging revealed osteomyelitis in the lumbar spine, we started antibiotic therapy. Echocardiography revealed large vegetation on the tricuspid valve, and abdominal contrast computed tomography revealed a pancreatic abscess. As the vegetation increased in size and mobility it became non-responsive to medical treatment, and surgical removal of the vegetation with tricuspid valve repair were therefore performed. After additional antibiotic therapy, he was discharged 42 days after surgery. No further recurrence of endocarditis has been observed as of the time of writing.

It is a common notion that the right gastroepiploic artery (RGEA) tends to exhibit more hardening than the internal thoracic artery (ITA) and that it shows varied development among patients, since RGEAs are structurally rich in musculature. Therefore, a preoperative examination should be conducted to determine whether or not they are appropriate for grafting. In general, catheter-angiography is widely employed for such examinations. Our recent research on the availability of CT-angiography as an alternative has revealed that CT-angiography is a minimally-invasive, simple way of testing, and provides very clear and detailed angiographical pictures. We therefore concluded that it was a highly effective method in deciding the appropriateness of RGEA for graft.

An 84-year-old woman was referred due to an abnormal shadow on her chest X-ray. Computed tomography and coronary angiography revealed a left coronary artery aneurysm associated with a complex coronary-pulmonary artery fistula. We present our surgical strategy used to treat this complicated pathology.

Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) is valuable in the treatment of type B aortic dissection. An isolated left vertebral artery (ILVA) is a common anomaly of the aortic arch. The ILVA is covered during TEVAR in specific cases; however, whether the ILVA should be reconstructed in all cases remains controversial. We report a case of TEVAR performed for chronic aortic dissection in a patient with an ILVA. A 57-year-old woman with an ILVA had a type B acute aortic dissection one year prior to presentation and underwent TEVAR owing to dilation of an ulcer-like projection. We performed ILVA-left common carotid artery (LCCA) anastomosis and LCCA-left axillary artery bypass prior to TEVAR using our usual procedure. The postoperative course was favorable without any major complication. ILVA reconstruction may reduce the incidence of postoperative stroke and spinal cord injury. Usually, an ILVA is easily accessible through the supraclavicular approach, and the anatomical position of the vessel facilitates ILVA-LCCA anastomosis. ILVA reconstruction requires additional features and further consideration.