A 61-year-old man admitted to another hospital because of cerebral infarction had fever (about 39°C). Computed tomographic scanning revealed a pseudoaneurysm of the brachiocephalic artery, accompanied by pericardial fluid. The patient was transferred to our hospital. Culture studies of a sample of pericardial fluid revealed Staphylococcus aureus. A mycotic pseudoaneu-rysm of the brachiocephalic artery was diagnosed. Antibiotics were given for about 2 weeks after transfer to our hospital. Surgery was performed after the inflammation subsided. The pseudoaneurysm was incised during circulatory arrest. A hole measuring 2cm in diameter was found at the origin of the brachiocephalic artery. The hole was sealed with an autologous arterial patch, made from a 3-cm section of the right axillary artery. The axillary artery was reconstructed by end-to-end anastomosis. After surgery, infection was controlled by means of systemic antibiotics and closed mediastinal lavage. The patient was discharged from the hospital in good condition 160 days after surgery. To date, there has been no flare-up of infection.

A 51-year-old woman, who had been undergoing regular treatment and follow-up for hypertension since the age of 17, was diagnosed to have a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) 6 months previously. On experiencing dyspnea, she visited the emergency room, where she was found to have a complete Atrioventricular (AV) Block and therefore was immediately admitted. The next day, she experienced acute heart failure requiring intubation. A DDD pacemaker was then implanted and the patient recovered thereafter. After recovery, a screening contrast-enhanced CT scan revealed coarctation of the thoracic aorta. The arterial pressure gradient between the arms and legs was about 70mmHg. The division of the PDA and the replacement of the coarcted aortic segment were performed under femoro-femoral cardiopulmonary bypass through a left posterolateral thoracotomy. The patient's postoperative course was good, however, she complained of abdominal pain on the 6th postoperative day. An abdominal CT scan showed hemorrhage in the left rectus abdominus and right iliopsoas muscles. This improved after rest. No arterial pressure gradient was observed between the arms and the legs postoperatively. She was discharged on postoperative day 20.Because the average life expectancy of patients with untreated coarctation of the aorta has been reported to be about 34 years, it is recommended that surgical repair be performed as soon as possible. Patients with childhood-onset hypertension should therefore be evaluated to determine the primary disease whenever possible, such as coarctation of the aorta as in this case.

A 76-year-old woman with Stanford type A acute aortic dissection underwent replacement of the ascending aorta with the use of gelatin-resorcin-formalin glue. The patient suffered sudden cardiogenic shock at home 15 months after surgery and was admitted to the Emergency Center of our hospital. A series of examinations revealed an aortic-root pseudoaneurysm associated with anastomotic disruption. Cardiogenic shock caused by obstruction of the ascending aortic graft due to anastomotic disruption was diagnosed. An intraaortic balloon pump (IABP) was inserted, and the patient's circulatory status improved. On the following day, reanastomosis of the aortic root graft was performed. On day 32 after surgery, the patient was discharged from the hospital in good condition. IABP can stabilize circulatory status and improve cardiogenic shock in the short term in patients with an aortic-root pseudoaneurysm caused by narrowing of the graft lumen, as in the present patient. IABP may thus be a useful ancillary measure before radical operation.

A 83-year-old woman suffered pulseless-electrical-activity (PEA) because of cardiac tamponade after acute myocardial infarction with blow-out type cardiac rupture. Immediately median sternotomy was performed and active bleeding from the postero-lateral wall was found. It was impossible to stop bleeding only by putting pressure on the aperture of the myocardium with a piece of TachoComb coated with gelatin-resorcinol-formaldehyde (GRF) glue, however, the chemical action of GRF glue made the delicate myocardium after acute infarction stronger and we managed to stop that bleeding with mattress sutures that had initially seemed to be impossible. She was discharged on POD 103 uneventfully. We think this is a useful and safe operation procedure for blow-out type cardiac rupture.

A 74-year-old woman presented with shortness of breath. Cardiac ultrasonography showed that left-ventricular-wall motion was good (left ventricular ejection fraction, 70.2%). The left atrium and ventricle were enlarged (left anterior dimension, 53.4mm; left ventricular enddiastolic dimension, 58.5mm). The posterior cusp of the mitral valve was thickened; the flexibility was decreased. Color Doppler ultrasonography revealed a regurgitant jet toward the posterior cusp of the left atrium. However, there was no deviation of the anterior cusp. Severe mitral-valve insufficiency was diagnosed, and surgery was performed. The second heart sound (P2) of the posterior cusp was shortened because of localized calcification of the posterior mitral annulus. This site may have caused the regurgitation. Mitral annuloplasty with rectangular resection of the valve cusps and annulorrhaphy was performed. The patient had an uneventful recovery after surgery. Postoperative cardiac ultrasonography showed that mitral-valve insufficiency had improved and was regarded as trivial. Mitral annuloplasty is generally considered unsuitable for mitral-valve insufficiency with calcification of the valve annulus. In patients such as the present case who have localized calcification, however, mitral annuloplasty can be performed by resection of the valve cusps with annulorrhaphy.

A 76-year-old woman presented because of bilateral lower-extremity edema and dyspnea. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed a mobile mass in the right atrium. A right atrial mass associated with heart failure was diagnosed. Surgery was performed. Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography showed that the mass was contiguous with the inferior vena cava. However, the primary lesion was unclear. Therefore, only the intracardiac mass was resected. The margins of the residual tumor were marked with clips. Computed tomography performed immediately after surgery revealed a clip in structures contiguous with the region from a uterine myoma to the inferior vena cava. Intravenous leiomyomatosis was diagnosed on histopathological examination of the resected specimens. Computed tomography 6 months after surgery showed that the clip had moved from the inferior vena cava to a vein contiguous with the uterus. The tumor regressed slightly. Close follow-up is required.