A 61-year-old woman presented with loss of consciousness. Echocardiography revealed a hypoechoic, round mass of 12×13 mm with a smooth border in the left ventricular outflow tract, leading to a diagnosis of loss of consciousness caused by left ventricular outflow tract obstruction, and surgical excision of the mass was performed. The mass, with a smooth, elastic soft surface and filled with yellow, creamy contents, was observed within a range from the subannular region of the left coronary cusp to the anterior mitral leaflet. Pathological examination showed central degeneration and liquefaction, as well as cystic, coarse-granular calcium deposition surrounded by inflammatory cell infiltration and fibroblast proliferation. No tumor cells were seen. Abscess was excluded by preoperative clinical presentations, hematologic data, and culture testing, and thus the mass was considered as caseous calcification of the mitral annulus. Here, we report a case of caseous calcification of the mitral annulus, a rare nonneoplastic lesion thought to be a variant of mitral annular calcification, with literature review.

A 69-year-old male complained of intermittent claudication of the right leg. Computed tomography revealed a right femoral artery stenosis with severe calcification and intimal thickening extending to the superficial and deep femoral arteries. Femoral endarterectomy and decalcification was carried out using the Cavitron Ultrasonic Surgical Aspirator (CUSA). All arteries were repaired by an ePTFE Y-shaped patch. Postoperative CT showed no stenosis and progressive calcification of the common, superficial and deep femoral arteries 2 years after surgery.

“Depolarized arrest”, induced by hyperkalemic (moderately increased extracellular potassium) cardioplegia is the gold standard to achieve elective temporary cardiac arrest in cardiac surgery. Hyperkalemic cardioplegic solutions provide good myocardial protection, which is relatively safe, and easily and rapidly reversible. However, this technique has detrimental effects associated with ionic imbalance involving sodium and calcium overload of the cardiac cell induced by depolarization of the cell membrane. Hence, the development of an improved cardioplegic solution that enhances myocardial protection is anticipated as an alternative to hyperkalemic cardioplegia. In this review, we assess the suitability and clinical potential of cardioplegic agents to induce “non-depolarized arrest” from the viewpoint of rapid cardiac arrest, myocardial protection, reversibility, and toxicity. “Magnesium cardioplegia” and “esmolol cardioplegia” have been shown to exert superior protection with comparable safety profiles to that of hyperkalemic cardioplegia. These alternative techniques require further examination and investigation to challenge the traditional view that hyperkalemic arrest is best. Endogenous cardioprotective strategies, termed “ischemic preconditioning” and “ischemic postconditioning”, may have a role in cardiac surgery to provide additional protection. The elective nature of cardiac surgery, with the known onset of ischemia and reperfusion, lends it to the potential of these strategies. However, the benefit of preconditioning and postconditioning during cardiac surgery is controversial, particularly in the context of cardioplegia. The clinical application of these strategies is unlikely to become routine during cardiac surgery because of the necessity for repeated aortic crossclamping with consequent potential for embolic events, but offers considerable potential especially if “pharmacological” preconditioning and postconditioning could be established.

Staged arterial switch operation without homologous blood transfusion was successfully performed in 5 patients weighing 4.1-11.0kg (double outlet right ventricle: 2 cases, transposition of great arteries: 3 cases). The postoperative hemodynamics and respiratory status were uneventful in all patients (initial central venous pressure after ICU admission: 9.0-14.5cmH₂O, mean 12.5cmH₂O, duration of intubation: 3.5-18.0h, mean 7.8h). Autologous blood donation immediately after induction of anesthesia and minimization of bypass circuit were effective methods for open heart surgery without homologous blood transfusion, particularly in staged arterial switch operation requiring prolonged cardiopulmonary bypass.