Thoracic Key

Nondissecting Thoracic Aneurysms James B. Froehlich Sanjay Rajagopalan Gilbert R. Upchurch Jr. David M. Williams G. Michael Deeb “There is no disease more conducive to clinical humility than aneurysms of…

Aortic Dissection Peter G. Hagan G. Michael Deeb David M. Williams Kim A. Eagle USUAL CAUSES Acute aortic dissection is considered the most common acute process involving the aorta that…

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms John E. Rectenwald David M. Williams James C. Stanley Gilbert R. Upchurch Jr. Abdominal aortic aneurysms represent a serious vascular disease that is the 14th most common…

Pericardial Constriction Elina Yamada Julie A. Kovach Richard L. Prager USUAL CAUSES In pericardial constriction (constrictive pericarditis), a variably thickened layer of visceral or parietal pericardium, or both, surrounds some…

Acute Pericarditis/Pericardial Effusion Elina Yamada Mani A. Vannan Mauro Moscucci ACUTE PERICARDITIS Definition The pericardium is a double-layered wrapping around the heart, with the outer and inner layers called parietal…

Tricuspid/Pulmonary Valve Disease Theodore J. Kolias USUAL CAUSES Primary tricuspid and pulmonary valve disease occurs less often than disease of the mitral or aortic valve. This may be related to…

Aortic Stenosis Ragavendra R. Baliga Mauro Moscucci Michael J. Shea G. Michael Deeb DEFINITION Valvular aortic stenosis is the most common valve lesion in adults in industrialized nations, and calcified…

Mitral Stenosis Theodore J. Kolias Kenneth J. Tobin USUAL CAUSES By far, the most common cause of mitral stenosis is rheumatic fever (1,2). This inflammation-induced valvular disease results in fusion…