Conduction disorder and primary cardiac tumor: a fatal case of multiple lipomas of the right atrium

Cardiac primary tumors are uncommon with an estimated prevalence between 0.17%and 0.19%.[1,2]Cardiac lipoma are extremely rare representing only 10%?19%of primary cardiac tumors and only few are symptomatic,depending on their location within the heart.[3,4]They originate from the subendocardium(50%),subepicardium(25%)or myocardium(25%)and with different sizes and locations.[5]Few cases of sudden death due to primary cardiac tumors are reported in literature(0.0025%);in these cases,conductive and haemodinamic abnormalities have been indicated as the cause of death.

Role of induced pluripotent stem cells in diagnostic cardiology

Ethical concerns about stem cell-based research have delayed important advances in many areas of medicine,including cardiology.The introduction of induced pluripotent stem cells(iPSCs)has supplanted the need to use human stem cells for most purposes,thus eliminating all ethical controversies.Since then,many new avenues have been opened in cardiology research,not only in approaches to tissue replacement but also in the design and testing of antiarrhythmic drugs.This methodology has advanced to the point where induced human cardiomyocyte cell lines can now also be obtained from commercial sources or tissue banks.Initial studies with readily available iPSCs have generally confirmed that their behavioral characteristics accurately predict the behavior of beating cardiomyocytes in vivo.As a result,iPSCs can provide new ways to study arrhythmias and heart disease in general,accelerating the development of new,more effective antiarrhythmic drugs,clinical diagnoses,and personalized medical care.The focus on producing cardiomyocytes that can be used to replace damaged heart tissue has somewhat diverted interest in a host of other applications.This manuscript is intended to provide non-specialists with a brief introduction and overview of the research carried out in the field of heart rhythm disorders.

COVID-19 pandemic:An update on the reaction attitude of the spine societies and their members worldwide

BACKGROUND All surgical specialties have been influenced by the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic,and substantial changes have been determined in medical assistance,especially in elective surgery.Several spine societies have published recommendations to provide optimal care during this unique situation.AIM To discuss the recommendations by many spine societies for the management of spinal diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic.METHODS The present study was performed according to the PRISMA guidelines.A review of the MEDLINE database(PubMed–National Library of Medicine),Google,and Google Scholar was performed from March 2020 to date for articles published in the English Language.RESULTS Spine associations and societies worldwide were divided into three groups:Continental,specialty and country-based societies.A total of 27 spine associations were included in this review.There were eight major continental associations,but only one-third of these had published guidelines and recommendations on this topic.On the other hand,the specialty-based societies have not addressed the topic,except in two cases.CONCLUSION The national spine societies showed the deepest concern on this topic with several publications in scientific journals influenced by the local epidemiological severity.Contrarily,continental and specialty-based societies showed less interest in this topic.

Multidisciplinary approach to suspected sudden unexpected infant death caused by milk-aspiration:A case report

BACKGROUND The term sudden unexpected infant death(SUID)is not always properly invoked.It refers to a broad range of conditions that sometimes defy classification.There is not only a strong emotional impact on the family,but such cases are also quite complex.Underlying causes may be multiple,not always readily apparent,and have potential repercussions,especially in terms of forensics.CASE SUMMARY A 5-month-old male baby was pronounced dead following acute lung failure and cardiopulmonary arrest.The parents had immediately rushed their child to the hospital,stating the baby was found prone and not breathing.Total-body postmortem computed tomography(PMCT)was performed,revealing a hypodense material of indeterminate nature within the main airways and areas of ground-glass parenchymal change.At autopsy,the respiratory tract mucosa appeared edematous and was coated with a whitish stringy material.There was widespread airspace reduction due to parenchymal collapse.Alveolar sacs and bronchial openings contained abundant amorphous material admixed with white blood cells.Immunohistochemical studies were performed,targeting CD15,CD68,and alpha-lactalbumin.Ultimately,the focus was on alpha-lactalbumin(milk protein),which showed marked immunopositivity within alveolar spaces.Cytoplasmic staining of macrophages was also particularly prominent.CONCLUSION Postmortem investigations are thus essential to identify causes of death and surrounding circumstances.PMCT is a useful tool in this setting,given the frequent dearth of autopsy findings and ambiguity as to cause of death in SUID cases.These findings,later confirmed by immunohistochemical investigations,were indicative of active pneumonia due to aspirated milk.The present account illustrates the importance a broad diagnostic approach to SUID in cases of forensic concern.PMCT is a very valuable aid in cases of forensic interest,as it can provide useful information in all those situations in which the cause of death is uncertain or there are no suggestive dynamics or lesions.

Reproducing Cochlear Signals by a Minimal Electroacoustic Model

Transient-Evoked Otoacoustic Emissions (TEOAEs) were studied, with particular reference to their subject-dependent features. To this end, an electric model of the ear was implemented and validated. Simulated and natural TEOAEs were analyzed through a nonlinear analysis technique. The simulated signals were able to reproduce the dynamical features of the experimentally observed TEOAEs and, most importantly, the natural variability among individuals. The unexpected inverse relation between model complexity and adherence to the natural signals is commented.