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ObjectivesBy reviewing the diagnostic process for adolescents with coarctation of the aorta (CoA) in our institution, we analyzed the reasons for delayed diagnosis of CoA. We also proposed a diagnostic protocol to improve the detection rate of CoA.MethodsIn this retrospective study, we included 48 patients aged 12–18 years who were diagnosed with CoA in our hospital from January 2000 to November 2022. Clinical data from involved cases in local hospitals and our institution were collected.ResultsAll patients had blood pressure (BP) measurements in upper and lower extremities in our institution. They all had hypertension, 29 (60.4%) of whom had known histories of the same. BP in the upper limbs of 47 (97.9%) patients was ≥20 mmHg higher than that in the lower limbs, and BP in the upper limb of 1 (2.1%) patient was greater than 0 and less than 20 mmHg than that in the lower limb. Echocardiography (ECHO) was performed in all patients, computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed in 44 patients (91.7%). There were 38 (79.2%) patients who visited local hospitals. Among them, a total of 20 (52.6%) patients had their right upper extremity BP measured, 18 (47.4%) only had their left upper extremity BP measured, and 16 (42.1%) had their lower extremity BP measured. ECHO was performed in 27 (56.2%) patients and CT/MRI was performed in 18 (37.5%) patients. The detection rate for CT/MRI was 100%, and those of ECHO were 72.9% and 18.5% at our institution and a local hospital, respectively. Forty-eight (100%) and 23 (60.5%) patients were detected in our institution and local hospitals (P ConclusionWe recommend measuring BP in the bilateral upper extremities. Measurement of BP in the lower extremities is recommended if hypertension is diagnosed. MRI/CT is recommended when BP in the upper extremity is greater than that in the lower extremity.

Cryptococcal meningitis is a common fungal infection of the central nervous system with high mortality and disability rates. A prominent clinical manifestation is persistent and severe cranial hypertension, which is one of the most critical outcome determinants in patients with cryptococcal meningoencephalitis. Herein, we report and discuss a case of cryptococcal meningitis treated by an inadequate course of medical therapy and placement of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt in a patient who survived for more than 10 years.

Myocardial infarction (MI) is a common cardiovascular disease caused by permanent loss of cardiomyocytes and the formation of scar tissue due to myocardial ischemia. Mammalian cardiomyocytes lose their ability to proliferate almost completely in adulthood and are unable to repair the damage caused by MI. Therefore, transplantation of exogenous cells into the injured area for treatment becomes a promising strategy. Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) have the ability to proliferate and differentiate into various cellular populations indefinitely, and pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (PSC-CMs) transplanted into areas of injury can compensate for part of the injuries and are considered to be one of the most promising sources for cell replacement therapy. However, the low transplantation rate and survival rate of currently transplanted PSC-CMs limit their ability to treat MI. This article focuses on the strategies of current research for improving the therapeutic efficacy of PSC-CMs, aiming to provide some inspiration and ideas for subsequent researchers to further enhance the transplantation rate and survival rate of PSC-CMs and ultimately improve cardiac function.

Pulmonary sequestration with congenital heart disease is a rare congenital malformation. Herein, we report a 19-month-old toddler diagnosed with right lower pulmonary sequestration, right pulmonary artery dysplasia, right lower pulmonary venous ectopic drainage, and a right-sided heart with an atrial septal defect. The pulmonary sequestration had a rare blood supply, such as confluent arteries with the renal vessels draining into the hepatic veins. Arterial embolization and atrial defect closure were used to treat the rare congenital malformation with satisfactory results.

IntroductionComplex ectopic drainage of body veins is a rare congenital disease. Its preoperative diagnosis and surgical choice can be considerable challenges.Case SummaryA 5-year-old patient was diagnosed precisely by preoperative transthoracic echocardiography, computed tomography (CT), three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction, and three-dimensional (3D) printing of the heart and great blood vessels. The operation was performed successfully using flexible intraoperative intubation strategies.Conclusion3D printing technology can assist in the formulation of surgical protocols for complex body vein ectopic drainage. Flexible intubation strategies can increase the success of the operation.

Background:Coarctation of the aorta (CoA) is the congenital constriction or narrowing of the aortic lumen. These constrictions are primarily located in the descending aorta causing significant discrepancies in systolic blood pressures of the upper and lower extremities. Thus, a delay in diagnosis and treatment may lead to severe and adverse consequences.Case presentation:Herein, we present a 13-year-old boy with anterior cerebral rupture following a delayed diagnosis for descending CoA. Percutaneous transluminal balloon dilatation and endovascular stent implantation were urgently and successfully performed alongside cerebral clipping of the vascular aneurysm.Conclusion:An early diagnosis is crucial for CoA's successful treatment and management to prevent complications, including anterior cerebral rupture.

Sinus of Valsalva aneurysm (SVA) is a rare cardiac anomaly that can undergo spontaneous rupture into other cardiac chambers or the pericardial space. A ruptured SVA has a very poor prognosis with high morbidity and mortality. These aneurysms often present as a rupture from the right coronary sinus into the right ventricle. Transcatheter closure has become an effective alternative to surgical treatment. However, it has been rarely reported in patients after ventricular defect repair in the past. We here describe a 3-year-and-3-month-old boy who was found to have a ruptured sinus of Valsalva. He underwent surgical closure of a ventricular septal defect at the age of 2 months, which occurred in the non-coronary sinus (NCS) and ruptured into the right atrium. We successfully occluded the ruptured sinus of Valsalva with a ventricular septal occluder.

In the past decades, researchers discovered the contribution of genetic defects to the pathogenesis of primary cardiomyopathy and tried to explain the pathogenesis of these diseases by establishing a variety of disease models. Although human heart tissues and primary cardiomyocytes have advantages in modeling human heart diseases, they are difficult to obtain and culture in vitro. Defects developed in genetically modified animal models are notably different from human diseases at the molecular level. The advent of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) provides an unprecedented opportunity to further investigate the pathogenic mechanisms of inherited cardiomyopathies in vitro using patient-specific hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes. In this review, we will make a summary of recent advances in in vitro inherited cardiomyopathy modeling using hiPSCs.