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Patent foramen ovale (PFO) can be found in approximately 25% of adult population. Transcatheter closure of PFO is a potential option in selected patients with PFO. We report a case of a female patient that underwent mapping and catheter ablation of atrial tachycardia and PFO closure in the same procedure.

While drug eluting stents (DES) are being more widely used in ever more patients receiving DES each day, some new complications may be emerging. Stent fractures and hypersensitivity reactions to stents are among recognized complications that can lead to therapeutic dead end from the interventional cardiologist's point of view. We present a case in which we reached therapeutic dead end with a sirolimus eluting stent, i.e. repetitive stent fractures with diffuse microaneurysms along the implanted DES, possibly due to hypersensitivity reaction to parts of the stent.

Wellens' syndrome, also known as the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary T wave syndrome, is a potentially under-recognized syndrome in emergency room, which can have potentially fatal consequences. It usually consists of typical electrocardiography (ECG) finding in precordial leads that represents significant stenosis of the proximal LAD. Although the syndrome is not included in indications for primary percutaneous coronary intervention (patients with typical ECG findings are usually pain free at the time of recording), every patient with suspicion of typical Wellens' syndrome should be seen by interventional cardiologist and considered for emergency cardiac catheterization. A case is reported of a patient with no previous medical history of coronary disease and with only one risk factor for cardiovascular disease that presented to emergency room with typical Wellens' syndrome.

The aim of this prospective, non-randomized interventional study was to assess electrophysiological effects, efficacy and safety of intravenous propafenone in termination of atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) and orthodromic atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia (AVRT). This single-center study was carried out at Department of Cardiology, Sestre milosrdnice University Hospital in Zagreb, Croatia, between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2006. Eligibility requirements were fulfilled by a total of 70 patients with AVNRT (n=37) and AVRT (n=33). The intervention consisted of the electrophysiological study aimed at inducing tachycardia, followed by intravenous administration of 2 mg/kg propafenone in both groups. The main outcome measures were safety and efficacy of 2 mg/kg intravenous propafenone in tachycardia termination and re-induction. Out of 37 patients with AVNRT, propafenone managed to terminate it in 28 (75.7%) patients, while tachycardia was not inducible in 25 (67.56%) patients. Out of 33 patients with AVRT, propafenone managed to terminate AVRT in 29 (87.9%) patients, while tachycardia was not inducible in 22 (66.66%) patients. The overall propafenone efficacy in tachycardia termination was 81.42%. No propafenone-related adverse effects were recorded during the study period. Propafenone was found to be a safe and effective anti-arrhythmic drug and can be justifiably administered for AVNRT and AVRT termination. It could be considered as an alternative to adenosine and verapamil.