Trio of Rheumatic Mitral Stenosis, Right Posterior Septal Accessory Pathway and Atrial Flutter: A Case Report

A 57-year-old male presented with recurrent palpitations. He was diagnosed with rheumatic mitral stenosis, right posterior septal accessory pathway and atrial flutter. An electrophysiological study after percutaneous balloon mitral valvotomy showed that the palpitations were due to atrial flutter with right bundle branch aberrancy. The right posterior septal pathway was a bystander because it had higher refractory period than atrioventricular node.

Association of level of IL-6, IL-10, IL-18, tumour necrosis factor-α with rheumatic mitral stenosis and subsequent pulmonary hypertension

Background: Objective of the study was to provide insight on the immune response in patients of rheumatic heart disease, mitral stenosis and evaluation of various cytokines in pulmonary hypertension secondary to rheumatic heart disease.Methods: Total 163 subjects, more than 18 year of age, were enrolled in this study. 84 subjects with rheumatic mitral stenosis (group A) diagnosed on two-dimensional echocardiography (2D echo) and 79 normal healthy volunteers (group B). Patients with mitral stenosis were further divided into subgroups based on severity of mitral stenosis [mitral valve area (MVA >1 cm2 and MVA <1 cm2) (subgroup Aa and Ab)] and presence or absence of pulmonary hypertension [pulmonary arterial systolic pressure (PASP >36 mm Hg) (subgroup Ac and Ad)]. Interleukins IL-6, IL-10, IL-18, tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels were assessed in both groups.Results: Mean IL-6, IL-10, IL-18, TNF-α and hs-CRP in group A and group B was 6.57±3.53 and 2.73±1 (p≤0.001), 8.185±2.8 and 3.51±0.86 (p≤0.001), 136.31±89.0 and 47.96±9.76 (p≤0.001), 21.26±18.59 and 5.36±3.57 (p≤0.001), 4.69±6.3 and 2.63±2.22 (p≤0.008) respectively. On subgroup analysis mean TNF-α in subgroup Aa was 20.71±16.84, while in subgroup Ab was 7.56±1.93 (p≤0.001). Mean IL-10 in subgroup Ac and Ad was 8.74±3.29 and 7.47±1.82, respectively. Differences in levels of other cytokines in these subgroups were not found statistically significant.Conclusions: This study finds increased IL-6, IL-10, IL-18, TNF-α and hs-CRP levels in subjects with rheumatic mitral stenosis. Subjects with severe mitral stenosis had increased TNF-α levels. Subjects of mitral stenosis having pulmonary hypertension had increased IL-10 levels.

Himalayan Fibrillatory Waves in Juvenile Rheumatic Mitral Stenosis

An 18-year-old girl, a known case of rheumatic mitral stenosis, presented with dyspnea and palpitations. Electrocardiogram was done, which revealed atrial fibrillation and a large amplitude atrial fibrillatory wave, which was more than the voltage of R wave V1, a finding which is quite uncommon. Echocardiography revealed a large left atrium which was 80 mm in diameter. The patient was started on oral anticoagulation and referred for mitral valve replacement with maze procedure.