Intracardiac blood cysts are thin-walled cysts, lined by flattened, cobblestone-shaped epithelium, and filled with nonorganized blood. During autopsy, they are found on cardiac valves in approximately 50% of infants below the age of 2 months and are rarely found after the age of 2 years. We report a rare case of blood cyst attached to the mitral valve and a possible cause of an embolic stroke.

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We conducted a cross-sectional study to assess physicians' attitudes towards self-treatment of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) based on real-time responses related to actual purified protein derivative (PPD) results, in addition to using hypothetical situations for those who were PPD-negative. We also obtained information on physicians' recommendations for their patients to treat this condition. Although the physicians claimed to recommend optimal treatment to their patients, the majority of them had different attitudes when considering treatment for themselves. There appears to be a discrepancy between physicians' attitudes to self-treatment and their management of patients with LTBI.

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is a deadly cause of myocardial infarction (MI) that mainly affects otherwise healthy, young females. We examine the case of a young female who presented with chest pain. She developed ST elevations in anterolateral leads mimicking ST elevation MI. Cardiac catheterization was done and showed a proximal left anterior descending (LAD) dissection. The patient underwent primary percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty with four paclitaxel-eluting coronary stents placed in the LAD. Diagnosis and management of SCAD have remained a challenge and no guidelines have yet been proposed due to the rarity and uncertain etiology of this condition. We review the medical literature on spontaneous coronary artery dissection and discuss its pathogenesis.

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Celiac disease is an intestinal disorder caused by an immunologic response to gluten, which results in diffuse damage to the proximal small intestinal mucosa with malabsorption of nutrients. An association between celiac disease and nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy has been noted. Cardiomyopathy has been shown to improve in some patients on a gluten-free diet. We report a case of progressively worsening dilated cardiomyopathy in a patient with documented celiac disease.