The latest issue of CASE is now available with some intriguing reports, including “Severe Spontaneous Echocardiographic Contrast in a Patient With Normal Heart and Chronic Lymphocytic Lymphoma” by Rahul M. Prasad, MD et al. CASE Editor-in-Chief, Vincent L. Sorrell, MD, FASE, remarked, “In a striking report, Prasad et al. demonstrate a patient with severe spontaneous echocardiographic contrast (SEC) observed in all cardiac chambers mimicking the appearance of an echo after the injection of a manufactured ultrasound enhancing agent. Interestingly, their patient had a structurally normal heart without SEC on an earlier echo. This CASE serves to remind us that at times, we simply must report what we see, but will be unable to confidently solve the mechanistic mysteries of the heart.”
This issue features another case in the Atypical Presentations of Heart Disease category, which supplies graphic images of the fractured sternal wire puncturing the RV free wall in a rare post-sternotomy complication. Additionally, there are two reports in both the Valvular Heart Disease and Cardiac Tumors and Pseudotumors categories, including one of a patient with severe TR as a new cause for pulmonary vein Doppler systolic flow reversal. Insights from Veterinary Clinical Cardiovascular Medicine are presented in two dog cases, including a report of the interventional echo studies and percutaneous structural interventions performed in dogs as they stent a pulmonary artery compressed by a tumor. Relating the art form of music to that of medicine, Dr. Sorrell’s editorial categorizes the operational styles of echo labs into genres of music.
We are excited to announce the 2022 CASE of the Year, Extrinsic Circumflex Coronary Artery Compression and Occlusion by Mycotic Aneurysm of Left Aortic Sinus, which was presented by Ramesh C. Bansal, MD, FACC, FASE, on behalf of his co-authors during the ShowCASE session at ASE 2023. Check out the CASE homepage to read about this article and the other four finalists who represented the top CASEs published in 2022, as chosen by the CASE Editorial Team. The ShowCASE session also featured the MACH-1 Rapid-Fire portion, where nine sonographers presented their cases on one slide in under 60 seconds. All presenters did a remarkable job, setting a high standard for future ShowCASEs. Submit YOUR CASE report, and maybe you will be chosen to present at ASE 2024!