Cardiomyopathy: Dilated and Restrictive

• Leukocytapheresis is used in the complex therapy of restrictive cardiomyopathy, dilated cardiomyopathy and Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Dilated Cardiomyopathy

• Symptoms include disturbed heart rhythm and conduction, and no change in the heart size.
• Other symptoms include Cardiomyodystrophy, splenomegaly and ascites.
• Three characteristic signs of dilated cardiomyopathy are shortness of breath, swelling, and arrhythmia.
• Further signs of dilated cardiomyopathy are: arterial hypertension, severe pain in the heart area and fainting.
• Circulatory failure, myocardial dystrophy, splenomegaly, ascites, and lack of coordination are also symptoms.

Restrictive Cardiomyopathy

• Treatments include glucocorticoids, cytostatics, antispasmodic therapy, and antidepressants.
• Clinical symptoms include increased left and right heart borders.
• Further clinical symptoms include systolic murmur at the apex, diastolic murmur on the aorta and quail rhythm.
• Three names of diseases that unite the concept of restrictive cardiomyopathy are endomyocardial fibrosis, eosinophilic fibroplastic myocarditis of Loeffler and fibroelastosis.
• Further diseases that unite the concept of restrictive cardiomyopathy are Dressler's eosinophilic myocarditis, Fetler's idiopathic myocarditis and restrictive pericarditis.

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

• Drugs not recommended for use are nitrates, peripheral vasodilators, B-blockers, cardiac glycosides, calcium antagonists and antiplatelet agents.
• Morphological signs are hypertrophy of the interventricular septum, left ventricular wall hypertrophy, and narrowing of the left ventricular cavity.
• Further morphological signs are dilation of the left ventricular cavity, mitral valve sclerotherapy and vegetation of heart valves.
• Main symptoms are expansion of the apex impulse and the heart border to the left, along with a systolic murmur at the apex.
• Other main symptoms include weakening of the apical impulse, expansion of the heart border to the right and pulse deficit
• Morphological signs include left atrium enlargement, mitral regurgitation, and a U-shaped mitral valve on echocardiography.
• X-ray shows a heart with a "spherical" shape.

Dilatation Cardiomyopathy

• Morphological feature is a "spherical" shaped heart on X-ray.
• Additional morphological features include thinning of the endocardium and dilation of the left atrium.

Diastolic Heart Failure

• Diseases that cause diastolic heart failure include IHD, Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, Hypertension and Alcoholism.
• Arterial hypotension also leads to Diastolic Heart Failure.

Myocardial Infarction

• Early complications include acute cardiac aneurysm, heart rupture, gastrointestinal and thromboembolic syndromes.
• Dressler syndrome, chronic cardiac aneurysm, chronic circulatory failure and cardiosclerosis are also early complications.
• Absolute contraindications to thrombolytic therapy include a history of hemorrhagic stroke and suspected myocardial infarction.
• The Q wave appears at the sharp stage of Myocardial Infarction

Sudden Circulatory Arrest

• Signs include absence of pulsation in the carotid arteries, loss of heart sounds, and pupil dilation.
• Muffling of heart sounds, weak pulsation in the carotid arteries, and pupil constriction are further signs.

Viral Pneumonia

• Severity of intoxication is the characteristic sign.

Mycoplasma Pneumonia

• Erythromycin is used in treatment.

Dermatomyositis

• An additional criteria is muscle calcification, damage to the muscles of the extremities and paraorbital edema.
• Increased transaminase levels by 50% or more and polyarthritis is another indicator.
• The most common type of skin lesion is purplish-purple erythema on the face and neck.
• A prednisone dose of 80 mg / day treats acute dermatomyositis.
• Dermatomyositis is characterized by choking.

Systemic Scleroderma

• The leading pathogenetic mechanism is the activation of collagen synthesis and fibrillation.
• The etiology is genetic predisposition.
• The characteristic type of kidney damage is "true scleroderma" kidney.
• For a true scleroderma kidney, a characteristic sign is rapid development of kidney failure.
• Indomethacin is not a basic treatment
• Pathogenetic therapy aims to reduce collagen synthesis
• Osteolysis of the terminal phalanges is a characteristic change in hands and fingers during SSc.
• Systemic scleroderma is characterized by fibro-sclerotic changes in the skin, stroma, and internal organs.

Polyarteritis Nodosa (PAN)

• UP is characterized by vascular damage of medium and small-caliber arteries.
• A genetically determined change in immune reactivity plays an important role in the development
• The most typical variant of cardiovascular system damage is coronariitis.
• Fever decreases rapidly when prescribed corticosteroids

Gout

• Diagnostic criteria include acute arthritis plus-phalangeal joints.
• Uricosuric drugs, such as ethamide are used to treat
• Further drugs used, include: ethamide, voltaren, thiopurinol, penicillin and colchicine.

Reiter's Disease

• The characteristic lesion is conjunctivitis.

Ankylosing Spondylitis

• An X-ray sign is bilateral sacroiliitis.

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)

• Three clinical signs of are morning stiffness for at least 1 hour and persistent symmetrical arthritis of the hands.
• Pain when moving is also a sign.
• Decreased appetite and weight loss are three clinical manifestations of the body's general inflammatory response.

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)

• Hemolytic anemia is a typical hematological change
• Liebman-Sachs endocarditis in SLE is characterized by the presence of "warts".

Pneumonia

• Cough is a feature included in the "gold standard" in diagnosis.