Anatomy of the heart

The heart is made up of four cavities, two atria and two ventricles. The atria are separated from each other by an interatrial wall or septum, and the ventricles by an interventricular wall or septum. Between the atrium and the ventricle there is the atrioventricular valve. The veins arrive into the atria and the major arteries leave the ventricles. Between the ventricle and its artery outlet there is the semilunar valve. The heart is divided into the right and left sides.

Anatomia del cor a Vall d'Hebron
Authorship: Vall d'Hebron
Creation date: 17.12.2021, 10:03
Modification date: 13.03.2023, 16:00
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Myocardial Infarction

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI), commonly known as a heart attack, is the necrosis –the degeneration of tissues due to cell death– of a part of the heart, caused by an interruption in blood flow (ischaemia). The most common cause is the obstruction of a coronary artery (the arteries that supply blood to the heart itself) by a blood clot formed by the rupture or erosion of an atherosclerotic plaque. In the absence of atherosclerosis, there are other, less frequent mechanisms that can cause this condition, such as strokes, dissection, and coronary artery spasms.

Infart de miocardi
Authorship: Vall d'Hebron
Creation date: 17.12.2021, 10:03
Modification date: 17.12.2025, 11:01
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Scleroderma

Scleroderma is an autoimmune disorder characterised by increased collagen in various body tissues, structural alteration of microcirculation and certain immune abnormalities. The term scleroderma comes from the Greek “skleros”, which means hard, and “derma”, which means skin. This indicates that skin hardening is the most characteristic feature of the condition. As well as the skin, it can also affect the digestive tract, lungs, kidneys and heart. The prognosis varies. There is currently no cure, but the condition can be treated with general measures and treatment of symptoms, depending on the organs affected.

Esclerodèmia a Vall d'Hebron
Authorship: Vall d'Hebron
Creation date: 17.12.2021, 10:03
Modification date: 22.12.2025, 16:07
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Angina pectoris

Angina pectoris is characterised by strong, oppressive pain in the chest that spreads to the neck and left arm. It is a sign of lack of oxygen in the heart. It is normally caused by a condition in the coronary arteries, which are the arteries responsible for carrying oxygen to the heart tissue.

angina de pit Vall d'Hebron
Authorship: Vall d'Hebron
Creation date: 17.12.2021, 10:03
Modification date: 10.12.2025, 12:30
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Rare diseases

Minority diseases, also called rare diseases, are those that affect between 5% and 7% of the population. They are very varied, affecting different parts of the body with a wide range of symptoms that change both between diseases and within the same disease.

It is estimated that some 30 million people in the EU, 3 million in Spain, and around 350,000 in Catalonia suffer from one.

Malalties minoritàries
Authorship: Vall d'Hebron
Creation date: 17.12.2021, 10:03
Modification date: 02.12.2025, 12:49
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Hereditary metabolic diseases

Hereditary metabolic diseases (HMDs) are a group of rare genetic disorders. The genetic defect causes a structural alteration in a protein that is involved in one of the metabolic pathways, causing it to block the affected pathway. As a consequence, this causes a build up of substances that may be toxic for the body and a deficiency of others that it needs.

Malalties metabòliques hereditàries a Vall d'Hebron
Authorship: Vall d'Hebron
Creation date: 17.12.2021, 10:03
Modification date: 17.12.2025, 09:25
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Valve defects: Ebstein’s anomaly

It is a congenital heart defect characterised by the tricuspid valve sitting lower than normal over the ventricular myocardium, caused by the corresponding atrioventricular ring.

In this case, the right atrium greatly increases its volume and the right ventricle greatly reduces in size and lung flow is not sufficient.

Lesions valvulars: anomalia d'Ebstein a Vall d'Hebron
Authorship: Vall d'Hebron
Creation date: 17.12.2021, 10:03
Modification date: 03.12.2025, 14:25
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Heart valve disorders: pulmonary stenosis

Pulmonary stenosis is a disorder of the heart valve that affects the pulmonary valve, the valve which separates the right ventricle from the pulmonary artery, which is the artery that transports blood to the lungs. Pulmonary stenosis occurs when the valve is unable to open sufficiently and as a result there is less blood flow to the lungs.

Lesions valvulars: estenosi pulmonar a Vall d'Hebron
Authorship: Vall d'Hebron
Creation date: 17.12.2021, 10:03
Modification date: 03.12.2025, 14:28
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Valvular heart disease: congenital anomalies of the mitral valve

Congenital mitral valve anomalies include a wide range of irregularities in the valves and subvalvular systems. This can cause problems from obstruction to mitral valve insufficiency. Two specific problems can occur: stenosis, which affects children; and congenital mitral insufficiency.

Lesions valvulars: anomalies congènites de la vàlvula mitral a Vall d'Hebron
Authorship: Vall d'Hebron
Creation date: 17.12.2021, 10:03
Modification date: 03.12.2025, 14:30
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Tetralogy of Fallot

A congenital cyanotic heart defect is a congenital heart disorder in which deoxygenated blood bypasses the lungs and enters the circulatory system, or where there is a mixture of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood entering the system. It is caused by structural defects in the heart such as bidirectional shunting, or the incorrect position of the pulmonary artery or the aorta, or any condition that increases pulmonary vascular resistance. The result is the development of collateral circulation.

Tetralogia de Fallot a Vall d'Hebron
Authorship: Vall d'Hebron
Creation date: 17.12.2021, 10:03
Modification date: 03.12.2025, 11:27
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