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The authors report the case of a patient who, during percutaneous transluminal angioplasty of the circumflex artery, developed sudden occlusion of the anterior interventricular artery without stenosis and not touched by the operator. The fact that this occlusion was completely reversible after an intra-coronary injection of nitroglycerin suggests that this was due to spasm. This case suggests the possibility of consequences of angioplasty at a point distant from the dilated site. The authors use this case and a review of the literature to discuss the pathophysiological mechanisms which could be responsible for such consequences.

The potential thrombotic risk of mitral valve prolapse may, in certain circumstances, require preventive treatment. This study was aimed at determining whether the presence of angina in patients with mitral valve prolapse and healthy coronary vessels was accompanied by a high-risk thrombogenic profile. Forty two patients (19 women and 23 men) with anginal chest pain and angiographically normal coronary vessels were divided into two populations according to the presence (18 patients) or absence (24 patients) of mitral valve prolapse (MVP) shown by angiography. Before angiography, all patients underwent laboratory studies to detect any possible abnormality of plasma coagulation and of prothrombotic physiological fibrinolysis. Study of subgroups, according to sex and/or the presence of MVP, revealed no significant difference in the profile of laboratory parameters. Thus the presence of angiographic MVP in symptomatic patients free of atherosclerosis is not associated with the existence of any particular thrombotic profile and, theoretically, does not require preventive anti-thrombotic treatment.

The authors report the case of 21-year old female patient with a particular form of Takayasu's disease remarkable for its initial presentation and its cardiac and coronary lesions. The disease began with miscarriage at the 5th months of pregnancy, followed by acute pericarditis with tamponade. Subsequently, lesions of the aortic and mitral valves developed, while the myocardium became involved with left ventricular dilatation and hypokinesia confirmed by echocardiography and cineangiography. Coronary arteriography revealed large coronary aneurysms which are exceptional in this disease. This case prompted the authors to discuss the various cardiac lesions and the relationship of Takayasu's disease with pregnancy.

The authors report a case of a patient who had two episodes of valvular thrombosis successfully treated with fibrinolysis using urokinase and streptokinase. They emphasise how efficient these treatments are in spite of the gravity of the initial picture and also point out the dangers and difficulties that can occur because of the risk of haemorrhage in pregnancy, and particularly during delivery and post-partum. They show once more that the treatment is harmless for the fetus. They conclude that using fibrinolytic treatment should be considered first when there is great danger to the patient, and the advantages and disadvantages of thrombolysis should be weighed up.

The Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome is usually observed in young people and is much rarer in patients over 50 years old. This fact may be explained by the demise of a certain number of patients before the age of 50 and/or a change in the clinical features of the syndrome with age and/or of the electrophysiological properties of the normal and accessory conduction pathways. To test the latter hypothesis, the clinical and electrophysiological data of 15 patients over 50 years old with the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome (Group I) were compared with that of 10 patients under 30 years old with the same syndrome (Group II). The same protocol of electrophysiological investigation was used in both groups of patients. The results showed a significant difference (p < 0.001) between the two groups in the incidence of associated cardiac disease. This was more common in Group I (1 4 out of 15 patients) than in Group II (2 out of 10 patients). The cardiothoracic ratio was significantly higher in Group I (p < 0.01). The two groups also differed in the age at which tachycardia first occured. 9 out of 11 patients in Group I only had symptoms after thirty years. On the other hand, there was no significant difference in the types of tachycardia and the frequency of attacks. There was no significant difference in QRS, PR, AH, HV intervals, in the ventriculo-atrial conduction time and the effective refractory periods of the atrium, right ventricle or atrio-ventricular node. There was no significant difference in the anterograde and retrograde refractory periods of the accessory pathways between the two groups. Reciprocating tachycardia, initiated by electrical stimulation in 7 patients in Group I and 6 patients in Group II, was conducted anterogradely to the ventricles through the normal pathway and retrogradely to the atria through the the accessory pathway. This study suggest that age-related changes in the electrophysiological properties of the accessory are not an important prognostic factor in the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.

An enzyme which catalyzes the phosphorolytic cleavage of thymidine, and whose behaviour is characteristic of thymidine phosphorylase, was purified 130 times from human blood platelets. The results obtained by chromatography and electrophoresis, enable us to consider the existence of a dimeric form of this enzyme.

The pharmacological study of dopamine was conducted on 14 patients: eleven normal patients and three with incipient myocardiopathies. The dosages used were 3, 6 and 12 mug/kg/min. The "pump" function, the peripheral resistances, the contractility and the ventricular compliance were studied. Dopamine is a positive inotropic agent without chronotropic action at doses of 6 and 12 mug/kg/min. It acts by increasing the contractility and the venous return and by decreasing the peripheral resistances; this effect disappears with strong dosages.

To determinate the part of humoural and parietal factors in atherosclerotic injury genesis, metabolism alteration study is realised on aortic cell wall of rabbits which are submitted to a chronical lathyritic intoxication alone, or simultaneously or alternatively associated with a cholesterolemic diet. Catabolic activity increase of beta-glucuronidase occurs in hypercholesterolemic rabbits. Beta-aminoproprionitrile, lathyrogenic drug used, stimulates biosynthetic pathways: increase of soluble proteins, energetic enzyme activities (lacticodeshydrogenase, malicodeshydrogenase), conjonctival protein metabolism (procollagen lysyl hydroxylase); in the same time, cell wall disturbances and lipidic deposits are facilitate when rabbits are submitted to cholesterolemic diet.

In a series of 250 cases of cerebral vascular accident, the authors have selected 12 patients whose embolus appeared to have originated in the heart, although this could not be confirmed by clinical examination, ECG, Holter system monitoring and echocardiographic studies. Angiocardiography, complemented or not by His bundle exploration and/or coronary arteriography, revealed the presence of a heart disease likely to produce emboli in 11 cases, and in 8 cases, this was prolapsed mitral valve. These 11 cases represent 4.5% of the whole series and 22% of cases with emboli of suspected cardiac origin. Thorough cardiological studies, therefore, seem to be justified in young adults presenting with stroke. The high incidence of prolapsed mitral valve is in keeping with recently published data.

The authors report the haemodynamic changes observed during isometric stress corresponding to 30% of the maximum isometric effort, sustained for 3 minutes, in 22 normal subjects and 12 patients with cardiomyopathy. Echocardiographic study of the left ventricular diameters of 10 cardiac patients completes the work. The heart rate in normal subjects during effort increases by 45 +/- 30%, and the flow by 30 +/- 24%. The blood pressure is raised by +/- 25 +/- 8 mmHg, without significant change in the left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (less than +4 mmHg), or in peripheral resistance. The external work of the left ventricle increases by 75 +/- 41%, demonstrating an increase in the inotropic state of the myocardium. Max. vec. and the various indices of contractility are increased on average by +8.29 +/- 4.55 28 c/s. Adaptation to the increased pressure brings into play only the contractile reserve of the myocardium.

Cells obtained from the media and intima of ten days rat aorta, after enzymatic dissociation, were grown in subculture for up to three months. Electron microscopic observations demonstrate that these cells maintained the morphology of smooth muscle cells at all phases of their growth in subculture and kept their ability to synthesize and secrete intracellular proteins with better enzymatic features than the cells obtained by proliferation at the periphery of an explant.

The alterations observed in connective tissue of the arterial wall and dermis in atherosclerosis incited us to investigate collagen metabolism in patients with coronary disease. We first studied collagen metabolism in fibroblast cultures, then measured serum levels of type III procollagen aminoterminal peptide. Fibroblast collagen metabolism was investigated in 12 consecutive patients of less than 45 years of age presenting with coronary disease and coronary atherosclerosis was found to be preserved in patients with atherosclerosis, but less type III type I procollagen was synthesized (14.6 +/- 6.6% versus 22.3 +/- 4.3%). This abnormality, found in 83% of our coronary patients, seemed to be unrelated to risk factors or to the severity of atherosclerosis. Serum type III procollagen aminoterminal peptide was assayed comparatively in 36 patients with coronary atherosclerosis confirmed at coronary-ventriculography and in 35 patients free from coronary disease as defined by the W.H.O. criteria. Serum levels of this peptide were significantly higher in patients with coronary atherosclerosis (26.76 +/- 16 ng/ml) than in controls (10.43 +/- 3.18 ng/ml). 61% of coronary patients had a peptide level higher than the normal value (17 ng/ml). No correlation was found between this rise in type III procollagen aminoterminal peptide and the severity of coronary lesions or the importance of risk factors. Thus, collagen metabolism is altered in coronary patients, and this alteration can be detected by a peripheral marker. However, the use of this marker to diagnose the presence or evaluate the course of atherosclerosis requires clarification.

Ventricular tachycardia occurred with chest pain in a 64 year old man with coronary artery disease after an intravenous injection of atropine. The particular feature of this case as compared to the other 8 reported cases is the restoration of sinus rhythm after a passage of accelerated idioventricular rhythm by the administration of oxygen and nitroglycerin. The increased oxygen consumption and myocardial ischaemia due to the tachycardia seem to be the factors responsible for these ventricular arrhythmias. Such cases, though rare, incite caution in the administration of atropine to patients with coronary artery disease.

Fibrinolytic treatments pose serious problems in subjects at high risk for hemorrhage, such as those requiring chronic dialysis. A 36-year-old patient requiring dialysis for the last 14 years due to chronic kidney failure was hospitalized for unstable angina combined with calcified mitral stricture. Prompt coronary arteriography revealed recent intracoronary thrombi. The failure of drug treatment and the surgical indication in light of unstable angina led the authors to use low-molecular-weight heparin b.i.d. for 12 days with monitoring of laboratory parameters (anti-Xa activity, APTT). No thrombotic or hemorrhagic episode was recorded. Control angiography indicating partial lysis of the left and right intracoronary thrombi led to exact evaluation of the residual underlying stenoses. A double aortocoronary bypass was subsequently performed combined with replacement of the mitral valve. This case gives a glimpse of the potential value of low-molecular-weight heparin as a valid alternative to conventional fibrinolysis in subjects requiring dialysis.

Various studies have established the increase of sudden death in hypertensive patients with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). In order to specify its most important factors, an electrophysiological study consisting of Holter recording (HR) and programmed ventricular stimulation (PVS), was performed in 24 patients with hypertension: 12 with LVH and 12 without LVH, on ultrasonography. In all patients, coronary angiography was normal. The results are the following: 1) LVH increases the ventricular vulnerability, this arrhythmogenic substrate and its stability are explored by PVS; 2) HR and PVS are not correlated, therefore HR does not explore the arrhythmogenic substrate of LVH, but rather the potential triggering factors of severe rhythm disorders; 3) it has not been possible to evaluate the role of the autonomous nervous system in this study; 4) finally, a significant correlation was found between the degree of anatomical hypertrophy of the LV and the duration of the interval AH.

The discovery of normal coronaries on angiography in patients known and treated for many years for true angina, if reassuring for the physician, raises other problems about the evolution of the patient. Among the 235 patients seen with this diagnosis between january 1980 and may 1986, 68 had healthy coronaries without any associated disease (mean age = 57.4 years). The objective is to determine the evolution of this group with a mean follow-up of 42 months and the advantages of coronary angiography. No infarction or sudden death occurred. 91 p. cent have an unlimited housekeeping activity, 10 p. cent have stopped working for a cardiac reason, 55 p. cent continue to work, 13 p. cent were rehospitalized for the same reason and 25 p. cent developed extra cardiac symptoms (2 neoplasms). But only 35 p. cent do not experience chest pain. On the contrary, failure is obvious concerning the anti-angina treatment since only 10 p. cent are not any longer on medication and the total consumption did not vary. The fact that 84 p. cent of the patients have little or no pain under calcium-blockers, taken alone or in association with other drugs, raises the question of their true efficacy, without any placebo effect, since the beta-blockers consumption decreases slightly.

The mechanism of arrhythmias in mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is still unclear. The aim of this study was to determine if there were electrophysiological features common to patients with MVP. Eighteen patients with MVP documented on echo and angiocardiography underwent electrophysiological investigation. The series comprised 5 patients with ventricular arrhythmias and 5 with supraventricular arrhythmias, two of whom had ECG appearances of the Wolff-Parkinson-White, syndrome, and one a short PR interval. The RR interval, PR interval, intraatrial conduction (PA), atrio-hisian conduction (AH), intraventricular conduction (HV) the effective refractory periods of the atrium, AV node and ventricle, and the corrected sinus node recovery time were measured in the MVP group and in 20 presumed normal control subjects. There was a significant increase in the PR interval (p less than 0,05) at the expense of nodal conduction (AH) in the MVP group. In addition the Wenckebach point was significantly lower in this group. The other electrophysiological parameters in spontaneous rhythm and the atrial, AV nodal and ventricular refractory periods were the same in both groups. Sinus node function was comparable in both groups. In two patients without paiviously documented tachycardia, junctional tachycardia was initiated by provocative stimulation. However, no ventricular arrhythmias could be induced by pacing. A large number of preexcitation syndromes was observed in the MVP group (4/18), including one case of a latent Kent bundle, in patients with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardias. On the other hand, the value of electrophysiological investigation seems to be limited for clarifying the mechanisms of the ventricular arrhythmias, probably because of their endomyocardial origin. Nevertheless, hemodynamic investigation showed abnormalities of left ventricular contraction in 4 of the 5 patients with ventricular arrhythmias.

There is still a place for conservative surgery in valvular disease of the heart to the extent that artificial prostheses have not yet been perfected sufficiently for them to be regarded as the method of choice. While these conservative operations are rarely applicable to the aortic valve, techniques such as Carpentier's ring occupy an important place in the treatment armamentarium for disorders of the mitral valve, and even more so of the tricuspid valve.

The clinical usage of antiarrhythmic drugs may pose problems which could be solved by the direct application of the basic principles of pharmacokinetics. These problems involve the calculation of intravenous infusion rates and or oral dosages. Examples are provided by the rate of initial infusion of lignocaine in order to obtain a concentration within the therapeutic range, the eventual adjustment of this rate of infusion and the calculation of a loading dose. As regards the oral route, the calculation of the doses of procainamide is taken as an example. The estimation of the serum procainamide is a method for determining whether the dose should be increased or whether the drug is ineffective when no clinical result is observed. The pharmacokinetics of the main antiarrhythmic drugs are reviewed; procainamide, quinidine, propanolol, phenytoin, disopyramide. The therapeutic dose, clearance, extraction coefficient, bioavailability and half-life are the object of particular study. The fractioning of the dose and the total dose in a 24 hour period depend on these factors. The effects of cardiac, renal and hepatic failure on the clearance of each drug are recalled. These pharmacokinetic principles help the clinician not only in the prescription of an antiarrhythmic drug but also in deciding on the indications for drug serum concentration, estimations which are particularly useful in some difficult clinical situations, and in interpreting the results.

The clinical and electrophysiological data in 52 consecutive patients with bundle branch block and followed-up for an average period of 20.8 +/- 10.4 months was reviewed. The patients were divided into two groups: Group A with normal AH intervals (36 patients) and Group B with prolonged AH intervals (16 patients). These two groups differed in age, the average being higher in Group B (p < 0.05), in history of syncope (more common in Group A: p < 0.01) and in the duration of PR interval (p < 0.05). On electrophysiological investigation the Wenckebach point was lower in Group B (118 +/- 29 ms) than in Group A (160 +/- 33) (p < 0.001). The effective right atrial refractory period was significantly longer in Group B (321 +/- 111 ms) than in Group A (246 +/- 59 ms) (p < 0.05). The effective refractory period of the atrioventricular node was also significantly longer in Group B (492 +/- 190 ms) than in Group A (333 +/- 125 ms (p < 0.05). On the other hand, there was no significant difference in the HV interval or in the number of patients managed by permanent pacing.

The effect of a cellular anti-ischemic, trimetazidine (TMZ) in ischemic cardiomyopathies, was evaluated in a double-blind versus-placebo (P) trial, over a period of six months. 20 patients, mean age: 59.5 years, with advanced ischemic cardiomyopathy, demonstrated by left catheterization and coronary angiography, with a past history of myocardial infarction, received either 60 mg per day of TMZ (nine patients) or the placebo (eleven patients) in addition to a basic treatment of digitalis, diuretics and nitrated medications. A complete, clinical, biological and paraclinical evaluation, including chest X-ray, ultrasonography, isotopic ventriculography and 24 h-ECG, was performed upon inclusion in the study; and after three and six months of treatment. Two patients from the placebo group were not reevaluated at six months. The clinical condition, according to the NYHA classification, improved in all patients from the TMZ group, deteriorated in eight on nine patients from the placebo group (p less than 0.001). The isotopic stroke volume is preserved with TMZ, deteriorated with P. The cardiac volume decreases with TMZ, increasing with P. TMZ is beneficial clinically and functionally in advanced ischemic cardiomyopathies.

A retrospective study of 100 cases of obstructive cardiomyopathy of the left ventricle has allowed us to predict a mean survival of 30 years after the murmur has been discovered. A comparative angiographic and haemodynamic study was carried out on 50 cases using the NYHA classification into four functional stages. The lowering of functional status, at rest, seems to occur: -With the advent of a permanent intraventicular gradient (6 +/- 5 mmHg in stage 56 +/- 38 mmHh in stages III and IV, p less than 0.001). Despite preservation of the indices of contractility (VECmax 1.81 +/- 0.66 c/s at stage I, 1.71 +/- 0.7 C/S at stages III and IV). -With a progressive change in the ventricular complicance (dV/dP/VTD 0.029 +/- 0.016 at stage I, 0.017 +/- 0.01 at stage III and IV). A progressive change in venticular complicance seems to be secondary to an increase in the parietal diastolic thickness and to lesions visible histologically. It governs the natural history of the condition and the results of surgical treatment.

The electrophysiological properties of of 0,6 mg/Kg SOTALOL administered intravenously were studied in 15 subjects aged between 32 and 81 years. The following parameters were recorded: sinus rate (SR), corrected sinus node recovery time (SNRT), sinoatrial conduction time (SACT), PA interval, right atrial effective refractory period (ERP), right atrial functional refractory period (FRP), AH interval at rest, at 100 bpm, Luciani-Wenckebach point (LWP), AV node ERP and FRP, HV interval, His-Purkinje ERP, right ventricular ERP, corrected QT interval. At this dosage, intravenous SOTALOL displays two types of behaviour: --That common to the betablocker drugs: slowing SR by 16%, increasing the AV nodal conduction, increasing the AH interval at rest (5%), at 100 bpm (23%), increasing AV nodal ERP (26%) and FRP (20%), decreasing the LWP (18%). --Other properties: increasing intraatrial PA interval (3%), increasing right atrial ERP (II%), FRP (I7%), increasing right ventricular ERP (8%), increasing His-Purkinje ERP (when measurable) (about 6%), no change in corrected QT interval. At this dosage, SOTALOL exhibits electrophysiological behaviour similar to drugs in Class III (Touboul): those with a "wide electrophysiological spectrum".

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and desirability of a double fibrinolytic treatment in subacute venous thrombosis of the lower limbs. Thirty-four patients (mean age 55.2 +/- 15.4 years) hospitalized for thrombosis of deep lower limb veins were treated with two different fibrinolytic drugs administered successively: 23 patients received streptokinase first followed urokinase, and 11 patients received urokinase first followed by streptokinase. The overall results that improvement of the phlebographic score (Ph.s) was significantly greater in double fibrinolytic treatment (delta Ph.s. = 4.41 +/- 6.45, p less than 0.001) than after a single fibrinolytic treatment (delta Ph.s. = 3.14 +/- 4.76, p less than 0.001). Individual analysis of the results showed that 28% of the patients were improved by a second fibrinolytic treatment. It would appear that two fibrinolytic treatments are truly effective, albeit inconstantly and in most cases partially. We were unable in this study to determine the characteristics of patients likely to benefit from a double treatment.

A comparison of the haemodynamic and electrocardiographic data was carried out in 180 coronary patients. All underwent catheterisation and coronary angiography for angina. They were divided into three main groups: 53 patients with coronary atheroma without significant stenosis; 43 patients with at least one coronary stenosis greater than 50%; 84 patients had myocardial infarction with ECG changes of transmural necrosis and coronary thrombosis (or greater than 80% stenosis). Parameters of left ventricular function (LVF), especially ejection fraction (EF), systolic work (LVESW), end diastolic pressure (LVEDP), end diastolic volume (LVEDV), myocardial mass calculated from angiography (LMV) and volumic compliance were analysed in all cases. Each patient had at least 5 ECG recordings analysed by a HP 6 calculator which determined the values of the principal numeric ECG parameters and the means of the 5 recordings. Particular attention was given to the sum of the R waves in the 12 leads (sigma R mV) and Macruz's index (duration of P/PR - P in Lead II). A satisfactory correlation was found overall between sigma R and EF (r = 0,45, p less than 0,001). sigma R was the only ECG variable related to LVF in patients without infarction. In this group of 96 patients, sigma R correlated with LVEDV (r = 0,46, p less than 0,001) with LVM (r = 0,46, p less than 0,001), with LVESW (r = 0,52, p less than 0,001). There was a discordance between angiographically measured LVM and the mass of electrically active myocardium in patients with infarction. sigma R was independent of LVM, LVEDV, and LVESW.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Seventy-two consecutive patients with electrocardiographic evidence of Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome underwent electrophysiological study (EPS). Fifty-five of these patients (76 p. 100) had episodes of tachycardia, 11 experienced palpitations or syncopes and 6 were asymptomatic. The decision to prescribe an antiarrhythmic agent was reached on the basis of the patients' symptoms and EPS data. One patient was treated by surgery before the medical treatment was tried; 17 patients were discharged without treatment, 4 were discharged with an episodic and 50 with a preventive antiarrhythmic treatment. Among these 50 patients, 46 (92 p. 100) could be followed up for a mean period of 45.7 +/- 28 months. One died of lung cancer; 43 presented with spontaneous episodes of tachycardia, 4 were able to discontinue treatment at the end of the follow-up period since they had very few symptoms and 2 were lost sight of. Among the 37 patients under antiarrhythmic treatment followed up, 29 (78 p. 100) are well controlled, while 8 (22 p. 100) still present with episodes of tachycardia. A tachycardia-reducing pacemaker was implanted in 5 of these 8 patients. It therefore appears that 78 p. 100 of patients presenting with spontaneous episodes of tachycardia associated with WPW syndrome can be controlled with an antiarrhythmic treatment. This result was obtained after trying at least two types of antiarrhythmic agents in 86 p. 100 of the cases.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The von Willebrand factor (VWF) is a link in the platelet-vessel wall interaction which plays an essential role in the response of the vessel wall to an atherosclerosis-including aggression. However, can von Willebrand's disease really prevent the development of atherosclerosis? The authors report 3 cases of young men aged 36, 40 and 51 years with atherogenic risk factors and von Willebrand's disease (two mild and one severe form). The three patients developed both atherosclerotic lesions and thrombosis. This would suggest that VWF deficiency does not protect humans from atherosclerosis.

Asynchronous pacing at a rhythm slower than that of the tachycardia (underdrive) is an established procedure for the reduction of supraventricular tachycardia. Simultaneous or sequential stimulation depolarising two parts of the circuit (atrium and ventricle) has a greater chance of reducing the tachycardia than stimulation of a single chamber. Five patients with supraventricular tachycardia resistant to antiarrhythmic therapy were treated by sequential pacing in the underdrive mode. Electrophysiological investigations showed a bundle of Kent to be responsible for the ECG appearances of Wolff-Parkinson-White (3 cases) with retrograde conduction only (concealed WPW) in 2 cases. One patient was able to put a stop to his attacks by the application of a magnet over the pulse generator. In four patients, a newly designed pulse generator, based on this concept, was implanted with the property of automatic detection of tachycardia (defined as a heart rate faster than 150/min) triggering almost simultaneous pacing of the coronary sinus and right ventricle (sequential interval of 65 ms) in the asynchronous mode at 77 bpm. The results were reviewed with a follow up of 6 to 36 months. This pulse generator was shown to be effective in both the reduction and prevention of episodes of supraventricular tachycardia. Sequential double demand pacing is a valuable and useful method of treating reentrant tachycardias associated with the WPW syndrome or concealed Kent bundles. It provides an alternative to surgery when the effective refractory period of the Kent bundle is long. Present advances in the field of cardiac pacing will probably result in a widening of the indications for this mode of therapy.

The left ventricular kinaetics of 29 coronary patients (pure angina and with sequela of myocardial infarction) was studies by biplane angiocardiography. Their contractility was assessed by measurement of the Vmax and VECmax indices derived from the relationship between contractile elements shortening speed-overall wall tension, in isovolumetric phase. An excellent relationship links the hypokinaetic area with decrease of the ejection fraction (SV/LSV): when the hypokinaetic area exceeded 20% of the overall endocardial surface, the ejection fraction deveased below 0.40, and signs of cardiac failure were manifest. Pure anginal patients at rest kept normal kinaetics, late diastolic volume, ejection fraction and myocardial mass. A myocardial hypertrophy develops in the areas adjacent to the fibrous scar. In some cases (group I) it compensates for the ventricular dysfunction; in other cases, it is not sufficient to compensate for the ejection fraction reduction. One must then admit the presence of diminished contractility in the areas adjacent to the fibrous scar, as is suggested by the increase of the late diastolic pressure, the decrease of the externel work of the left ventricle and of the contractility indices. Analysis of both the natural and post-operative courses in these patients shows that Vmax the ejection fraction and the hypokinaetic areas afford excellent criteria for prognosis and operability.

It the vascular complications of Behcet's disease, especially thrombophlebitis, are well known, coronary involvement in seldom described (less than ten cases in the literature). The two cases reported here, of patients under 45, having presented both a myocardial infarction confirmed by coronary arteriography, lead to bring up first the problem of the causal relationship between disease and necrosis (inflammatory syndrome, thrombogenic tendency, vasospastic aspect), to reach a preventive attitude with, firstly, and extended use of anticoagulants in patients severely affected, in evolutive outbreaks, and then with the easier indication of anti-spastic treatments, mostly calcium blockers.

Between 1982 and 1987, 70 patients (32 men, 38 women, aged from 45 to 93 years) underwent catheter ablation of His bundle and were followed up for more than 3 months. The disorders treated were atrial fibrillation, flutter of tachycardia (62 cases), junctional tachycardia (7 cases) and refractory atrial extrasystoles (1 case). The overall results were: early failure in 1 case, late death in 3 cases, persistent high degree AV block in 53 cases (75 p. 100), 1st degree AV block in 9 cases (12 p. 100) and failure in 8 cases (13 p. 100). Two techniques were used. In the first 30 patients ablation was performed by tri- or quadripolar catheters with electrodes 10 mm apart (USCI 2943/2854) and localization by an unipolar electrode connected to the negative pole of the defibrillator. The mid-term results in this series were: complete AV block in 20 cases (66 p. 100), partial AV block in 5 cases (17 p. 100) and failure in 17 cases (17 p. 100). In the last 40 patients localization was bipolar and ablation was obtained with simultaneous bipolar leads taken from a Josephson catheter with electrodes 5 mm apart (USCI 8567); the two electrodes recording the highest His bundle potential were connected to the negative pole of the defibrillator. The results in these series were: complete AV block in 33 cases (82 p. 100), partial AV block in 4 cases (11 p. 100) and failure in 3 cases (7 p. 100). Although the two series were not exactly similar, it seems permissible to recommend the second, more convenient technique.

The complexes between "elastases" and their seric inhibitors (a. 1. AP and a2. M) which could be formed in the blood, are exhibited in vitro: after incubation of serum or plasma with 125iodine labelled elastin at pH = 6, followed by extensive washing, pH was increased from 6 to 8.6: labelled peptides are released in supernatant.

Two new cases of ventricular tachycardia (VT) in the infant are reported, and reviewed in the light of the 23 case histories found in the literature. The diagnosis rests upon eliminating a pre-excitation syndrome, which is so common in this age group. The VTs found in infants are rapid, irregular, and take many different forms. They often necessitate urgent treatment with electric shocks. Preventive treatment consists of a combination of procainamide and beta-blockers in relatively large doses. The search for an aetiological agent should include a haemodynamic and angiocardiographic study of all the chambers of the heart to exclude cardiomyopathy, tumours, papyraceous right ventricle and congenital heart defects. Where no cause can be demonstrated, preventive treatment should be given, with regular electrical testing and other follow-up investigations. An attempt to reduce the drug dosage should be made every 6 months, in hospital. In cases which prove resistant despite adequate treatment, it seems justifiable to carry out a pericardial exploration with the aim of diathermising the ectopic focus; this approach is suggested because of the poor natural history of this type of case.

Recent studies have shown the high incidence of concealed Bundles of Kent in the reentry circuits of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia. Arguments in favour of the nodal or junctional level of reentry were observed in supraventricular tachycardia with complete atrioventricular dissociation. Two such cases under went electrophysiological investigation. In the first case, tachycardia was terminated by a complete infrahisian block. However, during atrioventricular dissociation, tachycardia could be initiated by a single atrial stimulus after an increased nodal conduction time and terminated by a single atrial stimulus or cardiac message. In the second case the supraventricular tachycardia presented with complete atrioventricular dissociation due to a retrograde ventriculo-atrial block. Atrial stimulation at progressively higher rates and premature atrial extra stimuli initiated the tachycardia but could not terminate it, so confirming the non-participation of the atrium in the reentry circuit. These two cases suggest that the ventricle (case I) and the atrium (case II) are not indispensable links in junctional or nodal reentry circuits. Case II was suggestive of a common initial pathway developing retrograde unidirectional block during tachycardia.