Search

Four ultrasound methods of estimating the severity of mitral narrowing (MN) were investigated in a prospective manner in 36 patients who underwent ultrasound-Doppler and catheterization (KT) within a space of 24 hours. The correlation of the mean Doppler and KT gradients was poor: r = 0.56 (n = 36, p less than 0.001). The mitral surface areas (MA), calculated from Gorlin's equation (mean A = 0.98 +/- 0.26 cm2) were successively compared with those obtained using the Hatle equation (A = 220/PHT) and by a planimetric determination. The coefficients of correlation were as follows: r = 0.80 (n = 36) and r = 0.70 (n = 32) (p less than 0.001). There was good correlation between the Hatle equation and the planimetric determination: r = 0.80 (n = 32, p less than 0.001). The continuity equation was carried out 15 times; the second measurement site was aortic in 8 cases and pulmonary in 7 cases. Correlations with the Gorlin equation were scored 0.70 and 0.80 respectively (p less than 0.05). The MA was best estimated by the Hatle equation, which was always technically feasible and not influenced by the presence of atrial fibrillation, mitral valve incompetence of previous commissurotomy. Planimetric determination, which is hampered in the presence of considerable calcification, remains valid after commissurotomy. The ultrasound estimation of the MA was very reliable when the planimetric and Hatle estimations concurred. The results obtained from the continuity equation were reliable; however, this method is slow, unreliable in a context of atrial fibrillation and inapplicable in a context of mitral valve incompetence.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The authors report 8 cases of hemopericardium compressing the left atrium occurring at varying intervals after cardiac surgery. This is an unusual anatomical and classically rare site of pericardial effusion. This type of tamponnade has special clinical features, leading to a picture of subacute left ventricular failure, by interference with filling and typical echocardiographic appearances, with special features in two-dimensional mode and, in TM mode, an abnormal anterior movement of the posterior wall of the left atrium, which is studied. CT scan of the thorax, when performed, confirms this highly specific topographic situation. This type of effusion must be managed surgically as quickly as possible, with an anterior approach, either by left thoracotomy or by midline sternotomy.

The efficacy of the fibrinolytic therapy in pulmonary embolism was studied by Doppler echocardiography: the evolution of the cardiac and angiographic changes could be studied in parallel. Thirty patients with severe pulmonary embolism and vascular obstruction greater than 40% (67.2 +/- 9.9%) were examined prospectively by Doppler echocardiography before and after thrombolysis. The following parameters were studied: systolic pulmonary artery pressure calculated from the jet of tricuspid regurgitation and left and right ventricular diameters for the calculation of the ratio of the ventricular dimensions. All patients underwent Doppler echocardiography and pulmonary angiography immediately after thrombolysis. The average improvement of the percentage vascular obstruction was 37%. The hemodynamic and echocardiographic changes were globally favourable. The pulmonary artery systolic pressure fell from 51 +/- 10 to 33 +/- 6.7 to 25.3 +/- 6.3 mm and the ratio of ventricular dimension from 0.87 +/- 0.3 to 0.60 +/- 0.16 (p less than 0.001). Only 4 patients had pulmonary artery systolic pressures over 40 mmHg after therapy compared with 26 before therapy. However, the hemodynamic and angiographic correlations were poor (r = 0.37; p less than 0.001). In the 6 patients in whom treatment was ineffective according to angiographic criteria (less than 20% improvement of vascular obstruction), the echocardiographic changes were small or absent, the improvement in the ratio of ventricular dimensions being less than 20%. However, a satisfactory correlation was observed between the percentage improvement of the ratio of ventricular dimensions and that of vascular obstruction (r = 0.59; p less than 0.001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The efficacy of intravenous flecainide and cibenzoline acetate in the reduction of atrial rhythm disorders was compared in two groups of 30 patients. These arrhythmias are divided in 31 atrial fibrillation, 11 tachy-systoles, 18 atrial flutters. Parenteral administration of the anti-arrhythmic drug over a 24 hour-period is preceded by a bolus injection of 1.5 mg/kg of flecainide acetate for group I, and a bolus of 1 mg/kg of cibenzoline for group II. The overall efficacy of the two molecules is comparable (53%) as well as the reduction of the atrial fibrillations (65% vs 57%). Flecainide acetate seems more effective in treating effectively atrial tachycardias (66.6% vs 40%), and cibenzoline is more effective in the treatment of atrial flutters (54% vs 14%). The functional, electrical and haemodynamic tolerance has always been good in both group, except in 2 patients, because of the indirect pro-arrhythmic effect of cibenzoline. We are concluding that the efficacy of both molecules is satisfactory and we advocate their use, as first intention, in recent and idiopathic atrial fibrillation; it seems that cibenzoline is more effective on ischemic cardiopathies and flecainide acetate is more effective on valvular cardiopathies. Nevertheless, the possible indirect pro-arrhythmic effect, sometimes poorly tolerated in the first minutes following administration of the bolus, only on organized atrial rhythm disorder, leads us to advocate the prescription of these two drugs when attempts of transesophageal or endocardiac atrial stimulation have failed.