[The dilemma of myocarditis treatment].
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Adult↗
Biomedical subjects
A C Barretto
Publications and source records attributed to A C Barretto.
Maximal functional capacity in patients with endomyocardial fibrosis.
We evaluated objectively the cardiocirculatory dysfunction of patients with EMF, and related the functional class (FC-NYHA) to the data obtained by analysis of maximal functional capacity. We studied 55 subjects, divided into three groups: group 1 (G1) 21 (38.1%) normal persons, group 2 (G2) seven (12.7%) patients with EMF who were in FC I or II, and group 3 (G3) 27 (49%) patients in FC III or IV. Maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) and O2 pulse index (PO2max) were obtained using a Beckman computerized gas analyser. The mean values were significantly different among the three groups. We conclude that the greater the clinical impairment, the greater the alterations that occur in the indices of cardiac function.
Adult↗
[Idiopathic restrictive cardiomyopathy].
PURPOSE: To characterize the idiopathic restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM) through clinical manifestations and complementary tests and to analyze the surgical benefit on the correction of tricuspid regurgitation. METHODS: Five patients with RCM idiopathic were retrospectively studied, 4 female and 1 male, with ages ranging from 30 to 59 (mean 40) years. The patients presented heart failure due to restrictive syndrome and were submitted to chest X-ray, EKG, echocardiogram, right ventricular endomyocardial biopsy, hemodynamic study and surgery. RESULTS: X-ray showed heart enlargement in all patients, but only one had pulmonary venous capillary congestion. EKG presented atrial fibrillation, complex QRS with low voltage on frontal axis, abnormal ventricular repolarization, right bundle branch block, inactive area and right ventricular hypertrophy. Complete atrioventricular block was observed in one patient. The echocardiogram study showed biatrial enlargement in all patients, and left ventricular dilatation in one patient with left ventricular dysfunction. Mild tricuspid regurgitation were observed in one patient and moderate in four. Two patients had mild mitral regurgitation. Diastolic dysfunction were observed at Doppler-cardiography in all patients. Right ventricular endomyocardial biopsy showed interstitial fibrosis, myocytes hypertrophy and myofibrils disarray. The hemodynamic study disclosed right ventricular hypertension in all patients. Three patients had hypotension in left ventricle and aorta. The left ventricular end diastolic pressure and pulmonary capillary pressure (pulmonary wedge pressure) were elevated in all patients. Dilated left ventricle with mild hypokinesia and right ventricular inferior hypokinesia and diastolic restriction were observed in one patient. One patient had similar pattern without diastolic restriction. Mild tricuspid regurgitation was observed in one patient, moderate in three and severe in one. Mild mitral regurgitation were observed in two patients. The restrictive pattern (deep and plateau) was present in three patients. Surgery were performed in all patients, and confirmed the mild tricuspid regurgitation in one and the moderate in four. De Vega plastia were performed in four patients. CONCLUSION: Among the complementary methods, echocardiogram and hemodynamic study were those of higher contribution to the diagnosis of idiopathic RCM. The disease has a poor evolution, even with clinical or surgical treatment. Heart transplantation may would be the best procedure on patients with symptomatic idiopathic restrictive cardiomyopathy.
Adult↗
[Biplane transesophageal echocardiography. Experience with 130 outpatients].
PURPOSE: To analyse the utility of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) as a complementary technique to transthoracic echocardiographic (TTE) comparing results and additional informations. METHODS: One hundred and thirty consecutive outpatients (66 male) submitted to TEE, with age ranging from 12 to 84 years were studied. Patients were grouped according to the main indication: evaluation of prosthetic valves, 21 patients; cardiac source of emboli, 43; diseases of the aorta, 17; infective endocarditis, 14; congenital heart diseases, 14 and other abnormalities in 21 patients. RESULTS: TEE provided additional and important information in all groups. Perivalvular leakage was observed in 42.1% of patients with prosthetic valves. Vegetations were detected in 45.5% of the suspected cases of endocarditis (missed by TTE). Dissection of aorta was diagnosed in 35.2% of patients with suspected disease and atrial septal defect was successfully recognized in 80% of the cases. No complications were observed. CONCLUSION: TEE is a safe and usefull complementary non-invasive diagnostic tool in the assessment of structures such as left atrium, left atrial appendage, thoracic aorta, prosthetic valves and in the investigation of infective endocarditis.
Adolescent↗
[Male sex. Prognostic factor in Chagas' disease].
PURPOSE: To verify if the ventricular function and the incidence of arrhythmias in patients of both sexes could be predominant in male patients with Chagas' disease. METHODS: Six hundred and thirty one patients were studied, 329 female and 302 male, with age of 10 to 64 years old (mean 40). All patients were submitted to M mode echocardiographic study to analyse the ejection fraction (EF). To verify the importance of the ventricular dysfunction in male and female patients, they were divided according to the EF in three groups: A) normal EF, B) EF between 0.64 and 0.45 and C) EF less than 0.44. The incidence of ventricular tachycardia was analyzed at the stress test or 24h Holter studies. RESULTS: The number of patients with depressed EF was more frequent on male patients (p < 0.0001). The incidence of ventricular tachycardia was similar in both sexes, however it was more frequent in patients with ventricular dysfunction. CONCLUSION: Our results show that there are greater myocardial dysfunction on male patients, what could explain the worse prognosis observed on patients of this sex.
Adolescent↗
[Proteinuria in patients with congestive heart failure. Role of arterial hypertension].
PURPOSE: To evaluate the role of arterial hypertension (AH) in the development of proteinuria in patients with decompensated congestive heart failure (CHF). METHODS: Twenty-four-hour urinary protein determinations were obtained from 30 patients with decompensated CHF, before and after therapy of CHF. The patients were divided in two groups according with the presence of AH as cause of CHF: group A, 18 patients with CHF due to AH and group B, 12 patients with CHF due to idiopathic dilated or chagasic cardiomyopathy without previous AH. RESULTS: There was no differences between the groups concerning age, sex, renal function and duration of CHF. Before treatment, 88% of group A presented proteinuria exceeding 150 mg/24h compared to 25% of group B (p < 0.01). After treatment of CHF, proteinuria > 150 mg/24 h remained in 38% of group A and in none of group B. Proteinuria did not reverse after 6 months of follow-up in 2 patients, one of them showed benign nephrosclerosis in renal biopsy. CONCLUSION: Patients with decompensated CHF, unrelated to AH, presented mild proteinuria reversible after the treatment, that improved renal function. In patients with CHF due to AH, proteinuria was more frequent, more severe and did not improve after the treatment, suggesting renal lesion.
Creatinine↗
[Beneficial effects of enalapril on the diastolic ventricular function in Chagas myocardiopathy].
PURPOSE: To verify the effect of enalapril on ventricular function and on the incidence of ventricular arrhythmias in patients with Chagas' disease with congestive heart failure. METHODS: We studied 20 patients with Chagas' disease, aged between 24 to 64 (mean 44) years. There were 17 male. All patients have positive serologic blood tests for Chagas' disease (immunofluorescence and Machado-Guerreiro test), left ventricular diastolic diameter superior to 55mm and ejection fraction less than 0.60. The patients were divided aleatory in two groups: control group (CG) with 9 patients receiving conventional treatment (digital and diuretics) and enalapril group (EG), with 11 patients where enalapril was added to conventional treatment. The treatment was maintained during two months and the patients were evaluated at the beginning and at the end, when they were submitted to clinical examination, echo-doppler-cardiogram, stress test and 24h Holter monitoring. At two dimensional echocardiographic study we evaluate left ventricular and left atrial diameters, at doppler study the E/A relations, the systolic volume and cardiac index. At the stress test and Holter monitoring we evaluate the incidence of ventricular arrhythmias. RESULTS: The comparison between initial and final evaluations, showed that there was a significant improvement of diastolic function (p = 0.04) and a trend to improvement of systolic function (great systolic volume and cardiac index) at EG. The incidence of non sustained ventricular tachycardia was the same in the two groups. CONCLUSION: In Chagas' disease enalapril improves significantly diastolic dysfunction in patients with heart failure. After two months of treatment we observed tendency to improvement of systolic dysfunction and the incidence of arrhythmias induced by stress test.
Adult↗
[Tachycardiomyopathy induced by atrial fibrillation].
A 56 year old woman with a previously normal heart developed severe left ventricular dilation and hypo-contractility after a few weeks of a refractory, high ventricular rate atrial fibrillation. Reduction of heart rate with verapamil resulted in a rapid normalization of myocardial contractility.
Atrial Fibrillation↗
[Acute aortic dissections. Hospital outcome of 186 cases].
PURPOSE: To determine in hospital outcome acute aortic dissection patients. METHODS: We revised 186 consecutive cases (up to 14 days of dissection), in a period of 6 years. The patients were divided according to Daily's classification (types A and B). RESULTS: Type A--127 cases: a) 75 were surgically treated (37 died); b) 2 were medically treated (both died); c) 39 died before the definitive treatment could be initiated; d) 11 died misdiagnosed or undiagnosed. The total mortality was 70.0%. Type B--59 cases: a) 11 complicated cases were surgically treated (6 died); b) 40 were medically treated (8 died); c) 7 died before the definitive treatment could be initiated; d) one died misdiagnosed. The total mortality was 37.25%. In summary, 41.4% of the patients survived. 28.4% died despite the definitive treatment, 24.7% died before the definitive treatment could be initiated and 6.4% died without the correct diagnosis. CONCLUSION: The acute aortic dissection is a dramatic situation, mainly type A. In this type of dissection many patients (41%) died misdiagnosed, undiagnosed or without enough time to surgical therapy. So, an earlier diagnosis and treatment are imperative.
Acute Disease↗
[Treatment of mild and moderate cardiac failure with captopril. A multicenter study].
PURPOSE: Evaluation of the clinical effects of captopril addition to the conventional therapy of functional class II and III (NYHA) congestive heart failure (CHF). METHODS: One hundred and fifteen patients with CHF, 46 (40%) class II and 69 (60%) class III, on conventional treatment (digitalis and diuretic) were the subject of this study. The age ranged from 22 to 75 years (mean 56.6 +/- 11); 67 were male and 66 were caucasians. The etiologies of the heart failure were: hypertensive heart disease 47 (40.9%), ischemic heart disease 27 (23.5%), Chagas cardiomyopathy 20 (17.4%), idiopathic cardiomyopathy 15 (13.0%), and other causes 6 (5.2%). Diuretic and digitalis were maintained in the same dosage during all the treatment. Captopril therapy was started with 6.25 mg b.i.d. or t.i.d., and the dosage was increased gradually to 25 mg b.i.d. or t.i.d. The duration of the study was 12 weeks. Clinical visits occurred every four weeks and laboratory tests were performed in the beginning and at the end of the study. RESULTS: The dosage of captopril ranged from 12.5 to 75 mg (mean 28.5 +/- 13.1 mg/day). The addition of captopril to the conventional therapy of CHF was associated with significant reduction (p < 0.01) of heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure. In the end of the study 13 patients (11.3%) were in functional class III, 50 (43.5%) in class II and 52 (45.2%) in class I. Globally, functional class was improved in 98 (85.2%) patients and remained unchanged in 17 (14.8%) (p < 0.01). The side effects (dizziness, cough, hypotension and headache) were moderate and uncommon and did not need interruption of the treatment. CONCLUSION: The addition of captopril to the conventional therapy of class II and III CHF was associated with significant improvement of functional class and with good tolerability.
Adult↗
[The electrocardiogram in endomyocardial fibrosis].
PURPOSE: To detail the most common electrocardiographic findings on the endomyocardial fibrosis and to correlate with the ventricular form. METHODS: One hundred patients with endomyocardial fibrosis (68 female) with ages between 5 and 64 years old (mean 34 years). According to ventriculographic aspect the patients were divided in three groups: group I--11 patients with predominant right ventricular compromise; group II--58 patients with biventricular involvement, but not necessarily similar in intensity; group III--31 patients with predominant left ventricular compromise. RESULTS: On patients with predominant right ventricular compromise, the electrocardiographic pattern was of QRS complex of low voltage in the frontal plane, presence of incomplete right bundle block and QRS complex with low voltage and with qr or qs aspect in V1 contrasting with QRS complex of great amplitude on V2 and V3. Left anterior hemiblock, aspect of inactive area, and R waves of high voltage on left precordial leads were observed on patients with predominant left ventricular involvement. CONCLUSION: The electrocardiogram of endomyocardial fibrosis, in spite of inespecific, may help in the identification of ventricular involvement.
Adolescent↗
[Primary angiosarcoma of the right atrium with a patent foramen ovale and severe hypoxemia].
A 19-years-old female with a primary right atrial angiosarcoma partially obstructing the tricuspid valve, developed severe hypoxemia due to right-to-left shunting through a patient foramen ovale. This is the first report of such clinical situation with this type of tumor. A complete resection of the tumor was attempted, and the right atrium had to be rebuilt with a bovine pericardium patch. Post-operative cranial, thoracic and abdominal CT scans and bone scintigraphy did not show metastatic spread. Chest radiation therapy was started on the third postoperative week. Chemotherapy was not used. The patient died five months after surgery due to disseminated metastatic disease but no evidence of the tumor was found in the necroscopic study of the heart.
Adult↗
Evolution of the endocardial fibrotic process in endomyocardial fibrosis.
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Adolescent↗
[Diet with usual quantity of salt in hospital treatment of congestive heart insufficiency].
PURPOSE: To study the consequences of a diet with usual salt quantity (non salt-restricted) on hospital treatment of congestive heart failure (CHF), in behalf of a better food intake. METHODS: Thirty-two patients admitted to compensation of class III or IV CHF, randomly allowed to group I (2 g salt per day diet) or II (10 g salt). Hypertensive, renal failure or restrictive syndrome cases were excluded. Oral medication and water intake were standardized; furosemide dosage was adjusted on a daly basis, allowing the study of this drug's requirements in each group. Compensation of CHF was defined as a return to classes I or II without edema. RESULTS: Group I included 14 and group II 18 patients. There was no significant difference between groups respective to the time needed for compensation of CHF (7.5 x 6.6 days, mean) percentual weight loss (12.2 x 10.0%), cumulative furosemide dosage (568 x 599 mg), mean daily furosemide dosage per kilogram of lean weight (1.43 x 1.58 mg/kg/day), and to 24-hour urinary excretion of sodium (241 x 254 mEq) and potassium (38.8 x 53.9 mEq). Small elevations of blood urea and potassium were an uniform trend. There was no significant alteration of plasmatic sodium. Food intake was adequate. There was one death for each group, from causes not directly related to CHF. CONCLUSION: Dietary salt intake did not adversely influence in-hospital compensation of severe CHF in studied group. In selected cases, adoption of a more liberal diet in this aspect may allow the patient a better ingestion of food.
Adult↗
[Endomyocardial fibrosis. Course in patients undergoing clinical and surgical treatment].
PURPOSE: To follow-up a group of patients during a period of time after either clinical or surgical approach. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A hundred and twenty-one patients were studied retrospectively with endomyocardial fibrosis (EMF) for a period that varied from one month to 11 years (mean = 32 months). Upon entrance, patients had from 5 to 64 years of age (mean = 30), being 41 male and 80 female. Biventricular involvement were present in 70 cases, whereas 36 showed pure left and 15 pure right ventricular involvement. The patients were divided in two groups: 62 treated clinically, and 59 surgically, the latest defined as fibrosis resection added to atrioventricular valve rebuilding or replacement. All surgical cases had a prior III to IV functional class (NYHA). RESULTS: In the clinical group there were 24 fatalities, 21 who were in class IV, 1 in class III, and 2 in class II. In the surgical group there were 18 fatalities, 12 early and 6 late. CONCLUSIONS: (1) All the patients who survived the operation showed functional class improvement; (2) surgical mortality decreased in the latest years; (3) clinical treatment is indicated to patients in classes I and II, groups with low mortality rates; (4) surgical treatment is indicated to patients in classes III and IV, provided that clinical mortality is high in these groups of patients.
Adolescent↗
[Rupture of the left sinus of Valsalva forming a subepicardial pseudoaneurysm].
A healthy 44 year-old male patient presented a calcified mass in the middle mediastinum on a chest film. During diagnostic investigation cineangiograms showed a rupture of the left sinus of Valsalva forming a large pseudoaneurysm that produced important distortion of the left coronary artery and it's main branches. The patient was submitted to surgical repair through the closure of the orifice of the ruptured left sinus of Valsalva with a bovine pericardium patch. The subepicardium was filled with organized thrombi which were removed. He was discharged from the hospital after uncomplicated postoperative course. Pathological examination of the aortic fragment did not yield the etiology of the rupture.
Adult↗
[Lymphocytic myocarditis. Response to treatment with immunosuppressive drugs].
PURPOSE: To evaluate immunosuppressive drugs on the treatment of myocarditis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Right ventricular endomyocardial biopsy was performed in 102 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. According to histopathologic aspect the patients were divided into two groups: I--with active lymphocytic myocarditis (ALM); II--without ALM: 51 patients. Ten patients from group I (Ib), with moderate or intense myocarditis were treated with prednisone and azathioprine during six months. RESULTS: After six months of observation, in group Ia (41 patients): 41 improved, 22% worsened and 12% died; in group Ib (10 patients): 60% improved, 10% worsened and 30% died; 51 patients in group II: 59% improved, 17% worsened and 10% died. Control biopsy on group Ib showed decrease of myocarditis in 62%. CONCLUSION: Immunosuppressive drugs do not always improve quality of life, or increase the survival, although in more than 50% of the cases it was possible to control inflammatory process.
Adolescent↗
[Indeterminate form of Chagas' disease. A polymorphic disease].
PURPOSE: To evaluate the association between the indeterminate form of Chagas' disease and abnormalities in non-invasive cardiovascular propedeutics. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-two patients in the indeterminate form of Chagas' disease, 17 female, with ages between 25 and 50 years were submitted to studies of: vectorcardiography, echocardiography, stress test, dynamic electrocardiography and scintigraphic studies (scintigraphic ventriculography and cardiac mapping with pyrophosphate of technetium), in a period of two months after first consultation. RESULTS: The analysis shows the percentual of altered exams: vectorcardiogram--68.2% (conduction disturbance--22.7%); echocardiogram--15.8% (apical hypokinesia); cardiac mapping 61.8%; scintigraphic ventriculography--68.2%; stress test--72.2% (reduced delta PS--50%, ventricular arrhythmia--50%); and dynamic electrocardiographic--50% (ventricular arrhythmias). We could observe also that the great majority of the patients has more than three exams altered (63.6%). The study of relation between methods, shows only association between reduced delta PS and ventricular arrhythmia, with concordant results in 72.7%. CONCLUSION: Indeterminate form of Chagas' disease appears to be a really chronic form, may be of attenuate aggressive potential, with indeterminate evolution and with polymorphic clinical exteriorization seeing only through invasive and non invasive propedeutic techniques.
Adult↗