Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to A Hagege.
The authors report a case of intracoronary rupture of the tip of a guidewire used for angioplasty. They discuss its mechanism and management. The hazards involved in re-using coronary dilatation material are underlined.
Five fluoro-uracil (5-FU) is a cytotoxic drug which has been extensively used for chemotherapy since 1957. Ischaemic heart disease resulting from its administration is rare. Spontaneous angina during infusions of 5-FU was observed in two patients with electrocardiographic changes suggesting coronary spasm. After treatment, clinical examination, electrocardiogram, echocardiogram, stress test, coronary angiography with left ventriculography were all normal. An Ergonovine test was performed in one patient but failed to elicit coronary spasm. In the other patient, intravenous trinitrin and diltiazem were ineffective in preventing the ischaemic changes. A review of the literature is presented (51 cases). The pathophysiology of 5-FU-induced ischaemic heart disease is not fully understood. In 9 cases, coronary angiography was normal and coronary spasm was suggested as a possible cause. However, antispastic drugs are usually ineffective. It has been shown experimentally that 5-FU has a direct toxic effect on the myocardium.
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One hundred and sixteen patients (mean age 46 years) with dilated cardiomyopathy documented by haemodynamic investigations and angiography with normal coronary arteriography were followed up for a mean period of 29 +/- 19 months. During that period, 36% of the patients died after a follow-up of 30 +/- 20 months. The actuarial death rates were 15% at 2 years, 45% at 6 years and 60% at 10 years. The main factors predictive of survival at 10 years were the clinical and haemodynamic markers of left heart failure. The death rate was multiplied by 1.6 in patients in stages III or IV of the NYHA classification (83% vs 51%, p less than 0.01), by 2.6 in patients with left ventricular end-diastolic pressure above 15 mmHg (73% vs 29%, p less than 0.01), by 2.2 when the indexed end-diastolic volume rose above 200 ml/m2 (75% vs 35%, p less than 0.01), by 2.2 when the left ventricular ejection fraction was below 40% (75% vs 35%, p less than 0.05) and by 2.6 when angiographic mitral valve regurgitation was present (75% vs 34%, p less than 0.01). The death rate at 9 years was 2.3 times higher in patients with left bundle branch block (72% vs 36%, p less than 0.05). A cardiothoracic index over 0.60 proved to be of poor prognosis at one year (death rate: 19%). While alcoholism played no part in the prognosis, the death rate in smokers was consistently higher than in non smokers (56% vs 32% at 6 years, p less than 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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Sarcoidosis was found in three patients referred for etiologic diagnosis of chronic or rapidly progressive renal failure. One patient presented as an isolated interstitial nephropathy and renal biopsy showed granulomatosis. The two other patients had hypercalcemia. In one, hyperparathyroidism was discussed and cervicotomy disclosed a sarcoidosic adenopathy. Under corticosteroid therapy, renal function improved in each of the three patients. It is pointed out that accurate diagnosis of this setting is of significance since effective therapy is possible.