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Biomedical subjects

A Vacheron

Publications and source records attributed to A Vacheron.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Treatment of severe mitral regurgitation caused by ischemic papillary muscle dysfunction: indications for coronary angioplasty.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognosis and functional outcome of mitral regurgitation caused by ischemic papillary muscle dysfunction with respect to treatment, and to determine the role of coronary angioplasty in this context. Thirty patients with severe ischemic mitral regurgitation were followed up for 33 +/- 3 months. Thirteen patients were treated medically (group I) and 17 patients underwent surgery or angioplasty (group II). The 3-year survival was 59.5% (45.6% in group I and 70.2% in group II). Angioplasty was only used in paroxysmal mitral regurgitation caused by papillary muscle ischemia. This technique resulted in spectacular immediate results in three patients with pulmonary edema caused by mitral regurgitation during myocardial ischemia. Surgical correction of mitral regurgitation should be considered without delay if angioplasty is not feasible or if the regurgitation is permanent or severe. Widening the indications of surgery or angioplasty should result in an improvement of the prognosis of these high-risk patients.

Acute Disease

Comparison of thallium myocardial scintigraphy after exercise and transoesophageal atrial pacing in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease.

Forty-nine patients admitted for assessment of chest pain underwent coronary angiography, planar Thallium 201 myocardial scintigraphy after submaximal exercise (TE) and transoesophageal atrial pacing (TAP). Early hypofixation with redistribution after 4 h indicated ischaemia. The criterion for a myocardial infarction (MI) was a fixed perfusion defect. Coronary angiography was carried out in all patients. Sixteen patients (group 1) had no MI and over 50% narrowing of at least one main coronary vessel. Ischaemia was noted in 10 of the 16 patients during exercise, and in 14 of the 16 patients during atrial pacing. The sensitivity for the prediction of coronary stenosis was 62% for TE and 87% for TAP. Nineteen patients (group 2) had had a previous MI. Reversible ischaemia was noted in 10 of the 19 patients during exercise, and in 11 of the 19 patients during TAP. Four of 14 patients with normal coronary arteries (group 3) had a reversible ischaemia with TE, and three of these same patients developed a positive scan with TAP. The respective specificities were 71% and 78%. Comparison of segmental hypoperfusion after TE and TAP gave identical results in 72 of the 80 segments studied in group I (90%), and in 88 of the 95 segments studied in group 2 (92%). The localizing value of TAP was good in left anterior descending (12 out of 18) and right coronary disease (16 out of 19), but poor in left circumflex stenosis (3 out of 9) misclassified as right coronary disease in four patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult

[Tamponade without cardiac rupture after repetitive thrombolysis in acute myocardial infarction].

The authors report the case of tamponade without cardiac rupture 48 hours after a second course of intravenous thrombolytic therapy undertaken for unstable angina in laterobasal infarction in a 72 year old woman. The outcome after ultrasonic guided pericardiocentesis and surgical drainage (700 cc) was favourable. This is a rare complication of thrombolytic therapy (10 cases) and usually observed after anterior myocardial infarction.

Aged

[Can patients with severe left ventricular dysfunction be treated by coronary artery bypass surgery?].

Forty three men and 3 women, with an average age of 59 years (13 to 78 years) underwent aorto-coronary bypass surgery despite severe left ventricular dysfunction (ejection fraction < 35%); 96% of the patients had previous infarction; 60% (N = 28) had unstable angina, 52% (N = 24) had had pulmonary oedema or an episode of congestive cardiac failure. The average ejection fraction was 29 +/- 4%, range 17 to 35%. Thirteen patients had ventricular aneurysms, 4 had grade 3 or 4 mitral regurgitation. The coronary lesions were usually multivessel left main coronary (6), triple vessel disease (27), double vessel disease (12), single vessel disease (1). The average number of bypass grafts per patient was 2.3. The average aorting clamping time was 63 minutes (range 26 to 133 minutes). There were 4 mitral valve replacements, 4 resections of ventricular aneurysms and 1 double procedure (aneurysmectomy and valve replacement). The operative mortality was 2.1% (1 death). During an average follow-up period of 27 months (range 3 to 90 months), there were: 2 recurrent infarctions, 13 episodes of cardiac failure and 8 cardiac deaths (cardiac failure: 5, sudden death: 2, recurrent infarction: 1). Two patients underwent cardiac transplantation. The regression of angina (90% of operated patients were asymptomatic) and the low operative risk, justify aortocoronary bypass surgery despite left ventricular dysfunction in patients with severe symptoms (unstable angina, chronic, invalidating angina). The medium-term results indicate a high risk of cardiac failure which is partially responsible for the secondary mortality rate of 17% at 2 years.

Actuarial Analysis

[Do calcium inhibitors have any role in secondary prevention of myocardial infarction?].

The value of using calcium blockers in post-infarction secondary prevention is controversial. The HELD meta-analysis (1989) involving 17,759 patients concluded that they made no contribution in this indication (9.8% mortality rate vs 9.3% in the control group). The findings of the DAVIT II study with verapamil demonstrate a significant reduction in the infarction recurrence rate (18% vs 21.6%) in the treatment group. In the patients without heart failure, there was some benefit in terms of reduced mortality (7.7% vs 11.8%). The true contribution of calcium channel inhibitors, relative to that of beta-blockers in post-infarction medication should be analyzed in function of the various infarction sub-groups (no Q-wave, thrombolytic, with or without left ventricular dysfunction), of the calcium channel inhibitor being investigated and of the administration regimen.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists

[Cardiovascular effects of noise].

The circulatory response to noise is dominated by a peripheral blood vessels vasoconstriction, of greater magnitude when asleep than awake. Noise of lower frequency seems more able to produce this response. With repetition of the noise, adaptation and tolerance to it quickly appears. Meanwhile prolonged high level noise exposition induces an increasing prevalence of arterial hypertension among industrial workers. This increase is also clearly found in residential communities living near airports. Long-term exposure to noise is a dangerous nuisance, that can lead to an increase in arterial blood pressure and favour coronary artery disease development.

Cardiovascular Diseases

[A rare cause of right cardiac insufficiency after pneumonectomy].

The authors report the case of a 55-year old patient, hospitalized for assessment of progressive right heart failure after left pneumonectomy due to bronchial epidermoid cancer. Right catheterization showed a dip-shaped right ventricular plateau and equal diastolic pressures (DOP 21 mmHg, diastolic pressure of the right ventricle 25 mmHg, capillary pressure 25 mmHg). A chest scan ruled out the possibility of pericardial invasion. Pericardial decortication was carried out on October 3, 1989. Six months later, the clinical signs of right heart failure had regressed. Chronic constrictive pericarditis (CCP) has been reported after cardiac surgery, but not cases have been reported after pulmonary surgery. In the absence of radiotherapy or metastatic invasion, this case leads to a discussion of the possibility of either pericardial trauma during surgery or, more probably, a fortuitous association with tubercular CCP.

Bronchial Neoplasms

[Doppler parameters of systolic function and heart rate].

This prospective study had two aims, to study the Doppler parameters of left ventricular systolic function with respect to heart rate, and to determine the influence of ischaemic heart disease on these variations. The Doppler indices (velocity time integral, maximum velocity and average acceleration of systolic flow in the left ventricular outflow tract) were measured and averaged over 3 beats after digitization: the measurements were repeated in 30 patients under basal conditions and after 2 minutes transoesophageal atrial pacing at 150 beats/min. These 30 patients were divided into 3 groups: group 1 control subjects with normal coronary arteries, n = 13, EF = 71 +/- 8.9%; group 2 coronary patients without myocardial infarction (greater than 70% stenosis on coronary angiography), n = 9, EF = 64.3 +/- 10.3%; group 3, coronary patients with previous infarction, n = 8, EF = 51.8 +/- 10.9% (p less than 0.0006). Variance analysis for repeated measurements showed significant decreases in velocity time integrals and maximum velocities after pacing (11.8% +/- 2.2 and 0.86 +/- 0.1 versus 18.3 +/- 2.2 and 0.91 +/- 0.1, p less than 0.0001 and p less than 0.05 respectively). This decrease was identical in the three groups. The variations observed were therefore related to the increase in heart rate and not to coronary status or left ventricular function.

Adult

[Clinical and angiographic results of delayed revascularization by angioplasty or bypass after intravenous thrombolysis in myocardial infarction].

Between 1988 and 1990, 150 patients treated for an infarction by intravenous thrombolysis underwent coronary arteriography. Sixty seven were managed by revascularisation by angioplasty (n = 49) or bypass (n = 18) more than 48 hours after thrombolysis. In this delayed revascularisation group, the time before initial fibrinolysis was 114 +/- 55 minutes. The artery responsible for the infarction was patent in 88 per cent of cases at 12 +/- 9 days, with ejection fraction being 56 +/- 12 per cent. Indications for revascularisation were: recurrence of angina, Thallium stress test showing redistribution (n = 9), diffuse lesions (n = 11) or tight (greater than 75 per cent) proximal stenosis without vessel wall sequelae (n = 10). Comparison of the bypass and angioplasty groups showed a lower ejection fraction in the former than the latter (47% VS 58%, p less than 0.01), more frequent three-vessel disease (50% VS 6%, p less than 0.01) and more frequent revascularisation of the anterior interventricular (100% VS 37%, p less than 0.01). There were 2 deaths and 5 recurrences of infarction at one year. Follow-up arteriography was performed between at 2 and 6 months in 72% of the patients: 16 had restenosis after angioplasty and 4 occlusion of the graft after bypass. A second revascularisation procedure was necessary 15 times (14 angioplasties, 1 bypass). The outcome after bypass or angioplasty was favourable in 90% of cases in this group of patients exposed to a recurrence of infarction.

Adult

[Should inferior myocardial infarction be thrombolysed?].

Recent randomised studies have demonstrated the benefits of administration of intravenous thrombolytic agents in the acute phase of myocardial infarction. Though the benefits are generally acknowledged in cases of anterior wall necrosis, the results in inferior infarction have been discordant. The early patency rate at 90 minutes after thrombolysis is lower in the right coronary and left circumflex than in the left anterior descending artery. The secondary reocclusion rate is twice as high on the right coronary artery. The significant increase in ejection fraction after thrombolysis has only been demonstrated in 2 of the 8 studies in the literature. The benefits in terms of early mortality were not significant in the GISSI study. A significant decrease in early mortality (7.2% vs 8.8%) was observed only in the ISIS 2 study with streptokinase. The reinfarction rate at 1 year was twice as high when the initial infarct was on the inferior wall. Analysis of the results in the literature shows that the benefits of intravenous thrombolysis was clearcut in certain subgroups of inferior infarction: ST elevation in over 3 leads, mirror-image anterior lead changes, very early treatment (before the 3rd hour), complicated infarcts (atrioventricular block, right ventricular extension, hypotension) or in inferior infarcts occurring after previous anterior infarction.

Humans

[Postinfarction segmental asynergy: correction after angioplasty. Predictive value of exercise thallium scintigraphy].

The aim of this study was twofold: to evaluate the frequency of reversibility of segmental post-subendocardial infarction asynergy after coronary angioplasty, and to test the predictive value of the redistribution phenomenon during stress Thallium scintigraphy with respect to the reversibility of segmental asynergy. The inclusion criteria for this study were: previous postsubendocardial myocardial ischaemia with residual resting or effort ischaemia documented with or without the Thallium test, segmented asynergy documented by quantitative analysis of the ventriculography, complete correction of coronary angioplasty of stenotic single or double vessel disease, a balanced coronary distribution or dominant left coronary in cases of lesion of the circumflex artery. Out of 254 consecutive angioplasty procedures 39 patients met these inclusion criteria. The location of the subendocardial infarct (SEI) was anterior in 17 cases and inferior in 22 cases. The study protocol included a Thallium scintigraphy from the 10th day after SEI, ventriculography 24 hours later, angioplasty and control ventriculography 24 hours after angioplasty. Comparison of the two ventriculographies opposed Group A (reversible asynergy) and Group B (irreversible asynergy) according to criteria defined in 15 normal subjects whose average regional ejection fraction (REF) was 0.53 +/- 0.11. This result enables definition of normal segmental motion if the REF greater than 0.30 (mean--2 SD); hypokinetic if the REF greater than 0.30 or akinetic if the REF less than 0.10 (mean--4 SD). An increase of REF of 0.15 (50% of the minimal normal value) allowed definition of reversibility of asynergy. By these criteria, 19 patients (48.7%) had reversible asynergy after PTCA; 20 had definitive asynergy (51.3%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult

[Holter electrocardiography before and after coronary angioplasty. Angiographic correlation after 24 hours and 6 months].

Myocardial ischaemia was searched for by Holter monitoring before and after coronary angioplasty with primary success in 31 patients. Control angiography was performed at 24 hours and 6 months after angioplasty. Twelve patients had signs of myocardial ischaemia before angioplasty (cumulated ischaemia: 743 minutes). The degree of coronary stenosis was 92 +/- 6% before angioplasty, 25 +/- 17% immediately after the dilatation increasing to 34 +/- 25% at the 24th hour (p less than 0.002). Despite successful angioplasty myocardial ischaemia persisted in 6 patients (cumulated ischaemia: 184 minutes) and was silent in 5 of the 6 cases. In these 6 cases, control angiography at 24 hours showed either a dissection (n = 4) or a filling defect (n = 2). The angiographic outcome of the postangioplasty stenosis and at 24 hours was the same in Group I without restenosis (25 +/- 14% versus 33 +/- 22%) as in Group II with restenosis (25 +/- 22% versus 37 +/- 30%). In Group I, the degradation of the result at 24 hours was reversible at 6 months (33 +/- 22% vs 23 +/- 14%). After angiographic success, postangioplasty ischaemia present in 20% of cases was frequently silent. No correlation was observed with restenosis at 6 months which raises the possibility of a reversible microthrombotic etiology. These results justify antiaggregant and anticoagulant therapy in the 48 hours following angioplasty.

Adult

[Dysfunction of aortocoronary bypass. Prognosis].

From 1978 to 1988, 108 patients with at least one occluded or stenosed aorto-coronary bypass graft (over 75% stenosis) underwent coronary angiography on average 31 months after the initial coronary bypass surgery. The occluded or stenosed coronary graft was either a saphenous vein (n = 126 including 9 sequentials) or internal mammary artery (n = 5). The bypassed artery was the left anterior descending (n = 66), right coronary (n = 40), left marginal (n = 25) or diagonal (n = 9). The number of occluded or stenosed grafts by patient was 1.2. The left ventricular ejection fraction was 55% (range 25 to 77%). During a mean follow-up period of 60 months after coronary angiography, there were 14 cardiac deaths and 15 non-lethal myocardial infarctions. Treatment comprised 12 angioplasties, 26 new bypass grafts and 3 cardiac transplantations. The 8 year actuarial survival was 84%. The survival without infarction at 8 years was 69%. Survival was significantly decreased to 72% when the occluded or stenosed graft was located on the left anterior descending artery. The survival without infarction at 8 years was 52% in the patients with dysfunction of left anterior descending artery grafts and 89% when the diseased graft was located on another artery (right coronary, left marginal, diagonal). Therefore, the data of this retrospective study show that coronary graft dysfunction on the right coronary, left marginal or diagonal arteries do not greatly influence life expectancy in the medium term after coronary bypass surgery.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Actuarial Analysis