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C Stöllberger

Publications and source records attributed to C Stöllberger.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2003

Bronchial asthma causing symptoms suggestive of angina pectoris.

Many patients undergoing pharmacological stress echocardiography for assessing symptoms suggestive of coronary artery disease are found to have a normal test. This study was performed to evaluate whether asthma symptoms simulate angina pectoris. A total 41 consecutive patients who had a negative pharmacological stress echocardiography and had been evaluated for angina pectoris were studied. Patients with previously known coronary artery disease or obstructive lung disease were excluded. Lung function testing was performed and the authors proceeded either with the administration of a bronchodilator or with methacholine challenge testing. A questionnaire was applied to assess the symptoms dyspnoea, chest tightness and substernal burning at the end of the challenge test. In addition, patients were asked if they were experiencing those symptoms that made them seek medical attention. From the 41 patients tested, 26 patients showed a significant bronchial hyperreactivity (mean +/- SD provocative concentration causing a 20% fall in the forced expiratory volume in one second 5.93 +/- 4.50 mg x mL(-1)). A total of 20 patients confirmed having those symptoms that led to cardiac evaluation. It was concluded that symptoms suggestive of angina pectoris might represent bronchial asthma. This should be considered in the differential diagnosis of angina pectoris.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Is left atrial appendage occlusion useful for prevention of stroke or embolism in atrial fibrillation?

Since in atrial fibrillation more than 90% of the thrombi are located in the left atrial appendage, an "elimination" of the left atrial appendage, either by resection or occlusion, seems an attractive alternative to oral anticoagulation. Although frequently regarded as an useless appendage, data from animal and human investigations show that the left atrial appendage may play an important role in the maintenance and regulation of the cardiac function, especially in arterial hypertension, atrial fibrillation, coronary heart disease, valvular heart disease and heart failure. Elimination of the left atrial appendage may impede thirst in hypovolemia, deteriorate hemodynamic responses to volume or pressure overload, decrease cardiac output and promote heart failure. Instead of preventing stroke, the consequences of left atrial appendage elimination may create new risk factors for stroke and thus might induce more harm than benefit to patients with atrial fibrillation. As long as the physiologic and pathophysiologic role of the left atrial appendage is not fully understood, left atrial appendage elimination should not be an alternative to oral anticoagulation.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Cranial nerve lesions and abnormal visually evoked potentials associated with the M694V mutation in familial Mediterranean fever.

A 52-year-old Turkish man with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) due to the homozygous M694V mutation in the MEFV-gene on chromosome 16p13.3, newly developed hemicrania, blurred and double vision, ptosis, ophthalmoparesis and peripheral facial nerve palsy. Except for double vision, all the other abnormalities disappeared spontaneously within 10 days after onset. Markedly prolonged latencies of the visually evoked potentials were also found. At follow-up, 8 months after onset of the neurological abnormalities, right-sided bradydiadochokinesia, right-sided discrete weakness and right-sided hypaesthesia were found. After the exclusion of other hereditary fever syndromes, migraine, stroke, Molaret's meningitis, Behçet's syndrome and mitochondriopathy by clinical, serological, CSF investigations, funduscopy, electroencephalography, and cerebral MRI and MRI angiography, the described neurological abnormalities were regarded as CNS and PNS manifestation of vasculitis or amyloidosis in FMF.

Evoked Potentials, Visual↗
PubMed2001

[Echocardiography in storage and neuromuscular disorders].

Storage disorders and neuromuscular disorders may lead to cardiac involvement which can be visualized by echocardiography. In storage disorders like hypothyroidism, haemochromatosis, amyloidosis, mucopolysaccharidosis and Fabry's disease, myocardial thickening and systolic dysfunction can be found. In amyloidosis, atrial enlargement and abnormal texture of the myocardium are additional findings. In advanced haemochromatosis all cardiac chambers may be dilated. In hypothyroidism and amyloidosis, a pericardial effusion can be present. In haemochromatosis and amyloidosis, a restrictive filling pattern may be detected using Doppler-sonography. Mucopolysaccharidosis and Gaucher's disease may lead to aortic and mitral stenosis. In neuromuscular disorders like glycogenosis, mitochondriopathy and myotonic dystrophy, myocardial thickening and systolic dysfunction are found, in spinal muscular atrophy myocardial thickening and in muscular dystrophy Becker/Duchenne systolic dysfunction. An abnormal myocardial texture may be present in glycogenosis, isolated left ventricular abnormal trabeculation (ILVAT) in mitochondriopathy, myotonic dystrophy and muscular dystrophy Becker/Duchenne. Using Doppler-sonography an impaired relaxation of the left ventricle may be detected in mitochondriopathy, myotonic dystrophy and spinal muscular atrophy. Most of these echocardiographic findings are unspecific and may be overlooked, especially if the storage or neuromuscular disorder is yet unknown. Establishing a correct diagnosis is important, since healing or functional improvement is possible in many of these disorders.

Amyloidosis↗
PubMed2001

Possible causes of symptoms in suspected coronary heart disease but normal angiograms.

BACKGROUND: In patients with suspected coronary heart disease and normal angiography, the causes of cardiac symptoms frequently remain undetermined. A correct diagnosis is desirable, however, since some of the underlying disorders may be curable, treatable, influence prognosis, or induce screening of the relatives. HYPOTHESIS: In such patients, the prevalence of arterial hypertension, hemochromatosis, hypothyroidism, hypoparathyroidism, tachycardiomyopathy, amyloidosis, and neuromuscular disorders as a possible cause for their symptoms and the seroprevalence of micro-organisms, known to cause myocardial damage, were assessed. METHODS: Consecutive patients with normal coronary angiograms were invited for two visits comprising clinical history and investigation, electrocardiograms, blood tests, and echocardiography. Patients were investigated neurologically if unexplained anginal chest pain or creatine kinase elevation persisted or if echocardiography showed isolated left ventricular abnormal trabeculations. RESULTS: In 71 patients (31 women, 40 men, mean age 60 years), the most common cause for cardiac symptoms was hypertension (66%), followed by neuromuscular disorders (13%), tachycardiomyopathy (9%), hypothyroidism (4%), and hemochromatosis (3%). The seroprevalence for Chlamydia species was 90%, Helicobacter pylori 70%, Chlamydia pneumoniae 63%, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato 15%, and Rickettsia conorii 10%. No possible cause was found in 24% of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with suspected coronary heart disease and normal angiograms, hypertension, neuromuscular disorders, tachycardiomyopathy, hypothyroidism, and hemochromatosis should be considered as possible causes.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Left ventricular hypertrabeculation in myotonic dystrophy type 1.

BACKGROUND: Left ventricular hypertrabeculation (LVHT) has not been described in myotonic dystrophy Type I (MD1) before. CASE REPORT: A 42-year-old man developed typical features of MD1 since 1992. Creatinekinase was slightly, but recurrently elevated. Needle electromyograms were myogenic and showed extensive spontaneous activity. Muscle biopsy was compatible with MDI. DNA analysis revealed a heterozygous 300 CTG-repeat expansion in the myotonic-dystrophy proteinkinase gene on chromosome 19q13.3. Cardiac history and clinical cardiologic examination were normal. On ECG, ST elevation and atrial flutter were found. The AECG was normal except for atrial flutter. Surprisingly, transthoracic echocardiography revealed LVHT, previously described only in Becker's muscular dystrophy, mitochondriopathies, and Barth syndrome. CONCLUSION: A rare cardiac manifestation of MD1 may be LVHT which alone has no therapeutic implication.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Spontaneous left ventricular hypertrabeculation in dystrophin duplication based Becker's muscular dystrophy.

BACKGROUND: Left ventricular hypertrabeculation is frequently associated with neuromuscular disorders. Whether left ventricular hypertrabeculation in these patients is congenital or develops during lifetime, is unknown. CASE REPORT: In a 65-year-old man with Becker's muscular dystrophy, due to a duplication in the dystrophin gene on chromosome Xq21 (dystrophin molecular weight: 500 kD), left ventricular hypertrabeculation was detected on transthoracic echocardiography although being absent in repeated previous echocardiographic examinations. Additionally, there was thickening of the left ventricular myocardium. The spontaneous occurrence of left ventricular hypertrabeculation was interpreted as progression of cardiac involvement in Becker's muscular dystrophy. CONCLUSION: Left ventricular hypertrabeculation may not exclusively be congenital, but may occasionally develop spontaneously during lifetime, being interpreted as progression of cardiac involvement in Becker's muscular dystrophy.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Resolution of an aortic thrombus under anticoagulant therapy.

In a 50-year-old woman, admitted because of a renal infarction, a 10-cm long floating, highly mobile thrombus with a diameter of 15-20 mm in the descending aorta was detected by transoesophageal echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging. She was a poor surgical candidate due to obstructive lung disease and obesity. Under intravenous heparinization with prothrombin time test values between 80 and 100 s, followed by oral anticoagulation with international normalized ratio values between 3.0 and 4.0, the thrombus resolved after 10 weeks and no recurrence occurred over the next 30 months.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed2001

Relation of cardiac abnormalities and CTG-repeat size in myotonic dystrophy.

It is unclear if the severity of cardiac involvement in patients with myotonic dystrophy (MD) is related to the size of the CTG-repeat expansion. This open, uncontrolled, observational, prospective study aimed to find out if there is a relation between the severity of cardiac involvement in MD and the CTG-repeat size. In 21 patients with MD, (8 women, 13 men, aged 11-88 years) a detailed cardiologic examination, including history, clinical examination, electrocardiography (ECG), transthoracic echocardiography and ambulatory 24-h ECG, was carried out and cardiac involvement was assessed according to a previously described scoring system. Additionally, the CTG-repeat size was determined from nuclear DNA of blood leukocytes. The correlation between the CTG-repeat size and the mean heart rate, PQ-interval, QTc-interval, fractional shortening, left ventricular enddiastolic diameter, septal thickness, posterior wall thickness, mean heart rate on 24-h ECG and cardiac involvement score was r=0.47, r=0.086, r=0.11, r=-0.27, r=-0.34, r=-0.06, r=-0.12, r=0.16 and r=0.09 (all p>0.05), respectively. In patients 21-30, 31-40 and 41-50 years of age, cardiac involvement increased with increasing CTG-repeat size. In younger patients, the number of CTG-repeats needed to develop a reasonable cardiac involvement was higher than in older patients. Depending on age, cardiac involvement increases with increasing CTG-repeat size obtained from blood leukocytes in patients with MD.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Serum creatine kinase elevation in a medical department.

Serum creatine kinase (CK) levels are diagnostic markers for acute myocardial infarction. Many other causes however, including neuromuscular disorders, may induce serum CK elevation as well. Aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of potential causes for serum CK elevation in a medical department. In particular we were interested in the recognition of patients in whom serum CK elevation was due to a neuromuscular disorder. Included in this prospective study were 100 consecutive patients in whom the CK level, determined at admission, was increased (> 70 IU/l in female, > 80 IU/l in male patients). After admission we looked for the presence of causes known to induce CK elevation. Patients with no potential cause for CK elevation were invited for follow-up investigations three months later. If no potential cause could be found and if CK was elevated again on this occasion, the patient was referred for a comprehensive neurological investigation. The prevalence of patients with CK elevation was 11.2%. The 100 patients (44 female, 56 male) were aged from 23 to 94 (mean 67) years. In 95% CK elevation was only up to 500 IU/l. The most frequent cause for serum CK elevation was acute myocardial infarction in 32%. Further frequent causes were drug intake (32%), fall (24%), haematoma (17%), intramuscular injection (16%) and malignancy (11%). In 61% of the cases at least two potential causes for serum CK elevation could be detected. Neuromuscular disorders were found in only 2%. This study shows that serum CK elevation occurs in 11% of patients admitted to a medical department and can be explained by acute myocardial infarction in only 32%. In almost two thirds of the patients, more than one potential cause for serum CK elevation can be found thus making CK elevation a rather unspecific finding. Neuromuscular disorders are rarely found as a cause of serum CK elevation in a medical department.

Accidental Falls↗
PubMed2001

[The role of dobutamine stress echocardiography in the clinical routine of a department of cardiology].

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to assess the role of dobutamine stress echocardiography (SE) for diagnosis and therapy of coronary artery disease (CAD) in the routine practice of a cardiological department in which bicycle stress-testing, scintigraphy and coronary angiography are available. METHODS: Between January 1997 and September 1998, 123 patients (79 men, 44 women, 60.1 +/- 9.9 years) underwent SE. SE-indication, SE-result and the consequence of the SE were registered. A telephone follow-up, asking for events and cardiac interventions, took place after at least one year. RESULTS: SE was performed in 57 patients with suspected CAD and in 66 patients with known CAD. The indications were inconclusive bicycle stress-testing or perfusion scintigrams (n = 77), search for hibernation (n = 22), discrepancy between presenting symptoms and results of previous investigations (n = 14) and preoperative risk stratification (n = 10). In the group with suspected CAD, the proportion of female patients was higher (p = 0.001), in the group with known CAD the proportion of male patients was higher (p = 0.002). SE showed an ischemic reaction in 35 patients, hibernation in 24 patients, no ischemic reaction in 56 patients and was inconclusive in 8 patients. The consequence of SE was recommendation for diagnostic coronary angiography (n = 27), revascularisation (n = 10), abstention from any invasive intervention (n = 77), noncardiac surgery (n = 9) and electrophysiological investigation (n = 1). During the investigated period, 955 bicycle stress-tests, 677 Thallium scintigrams and 987 coronary angiograms were carried out. During the follow-up (15 +/- 2.9 months) 4 patients died. In 6 patients cardiac interventions were carried out. No differences were observed regarding events and interventions depending on SE results and consequences. CONCLUSIONS: At a cardiological department SE plays a role if findings are inconclusive and if hibernation or operative risk is looked for. A negative SE result most commonly leads to abstention from invasive intervention. If the SE result is positive, the recommendation for invasive intervention is also influenced by the clinical symptoms and the size of the ischemically reacting myocardium.

Adrenergic beta-Agonists↗
PubMed2001

Intramyocardial hematoma mimicking abnormal left ventricular trabeculation.

Intramyocardial hematoma may present as a tumor or pseudoaneurysm on echocardiography. A 68-year-old man was admitted with a subacute posterior wall infarction complicated by ventricular fibrillation. Echocardiography showed isolated left ventricular abnormal trabeculations, a finding suggesting an associated skeletal muscle disorder, in the lateral wall. At cardiac surgery, performed 6 weeks later because of severe 3-vessel disease, an intramyocardial hematoma of the lateral wall was excised, and myocardial and skeletal muscle biopsies were taken, which showed neither isolated left ventricular abnormal trabeculations nor skeletal muscle disorder. Postoperatively, echocardiography revealed no abnormal trabeculations.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Seroprevalence of antibodies to microorganisms known to cause arterial and myocardial damage in patients with or without coronary stenosis.

Infections are assumed to play a role in coronary artery disease (CAD) and cardiomyopathies. It is unknown whether the seroprevalence of antibodies to these microorganisms is higher in patients with than without CAD. The seroprevalence of antibodies to Bartonella henselae, Borrelia burgdorferi, Chlamydia pneumoniae, Coxiella burnetii, Helicobacter pylori, human granulocytic Ehrlichia, Leptospira, Rickettsia conorii, and Treponema pallidum was assessed prospectively in patients with exertional dyspnea or anginal chest pain who underwent coronary angiography because of suspected CAD. Patients with normal angiograms (NA) were those in whom no more than 50% stenosis of any coronary artery was found. Patients with CAD were patients who underwent percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. There were 50 patients with CAD (9 female) and 62 with NA (25 female), with a mean age of 62 years. All patients had antibodies to at least one microorganism: to B. henselae, 8% of CAD patients and 5% of NA patients; to B. burgdorferi IgG, 14% CAD and 6% NA; to B. burgdorferi IgM, 6% CAD and 3% NA; to C. pneumoniae lipopolysaccharide (LPS) IgA, 76% CAD and 77% NA; to C. pneumoniae LPS IgG, 80% CAD and 90% NA; to C. burnetii, 0% CAD and 5% NA; to H. pylori, 92% CAD and 68% NA; to human granulocytic Ehrlichia, 8% CAD and 3% NA; to Leptospira IgG, 4% CAD and 2% NA; to R. conorii, 10% in both groups; and to T. pallidum, 2% CAD and 0% NA. The seroprevalence of antibodies to micro-organisms known to induce arterial and myocardial damage does not differ between patients with CAD and NA.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Nail-patella syndrome associated with respiratory chain disorder.

Nail-patella syndrome (NPS) has not been described to be associated with a respiratory chain disorder (RCD) before. In a 42-year-old man with the typical phenotype of an NPS, weakness and wasting of the shoulder girdle muscles, muscle cramps, fatigability, hyperhidrosis, chest pain and creatine kinase elevation were observed. Echocardiography revealed left ventricular hypertrabeculation. Needle electromyography was myopathic, lactate stress testing was abnormal, muscle biopsy showed typical features of an RCD and mtDNA analysis revealed the A3243G MELAS mutation. In conclusion, this case demonstrates that NPS may be randomly associated with RCD. NPS patients should undergo detailed cardiological and neurological investigations, in order not to overlook a double trouble partially mimicking NPS.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Evaluation of risk factors for stroke/embolism and of complications due to anticoagulant therapy in atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: We sought to assess in outpatients with atrial fibrillation and oral anticoagulation (1) whether the complication rate is influenced by the presence of the risk factors age >65 years, arterial hypertension, diabetes, or previous stroke; (2) whether the complication rate is influenced by the number of additional drugs taken by patients; and (3) whether problems and interventions differ between patients with or without complications. METHODS: - Clinical characteristics, drugs, problems, interventions, and complications were registered during 2 years. RESULTS: - Three hundred sixty patients (mean age, 68 years; 43% female) were observed for 383 patient-years. Patients aged >65 years had more serious, life-threatening, or fatal complications (11% versus 5.3%/100 patient-years; P=0.0428) than younger patients. Patients with diabetes had more life-threatening and fatal complications (2.8% versus 0.6%/100 patient-years; P=0.0354) than patients without. The complication rate did not differ regarding the presence of previous stroke or hypertension. Patients who took </=3 drugs had fewer complications than patients who took more (4.3% versus 24.4%/100 patient-years; P=0.0041). Patients with complications complained more of chest (48% versus 28%/100 patient-years; P=0.0113) and abdominal pain (30% versus 13%/100 patient-years; P=0.0057), more frequently failed to keep appointments (134% versus 107%/100 patient-years; P=0.0321), had a higher tracking rate (134% versus 105%/100 patient-years; P=0.0272), and took more additional drugs (4.6 versus 3.5 drugs per day; P=0.0063) than patients with no complications. CONCLUSIONS: - Patients with increased age or diabetes mellitus or those who take >3 drugs per day have an increased complication rate and thus need especially careful monitoring of oral anticoagulation, including adequate pain control.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed2001

Isolated left ventricular abnormal trabeculation: follow-up and association with neuromuscular disorders.

OBJECTIVES: To assess in patients with isolated left ventricular abnormal trabeculation (ILVAT), by a prospective follow-up study, whether the echocardiographic appearance of ILVAT changes, whether cardiac symptoms change, how many patients are hospitalized because of cardiac problems or die, and whether ILVAT is associated with neuromuscular disorders in all patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: ILVAT was diagnosed in 33 patients--nine women and 24 men--aged 30 to 73 years. At baseline, all patients underwent a cardiological and neurological investigation. Between October and December 1999 they were invited for a clinical and echocardiographic follow-up. results: During a mean follow-up duration of 19 months, ILVAT remained unchanged. Cardiac symptoms worsened in one patient and improved in 10. Five patients were hospitalized and four patients died, two of them suddenly. ILVAT was associated with neuromuscular disorders in 26 patients (81%). conclusions: Although ILVAT does not change over time, cardiac function may deteriorate. Because the rate of arrhythmias is high and even causes death in some patients, effective antiarrhythmic therapy should be considered. ILVAT is assumed to be a cardiac manifestation of a neuromuscular disorder or a special type of a cardiomyopathy.

Adult↗