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Biomedical subjects

D Horstkotte

Publications and source records attributed to D Horstkotte.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1994

[Brain abscess in patients with cyanotic heart defects].

As a result of hypoxia following right-to-left shunts, cerebral bacterial spreading and an altered blood-brain-barrier permeability, brain abscesses (BA) are typical complications in patients with cyanotic congenital heart disease. In 483 prospectively followed patients the incidence of BA was 0.45%/year. It was higher (0.57%/year) for patients with tetralogy of Fallot where the cumulative risk within the first two decades of life was 12.1 +/- 1.7%. The risk of BA complicating cyanotic heart disease is inconstant and continuously increasing up to approximately age 12 (instantaneous risk at that time: 1.75 +/- 0.12%), decreasing thereafter. With respect to etiology, infectious endocarditis, infections per continuitatem, bacterial meningitis, bacterial lung diseases with intrapulmonary shunts, and thromboembolic complications of systemic infections have to be differentiated. The stepwise diagnosis includes CCT to demonstrate the typical contrast enhancement and a lumbar puncture which shows granulocytic pleocytosis. If the cerebral spinal fluid fails to demonstrate the typical findings, cerebral angiography may be necessary to exclude a malignant vascularized neoplasma. In cases of doubt, stereotactic cerebral biopsy should be performed. Optimal antibiotic therapy after determining the minimal bactericidal concentration and combination of antibiotics is of utmost prognostic significance. Cranial computed tomography should be repeated after 6, 14, and 24 days. Infections resistant to antibiotics may necessitate local instillation of antibiotics.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

[The local lysis therapy of spontaneous renal artery dissection with arterial thrombosis].

A 33-year-old previously completely healthy man developed severe, at first colicky then persisting, pain in the left flank. The blood pressure was 190/110 mm Hg and he had pain over the left kidney on percussion. There was a mild leucocytosis (10,300/microliters), serum creatinine of 1.5 mg/dl and a rise in lactate dehydrogenase level to 395 U/l, while the urine was unremarkable. The pyelogram demonstrated on the left the upper calyceal system only and this very weakly. Colour Doppler ultrasound showed a massively reduced blood flow in the left renal vein while the artery was not visible. Digital subtraction angiography demonstrated eccentric narrowing of the left renal artery by an intravascular thrombus, providing the diagnosis of spontaneous renal artery dissection with thrombosis. Complete recanalization occurred after local thrombolysis with 500,000 IU urokinase over 7 hours, and subsequent administration of four times 40 mg tissue plasminogen activator over 4 hours. But the scintigram still demonstrated impaired renal function with decrease in clearance to 10% of total. The patient was still symptom-free on re-examination 16 months later, serum creatinine concentration was stable at 1.3 mg/dl and the blood pressure was normal.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Increased risk of bacterial endocarditis in inflammatory bowel disease.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this retrospective as well as prospective case-control study was to analyze a possible overrepresentation of inflammatory bowel diseases among patients with native valve endocarditis as well as the factors that predispose patients with inflammatory bowel disease to infective endocarditis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Among 213 consecutive patients treated for proven native valve endocarditis, six (2.8%) had inflammatory bowel diseases (three with ulcerative colitis and three with Crohn's disease). Three patients with inflammatory bowel disease were from the retrospective group, and three were from the prospective group. The prevalence of inflammatory bowel diseases has been determined to be 0.0641% in the Düsseldorf area. RESULTS: On the basis of these data, a 44-fold overrepresentation of inflammatory bowel diseases among the 213 patients with endocarditis was calculated with a statistical significance of p much less than 0.001. CONCLUSIONS: Inflammatory bowel disease may be considered an independent risk factor for bacterial endocarditis. Reasons may be more frequent bacteremias as a result of the higher incidence of diagnostic and therapeutic interventions, as well as increased permeability of the damaged mucosa for bacteria and the therapeutic immunosuppression in patients with active inflammatory bowel disease. Prophylaxis for bacterial endocarditis should be carefully considered before expected bacteremias in patients with highly active inflammatory bowel disease even in the absence of cardiac factors predisposing to bacterial endocarditis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Results of randomized mitral valve replacement with mechanical prostheses after 15 years.

Between 1974 and 1976 150 consecutive patients (pts) were operated on for isolated mitral valve replacement (MVR). Björk-Shiley (BS), Lillehei-Kaste (LK), and Starr-Edwards (SE) (type 6210) prostheses were implanted at random. All survivors were prospectively followed by regular clinical examinations every 6 to 12 months for 15 years. The mean follow-up time was 14.8 years. A constant subjective improvement after 15 years was reported in 62% of pts with BS, 30% with LK, and 49% with SE. The cumulative 14-year survival rate was 0.62 +/- 0.13 (BS), 0.56 +/- 0.16 (SE), and 0.54 +/- 0.15 (LK), respectively. Late mortality was due to thromboembolic events (n = 3), bleeding complications (n = 3), congestive heart failure (n = 7), documented arrhythmias or sudden death (n = 6). Thrombotic valve thrombosis (1 BS, 1 LK, 2 SE) required reoperations. Linearized cumulative rates after 14 years for thromboembolic complications were 14.2 +/- 3.1 (BS), 15.8 +/- 3.7 (SE), 24.3 +/- 4.2 (LK). The cumulative risk of severe bleeding complications was not different: BS: 35.8, LK: 35.2, SE: 34.3. During the first years of observation no significant differences between these mechanical prostheses could be observed, however, after 14 years of long-term follow-up the cumulative event-free rates were more favorable for the BS prosthesis.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

[Preservation of the posterior mitral valve leaflet and effect on follow-up results after additional mitral valve implantation].

As early as 1964, Lillehei et al. published the technique of preservation of the posterior mitral leaflet (PML) and chordae tendineae in combination with mitral prosthesis implantation (MPI). In a limited randomized number of 95 patients with MPI the influence of preservation of PML on hemodynamics and physical capacity at least 46 months after surgery without (group A) and with preservation of PML (group B) was investigated. Statistically significant differences in favor of group B were found for cardiac index, pulmonary artery pressure after stress, end-diastolic volume index (EDVI), physical capacity and survival rate after a complication-free course. Basing on these results at rest and after exertion (30 W), patients with preservation of PML and MPI are long-term in a better clinical condition.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Arrhythmias in the natural history of mitral stenosis.

Mitral stenosis with or without regurgitation is the most common form of valve disease associated with arrhythmias, as atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most frequent complication of mitral stenosis. AF may occur as transient episodes with the patients reporting a history of palpitation, paroxysmal dyspnea or tachycardia or as sustained arrhythmia.

Atrial Fibrillation↗
PubMed1992

[An increased incidence of bacterial endocarditis in chronic inflammatory bowel diseases].

Of 92 consecutive patients treated for proven native valve endocarditis three had ulcerative colitis and 2 Crohn's disease. All 5 patients developed severe complications; three had to undergo emergency valve replacement. With a prevalence of 64.1/10(5) cases of inflammatory bowel disease the calculated incidence (5/92) revealed a significant over-representation of inflammatory bowel disease among patients with proven endocarditis (p less than 5.08 x 10(-9)). Possible explanations may be the suppression of cellular immune defense by therapeutic interventions, high frequency of bacteremia caused by increased permeability of the damaged mucosa for bacteria and a higher incidence of diagnostic and therapeutic interventions in this patient population. Therefore, prophylaxis for bacterial endocarditis should be carefully considered before expected bacteremias in patients with highly active inflammatory bowel disease even in the absence of cardiac factors predisposing to bacterial endocarditis.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Pathomorphological aspects, aetiology and natural history of acquired mitral valve stenosis.

Commissural fusion, leaflet thickening and alteration of the subvalvular apparatus are dominant mechanisms causing clinically important mitral stenosis (MS) of rheumatic origin. Calcification and a consequent decrease in leaflet mobility are subsequent features in rheumatic MS and may be the primary mechanisms in MS of degenerative origin. In 1051 consecutive patients with pure or predominant MS requiring surgical intervention, aetiology was rheumatic in 76.9%, infective in 3.3%, degenerative (severe annular and leaflet calcification) in 2.7% and congenital (Lutembacher syndrome) in 1.2%; it was the result of systemic lupus erythematosus (n = 4), carcinoid heart disease (n = 2), endomyocardial fibrosis (n = 2) and rheumatoid arthritis (n = 2) in less than 1%, while in 14.5% of these patients aetiology remained unclassified. The natural history of rheumatic MS is characterized by an asymptomatic latent period, following the initial rheumatic fever (RF). In a prospective study of MS (n = 159) the mean interval between RF and the appearance of symptoms was 16.3 +/- 5.2 years. Twenty-five years after the initial RF 8% of the patients were still asymptomatic, 9% were class II (NYHA), 33% class III and 50% had been operated or were class IV. Progress from mild to severe disability took 9.2 +/- 4.3 years on average. When valve surgery was indicated but refused by the patients, survival with medical treatment was 0.44 +/- 0.06 after 5 years, 0.32 +/- 0.08 after 10 years and 0.19 +/- 0.09 after 15 years.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Humans↗
PubMed1990

Uncommon type of mitral insufficiency caused by perivalvular communication between left ventricle and left atrium.

This case report describes a patient with an uncommon type of mitral incompetence caused by a perivalvular communication between the left ventricle (LV) and the left atrium (LA) masked by a considerable fibrotic subvalvular aortic stenosis, endocarditis and congestive heart failure (CHF). A 64 year old farmer with a history of a systolic murmur since childhood complaining of increasing fatigue and dyspnoea, temperature over 39 degrees C, and signs of CHF was admitted and transferred to a cardiological unit. Invasive examination and continuing clinical deterioration caused urgent transfer for surgery under suspicion of a decompensated hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy. Clinical investigation revealed a decompensated subvalvular aortic stenosis and a mild mitral insufficiency. At surgery the advanced fibrotic subvalvular stenosis was resected. After coming off bypass severe mitral insufficiency was detected by intraoperative analysis of the simultaneous intracavitary-pressure tracings. A midsystolic maximum of a high V-wave of the LA-pressure tracing was suggestive of an unusual reason of the mitral insufficiency. Reexploration indicated a perivalvular broad communication from the LA groove to the LV with an otherwise normal mitral valve. The communication was closed using buttressed mattress-sutures. This uncommon type of mitral incompetence via a perivalvular LA-LV communication was probably caused by endocarditis and an intramyocardial abscess in the LA-wall which subendocardially led to LV-LA communication.

Abscess↗
PubMed1989

[Heart arrhythmia following surgery of congenital heart defects].

As a result of the intraoperative trauma sinus node dysfunction and AV conduction defects have been observed. In addition bifascicular block (RBBB with LAH) may occur after repair of a ventricular septal defect. This electrocardiographic pattern indicates a high risk of developing a trifascicular block only in those patients with reversible AV block in the early postoperative period. After closure of an atrial septal defect, atrial fibrillation can develop as well as ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation after repair of a ventricular septal defect. The latter seems to be the underlying mechanism of sudden cardiac death occurring late after operation, especially in patients with Fallot tetralogy. In addition to the scar, persistent structural myocardial changes seem to be an important factor. Electrophysiological investigation is indicated in all symptomatic patients especially for detection and treatment of ventricular tachyarrhythmias. However, there is yet no proof that sudden death can be prevented by antiarrhythmic treatment of all ventricular premature beats in the endangered patients.

Arrhythmias, Cardiac↗
PubMed1988

Thrombosis of two St. Jude Medical prostheses in one patient after triple valve replacement. Case report and review of the literature.

Reports of experience with the St. Jude Medical (SJM) valve state that thrombosis of the prosthesis is a rare complication. In a 57-year-old woman, reoperation was necessary 12 months after triple valve replacement using SJM prostheses because of thrombosis of the valves in the tricuspid and aortic positions. Dysfunction of both mechanical valves was detected clinically by changing heart sounds and the appearance of murmurs. Echocardiography and cinefluoroscopy confirmed at least one fixed leaflet of the tricuspid prosthesis, but abnormalities of the aortic prosthesis could not be detected. At reoperation, the SJM prosthesis in the tricuspid position was almost completely thrombosed and was replaced by an Ionescu-Shiley bioprosthesis. A thrombotic formation at the hinge point of the SJM aortic prosthesis was removed. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a thrombotic complication of two SJM prostheses after triple valve replacement in one patient.

Aortic Valve↗
PubMed1988

The natural history of aortic valve stenosis.

Despite different aetiologies, acquired aortic stenosis is a self-maintaining, slowly progressive process with good long-term prognosis. In 142 patients with mild stenosis, there was clinical progression within 10 years of the initial diagnosis in only 12% of patients. Twenty-five years after the diagnosis had been established, the severity of aortic stenosis was clinically unchanged in 38%, while 25% of patients had moderate stenosis and 35% had undergone valve replacement. Progression of moderate aortic stenosis was more rapid: the average time interval between the manifestation of moderate aortic stenosis and surgery was 13.4 years. Age at the onset of initial symptoms was related to aetiology: 39 +/- 18 years with rheumatic aortic stenoses, 48 +/- 6 years in patients with bicuspid valves who had no history of rheumatic fever, infective endocarditis or myocarditis, and 66 +/- 12 years in degenerative, calcific stenoses of tricuspid aortic valves. Patients with haemodynamically severe stenosis who had refused the recommended operation (n = 55) had an overall poor prognosis: mean survival averaged 23 +/- 5 months and the five-year probability of survival was 18 +/- 7%. All these patients died within 12 years of observation. Mean survival after the occurrence of angina pectoris was 45 +/- 13 months, after syncope 27 +/- 15 months, and after first occurrence of left heart failure 11 +/- 10 months.

Adolescent↗