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G Caturelli

Publications and source records attributed to G Caturelli.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

[Integrated echocardiography (transthoracic-transesophageal) in the differential diagnosis of left atrial myxoma. Description of three clinical cases].

Myxomas are the most common of all primary cardiac tumors among adults; most of them originate from the left atrium in the area of the fossa ovalis. Although atrial myxomas are histologically and clinically benign tumors, they can rarely cause severe complications including embolization and sudden death caused by left ventricular outflow tract obstruction and coronary or cerebral embolization. Echocardiography (Transthoracic and transesophageal) has been considered as the procedure of choice for the diagnosis of atrial myxomas. We report 3 cases in which it has been echocardiographically observed at left intra-atrial mass with similar motion behavior and attachment site, where transesophageal echocardiography has been very important to correctly lead the differential diagnosis (between atrial myxoma and atrial thrombus).

Aged↗
PubMed1995

Left ventricular morphology and diastolic function in uraemia: echocardiographic evidence of a specific cardiomyopathy.

OBJECTIVE: To see whether cardiac morphological and functional abnormalities in uraemic patients are determined by high blood pressure or if they are an expression of a specific cardiomyopathy. DESIGN: Cross sectional study. SETTING: City general hospital in Italy. SUBJECTS: 35 uraemic patients receiving haemodialysis (17 men, 18 women; mean age 60.3 (11.2); mean duration of dialysis 52 months) were selected from the 64 patients in Venice who were receiving dialysis; subjects with diabetes, haemochromatosis, valvar dysfunction, regional dyskinesias, and pericarditis were excluded. 19 control normotensive subjects (6 men and 13 women), matched for age. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Echocardiographic measurements of left atrium, left ventricular end diastolic and end systolic volume, aortic root diameter, posterior wall and interventricular septum thickness, left ventricle mass index, and ejection fraction in controls and in patients according to whether they were normotensive (five men, eight women) or hypertensive (12 men, 10 women) on 48 hour ambulatory monitoring; left ventricular diastolic function by Doppler ultrasonography. RESULTS: Mean systolic and diastolic pressures, daytime systolic and diastolic pressures, and night time systolic and diastolic pressures were significantly higher in the hypertensive patients than in the normotensive patients. The normotensive patients had similar blood pressures to the controls. Left ventricular mass correlated significantly with the mean diastolic pressure and mean night time systolic and diastolic pressures. Parathyroid hormone concentrations were similar in the two groups of patients. Diastolic relaxation was impaired to the same degree in the two groups of patients. Parameters of diastolic function showed no relation to left ventricular mass, which was significantly higher in the hypertensive than in the normotensive patients. CONCLUSIONS: Uraemia is likely to induce specific changes in the relaxation properties of the myocardium. These changes are responsible for the impaired diastolic function independently of blood pressure, degree of hypertrophy, and metabolic changes, which suggests the existence of a specific cardiomyopathy. Hypertension remains a determinant of left ventricular mass.

Diastole↗
PubMed1987

[Carotid sinus syndrome. Description of a case treated by surgical denervation].

A 43 years old man suffering from syncopal attacks and episodes of dizziness was found as affected by right carotid sinus syndrome causing cardioinhibition. Excluding all possible specific causes of carotid sinus hypersensitivity and, by means of electrophysiological study, any intrinsic cardiac pathology, was settled that the long pauses of asystole that produce syncopal attacks were of extrinsic vagal nature. Considering the young age of the patient an operation of surgical denervation of the right carotid sinus was decided upon. This simple and riskless treatment allowed the case to be solved without resorting to permanent pacemaker implantation.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Plasma malondialdehyde in coronary patients and in "normal" people at rest and after exercise.

The behavior of plasma lipid peroxides, expressed as plasma malondialdehyde, was studied in 27 patients with documented coronary artery disease and 17 volunteers without coronary artery disease (henceforth designated "normal"), after a standardized exercise on a bicycle ergometer. In the control group, the basal values of malondialdehyde were significantly lower than in coronary patients. Persons in the control group did not show any significant variation of malondialdehyde after exercise and recovery, whereas patients with coronary artery disease showed malondialdehyde levels significantly higher than the baseline, both after exercise and after recovery. In the control group, a significant inverse correlation between the malondialdehyde variations during the exercise and the total work produced was ten times lower than in coronary patients. It seems probable that the higher levels of lipid peroxides in these patients may leave some long-term unwanted effects. Furthermore, the increased values of lipid peroxides after exercise may be regarded as a possible trigger of fatal myocardial malfunction occurring during physical activity.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1984

[Echocardiographic evaluation of pericardial effusion in acute myocardial infarct].

We have assessed the value of M-mode echocardiography in diagnosing the presence and the extent of pericardial effusion after an acute myocardial infarction, in a group of 105 patients. The relations between pericardial effusion and the extent of the infarction, the possible presence of heart failure, the clinical electrocardiographic and radiographic signs of pericarditis have also been investigated. At last we have evaluated the possible influence of the anticoagulant therapy. Our results show a poor (22%) sensitivity of the traditional methods (ECG, X-ray, physical examination) in comparison with echocardiography. This holds true both for the entire group (x2 = 85,8; p less than 0,001), and for the large effusions taken separately (x2 = 59,6; p less than 0,001). A close relation between the area and the extent of myocardial infarction and the presence of pericardial effusion was observed. On the contrary no statistically significant relation between anticoagulant therapy and the extent and frequency of pericardial effusion was found. This type of therapy seems to influence only the duration of pericardial effusion (8,875 +/- 3,1 versus 5,72 +/- 4,9 days). Haemodynamic efficiency is poorly related with the presence of pericardial effusion (X2 = 3 p greater than 0.05). This relation probably depends on the extent of myocardial necrosis. Echocardiographic investigation of the presence and extent of pericardial effusion after myocardial infarction could help to define both the prognosis and the treatment of these patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

[Unusual mechanism of reciprocating tachycardia in a case of ventricular preexcitation resistant to preventive anti-arrhythmia therapy].

A patient with a previously asymptomatic W.P.W. syndrome had, at the age of 60, frequent runs of paroxysmal tachycardia, which occurred particularly after meals. The paroxysms were easily controlled by pharmacological therapy in the acute stage, but could not be prevented by prophylactic therapy because of a large oesophageal diverticulum which, through right vagal reflexes, caused sinus arrests with junctional escapes that triggered the re-entry mechanism. Resection of the diverticulum abolished the tachycardia spells.

Anti-Arrhythmia Agents↗
PubMed1979

[Echocardiographic study of bioprostheses in the mitral position (author's transl)].

Eighteen patients, with a Hancock heterograft in the mitral position, were analyzed by means of phonocardiography and echocardiography. Phonocardiography examination failed to show any pathologic data; by echocardiography the Authors succeeded in pointing out one case of malfunctioning prosthesis (verified by autopsy) and two cases suspected of malfunctioning prosthesis. The AA. conclude by confirming validity and perspectives of echocardiography in this field, to get even beginning deteriorations of bioprosthesis function.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

Variations in apolipoproteins B and A1 during the course of myocardial infarction.

The plasma apolipoproteins B and A1, and plasma lipids and lipoproteins, were studied in fifteen patients with acute myocardial infarction. In the days immediately after acute infarction there was a decrease in total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein-cholesterol, total apolipoprotein-B, low density lipoprotein apolipoprotein-B and high density lipoprotein apolipoprotein A1. High density lipoprotein-cholesterol remained unchanged. In the same period the total triglycerides, very low density lipoprotein-protein, very low density lipoprotein-cholesterol, very low density lipoprotein apolipoprotein-B and very low density lipoprotein apolipoprotein A1 were increased. A reduction of the apolipoprotein ratio CII/CIII occurred after the acute phase. After 25--30 days all these values regained their baseline values.

Aged↗