Biomedical subjects

J Apitz

Publications and source records attributed to J Apitz.

98 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

[Hemodynamics and histology of the lung in 175 ventricular septal defects].

Lung biopsies obtained during operation from 175 patients with isolated or combined ventricular septal defect were examined histologically. The degree of the pulmonary hypertensive vasculopathy was classified according to the Heath and Edwards-grading. These morphological findings were compared to the hemodynamic data (pulmonary/systemic ratios of systolic pressure, resistance, and flow as well as mean pulmonary artery pressure). Pressure and resistance showed a good correlation to the histological changes. The combination of both variables, however, did not further improve the prediction of the severity of the vascular lesions. No relation was found between flow and pulmonary vasculopathy. Higher grades of the vasculopathy were associated with systolic pressure ratios exceeding at least 0.65, in most patients with even marked higher ratios. On the other hand an elevation of pulmonary blood pressure of pulmonary arterial resistance does not mean a more severe vasculopathy implicitly, since there were some patients with a considerable hemodynamic hypertension without at least severe histological changes. We conclude that patients with a systolic pulmonary pressure not exceeding about 75% of systemic pressure have a very low risk of a morphologically fixed hypertension. Therefore an urgent operation of such patients to prevent fixation of the pulmonary hypertension seems not to be necessary.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Short-term-interval stress following corrective operations in tetralogy of Fallot].

21 clinically asymptomatic children aged 5.5 to 15.5 years were examined by bicycle exercise 1 to 9 years after surgical repair for tetralogy of Fallot. The results were compared to normal values gained from 169 healthy children (10 age groups of girls and boys). Submaximal exercise testing was performed in three stages of 1, 2 and 3 Watts per kg body weight, followed by 2 minutes of recovery. The following results were gained: 7 of the 21 patients showed rhythm disturbances during the exercise testing. Only three of them had documented arrhythmias before this date. Another 3 children with normal exercise test had arrhythmias in their former history. Thus total incidence of documented arrhythmias is 48 percent in contrast to only 1.2 percent in the control group. Using this weight related exercise test the heart rates of the patients were significantly lower during exercise than those of the control group. The differences are most evident during the maximal exercise period. The ability of LVET-shortening with increasing heart rates was significantly reduced in the patients. PEP was significantly prolonged. Both phenomena lead to a relatively shorter diastole than in normal subjects. This must result in a hemodynamical disturbance under the conditions of high frequencies. Blood pressure monitoring is not very valuable for the interpretation of hemodynamic changes. There are signs of alterations of hemodynamics as well as of the heart rhythm in the patients after surgical repair for the tetralogy of Fallot, even if the patients feel very well. By short time submaximal exercise testing it is possible to detect these alterations.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Cardiomyopathies in childhood].

Primary cardiomyopathies are heart muscle diseases of unknown cause. In hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) a hypertrophy of unknown aetiology results either in asymmetric septal hypertrophy (mostly with obstruction) or in concentric hypertrophy of the left ventricle (mostly without obstruction). This condition is rare in childhood, partly inherited and sometimes observed already in newborns. Sudden cardiac death is a main complication in the second decade. In non-obstructive HCM endomyocardial biopsy is the tool to differentiate secondary forms. Dilated cardiomyopathy is recognized by aetiologically unclear dilatation of left or right or both ventricles. In childhood this condition has to be differentiated from coronary anomalies, endocardial fibroelastosis, and myocarditis. Also rare secondary forms have to be considered because of possible therapeutic consequences. From the very few histologically proven reports a reliable prognosis for this disease in childhood cannot be deduced.

Cardiomyopathies↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Hemodynamics and histology of lung blood vessels in 191 patients with atrioventricular canal].

The correlation between hemodynamic and histological changes of the small lung arteries was examined in 191 patients with atrio-ventricular canal. Lung biopsies were taken during palliative or corrective surgery. The histological findings were classified according to the Heath and Edwards-grading. The haemodynamic data were obtained within 3-4 months before operation (pulmonary/systemic ratios of systolic pressure, flow, and resistance as well as mean pulmonary artery pressure). The results indicated that the term atrioventricular canal must be divided into three different subgroups with regard of the development of HPVD: I. The incomplete atrio-ventricular canal (IAVC) showed a strong correlation between pulmonary hypertension and histological changes. II. The VSD-III (endocushion defect) developes HPVD in the first month of life similar to the complete av-canal. In about all children of this subgroup a serve pulmonary hypertension was found, therefore a correlation to the variety of histological findings could not be established. III. The CAVC was the largest subgroup of our patients. These patients had relatively the highest incidence of high-grade histological alterations. In 87% of the children with CACV we found histologically changes of the structure of the small arteries of the lungs mostly a hypertrophy of the media, but also alterations of the intima as proliferation of fibrosis. 88% of the children within the subgroup CAVC also hat a pulmonary hypertension with a systolic pressure ratio above 0.8.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Encephalomyelopathy, cardiomyopathy, cataract and changes in the retinal pigment epithelium resulting from a cytochrome c oxidase deficiency].

A 4 1/2 months old female baby was admitted to our hospital after an unexpected heart attack. Birth was in the 37th gestational week after an uneventful pregnancy and delivery by sectio, birth weight 1650 g, Apgar 9/10/10. In the following weeks the baby showed general muscle hypotonia, failure to thrive and sometimes an uncharacteristic heart murmur. Besides a chronic lactic acidemia we found a hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, cataract and small defects of the pigment epithelium of the retina. The CT-scan of the brain showed hypodense areas of both thalami and the mid-brain. Metabolic examination of two muscle specimens showed a deficiency of cytochrome-c-oxidase activity (I: 30, II: 20, normal: 73-284 mU/mg protein). So our patient may be the first case with an established defect in the respiratory chain suffering from cardiomyopathy, cataract and mitochondrial dysfunction. There is also a strong similarity to other encephalomyopathies especially to the Leigh-Syndrome.

Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Pacemaker therapy in children].

Between 1975 and June 1987 55 children underwent first permanent pacemaker (PM) implantation. The patients' age at time of implantation ranged between 1 month and 17 1/2 years (mean 5 5/12 years). In all cases - except a 17 years old girl who received a transvenous endocardial lead - only epicardial screw-in electrodes were used. Only VVI-PM have been implanted. In 84% the indication for implantation was post-surgical brady-arrhythmia, in 16% it was an inborn or acquired disturbance of the conducting system. With our patients we have a survey of 2603 months of PM implantation. During this period 14 children underwent totally 20 revisions, in 50% the electrode was the cause of failure. The interval between two revisions calculated as a quotient from months of PM implantation and number of revisions has increased significantly during the last years and amounts now to 130 months. The relative low incidence of revisions is in our opinion mostly related to the nearly exclusive use of epicardial leads.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Cardiovascular diagnosis in thoracopagus twins].

The case of a thoracopagus with atrial and ventricular connection and of a thoracoischiopagus with atrial connection and multiple cardiac defects are reported. For the assessment of cardiac fusion, ECG, radionuclid-studies and CT are of limited value. By means of angiocardiography it is possible to classify patients in those with pericardial union only, with venae-cavae - or atrial connection and with ventricular connection. While separation of twins with pericardial fusion is often performed, successful separation of twins with atrial fusion is only once described, of twins with ventricular fusion never described.

Aorta, Thoracic↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Repair of symptomatic aortic coarctation in the first three months of life. Early and late results after resection and end-to-end anastomosis and subclavian flap angioplasty.

During a 9 year period between January 1977 and December 1985, 98 consecutive infants under 3 months of age underwent surgical repair of symptomatic aortic coarctation. Resection and end-to-end anastomosis was performed in 73, subclavian flap angioplasty in 14, and other procedures in 11 patients. There were 20 (20.5%) early and 12 (12.5%) late deaths. No early deaths occurred in the isolated coarctation group. Associated complex cardiac malformations and age under 2 weeks at operation influenced significantly early and late outcome but not any particular surgical procedure. The survivors were followed from 6 months to 8 years and 8 months postoperatively. There were 16 (28%) re-coarctations among 56 survivors after end-to-end anastomosis requiring re-operation in 7 (12%) infants and 3 (30%) re-coarctations among 10 survivors after subclavian flap angioplasty requiring re-operation in 1 infant. After end-to-end anastomosis re-coarctation as well as re-operation rate was markedly lower when an interrupted suture line for the entire anastomosis was used as compared to the group with a continuous suture line of the posterior aortic wall (21% vs. 33% re-coarctation rate and 4% vs. 18% re-operation rate respectively). From our results it is concluded that subclavian flap angioplasty for relief of aortic coarctation in early infancy is not superior to resection and end-to-end anastomosis. In the end-to-end anastomosis group an interrupted suture line has a lower re-coarctation as well as re-operation rate as compared to a continuous suture line of the posterior aortic wall.

Anastomosis, Surgical↗