Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to J Fouchard.
A case or primary hyperaldosteronism due to unilateral macronodular adrenal hyperplasia is presented. This entity is exceptional: a review of the literature has yielded only three similar cases. The significance of these adrenal nodules is discussed; in particular, they are compared with the nodules found in hypertensive subjects. Their course after surgery is similar to that of Conn's adenoma.
A patient affected with periarteritis nodosa and angina, presented a normal coronary angiography of the coronary trunks and an alteration of the left ventricular systolic function, improved by nicardipine, as well as a pre-capillary pulmonary hypertension with isolated, right cardiac repercussions, without pulmonary fibrosis nor thromboembolic disease. In addition, he presented three transient cerebral ischaemic accidents, with different localizations, which could not be related to a right aneurysm of the sylvian artery. Isolated precapillary pulmonary hypertension, without pulmonary fibrosis, which is not described in the course of periarteritis nodosa, seems related to an arteriolar involvement which is the known substratum of other visceral involvement in periarteritis nodosa. Improvement of the left ventricular function with nicardipine, administered acutely, suggest a partially reversible disorder of the coronary microcirculation.
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Systemic alkalosis was used to detect coronary spasm in 237 patients with infrequent, resting, angina-compatible chest pain. The provocative test was performed without previous coronary arteriography but only in patients with negative submaximal exercise test results. Rapid infusion of alkaline solution followed by maximal hyperventilation raised arterial pH above the 7.65 value necessary for diagnostic significance in 196 (83%) patients. In 24 (12%) of these patients the provocative test induced significant ischemic ST segment changes. In all patients with a positive response, coronary artery disease, which was predominantly vasospastic (19 patients) or atheromatous with a vasospastic contribution (five patients), was demonstrated by coronary arteriography followed, if necessary, by ergot derivative injection. Chest pain and ECG changes were always reversed within 5 minutes by intravenous nitroglycerin. Coronary arteriography was not performed in all patients with a negative response; therefore, the sensitivity of the procedure could not be assessed. However, 36 patients with a negative response to hyperventilation underwent coronary arteriography; 33 (92%) had normal arteriograms and a negative response to ergot derivatives. Hyperventilation appears to be a safe and specific diagnostic procedure in a subset of patients in whom the probability of coronary artery disease may not be judged sufficient to warrant coronary arteriography as a primary diagnostic approach.
Three years after valve replacement for Monckeberg type aortic stenosis, a tight and poorly tolerated tight mitral stenosis is observed, secondary to massive calcifications of the ring extending to the valves. The diagnosis is made with Doppler sonography and hemodynamic examination. Excision of the calcifications is particularly difficult. An early death occurs. Calcifications of the mitral ring extending to the valves, either isolated or mainly associated with a calcified aortic stenosis, may be complicated by mitral stenosis. The latter, usually moderate, may be tight and require surgical treatment, of severe prognosis.
The presence of ischaemic myocardial tissues in necrotic territories and the usefulness of revascularizing these territories are controversial matters. We have determined the existence of this phenomenon by the per-angioplastic intracoronary ECG method, and we have compared the sensitivities of intracoronary ECG and surface ECG. Intracoronary EVG is achieved by using the mobile teflon-coated guide wire of coronary angioplasty as a unipolar epicardial electrode. Being epicardial and localized, the electrode explores a limited area of the myocardium, distal to the artery being dilated and momentarily occluded by the balloon during inflations. The study involved 12 patients (mean age 53.7 years) who presented with the following criteria of admission: transmural myocardial infarction, presence of a Q wave on two leads, akinetic segment at ventriculography and coronary stenosis or occlusion amenable to angioplasty. Patients with collateral circulation between the larger epicardial vessels were excluded. Intracoronary ECG recordings were taken before, during and after inflations. In 9 out of 12 patients the ST segments was elevated by 1.3 mV on average between inflations (S.D. 3.14 mV) and by 4.8 mV (S.D. 3.99 mV) during inflations. These high standard deviations were due to major inter- and intra-individual variations of ST. The difference was significant (p less than 0.05) at variance analysis. No variation of ST was observed in 3 patients. Only one of the 12 patients had elevated ST on both surface ECG and intracoronary ECG tracings. Thus, intracoronary ECG is a sensitive method to evaluate myocardial ischaemia during coronary angioplasty.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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One case of traumatic aortic valve regurgitation operated upon is reported, and published cases of cardiac valve regurgitation caused by non-penetrating traumas are reviewed. This study demonstrates the relatively high frequency of traumatic heart diseases and among these, valve lesions. The dynamic disturbance occurs suddenly in a heart that is usually healthy and therefore without adaptation mechanism. This explains why such lesions are poorly tolerated and accounts for some peculiarities of semiology and haemodynamics. Plastic surgery seems to be successful in mitral valve lesions, whereas lesions of the aortic valve are such that valve replacement is required. The same applies to the tricuspid valve. The medico-legal aspects of the subject are mentioned.
A double mitral orifice was discovered at autopsy in a 74 year old woman. Death resulted after several episodes of cardiac failure complicating mixed mitral and aortic valve disease. A vertical limbus bridged the mitral annulus separating it into two distinct right and left orifices, with oblique long axes aligned towards the lower part of the limbus perpendicular to each other from the left atrial view. After opening the left ventricle, both orifices were observed to have their own sets of chordae tendinae attached to normal papillary muscles: the right orifice to the posterior and the left to the anterior papillary muscle. The inferior end of the limbus was attached to a supplementary papillary muscle. Echocardiography and CT scanning were performed before dissection. This malformation results from symphysis of the mid parts of the two mitral leaflets during embryonic stages 15 and 16 (8-10 mm vertex-coccyx, 31st-33rd days).
A consecutive series of 130 cases of pure or predominant mitral regurgitation underwent conservative mitral valve surgery between January 1975 and January 1982. The mean age of the patients was 30 +/- 17 years; 25 patients were under 15 years of age. The most common aetiology was rheumatic fever (112/130). Fifty nine patients had associated valvular lesions requiring surgical correction. The patients were divided into 4 groups, according to the surgical technique: Group I: valvular mobilisation (35 cases); Group II: reduction of the amplitude of valvular excursion (48 cases); Group III: mixed valvular mobilisation and reduction of amplitude of excursion (45 cases); Group IV: isolated annuloplasty (2 cases). Hospital mortality was 2.3% (3 patients). Five patients (3.8%) were lost to follow-up. The mean follow-up period was 38 +/- 27 months for the 122 patients followed-up. Seven patients needed reoperation. The long term mortality was 3.1% (4 patients). Four late thromboembolic episodes were observed; they were all transient and regressive in patients with atrial fibrillation. The 7 year actuarial survival rate for the whole series, including hospital mortality, was 92% (1.0 +/- 0.5 patients/year). It was 93.7 +/- 4.9% at 7 years for isolated mitral valvuloplasty and 89.9% +/- 5.6% at 5 years for combined mitro-tricuspid procedures. The actuarial percentage of patients without thromboembolic complications was 91.2% at 7 years with a thromboembolic risk of 1.0 +/- 0.5% patients/year. Eighty eight per cent of patients were not reoperated at 7 years and the reoperation rate was 1.7 +/- 0.7% patients/year.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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Takayashu's inflammatory panarteritis essentially results in stenotic lesions of the supra aortic axes and the collateral vessels of the abdominal aorta. Fusiform, segmental post-stenotic dilatation is commonly observed. Three particular types of aneurysms are described, each illustrated by a case report: --aneurysm of the ascending aorta causing severe aortic regurgitation by dilatation of the aortic ring: the diagnosis of Takayashu's disease was made in a young West Indian female on the evidence of associated aortic lesions and calcification of the descending thoracic aorta. The patient underwent replacement of the ascending aorta and aortic valve replacement. This form is very rare, although mild aortic regurgitation in Takayashu's disease has been reported in about ten cases by different workers; --large saccular aortic aneurysm. This lesion of the descending thoracic aorta with parietal calcification and without intrasaccular thrombosis was associated with a long, irregular stenosis of the paroxismal segment of the aorta, giving rise to signs of coarctation, and with multiple stenoses of the supra-aortic axes in a 31 year old Algerian. Surgical cure was realised by occluding the orifice in order to avoid replacing the aorta at the origin of the main medullary arteries. An ascending aorta-abdominal aorta bypass was performed at the same time, together with correction of the stenoses of the supra-aortic vessels. A few similar cases of large succular aneurysms of the thoracic or abdominal aorta or of the large collateral vessels have previously been described; --pseudo-aneurysm due to arterial rupture and formation of a large hematoma. A 20 year old Algerian presented with a polylobulated saccular aneurysm of the superficial femoral artery in the femoral triangle. Several stenotic lesions typical of Takayashu's disease (including a particularly rare stenosis of the contra lateral superficial femoral artery) were associated. At surgery, the lesion was found to be a pseudo-aneurysm with no true arterial wall on histological examination. The role of an infective endarteritis is discussed and excluded. This type of lesion does not appear to have been previously reported. These three varieties of aneurysm were the presenting signs of Takayashu's disease in the cases reported.
A patient operated for carcinoma of the bladder complicated by infection by anaerobic organisms developed pneumopericardium. Spontaneous pneumopericardium may or may not follow effraction of the pericardium. The following causes have been described: fistula with a tuberculous cavernoma, parenchymatous or pleural infection, carcinoma of the bronchus; oesophageal or gastro-pericardial fistulae arising from carcinoma or ulceration of the stomach or oesophagus; rupture of a mediastinal, hepatic or subphrenic abscess and, exceptionally, pericarditis complicated by fistulisation to the tracheo-bronchial tree. Pneumopericardium without effraction is caused by in situ gas production, a complication of pericarditis caused by anaerobic organisms; this may be a primary or a metastatic infection. Idiopathic pneumopericardium is included in this variety whilst "alveolar rupture" is usually considered in the group of pneumopericardial fistulae: air under pressure passes from the mediastinum into the pericardium by microscopic dissection (bronchitis, asthma, obstructive laryngitis, childbirth). The outcome and prognosis depends on the cause and type of effusion: pneumopericardium rarely contains air alone; serous fluid, blood or pus, are usually associated.
Over a period of 3 years, 4 cases of idiopathic left ventricular aneurysm, 3 white females and one coloured male aged 34, 53, 29 and 47 years respectively, were observed. All presented with paroxysmal ventricular or supraventricular tachycardia, which, in one case, was severe enough in itself to justify surgery. On angiography, large left ventricular aneurysms bordering the mitral annulus and responsible for moderate mitral regurgitation in two patients were demonstrated. Aneurysmectomy was only possible in 2 cases, the other two having pericardial adhesions with a risk of uncontrollable haemorrhage during dissection being managed by suture of the neck of the aneurysm. The surgical results were very satisfactory, especially with respect to the arrhythmias with a follow-up of 48, 24, 15 and 9 months respectively. In a review of the literature, 93 cases of idiopathic left ventricular aneurysm were analysed, less than 20 of which have been managed surgically. Left ventricular aneurysms seem to be large fibrotic structures located at the border of the mitral, or, less commonly, below the aortic annulus. It is important to differentiate them from congenital left ventricular diverticuli which are usually located at the apex, have muscular walls and are therefore contractile. The aetiology of these aneurysms is unknown: the possible role of myocardial infarction may be excluded as the coronary arteries are always normal on angiography and at autopsy. The relatively young age of the patients is also an argument against this hypothesis. Other suggested causes such as syphilis, tuberculosis, Chagas' disease, non-specific myocarditis, sarcoidosis and thoracic trauma may also be excluded. Surgery seems to be indicated in cases complicated by resistant arrhythmias, peripheral embolism or when the aneurysm increases rapidly in size.
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This study of 14 cases, found in 130 autopsies of people died in a Department of Cardio-vascular diseases, emphasizes the frequency of this lesion (10 p. 100) often ignored. Elderly people over 75 years are affected and twice more female than male. Grossly, this abnormality, responsible of a constant mitral insufficiency, is in the posterior cusp attachment at the junction with the ventricular wall. The atrial surface and the line of cusp apposition, commissures and chordae are respected. The main lesions associated with it are left ventricular hypertrophy, coronary and systemic atherosclerosis and most often aortic degenerative calcification, described by Monckeberg, in 50 p. 100 cases. Microscopically, calcifications are surrounded by fibrosis with non specific moderate inflammatory changes. Clinically mitral ring calcification must be searched in case of conduction disturbances of systolic murmurs by left anterior oblique radiography and above all by echocardiography. Except conduction disturbances, complications are infrequent and only seen in advanced lesions. No abnormality of calcium or lipid metabolisms is noted. In agreement with other studies, this one emphasizes the usefulness of echocardiographic diagnosis and the necessity to separate this geriatric entity from advanced post rheumatoid type lesions.
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