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R B Bestetti

Publications and source records attributed to R B Bestetti.

63 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

Ajmaline-induced electrocardiographic changes in chronic Trypanosoma cruzi-infected rats.

In the present study, the ajmaline test was applied to T. cruzi-infected rats and evaluated for the ability to reveal ECG disturbances. The test consists of intravenous injection of ajmaline (2 mg/kg body-weight) under ether anaesthesia, and continuous ECG monitoring (right precordial lead: V1 or V2, 100 mm/sec paper speed). The animals used for the test (n = 30) had been experimentally infected with the Colombia strain of T. cruzi (1,000 parasites/g body-weight, newly weaned rats) one year before the experiments. Control non-infected rats (n = 21) were similarly maintained and treated. The ECGs were analysed under baseline conditions, i.e., before ajmaline, and 15, 30, 60 and 180 seconds after completion of ajmaline injection through the dorsal vein of the penis. The following parameters were studied: heart rate, PR interval, QRS and Qat duration. Morphological changes of the QRS complex and ST-T segment were also recorded. Under baseline conditions, the two groups had comparable values for all parameters, except for the PR interval, which was significantly increased in infected rats. No changes in wave rhythm or morphology were detected under baseline conditions. The PR and QaT intervals and QRS duration were significantly longer in both groups after ajmaline injection, at all periods studied. When the two groups were compared for relative variations, consistently and significantly higher alterations (p less than 0.05) were observed in the T. cruzi-infected group, except for the QaT interval at 180 seconds. However, the severe rhythm and ventricular conduction disturbances detected in 30% of the infected rats represented clear-cut discriminative alterations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Ajmaline↗
PubMed1985

Congenital absence of the circumflex coronary artery associated with dilated cardiomyopathy.

We report the first autopsied case of congenital absence of the left circumflex coronary artery. The patient was a 12-year-old girl in whom the clinical diagnosis was idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. This type of heart disease is uncommon among children. The coexistence of the two conditions therefore suggests a possible aetiologic relationship between them. The pathological findings, however, do not support such an association. Rather, they suggest that they co-exist by chance.

Cardiomyopathy, Dilated↗
PubMed1985

Chronic Chagas' heart disease in children and adolescents: a clinicopathologic study.

A retrospective study of the medical records filed at the University Hospital from 1965 to 1983 and of 18456 autopsies carried out in the Department of Pathology of this Institution from 1953 to 1983, referring to patients aged less than 18 years was performed in an attempt to fully characterize chronic Chagas' heart disease in children and adolescents. Only 19 of these patients fulfilled the criteria for inclusion in the present study (12 cases with only clinical information and 7 cases with clinical and pathological information). We noted that the clinical manifestations of chronic Chagas' heart disease are congestive heart failure, thromboembolism and sudden death. Radiologic, electrocardiographic and anatomo-pathological findings demonstrated serious myocardial involvement. This set of alterations is also detected in adults with chronic Chagas' heart disease. Among adolescents, however, the disease exhibits relevant peculiarities such as rapid evolution to death within a short period of time (128 days), diagnostic difficulty related to the presence of significant mitral regurgitation (61% erroneous initial diagnosis), and low frequency of right bundle branch block (11% of cases). These findings suggest that among children and adolescents, chronic Chagas' heart disease may be of a peculiar type and therefore may be useful to clarify the pathogenetic mechanism of the disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Portopulmonary hypertension syndrome in schistosomiasis mansoni.

Portopulmonary hypertension syndrome (PPHS) is a complication of portal hypertension where the substrate is micro-vessel lesions which are indicative of plexogenic arteriopathy. PPHS has not been linked to pulmonary schistosomiasis. We report, to the best of our knowledge for the first time, a case of PPHS associated with schistosomiasis mansoni.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Ruptured chordae tendineae of the posterior leaflet of the tricuspid valve as a cause of tricuspid regurgitation following blunt chest trauma.

A 12-year-old boy suffered a blunt chest trauma. Some hours later, a pulsatile bilateral jugular venous distension, a holosystolic murmur heard at the low parasternal border and hepatomegaly were observed. On echocardiography, ruptured chordae tendineae of the posterior leaflet of the tricuspid valve, as well as tricuspid regurgitation were detected. He remained asymptomatic during hospital stay and was discharged home in good condition. Thus, isolated ruptured chordae tendineae of the posterior leaflet of the tricuspid valve is another cause of tricuspid regurgitation following blunt chest trauma.

Child↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Predictors of sudden cardiac death for patients with Chagas' disease: a hospital-derived cohort study.

This study was carried out to identify patients with Chagas' disease at risk of sudden cardiac death, inasmuch as such patients have not been recognized thus far. Seventy-four consecutive patients with a positive complement fixation test for Chagas' disease prospectively followed up at the Cardiomyopathy Clinic from January 1990 to June 1993 were entered into the study. Patients underwent medical history, physical examination, serological tests, resting electrocardiography, chest X-ray and two-dimensional echocardiography. Eighteen of 74 (24%) patients died during the study period, 8 (10%) suddenly and 10 (14%) from pump failure. Sudden death comprised 44% of total deaths. In the univariate model, cardiomegaly in the chest X-ray, left ventricular systolic and diastolic dimension, left ventricular ejection fraction, left atrial dimension and apical aneurysm as detected echocardiographically, and systolic blood pressure were associated with sudden cardiac death. In the multivariate model, however, apical aneurysm and left ventricular diastolic dimension were retained as predictors of sudden cardiac death. We conclude that chagasic patients with apical aneurysm and left ventricular dilation are at risk of sudden cardiac death.

Chagas Disease↗