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Biomedical subjects

R D Leachman

Publications and source records attributed to R D Leachman.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Septal myotomy-myomectomy versus mitral valve replacement in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Ten-year follow-up in 185 patients.

Between 1963 and 1985, 185 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) were treated with septal myotomy-myomectomy (MM) or mitral valve replacement (MVR) at our institution; 127 of these underwent septal MM, and 58 underwent MVR alone. The 1-month mortality was 4.7% for the septal MM group and 6.9% for the MVR group (p = NS). The mean time of postoperative follow-up was 118 months, ranging between 1 and 196 months. The annual mortality was 0.7% for the septal MM group and 1.3% for the MVR group (p = NS). In the MVR group, 98% of patients had been assigned to New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classes III and IV before surgery; only 24% were classified as such at 10-year follow-up (p less than 0.001). In the septal MM group, 90% were in NYHA functional classes III and IV before surgery whereas only 27% were in these two classes postoperatively (p less than 0.001). A comparison of preoperative and postoperative hemodynamic findings revealed a significant reduction in left ventricular outflow gradient at rest: from 69 +/- 41 mm Hg preoperatively to 10 +/- 22 mm Hg postoperatively (p less than 0.001) in the septal MM group and from 75 +/- 45 mm Hg preoperatively to 10 +/- 21 mm Hg postoperatively (p less than 0.001) in the MVR group. In addition, the MVR group had a significant postoperative reduction in mean left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, from 21 mm Hg preoperatively to 15 mm Hg postoperatively (p less than 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent

Mitral valve replacement and septal myomectomy in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Ten-year follow-up in 80 patients.

Between 1970 and 1980, 80 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy were treated with mitral valve replacement (MVR) at our institution; 54 of these (Group 1) underwent MVR alone, and the remaining 26 (Group 2) underwent MVR plus septal myomectomy. The 1-month mortality was 7.4% for Group 1 and 7.6% for Group 2. After 10 years of follow-up, the annual mortality was 1.5% for Group 1 and 1.6% for Group 2 (this difference was not significant). Sixty-nine percent of the patients in both groups continued to experience marked symptomatic improvement. In Group 1, 96% of the patients had been assigned to New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class III or IV before surgery; only 17% remained in these two classes postoperatively (p less than 0.01). In Group 2, 98% had been assigned to NYHA functional class III or IV before surgery, whereas only 20% remained in these two classes postoperatively (p less than 0.01). A comparison of preoperative and postoperative hemodynamic findings revealed that the left ventricular end-diastolic pressure was significantly reduced from 20 to 14 mm Hg in Group 1 and from 20 to 15 mm Hg in Group II (p less than 0.05). There was also a significant postoperative reduction in left ventricular outflow gradient at rest (from 79 to 6 mm Hg in Group 1 and from 75 to 7 mm Hg in Group 2) (p less than 0.01). These findings indicate that, in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy who require surgical treatment, MVR alone or in conjunction with septal myomectomy offers significant improvement of symptoms and hemodynamic values.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent

Progression of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy into a hypokinetic left ventricle: higher incidence in patients with midventricular obstruction.

The development of segmental or generalized left ventricular hypokinesia is an unusual occurrence in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. To determine the incidence and possible pathophysiologic mechanisms responsible for this process, the serial clinical and laboratory data of 62 patients with the diagnosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy were analyzed. During a mean follow-up period of 8 years (range 2 to 21), 5 patients (Group A) developed left ventricular hypokinesia, whereas the remaining 57 patients (Group B) continued to exhibit the clinical and laboratory findings of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Three patients developed a dilated left ventricle with generalized hypokinesia; two other patients had segmental left ventricular wall motion abnormalities. None of these five patients who developed left ventricular hypokinesia had fixed coronary artery disease. The mean age, sex, mean duration of follow-up, presence of coronary myocardial bridges and angina pectoris, and an interventricular gradient were all similar in Groups A and B. Midventricular obliteration was seen in 4 (80%) of the 5 patients in Group A and in 4 (7%) of the 57 patients in Group B (p less than 0.001). Findings from this study reveal that segmental or generalized left ventricular hypokinesia can develop in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in the absence of fixed coronary artery disease. Such hypokinesia can occur after an acute myocardial infarction or it can develop gradually without clinical or electrocardiographic evidence of infarction. Patients with the mid-ventricular obliteration variant of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy are at a higher risk of developing segmental or diffuse left ventricular hypokinesia.

Adolescent

Atypical phasic coronary artery narrowing.

Four unusual cases of phasic (occurring only in systole or only in diastole) coronary artery narrowing are reported. In two cases, diastolic compression of the left anterior descending coronary artery was due to tight pericardial adhesions in patients with aortic insufficiency; in the third case, systolic compression of two right ventricular coronary branches was associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and a normotensive right ventricle; and in the fourth case, a large aneurysm of the inferior wall of the left ventricle caused systolic compression of the posterior descending coronary artery, which was epicardial. The diagnostic and pathophysiologic characteristics of each case are discussed.

Adult

The QS2/QT ratio as an index of appropriate left ventricular response to autonomic and inotropic stimuli.

Dissociation between duration of electrical and mechanical systole has been seen with increase of myocardial shortening velocity or adrenergic activity. We found a decrease of the QS2/QT ratio after exercise in 10 pts with semisitting bicycle maximal exercise test and a normal radionuclide angiogram. No change was seen in 9 patients with a normal study with beta blockade, and in pts with a abnormal radionuclide test, without beta blockade (11 pts). In 19 normal active individuals, a significant QS2/QT decrease (p less than 0.001) was seen after a submaximal exercise treadmill test, which was inhibited by beta blockade. We believe that QS2/QT diminution is suggestive of an increase of the inotropic state of the left ventricle with exercise, produced through adrenergic stimulation. It is not seen either when an ischemic left ventricle cannot adequately respond to exercise or after beta blockade.

Adult

Correlations of systolic time intervals and radionuclide angiography at rest and during exercise.

Systolic time intervals (STI) were correlated with radionuclide angiography studies (RAS) in 57 patients at rest, during maximal semisitting bicycle exercise, and at 4 minutes following the cessation of exercise. Eleven were judged as being free of coronary artery disease (group 1), while 14 had coronary artery disease without (group 2A), and 27 (group 2B) with a previous transmural myocardial infarction. For RAS, resting radionuclide ejection fraction (REF), the changes in REF and end-systolic volume, and the development of a wall motion abnormality at peak exercise were each highly correlated with the presence of coronary disease (p less than 0.001). The accuracy of STI parameters in predicting the presence of coronary disease was poor (less than 60%). Changes in end-diastolic volume (EDV) correlated significantly with PEP/LVET and LVET1 changes following exercise. Moreover, patients with an abnormal (greater than 25%) increase in EDV at peak exercise had a greater increase in LVET1 in the postexercise period (p less than 0.01). We conclude that STI is not accurate enough a predictor of coronary disease or left ventricular function to serve as a useful screening test. Changes in STI parameters appear to be more related to changes in ventricular volume than to ventricular function.

Adult

Restenosis after transluminal coronary angioplasty detected with exercise-gated radionuclide ventriculography.

Forty-one patients were evaluated with exercise-gated radionuclide ventriculography before and within 4 days after successful transluminal coronary angioplasty and 4 to 12 months later. Patients were subgrouped according to the degree of restenosis demonstrated angiographically at 4 to 12 months (Group I [n = 23]: less than or equal to 20%; Group II [n = 10]: greater than 20% but less than 50%; Group III [n = 8]: greater than or equal to 50%). Patients with abnormal findings on gated radionuclide ventriculography (less than 5 point increase in ejection fraction or wall motion deterioration) early after angioplasty were eventually found to have a greater degree of restenosis than were patients with normal findings (41.2 +/- 30.3 versus 19.0 +/- 25.4% restenosis, p less than 0.0001). The accuracy of abnormal radionuclide ventriculography in predicting 50% or greater restenosis was 73% immediately after angioplasty and 77% at the time of follow-up angiography. Gated radionuclide ventriculographic results were abnormal in 5% of Group I patients compared with 75% of Group III patients (p less than 0.01) early after angioplasty; at late follow-up, they were abnormal in 27% of Group I patients compared with 88% of Group III patients (p less than 0.01). Group I patients had a greater increase in ejection fraction than did Group III patients at early (+11.3 +/- 7.5 versus + 3.5 +/- 6.5 points, p less than 0.01) and late (+11.8 +/- 7.8 versus -1.9 +/- 8.7 points, p less than 0.0005) follow-up. It is concluded that gated radionuclide ventriculography is useful in predicting coronary restenosis after transluminal coronary angioplasty.

Aged

Major dehiscence of a prosthetic aortic valve: detection by echocardiography.

A 21-year-old man had acute aortic insufficiency three months after insertion of an aortic valve prosthesis. Chest roentgenography demonstrated abnormal orientation of the prosthesis. M-mode echocardiography showed dense, linear echoes from the prosthetic valve between the interventricular septum and the mitral valve, along with loss of normal poppet motion within the aortic root. At surgery, the prosthesis was found to be extensively disrupted, resulting in prolapse into the left ventricular outflow tract. Another valve replacement was performed with patient survival. Echocardiography appears to be a useful adjunct to established roentgenographic procedures in the diagnosis of major dehiscence of prosthetic aortic valves.

Acute Disease

Successful surgical correction of symptomatic cor triatriatum dexter.

An unusual case of cor triatriatum dexter is presented. Abnormal embryologic development of the eustachian valve caused nearly complete septation of the right atrium in a 67-year-old woman. Multiple supraventricular arrhythmias prompted clinical evaluation and diagnosis. Surgical excision of the anomalous membrane resulted in complete relief from arrhythmias and a clinical cure. Cor triatriatum dexter is rare and is infrequently diagnosed before postmortem study; however, once the diagnosis is extablished, the condition is amenable to a relatively simple surgical correction. Supraventricular tachycardia has not previously been reported to be associated with cor triatriatum dexter. We believe this is the first case in which such arrhythmias led to early diagnosis and successful surgical correction.

Aged

Increased mortality rate from coronary artery disease following operation for coarctation of the aorta at a late age.

Sixty-six patients past 35 years of age at operation for coarctation of the aorta had significantly higher hospital (five of 66, 7.5 percent) and late cardiovascular (10 of 61, 16.4 percent) mortality rates than 137 patients aged 15 to 34 years (mean, 21.9 years). Three of the five hospital deaths, as well as four of the 10 late deaths, in the group greater than 35 years of age were due to myocardial infarction. Thus the total coronary mortality rate was 10.6 percent (seven of 66 patients), with all deaths occurring in men. It appears that coronary artery disease (CAD) is a significant complication in male patients who undergo operation for coarctation of the aorta at a late age.

Adolescent

Echocardiography in the diagnosis of Lutembacher syndrome.

In two patients with Lutembacher syndrome cardiac catheterization demonstrated a large atrial septal defect but no diastolic gradient across the mitral valve. Echocardiography was compatible with right ventricular volume overload and mitral stenosis. Surgical exploration of the mitral valve at the time of atrial septal defect correction is warranted when the echocardiogram is suggestive of mitral stenosis.

Cardiac Catheterization