Transient ischaemic attack: a common initial manifestation of cardiac myxomas.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Cardiac myxomas may present clinically with many different features. Since highly effective treatments exist, it is important that they are diagnosed quickly in order to avoid further complications. Our aim was to determine the influence of neurological presentation in diagnosis and prognosis of cardiac myxomas. METHODS: We have reviewed the clinical charts of 28 patients diagnosed with cardiac myxomas seen at our centre in the last 20 years. RESULTS: Mean age at diagnosis in patients with neurological events was 49.22 years and 60.84 years in those without neurological manifestations (p = 0.0325). Most frequent presentations were: cardiac manifestations (92.8%), general manifestations (71.4%) and embolic events (39.3%). Nine patients (32.1%) presented with cerebral embolism; 7 of whom presented with transient ischaemic attacks (TIA), which was the first manifestation in 6 of them; 3 of them later suffered complete cerebral infarction with sequelae. Echocardiography confirmed diagnosis in 26 out of 27 patients in which it was performed. None of the patients presented neurological symptoms after surgery. CONCLUSION: The most frequent initial neurological manifestation in our series was TIA. Nevertheless, none of the patients were diagnosed after the first neurological symptom. Although the contribution of cardiac myxomas to the total amount of TIA is low, since surgery is highly effective and of low risk, and patients with neurological manifestations are younger, it is vital to consider the possibility of cardiac myxoma after a TIA of unknown origin.

Ventricular arrhythmias in aortic valve disease: a further marker of impaired left ventricular function.

One hundred and twenty stable patients with pure and severe aortic valve disease and without coronary lesions (aortic stenosis, 43 patients; aortic regurgitation, 45 patients; combined aortic stenosis and regurgitation, 32 patients) who had been submitted to haemodynamic studies were prospectively studied with standard electrocardiograms, M-mode echocardiograms, and 24-hour ambulatory electrocardiography (Holter recording). The frequency and complexity of ventricular arrhythmias were related to clinical parameters such as functional class, type of lesion and presence of syncope, and to parameters of left ventricular hypertrophy and function. Ventricular arrhythmias were present in 92% of patients. A high number of ventricular premature beats was directly correlated with parameters of complexity of the arrhythmia. A significant relation was found between electrocardiographic left ventricular hypertrophy and Ryan class (P less than 0.05), and an inverse relation between maximal number of ventricular premature beats in any hour and left ventricular ejection fraction (P less than 0.05). The group of patients with aortic regurgitation showed a higher total number of ventricular premature beats per 24 hours (P less than 0.001), a higher maximal number of these in any hour (P less than 0.01), a higher number of patients with pairs (P less than 0.001), and a higher number of patients in Ryan classes 3, 4A, 4B (P less than 0.01). This study shows a high incidence of ventricular arrhythmias in aortic valve disease, and especially in aortic regurgitation, with a significant relation between left ventricular hypertrophy and function, and number and complexity of arrhythmias.

Electrophysiologic effects of unilateral right and left stellate ganglion block on the human heart.

To determine the electrophysiologic effects of stellate ganglion (SG) block on the human heart, the two SGs were anesthetized separately, with a 24-hour interval between the two procedures, in 13 patients with episodes of supraventricular tachycardia (six had Kent bundles). Left SG block caused: (1) a lengthening of the AH interval, measured at fixed atrial rates of 10 +/- 12 msec (p less than 0.01); (2) a marked depression of the VA conduction in six of the seven patients with measurable VA interval (in two patients it produced complete VA block); (3) a slowing of 20 to 40 msec of the cycle of an electrically induced reciprocating tachycardia; and (4) failure to modify the QT interval duration. In contrast, right SG block produced asymmetric or opposite changes and prolonged the QT interval (7.6 +/- 8.8 msec, p less than 0.05). Atrial and ventricular refractoriness was not significantly altered by SG block. Retrograde effective refractory period of the Kent bundle changed 20 to 60 msec after unilateral SG blockade. Thus, this study suggests that the human conduction system and the Kent bundles receive an appreciable sympathetic influence from the SG. Like experimental studies, we also found an asymmetric response to unilateral SG block and a dominance, in most of our patients, of the left SG. The influence on myocardial refractoriness was less apparent.

Shortening of ventriculoatrial conduction in patients with left-sided Kent bundles.

In six patients with electrophysiologic evidence of ventriculoatrial conduction through a left Kent bundle, we documented that programmed right ventricular stimuli falling within an interval of 60 to 160 msec from the end of the T wave propagated to the left atrium (distal coronary sinus unipolar lead) 10 to 20 msec earlier than the basic paced beats. This phenomenon could be reproduced 24 hours later in two patients, and it was abolished by procainamide and amiodarone in one instance. During this interval we were unable to induce reciprocating tachycardia. Our observations outline a new pattern in ventriculoatrial conduction in patients with left-sided Kent bundles. The findings suggest in addition, that (1) supernormal conduction may be responsible for the observed shortening in retrograde conduction and (2) this phenomenon does not facilitate induction of reciprocating tachycardia.

Case report: left ventricular echinococcosis diagnosed by coronary cineangiography.

This report presents a case of echinococcosis of the left ventricle treated surgically with success. Coronary cineangiography showed a circular capillary blush. This supports the view that this sign might well prove to be pathognomonic of this condition, as has been recently pointed out in another similar case. The diagnostic value of coronary cineangiography in left ventricular echinococcosis is emphasized.