[Transcatheter aortic valve thrombosis]. / Thrombose de valve post-TAVI.

GOALS: Transcatheter aortic valve or leaflets thrombosis are mainly misapprehended. It negatively impacts the long-term efficiency of such prosthesis. Moreover, its incidence is presumably higher than previously described. EPIDEMIOLOGY: Recently reported subclinical leaflet thrombosis, occurring between first to third months after implantation, is about 10to 15%. All prosthesis are concerned by potential thrombosis. DIAGNOSIS: Transcatheter aortic valve thrombosis is usually detected on the basis of increased transvalvular pressure gradients or symptoms at routine follow-up. Main causes of post-TAVI thrombosis are: elderly patients, incomplete TAVI expansion, incomplete TAVI apposition to the aortic wall, areas of diminished blood flow and stagnation around the prosthesis. Main risk-factors of thrombosis are: large valves, patients with ejection fraction lower than 35%, valve-in-valve implantation, males, patients with large sinus of Valsalva, patients without anticoagulants. TREATMENT: Post-TAVI anti thrombotic regimen remains empirical. It is based on aspirin alone or dual antiplatelet therapy for 1-6months, followed by aspirin for life. Symptomatic patients with thrombus-based valve dysfunction are to be treated by oral anticoagulation (i.e., VKA or new oral anticoagulants NOAC). This treatment allows the restoration of normal leaflet motion in patients with a median time of 14 days.

[Myocardial ischaemia detection in women]. / Recherche de l'ischémie myocardique chez les femmes.

Screening of myocardial ischemia refers to the use of one or more diagnostic tests for coronary heart disease with a dual objective of appropriateness and promptness. In women, as compared to men, the accuracy of the different tests is worse. Thus, to overcome this sex-related penalty, we must define a diagnosis strategy based on risk stratification, enabling the identification of patients requiring invasive investigations. This review discusses various non-invasive diagnostic tests focusing on a female-specific approach and defines the use of numerous diagnostic tests with respect to both risk stratification and symptoms.

[Thromboaspiration in the treatment of ST segment elevation myocardial infarction]. / Un cas, une revue : thromboaspiration dans la prise en charge du SCAST.

Routine manual thrombectomy during primary percutaneous coronary intervention might be intuitively justified. While older registers reported contradictory results, interventional cardiologists remained interested in using such devices during the mechanical treatment of acute myocardial infarction. The first studies were congruent to demonstrate a significant relationship between thromboaspiration and significant improvement of ST-segment elevation, lower distal embolization, despite TAPAS was the only to significantly reduce the mortality. Later studies were unable to confirm these promising data, avoiding routine manual thrombectomy prior to primary angioplasty to decrease cardiovascular mortality, recurrent myocardial infarction, cardiogenic shock or severe heart failure. Moreover, thrombectomy was associated with an increased rate of stroke. Should thrombectomy therefore be conclusively overlooked? It is presumably required to define which patient is eligible for thrombectomy, to define how to perfectly perform manual thrombectomy, to specify how to gently move towards the thrombus, the optimal pharmacological environment, the number of aspirations and the criterion to stop or to repeat aspiration. Indeed, while thrombectomy is nowadays scientifically downgraded, it remains of potential interest in numerous interventional cardiologists.

[Role of new oral anticoagulants in interventional cardiology]. / Place des nouveaux anticoagulants oraux en salle de cardiologie interventionnelle.

New oral anticoagulants constitute an important breakthrough for cardiologists and their patients. After reviewing their mechanism of action, their role in the context of interventional cardiology, particularly for patients with acute coronary syndromes, is discussed.

[Which patent foramen ovale needs to be closed, and how?]. / Quels foramens ovales perméables faut-il fermer et comment ?

Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO) is a normal fetal communication between right and left atria that persists after birth by about 30% in adults. It is discussed to be associated to potential clinical events, asking rational of such closure. Its correction throughout venous access can be attempted on four different indications: (1) secondary prevention of stroke or transient ischemic attack, (2) decompression illness, (3) migraine with aura, and (4) platypnea-orthodeoxia. The PFO closure procedure implies the double control of X-rays and ultrasound, and is relatively simple to perform, using various prostheses. In France, the place of percutaneous closure procedure is nowadays unclear since the Haute Autorité de santé currently suspended recommendations about the management after stroke.

[Resistance to platelet antiaggregants: the cardiologist's point of view]. / Résistance aux antiagrégants plaquettaires : le point de vue du cardiologue.

The concept of resistance to aspirin and clopidogrel, initially described in the laboratory, has currently been reinforced with recent epidemiological clinical data. One of the elements of particular importance for the cardiologist is the possible participation of this resistance in the process of coronary stent thrombosis, a problem which appeared to be solved early in the 1990s with the introduction of thienopyridines. This complication has however become preoccupying again, particularly when occurring late, notably since the widespread use of biologically active coronary endoprostheses. Nevertheless, the debate continues concerning the usefulness of the biological definition of this concept since we still do not have correctly standardized coherent biological tools that can be used in the clinical setting to detect "resistant" patients. Since there is no real therapeutic strategy which should be applied in the event of resistance, there still is little interest in developing screening methods. But the cardiology community can learn from this concept. We should revisit the principles of revascularization within the framework of the rules of good clinical practice, without speculating about the possible therapeutic finality which might develop should such and such a phenomenon occur.

[Asperger syndrome in childhood: review of four cases]. / Syndrome d'Asperger chez l'enfant: à propos de quatre observations.

INTRODUCTION: Asperger syndrome is a pervasive developmental disorder included lately in the international classifications. OBSERVATIONS: We report the observations of four children presenting this syndrome. For every patient, we collected antecedents and psychomotor development; we made neuropsychological assessment and video recording. Three patients underwent an EEG and one a cerebral MRI. RESULTS: These patients were between ten- and sixteen-year old. The neuropsychological assessment showed a heterogeneous intellectual functioning with three times out of four a dissociation between high verbal level and low non-verbal level. Their language appeared sophisticated, apragmatic, their comprehension was inflexible. The mean age at diagnosis was ten years. They showed a sociability and autonomy improvement but they were conscious of their difference and suffered from it. CONCLUSION: Our four cases allow to present Asperger syndrome, slightly known in France. Collaborative studies and genetic studies are necessary to improve the knowledge of this syndrome.

[Biochemical markers of myocardial ischemia and necrosis]. / Marqueurs biochimiques d'ischémie et de nécrose myocardique.

The biochemical markers of myocardial ischaemia have to be interpreted according to their kinetics; their interests depend on the clinical presentation. They are helpful to orient to a myocardial ischaemia in front of undefined chest pain, to stratify the outcome of acute coronary syndrome without ST segment elevation, to evaluate the amount of myocardial damage following infarction, to detect the failure of thrombolysis therapy and probably to stratify the post percutaneous coronary intervention outcome.

[Value of pulsed Doppler tissue imaging for early detection of myocardial dysfunction with anthracyclines]. / Intérêt du Doppler tissulaire pulsé pour le dépistage précoce de l'altération de la fonction myocardique aux anthracyclines.

The cumulative and definitive nature of chronic cardiotoxicity of anthracyclines requires a preventive strategy of early diagnosis. The authors undertook a prospective study of the association of echocardiography, mitral Doppler and pulsed Doppler tissue imaging of the left ventricular lateral and posterior walls in the context of this problem in 20 patients without cardiac disease undergoing cancer chemotherapy including anthracyclines. Doppler echocardiography was performed before the first session of chemotherapy and at the end of treatment, 6 +/- 4 months later. After a total cumulative dose of 227 +/- 91 mg/m2 of doxorubicine, there were no changes in left ventricular ejection fraction but a significant decrease in mitral E wave velocity (p = 0.04) and in E/A ratio (p = 0.01), suggesting early changes in left ventricular relaxation. The Doppler tissue examination confirmed the presence of radial and longitudinal abnormalities in myocardial relaxation (decreases in myocardial E wave velocities of the posterior and lateral walls of the left ventricle, p = 0.02 and p = 0.01, respectively). The peak velocity of the myocardial systolic wave (Sm) was significantly decreased in the lateral wall (p = 0.02) and approached statistical significance in the posterior wall (p = 0.07). These results suggest concomitant changes in myocardial systolic and diastolic function with moderate doses of anthracyclines. Therefore, pulsed Doppler tissue examination enables earlier detection of left ventricular cardiotoxicity with anthracyclines than classical echocardiographic parameters.

[One center's experience of coronary angioplasty with a 5 French catheter guide by a femoral approach at the same time as coronary angiography]. / Expérience monocentrique de l'angioplastie coronaire par cathéter guide 5 French menée par voie fémorale dans le même temps que l'examen coronarographique.

The object of this study was to assess the feasibility of so-called ad hoc 5 F percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). This monocentric register included 200 consecutive procedures (233 lesions) of 5F PTCA by a femoral approach after a bolus of standard heparin (50 to 70 IU/kg). The population included 15.4% of stable angina, 29.4% of unstable angina, 11% acute phase, 13.5% post-revascularisation angina and 30.7% post-infarction cases. A successful procedure was defined as a good angiographic result without ischaemic complications. A failed 5F procedure was defined by the need to fall back on a 6F PTCA. The peripheral vascular complications were recorded. The lesions were stented in 77.4% of cases including 13.4% of direct stenting. There were 200 successful procedures (87%). The failures (N = 26) were mainly explained by the inability to cross chronic obstruction (N = 11). The ischaemic complications included 2 coronary bypasses (2 retrograde dissections of the left anterior descending artery) and 7 enzymatic increases without ECG changes. Fall back to 6F PTCA was required in 4 cases (1.7%) always because of the instability of the 5F catheter guide before the procedure. The quality of coronary contrast was estimated to be good. The vascular complication rate was low with 2% of communicating haematomas (N = 4). Therefore, 5F PTCA is feasible with failure and complication rates comparable to those reported with catheters of larger dimensions. One of its principal advantages is "ad hoc" angioplasty after 5F coronary angiography.

[A rare cause of stroke in a patient with a cardiac pacemaker]. / Etiologie rare d'accident vasculaire cérébral ischémique chez un patient ayant un stimulateur cardiaque.

The authors report the case of a 78 year old woman admitted to hospital for recurrent cerebrovascular accidents, the initial investigation of which was normal. This pacemaker patient had a displacement of the definitive ventricular pacing catheter which was positioned in the left ventricle through a patent foramen ovale. The diagnosis was suspected on clinical and echocardiographic examination and confirmed by transthoracic and transoesophageal echocardiography. In view of the risk of systemic embolism, the pacing catheter was repositioned by an endovascular approach in the right ventricle.

[Prediction of improvement of left ventricular systolic function by dobutamine echocardiography after recent myocardial infarction]. / Prédiction de l'amélioration de la fonction systolique ventriculaire gauche par échographie à la dobutamine après infarctus du myocarde récent.

Left ventricular ejection fraction is a major prognostic factor of ischaemic heart disease. In the early phase of myocardial infarction, part of the myocardium may be stunned and responsible for marked segmental wall dysfunction which is potentially reversible. The authors studied the potential of low dose dobutamine echocardiography to predict secondary improvement of left ventricular systolic function in 21 patients with recent inaugural myocardial infarction without primary angioplasty. All patients were treated and the investigation was carried out up to 20 micrograms/Kg/min of dobutamine without unwanted side-effects or myocardial ischaemia. The detection of viability by this method was associated with improved wall motion of the affected segments in 74% of cases, most of which had benefited from myocardial revascularisation at control echocardiography performed 8 weeks later. If 4 or more segments were estimated to be viable initially, the left ventricular ejection fraction improved to a value comparable to that obtained at a dosage of 20 micrograms/Kg/min of dobutamine. On the other hand, there was no secondary improvement in 76% of segments estimated to be non-viable whether or not they had been revascularised. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of low dose dobutamine echocardiography for prediction of myocardial recovery after recent infarction were respectively 71, 79, 74 and 76%. The results of this investigation show prognostic value and could be an aid to the decision concerning revascularisation of patients not having undergone primary angioplasty.

[Ambulatory treatment of deep venous thrombosis]. / Traitement de la thrombose veineuse profonde à domicile.

Conventional treatment of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) has been based, until recently, on non-fractionated heparin by continuous intravenous infusion in hospital until effective anticoagulation could be obtained by oral anticoagulants introduced early. Low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) seems to be as effective and has a better bio-availability, which means that there are fewer adverse effects. This usage has logically led to the increase in the possibilities of treatment of DVT at home. However, certain precautions are necessary, especially the evaluation of the individual patient's risk with this strategy. This requires multidisciplinary collaboration and the respect of strict rules (precise diagnostic objective, hospital admission at the slightest doubt of pulmonary embolism) to demonstrate the value of ambulatory LMWH therapy which would improve patient comfort and allow early mobilisation.

[Pulmonary embolism in the child: diagnostic and therapeutic particularities]. / Embolie pulmonaire de l'enfant: particularités diagnostiques et thérapeutiques.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary embolism in children is an overlooked pathology. Yet the first description dates back to the end of the 19th century and this specific pathology is not seldom observed. The main risk factors are trauma, surgery, and foreign bodies. DIAGNOSIS: Thrombophilia can be diagnosed when a thromboembolic event occurs. The initial thrombosis may be found anywhere in the venous network. Venous sonography usually gives the diagnosis. Pulmonary embolism usually has a poor clinical expression. An unexplained situation can be the first manifestation. Echocardiography guides diagnosis confirmed by ventilation-perfusion scintigraphy. TREATMENT: Prophylaxis is achieved with small doses of heparin. Treatment is based on the use of hypocoagulant doses of heparin, potentially after systemic thrombolysis and followed by oral anticoagulation.

[Comparative evaluation of hydrophilic and standard guide wires for retrograde catheterization of severe aortic stenosis]. / Evaluation comparative des guides hydrophiles versus guides standards dans le franchissement rétrograde des rétrécissements aortiques serrés.

The feasibility and safety of using hydrophilic guide wires were compared with those of standard guide wires for retrograde catheterization of aortic stenosis in a prospective randomised study. The performances of the guide wires were assessed by the time taken to catheterize the aortic valve (minutes) and the duration of radioscopy (minutes: grays). The success of the procedure was defined as presence of the guide in the left ventricle in less than 8 minutes. The two patient groups were comparable with respect to the severity of the aortic stenosis. Two failures of catheterisation were observed in the "standard guide wire" group compared with three failures with the hydrophilic guide wire. The mean catheterisation time of the "standard" group was 2.56 minutes compared with 3.12 minutes with the hydrophilic guide wire (p = 0.35 NS). This result was correlated with the duration of radioscopy and number of groups (respectively p = 0.18 NS and p = 0.5 NS). One case of tamponade and a transient ischaemic cerebral attack were observed in the "standard" group. This study does not show the hydrophilic guide wire to be superior to the standard guide wire for catheterisation of aortic stenosis. However, the hydrophilic guide wires were perfectly innocuous for this procedure.

[Local treatment during angioplasty]. / Traitement local lors de l'angioplastie.

Intracoronary thrombosis and post-angioplasty complications (acute occlusion) are now controlled. Restenosis is the principal obstacle to transluminal coronary revascularisation. The conviction of the multifactorial and focal nature of the process leading to this excessive scarring is acquired. Constrictive remodelling is now established as the main mechanism of restenosis. Failure to prevent restenosis by systemic therapy has led several groups to experiment local treatment for this problem. The object of this article is to review the different systems of local treatment at the site of angioplasty. Even if some results are encouraging, there is no solution as yet to the problem of restenosis. Although local therapy is possible, the agent(s) of choice remain(s) to be defined.

[Extensive mycotic coronary aneurysm detected by echocardiography. Apropos of a case]. / Volumineux anévrisme mycotique coronaire de découverte échographique. A propos d'un cas.

The authors report the case of a large mycotic right coronary aneurysm detected at echocardiography in a 45 year old patient with AIDS. Although emergency surgery was planned, the patient died of rupture of the aneurysm with cardiogenic shock and sudden pericardial tamponade. This case underlines the diagnostic value of echocardiography, by the transthoracic approach for para-cardiac masses and with the transoesophageal probe for accurate localisation and demonstration of the coronary origin. In this case, the CT scan was less useful than transthoracic echocardiography. Coronary angiography confirmed the strongly suggestive echocardiographic diagnosis and helped decide management strategy. Atheromatous coronary aneurysms may be treated by stenting but mycotic aneurysms require surgical management.