Transesophageal two-dimensional echocardiography: comparison of ultrasonic and anatomic sections.

Conventional 2-dimensional echocardiography has become a well-established tool for evaluating cardiovascular diseases. Recent introduction of 2-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography has widened the ultrasonic examination possibilities of the heart and great arteries. The 6 standard transesophageal transducer positions that have proved representative and of diagnostic value are described. To facilitate structure identification and interpretation of anatomic relations, transesophageal recordings were compared with corresponding anatomic sections.

[Two-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography: a better presentation of intra-atrial structures]. / Transösophageale zweidimensionale Echokardiographie: bessere Darstellung intraatrialer Strukturen.

In seven patients with suspected or detected abnormal intra-atrial structures on 2-dimensional echocardiography, transoesophageal echocardiography was diagnostic of left atrial myxoma in two, left atrial thrombus in two, cor triatriatum in two and right atrial membrane in one. The transoesophageal technique extends diagnostic possibilities. The accurate demonstration of atrial abnormalities in such cases by the transoesophageal technique obviates the need of invasive pre-operative angiographic and haemodynamic procedures.

Transesophageal two-dimensional echocardiography in the diagnosis of cor triatriatum in the adult.

Two adult patients with left ventricular inflow obstruction are presented. Conventional two-dimensional echocardiography had failed to yield a definite diagnosis, whereas transesophageal two-dimensional echocardiography clearly documented a membraneous echo structure within the left atrium, diagnostic of cor triatriatum. On the basis of the transesophageal echocardiographic findings, left heart catheterization and angiocardiography were not performed and both patients successfully underwent cardiac surgery.

[Influence of silymarin and (+)-cyanidanol-3 on the HCB-induced porphyria in rats (author's transl)]. / Einfluss von Silymarin und (+)-Cyanidanol-3 auf die Hexachlorbenzol (HCB)-induzierte Porphyrie der Ratte.

Adult female Wistar rats were fed continuously over a period of 65 days with a diet containing 0.05% hexachlorobenzene (HCB), silymarin (100 mg/kg) or (+)-cyanidanol-3 (150 mg/kg) alone or together with HCB. On day 49 the porphyrins were increased in the cyanidanol-HCB-group in contrast to the silymarin-HCB- and the HCB-group which showed lower levels during the whole experiment. Compared with the other groups--aminolevulinic acid and porphobilinogen were increased in the cyanidanol/HCB-group. Silymarin and cyanidanol had no effect on the formation of experimental porphyria. On the other hand, silymarin is a stronger inducer of the mixed function monooxygenase system than cyanidanol. The type of the cytochrome P-450 induced by the substances could not be identified with the help of different type-specific inhibitors.

[Cytochrome P-450 dependent enzymatic activity in the liver of patients with porphyria cutanea tarda (author's transl)]. / Cytochrom-P-450-abhängige Enzymaktivitäten in der Leber bei Porphyria cutanea tarda.

In the liver of 12 patients with porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) the following parameters were measured: protein-content, NADPH-cytochrome c-reductase, 7-ethoxycoumarin-deethylase. The results were compared with the findings of patients with chronic liver disease (chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis) and patients without any liver affection. In addition the in vitro inhibition of 7-ethoxycoumarin-deethylase by metyrapone (phenobarbital induced cytochrome P-450) or naphthoflavone (benzo[a]pyrene induced cytochrome P-448) was estimated. No differences were found between the various groups. It is assumed that the induction of the mixed function monooxygenases is not an essential condition for the development or the persistence of the human porphyria cutanea tarda.