[Value of systematic biological markers of inflammation for the prognosis at 12 months of patients undergoing programmed coronary angioplasty]. / Intérêt du dosage de marqueurs systémiques de l'inflammation dans l'évalualion pronostique à 12 mois de patients traités par angioplastie coronaire programmée.

Value of systematic dosage of biological markers of inflammation for the prognosis at 12 months of patients undergoing programmed coronary angioplasty Systematic dosage of proteins of inflammation has been suggested for assessing the prognosis of athero-thrombotic diseases. The authors undertook a study of plasma C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) for evaluating the prognosis of patients undergoing programmed coronary angioplasty. A prospective monocentric study of 117 patients (65 +/- 8 years) was divided into a control group of 28 patients undergoing coronary angiography (Group 1) and 89 patients undergoing programmed coronary angioplasty (Group 2). Serum IL-6 and CRP levels were measured before arterial puncture and at H12 and H24 after coronary catheterisation. The follow-up period was 12 months. The angioplasty did not significantly increase CRP and IL-6 concentrations compared with coronary angiography. Twenty patients (Group 2) (22%) suffered a cardiovascular event in the 12 months' follow-up. These patients had significantly higher CRP levels at H0, H12 and H24 after coronary angioplasty than those who had uncomplicated outcomes. This was not observed for IL-6 concentrations because of the wide dispersion of the results obtained. Increased CRP concentrations between H0 and H24 was also a good predictive factor independently of high basal CRP levels potentially due to other causes than atheroma. Coronary angioplasty is associated with increased CRP at H0, H12 and H24. These values are correlated with the risk of future events at 6 and 12 months. This information is easily obtained and should help management of these patients.

Thrombus in a normal sinus of Valsalva: angiographic, multiplane transoesophageal echocardiographic, and surgical findings.

A large intraluminal thrombus within an otherwise normal sinus of Valsalva was diagnosed in a 41 year old man who was investigated for myocardial infarction. The thrombus was suspected by aortic root injection, confirmed by transoesophageal echocardiography, and treated surgically.

Resistance to aspirin in vitro is associated with increased platelet sensitivity to adenosine diphosphate.

BACKGROUND: Platelet activation plays an important role in arterial thrombosis and the widespread use of aspirin has reduced major events by 25% in the secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases. However, it appears that aspirin antiplatelet effect is not uniform and 8-45% of the population are, in vitro, aspirin resistant, and it is well recognized that platelets can be activated by pathways that are not blocked by aspirin, such as adenosine diphosphate (ADP). OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether aspirin-resistant patients have a modified sensitivity to ADP-induced platelet activation MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-two patients were enrolled. Platelet function was measured by the PFA-100(R) analyser; platelet GP IIb-IIIa activation by ADP 10 micro M was assessed by flow cytometry using PAC-1 MoAb. RESULTS: Using a collagen/epinephrine coated cartridge on the PFA-100(R), the prevalence of aspirin resistance was 29.2% (n=21). For aspirin-resistant patients, the collagen/ADP coated cartridge showed a closure time significantly shorter (p=0.004) compared to the sensitive and control groups. Platelets from aspirin-resistant patients bound PAC-1 significantly more (p=0.03) than the aspirin-sensitive patients and controls when activated with 10 micro M ADP. CONCLUSIONS: Platelets from aspirin-resistant patients appear to be more sensitive and activable by ADP. This hypersensitivity could provide a possible explanation for the so-called aspirin resistance, and this could justify therapeutic improvement with alternative antiplatelet agents.

Resistance to aspirin in vitro at rest and during exercise in patients with angiographically proven coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND: Acetylsalicylic acid, or aspirin, is widely used in secondary prevention of coronary artery diseases, but the inhibition of platelet aggregation is not uniform in all individuals. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of aspirin resistance at rest and during exercise in coronary artery disease patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty patients with stable coronary artery disease were prospectively studied. All patients received aspirin (75-300 mg/day for >1 month) and no other antiplatelet therapy. Aspirin resistance was studied, at rest and immediately after a stress test, using the standardized platelet function analyzer (PFA-100(R), Dade-Behring). Aspirin resistance was defined as a normal collagen/epinephrine closure time (<186 s). RESULTS: Ten patients (20%) were aspirin-resistant at rest. Out of the 40 patients who were aspirin-sensitive at rest, 9 (22%) were aspirin-resistant immediately after the exercise stress test. There were no differences in aspirin sensitivity regarding gender, age, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, platelet count, medical treatment or number of the coronary arteries involved. CONCLUSIONS: Aspirin resistance is detected, at rest, in 20% of our patients with stable coronary artery disease. Aspirin treatment does not seem to protect against exercise-induced platelet activation in 22% of such patients, despite aspirin sensitivity at rest.

Nomogram for Doppler echocardiographic assessment of mitral stenosis in atrial fibrillation.

Non-invasive assessment of the stenotic mitral valve area is often difficult when the mitral stenosis is associated with atrial fibrillation. In this study, 16 patients with mitral stenosis and atrial fibrillation were evaluated by transthoracic Doppler echocardiography. The mitral valve area calculated by the pressure half-time method was 1.65 +/- 0.73 cm2. The enddiastolic mitral gradient was obtained from the enddiastolic forward mitral flow velocity by application of the simplified Bernoulli equation. For each patient there was a linear relationship between the enddiastolic mitral gradient and the corresponding RR interval. The slope and intercept of this relationship were significantly correlated with the mitral valve area. From the regression equations describing these correlations we established a nomogram ascertaining mitral valve area from enddiastolic mitral gradient and corresponding heart rate. This nomogram was helpful in the non-invasive assessment of stenotic mitral valve area in the presence of atrial fibrillation.

Perforated aneurysm of the anterior mitral leaflet: late assessment with transesophageal echocardiography.

We present a case study of a 54-year-old patient with a perforated aneurysm of the anterior mitral valve leaflet, diagnosed 13 years after an episode of bacterial endocarditis by transesophageal echocardiography. This report illustrates the superiority of transesophageal echocardiography in the diagnosis and management of valvular endocarditis.

[Physiopathology of myocardial infarction: the acute coronary occlusion]. / Physiopathologie de l'infarctus du myocarde: l'occlusion coronaire aiguë.

Rupture of the atheromatous plaque, thrombosis and local vasoconstriction are involved in the genesis of acute myocardial infarction. The vulnerability of the plaque depends on its histological structure. Its fragility is related to the size of the lipid core, the thinness of the fibrous capsule and the inflammatory reaction. External aggression favourites rupture. This triggers both thrombogenesis by bringing the blood cells into contact with thrombogenic subendothelial factors and local vasoconstriction due to endothelial dysfunction. Although rupture of the plaque is an unpredictable event, there is a circadian variability the highest incidence of infarction being between 6 a.m. and midday. Comprehension of the physiopathology of myocardial infarction has opened up new therapeutic approaches which should reduce the incidence of plaque rupture. Prevention is based on stabilisation of the plaque by dietary hygiene, lipid-lowering drugs and, maybe, in the future, by local application of antisense oligonucleotides. Finally, anti-aggregant therapy (aspirin or anti-GIIb-IIIa) could prevent the formation or extension of the thrombus.

[Tissue characterization by study of myocardial response to ultrasound. Review of the literature and perspectives]. / Caractérisation tissulaire par étude de réponse du myocarde aux ultrasons. Revue de la littérature et perspectives.

Echocardiography is a routine daily cardiological investigation. Recent technological developments suggest that it may become possible to quantify myocardial texture and thereby achieve histological and functional definitions of cardiac diseases. Two approaches are under evaluation: "videodensitometry" uses tools of statistical quantification from the echocardiographic image; more recently, analysis of the radiofrequency signal has been proposed. This is based on direct exploitation of a continuous signal at the transducer head of wide dynamic range containing all the information received by the piezo-electric crystals. These two approaches have given encouraging preliminary results in the recognition of different myocardial hypertrophic reactions, in diabetic cardiac disease and in the identification of myocardial viability. Despite the many remaining problems, the perspectives are promising and a new field of echocardiography should see the light of day.

[Treatment of atrial fibrillation with fenoxedil hydrochloride. Apropos of 112 cases]. / Traitement de la fibrillation auriculaire par le chlorhydrate de fénoxédil. A propos de 112 observations.

One hundred and twelve patients with atrial fibrillation of different causes were treated with fenoxedil chlorhydrate. Sinus rhythm was restored in 81 cases (72.3 p. 100). The best results were obtained in the following conditions: hypertensive heart disease (77.6 p. 100), ischemic heart disease (75 p. 100), idiopathic atrial fibrillation (76.4 p. 100), senile lone fibrillation (78.2 p. 100). The results were average in valvular heart disease (57.1 p. 100) and in hyperthyroidism (40%). Age did not appear to be a deciding factor, the overall results being comparable in patients under 70 years of age (70.8 p. 100) and over 70 years of age (73.4 p. 100). Although recent atrial fibrillation was reduced more easily (83.3 p. 100), the results were satisfactory in chronic arrhythmias (over 3 years) (77.7 p. 100). The success rate was 76.3 p. 100 when the cardiothoracic index was over 0.60, and 66.6 p. 100 when less than 0.60. The antiarrhythmic effect of fenoxedil chlorhydrate is related to its electrophysiological properties as it depresses sinus node activity and atrioventricular conduction. No arrhythmic or conduction complications were observed during a short period (maximum 5 days) of close monitoring. However, lengthening of the QT and PR intervals was a common phenomenon. The advantages of fenoxedil chlorhydrate over electrical cardioversion (atraumatic, possibility of associating digitalis) and the results obtained whilst respecting the prescribing advice, justify its adoption as a method of converting atrial fibrillation.

[Myocardial infarction by complete thrombosis of the left main coronary artery: emergency treatment with angioplasty with implantation of a coronary stent and follow-up at one year: a case report]. / Infarctus par thrombose complète du tronc commun coronaire gauche: traitement en urgence par angioplastie avec pose de prothèse endocoronaire et suivi à 1 an. A propos d'un cas.

Acute occlusion of the left main coronary artery is usually responsible for cardiogenic shock, severe arrhythmias or sudden death. Despite the widespread use of emergency coronary angiography in acute myocardial infarction, occlusion of the left main coronary artery is rarely observed and its treatment remains controversial. The authors report the case of a young man with a previous history of radiotherapy for Hodgkin's disease, admitted for acute myocardial infarction due to complete thrombosis of the left main coronary artery treated as an emergency by percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and implantation of a Palmaz Schatz stent. There were no complications of the procedure and the patient was asymptomatic one year later.

[Doppler echographic evaluation of mitral valve stenosis with atrial fibrillation. Construction of a nomogram]. / Evaluation par échocardiographie Doppler des sténoses mitrales en fibrillation auriculaire. Construction d'un nomogramme.

Doppler echocardiographic evaluation of mitral stenosis is often difficult in patients with atrial fibrillation. Sixteen patients were examined by transthoracic Doppler echocardiography and the relation between the variations in transmitral end diastolic pressure gradient and the length of the corresponding cardiac cycles was analysed. Mitral valve surface area (1.65 +/- 0.73 cm2) was determined by the pressure half-time method. The end diastolic transmitral pressure gradient was calculated from the simplified Bernouilli formula applied to end diastolic mitral flow velocity. In each patient, a linear relationship was observed between the end diastolic mitral gradient and the corresponding RR interval. The slope and intercept of the graph correlated significantly to mitral valve surface area (r = 0.72, p < 0.002 and r = 0.93, p < 0.00001, respectively). Using regression equations describing these correlations, it has been possible to construct a nomogramme indicating mitral valve surface area as a function of mitral end diastolic pressure gradient and the duration of the corresponding RR cycle. This nomogramme facilitates Doppler evaluation of mitral stenosis in atrial fibrillation.

[Spontaneous course of myxoma of the left atrium]. / Evolution spontanée du myxome de l'oreillette gauche.

Little is known about the natural history of left intra-atrial myxomas. We report 3 cases of that disease where successive echocardiographic examinations provided figures of 11, 12 and 14 months respectively for the formation of the tumour in the left atrium. Echocardiography is perfectly reliable for the diagnosis of myxoma. False-negative results are rare and usually due to very small myxomas being beyond the resolution potential of the instrument; this seems to have been the case in 2 of our 3 patients. Two data, however, remain unknown: the beginning of formation and the rapidity of tumoral growth. These 3 cases raise the problem of repeat echocardiography some time after a cerebral accident of suspected embolic origin, when the initial examination is negative.

[Ultrasonic detection of arteriosclerosis of the main arterial trunks in the coronary patient]. / Athérosclérose des gros troncs artériels chez le coronarien, dépistage ultrasonore.

Ultrasonic investigations of the peripheral vessels (continuous Doppler with spectral analysis, echotomography) were performed to evaluate atherosclerosis of the main arteries (abdominal aorta, cervical arteries, lower limb arteries) in 50 coronary patients and 40 control subjects. In the main, our results support those of previously published series (epidemiological and autopsy studies): Atherosclerosis of the main arterial vessels is significantly more common (p less than 0.01) in coronary patients than in control subjects: carotid lesions: 70% (including 10% with severe stenosis) compared to 32% (no severe stenosis); aortic lesions: 50% (including 20% with severe stenosis) compared to 17.5% (7.5% severe stenosis); lower limb arteries: 58% (including 16% severe stenosis) compared to 12.5% (no severe stenosis). The difference of incidences of associations of atherosclerosed vessels between the two groups was significant (p less than 0.01): no peripheral vascular disease was detected in 57.5% of controls compared to only 12% of coronary patients; more than one territory diseased in 15% of controls compared to 58% of coronary patients. The severity of these lesions correlated with the presence of the three major cardiovascular risk factors which were studied (hypertension, smoking, hypercholesterolaemia) and was significantly higher (p less than 0.01) in coronary patients (38% had more than one major risk factor and only 10% had none) than in controls (47% had no risk factors and 6% had more than one). In addition, the preferential sites of atherosclerosis were also confirmed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Normal coronary angiography. Survival and functional status at 6 years]. / Coronarographie normale. Pronostic vital et fonctionnel à 6 ans.

Despite the development of non-invasive diagnostic techniques, the absence of significant coronary stenosis is observed in 10 to 30% of coronary angiographic studies. The authors report the survival and functional status at 6 years of 172 consecutive patients with symptoms of angina without significant angiographic coronary stenosis. The average age was 60.8 years with a sex ratio of 1.1 and chest pain as the indication for coronary angiography in over 90% of cases. The global mortality after an average of 75.6 months follow-up was 11%, lower in women (8.5%) than in men (13.3%) with an annual mortality of 16.3 per thousand. Sudden death was observed in 4 patients and a third of deaths was of cardiac origin. The persistence of symptoms was reported by 58% of patients, mainly atypical chest pain. Despite the result of coronary angiography, nearly half of the patients were followed up annually by a cardiologist, two thirds remained on anti-anginal therapy, 20% were treated by psychotropic agents and hospital admission to the cardiology department was required in 22% of cases during follow-up. None of the patients had myocardial infarction. Survival and myocardial function after normal coronary angiography therefore appear to be good in contrast with the functional status of these patients.

[Ultrasonic myocardial characterization. Application of an original method of acoustic quantification to analysis of healthy and hypertrophic interventricular septal myocardium]. / Caractérisation myocardique en échographie. Application d'une méthode originale de quantification acoustique à l'analyse du septum interventriculaire de myocardes sains ou hypertrophiques.

Echocardiography does not provide objective tissue characterisation of sonified tissues. A recent advance has been the introduction of the radiofrequency signal. At present, its exploitation remains a research tool. The required material for quantification is still insufficiently robust and discriminative. The indices derived from histograms of grey scales are calculated by the majority of workers for regions of interest manually positioned in the image. This statistical method allows analysis of the average grey level but not of the architecture of the tissue examined. Tissue characterisation is, therefore, only a potential feature of echocardiography. The authors' approach consists in developing software applied to digital signal provided by the echograph and not directly by the transducer, as in the research based on the use of radiofrequency signals. This software allows characterisation of the texture by two statistical methods applied to signal processing: the histograms of the grey scales, the matrix of co-occurrence (assessing the make-up of the different grey scales in the region of interest). This tool of tissue characterisation is presented here in the studies of the interventricular septum in the parasternal long axis view. Two populations, one with healthy myocardium and the other with myocardial hypertrophy, have been studied. These two populations are differentiated in a significant manner by their respective values of parameters of myocardial texture characterisation in early diastole. Despite a number of methodological problems, this study confirms the hopes that it will be possible in the near future to obtain a quantitative "histological" definition of tissues by echocardiography.

[Heart rupture by closed chest trauma]. / Rupture des cavités cardiaques lors des traumatismes fermés du thorax.

Cardiac rupture is certainly unrecognised in the context of closed chest trauma. There have been few reports in the literature despite the fact that autopsy series show that it is the second cause of death after serious thoracic injury. The authors report three cases of traumatic rupture of the heart. The clinical presentation, apart from cardiogenic shock, differs according to whether there is an associated rupture of the pericardium. When the pericardium is intact, the diagnosis is suggested by the signs of tamponade: With earlier treatment of trauma by medical teams, this lesion should be diagnosed as soon as possible. Echocardiography has many indications in closed chest trauma. Early surgical intervention is the only treatment of these lesions.

[Platelet polymorphism and coronary artery disease]. / Polymorphisme plaquettaire et coronaropathies.

Several publications over the last ten years have addressed the problem of genetic mutation coding platelet membrane glycoproteins and thrombotic arterial disease. The principal polymorphisms studied are those of glycoproteins GPIIIa, GPIb and the GPIa-IIa complex. The relationships of each of these polymorphisms and myocardial infarction or coronary artery disease are reported and are often subject to controversy. The polymorphism PLA2 of the GPIIIa has been shown to be a risk factor for infarction in young people, especially when associated with cigarette smoking. Its role in triggering myocardial infarction or in the severity of coronary artery disease is not so clear in the general population. Two types of polymorphism concerning the GPIb and that of the GPIa-IIa complex should also predispose to early coronary thrombotic complications. In addition, the study of these platelet polymorphisms gives a better insight into individual sensitivity to platelet antiaggregant therapy.

[Development at 5 years of chronic branchial blocks in 164 patients fitted with pacemakers without documented spontaneous atrioventricular block. Study of predictive criteria]. / Evolution à 5 ans des blocs de branches chroniques chez 164 patients appareillés par stimulateur sans bloc auriculo-ventriculaire spontané documenté. Etude des critères prédictifs.

When no complete atrioventricular block (CAVB), paroxysmal and spontaneous, is recorded, implanting a pacemaker in patients with chronic bundle branch block (CBB) has an arbitrary aspect which must be reduced as much as possible. In order to determine more precisely the criteria predicting an evolution towards CAVB, we studied the electrocardiographic changes observed in 164 patients with various types of CBB. 110 patients had a right bundle branch block which was isolated (RBB) in 16 cases, associated with a left anterior hemiblock (RBB + LAH) in 74 cases and associated with a left posterior hemiblock (RBB + LPH) in 20 cases; 54 patients had a left bundle branch block with a normal axis in 26 cases (LBB - NA) and with a strongly left axis in 28 cases (LBB - LA). All patients had been fitted with a pacemaker. Patients were followed up for a mean period of 5 years (59.1 +/- 25.3 months), the minimum being 2 years. 49.4 p. 100 of them had experienced one ore serveral syncopes. The basal HV interval, studied in 90.2 p. 100 of the patients, was 60 ms or more in 64.9 p. 100 of those who were explored. An ajmaline test, performed in 60 of the 85 patients whose basal HV was less than 70 ms, demonstrated at least a 100 ms or more prolongation of HV in 41 cases (68.3 p. 100).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Value of echocardiography in the diagnosis of a complicated form of Kawasaki's disease]. / Intérêt de l'échocardiographie dans le diagnostic des formes compliquées de la maladie de Kawasaki.

Kawasaki disease affects children under 4 years of age and is characterized by fever, mucocutaneous rash and cervical lymph node enlargement. It is often complicated by coronary vasculitis and/or pericarditis, myocarditis and endocarditis. Echocardiography is indispensable to diagnose and follow up these complications. A study of the literature and of 4 personal patients showed that it is also useful for the early detection of coronary aneurysm and simple dilatation of the coronary arteries. The sensitivity and specificity of echocardiography in recognizing these complications are such that coronary angiography is exceptionally required. In the search for a cause of prolonged fever in children, the sensitivity of echocardiography makes it possible to diagnose an atypical form of Kawasaki disease.

[Valvular tumor: diagnostic trap. Report of a case of marastic endocarditis]. / Tumeur valvulaire: piège diagnostique. A propos d'un cas d'endocardite marastique.

Marastic endocarditis is a rare clinical condition described in cases of cancer or other severe inflammatory diseases. The authors report the case of a young patient in good general condition, admitted after a cerebro-vascular accident. Investigations showed an isolated mitral valvular mass on transoesophageal echocardiography which, after unsuccessful medical therapy, was operated. It was, in fact, a case of marastic endocarditis, and a pulmonary tumour was discovered one month after surgery. The bronchopulmonary adenocarcinoma had remained infraclinical beforehand. The advances in echocardiographic imaging will probably lead to an increase in such cases of early diagnosed thrombotic non-bacterial endocarditis (ETNB. This case suggests that it is justified to carry out an aetiological investigation of thrombotic non-bacterial endocarditis in all cases of isolated mitral valve masses.