[Influence of sex on immediate and late results of percutaneous coronary angioplasty]. / Influence du sexe sur les resultats immediats et tardifs de l'angioplastie coronaire percutanee.

Prior studies have reported worse results after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) in women than in men. However, recent data suggest that this difference is less marked. The aim of our study is to evaluate whether the procedural outcome is equal in the two genders. Six hundred and eighty-eight PTCA were studied in 96 consecutive women and 509 men who underwent the procedure in our catheterization laboratory between 1998 and 2004. Women undergoing PTCA were older than men and had a higher incidence of diabetes, hypercholesterolemia and hypertension. Multivessel disease and severe coronary lesions were more frequent in women. The stenting rates, the use of drug eluting stents and of glycoprotein IIbIIIa inhibitors were similar in the two sexes. Procedural success rate was similar in the two groups. No significant differences were found in in-hospital mortality and in the resort to emergency coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). 14 month after the procedure there were similar rates of death, repeated revascularisation and restenosis have been shown in the two sexes. Even if the baseline characteristics remain worse in women, increased experience of the operators, introduction of new stents and use of glycoprotein IIIbIIa inhibitors have improved the results in patients undergoing PTCA. This improvement has been higher in women than in men leading to the equalization of the outcome in the two sexes.

[Asymptomatic cor triatriatum sinister in adulthood]. / Le coeur triatrial gauche asymptomatique de l'adulte.

Cor triatrium sinister is a rare congenital disease (0,1% of cases of congenital heart disease). Cor triatrium is recognized by the finding of an abnormal fibromuscular membrane that subdivise the left atrium into posterosuperior and anteroinferor chambers. This anomaly creates an obstacle to the venous pulmonary flow. Depending on the severity of obstruction, cor triatrium may be symptomatic in childhood but it can be symtom free even in adulthood. Diagnosis of this abnormality has been easy supported by transthoracic and transoesophageal echocardiography.Treatment is easy to perform and consists in surgical defenitive correction in symptomatic patients. We report a case of a 31-year-old man in whom a non obstructive cor triatrium was discovered while evaluation for an atrial fibrillation secondary to a hyperthyroidism. According to this rare case we try to evaluate the severity and the outcome of this disease relating the literature data.

[Role of fibrin D-dimer in acute coronary syndrome. Prospective study of 22 cases]. / Intérêt des D-dimères dans les syndromes coronariens aigus. Etude prospective à propos de 22 cas.

Fibrin D-dimer are the consequence of an excess of fibrinolysis. The raise of their level in coronary heart disease seems to be helpful to enhance the diagnosis of coronary ischemia. Prospective study over 4 months, including 22 patients (16 male, 6 female) divided in 2 subgroups: Group I: 10 patients investigated for stable angina Group II: 12 patients investigated for ACS without ST elevation. All patients underwent fibrin D-dimer dosage and coronarography. Fibrin D-dimer levels were higher in group II (924.5 ng/ml vs 703.9 ng/ml; p < 0.0001). In group II, 6 patients had ST depression with a level of fibrin D-dimer 879.5 ng/ml vs 969.6 ng/ml in the other 6 patients. We found a positive correlation between level of fibrin D-dimer and complexity of coronary lesions (1007 ng/ml in type C vs 675 ng/ml in type A lesions; p < 0.0001). Fibrin D-dimer seems highly implicated in coronary disease and if these results are confirmed by larger studies their routine dosage will be helpful in ACS.

[Short coupled variant of torsade de pointes: our experience and review of the literature]. / La torsade de pointes a couplage court: notre expérience et revue de la littérature.

We present three cases of short-coupled variant of torsade de pointes with review of the literature. These women presented with syncope or presyncope due to torsade de pointes initiated by a short-coupled premature ventricular beat and without evidence of prolonged QT. There were no electrolyte disturbances in all cases, no apparent structural heart disease in two cases and a mild interventricular septum hypertrophy in the other case. One patient took spiramycin and metronidazole and another was taking pheniramin and lincomycin without any evidence of cause to effect relationship. One patient responded to verapamil but died suddendly after 44 months of follow-up. The two others recieved implantable cardioverter-defibrillators and verapamil per os. They still alive 46 and 54 months later. Short-coupled variant of torsade de pointes have a high incidence of sudden death, so it is very important for physicians to identify and treat it promptly. Long-term verapamil treatement is effective but still insufficient and patients should be considered for implantable cardioverter-defibrillator therapy.

[GPIIB/IIIA blockade after high-risk angioplasty: new perspectives]. / Les anti-GPIIB/IIIA, de l'angioplastie a haut risque vers de nouvelles perspectives.

The treatment of acute coronary syndromes knows today revolution, with the clinical use of platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors. The benefit of these agents as adjunctive treatment for percutaneous coronary intervention has been substantial and consistently proved among trials; however patients undergoing revascularization after drug discontinuation demonstrated a moderate event reduction. In this analysis, including the entire large-scale trial experience of intravenous glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors, we try to evaluate this therapeutic class in the high risk coronary intervention, in patients with acute coronary syndromes primarily medically managed, and in combination therapy with thrombolytics in the acute myocardial infarction. The purpose was to demonstrate the reduction of cardiac events after administration of this drug in the different indications and to precise their different adverse effects.

[Role of low-molecular-weight heparin in acute coronary syndromes]. / Place des héparines de bas poids moléculaire dans les syndromes coronariens aigus.

Looking to their efficiency in the treatment of venous thrombosis and the problems caused by non fractioned heparins (NFH) in the treatment of acute coronary syndromes, several studies were realised to prove the interests of fractioned heparins (FH) as good alternative therapeutics in acute coronary syndromes. A fist attempt, FRISC study, showed that dalteparin was superior to the placebo given in patients receiving aspirin (75 mg daily). In the FRIC study the pursuit of dalteparin between the sixth and the fortieth day, at a low dose, don't give benefits compared to aspirin given simply. Enoxaparin seems to be superior to the NFH in ESSENCE and TIMI IIB studies:--In ESSENCE study witch was included 3171 patients with unstable angina or non Q wave myocardial infarction and all patients received aspirin, enoxaparin compared to NFH reduced significantly the combined risk of death, myocardial infarction, recurrent ischemia and the need of revascularisation. These benefits persisted after a year of the study:--TIMI IIB study realised in 3910 patients confirmed the results of ESSENCE study. Furthermore, their proved efficiency in unstable angina and the non Q wave myocardial infarction, a recent study published this year (2002) concluded that the use of FH, in patients with myocardial infarction and receiving fibrinolytic treatment (streptokinase), was associated of a less frequent major adverse cardiac evenment (MACE) than in patients receiving NFH.