[Echocardiographic patterns in discrete subvalvular aortic stenosis (author's transl)]. / Reperti ecocardiografici nella stenosi aortica sottovalvolare a diaframma.

Ten patients with angiocardiographic and hemodynamic evidence of discrete subvalvular aortic stenosis were examined by M-mode-echocardiography. Different echocardiographic patterns were identified: the most frequent appeared an abnormal systolic movement of aortic valve leaflets, less frequently a discrete linear echo was observed in the outflow tract of the left ventricle; in one case the echocardiogram showed no abnormality of the left ventricular outflow tract or aortic valve morphology. In half of the cases the left ventricular outflow tract was narrowed. No correlation was found between echocardiographic measurements and severity of the subaortic lesion, as expressed by peak systolic pressure difference between the left ventricle and the aorta. It is concluded that M-mode-echocardiography: - may furnish helpful criteria in the diagnosis of discrete subaortic stenosis, but the absence of such criteria does not allow to exclude the existence of the malformation; - is not quantitatively useful in the assessment of subaortic stenosis.

[Echocardiographic evaluation of the results of mitral commissurotomy]. / Valutazione ecocardiografica dei risultati della commissurotomia mitralica.

The AA. relate the results of an echocardiographic study carried out on some patients with mitral stenosis associated or not with mitral regurgitation or with other valvular disease. Ten patients who had to undergo to surgical commissurotomy, were studied before and in the early post-operative period. The M-mode echocardiography appeared to be always available to diagnose the mitral stenosis, but not to quantify it. On the other side the two dimensional echocardiography is proven to be a useful method in the quantitative study of the mitral area and particularly when it is applied in the evaluation of the surgical results of comparing the pre and post-operative examinations. The data obtained were analysed with statistical method.

Echocardiographic diagnosis of subacute bacterial endocarditis.

The echocardiogram is able to diagnose on which valvular leaflet or cusp the bacterial vegetations are implanted; it is also able to recognize the type of lesion (destroying vegetations, prolapsing vegetations, etc.). In our experience the echocardiographi findings were fully confirmed at surgical intervention in 12 of the 13 patients studied.

Echocardiographic diagnosis of congenital left ventricular - right atrial communication.

2 patients, aged 8 mth and 48 yr, referred for a clinical diagnosis of ventricular septal defect, were studied by ultrasound. In both a fluttering and an anterior bowing of the systolic segment of the tricuspid valve was found, consistent with a left ventricular--right atrial communication. Diagnosis was confirmed by angiography and open-heart surgery, showing in 1 patient a supravalvular defect, and an infravalvular one in the other. The postoperative echocardiograms of the tricuspid valve were normal. Ultrasound appears to be a safe and simple method in detecting this rare cardiac abnormality.

[Corvisart's syndrome. report of a case diagnosed in a 64 year-old woman (author's transl)]. / Sindrome di Corvisart A proposito di un caso diagnosticato in un paziente di 64 anni

The case of a 64 year-old woman, hospitalized for cyanosis, clubbing of the fingers and probably cerebral embolism, in which the clinical and laboratory findings lead to a diagnosis of Tetralogy of Fallot of the Corvisart type, is presented. The possible reasons for benignity and long survival are discussed.