Comparison of frequency, diagnostic and prognostic significance of pericardial involvement in acute myocardial infarction treated with and without thrombolytics. Gruppo Italiano per lo Studio della Sopravvivenza nell'Infarto Miocardico (GISSI).

Data from the Gruppo Italiano per lo Studio della Sopravvivenza nell'Infarto Miocardico (GISSI) trial were reviewed to describe the epidemiology of pericardial involvement in patients treated with or without thrombolysis, and to establish its role as a marker of the extent of myocardial infarction and its prognostic value. In both GISSI-1 (n = 11,806) and 2 (n = 12,381), a specific item regarding presence/absence of clinically detected pericardial involvement was included in the study forms. In GISSI-1, patients with ST elevation and depression at the onset of myocardial infarction were admitted, whereas GISSI-2 included only those with ST elevation. Results of univariate analysis are presented as Mantel-Haenszel-Peto odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals. Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the independent prognostic significance of pericardial involvement for in-hospital and long-term mortality. The main results indicate that: (1) the incidence of pericardial involvement in patients treated with thrombolytic agents is approximately half of that in the control group (6.7 vs 12.0%); (2) the earlier is the treatment, the lower is the incidence of pericardial involvement; (3) pericardial involvement is strongly associated with infarction size, evaluated by electrocardiograms, creatine kinase peak and echo assessments; and (4) pericardial involvement is associated with a higher long-term mortality, but is not an independent prognostic factor (RR 1.02; 95% confidence interval 0.82-1.26). Pericardial involvement is a reliable bedside, cost-free marker of myocardial infarction size and poorer outcome. Because it may elude detection owing to its transitory and often short duration, it should be given greater attention.

Pericardial involvement in acute myocardial infarction in the post-thrombolytic era: clinical meaning and value.

Pericardial involvement (PI) in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a complication usually considered benign and has therefore received less attention than those more severe. It may be easily missed because it presents few symptoms and signs, which in turn may be confused with those of AMI. Its pathophysiology, diagnosis, and pitfalls are discussed. The GISSI-1 trial revealed a marked reduction of PI in the group treated with thrombolysis. This unexpected finding was later confirmed by the GISSI-2 trial and by other studies, drawing attention to its meaning. Data from the GISSI as well as from other studies have been reviewed and seem to indicate that PI is associated with larger AMIs and with a significant increase in 6- and 12-month mortality. This may be attributed to the consequences of late remodeling of a large infarction. These findings lead to the conclusion that PI should be granted more attention, and that it might identify patients with a poorer long-term outcome.

Electrocardiographic patterns in acute inferior myocardial infarction with and without right ventricle involvement: classification, diagnostic and prognostic value, masking effect.

BACKGROUND: In acute inferior myocardial infarction (AIMI), the ST depression from V1 to V4 has been the subject of many papers, while the ST changes in other leads, their association, and the right ventricular (RV) involvement have been studied less. HYPOTHESIS: This study was performed to contribute to the meaning of the ST changes and RV involvement in AIMI. METHODS: Seventy-one patients, admitted within 6 h from symptom onset, all thrombolysed, were enrolled. We classified them according to ST patterns and RV involvement. We divided the right coronary artery into three segments, considering the origin of RV branch and the crux as dividing points. We established a coronary score attributing 2 points to each terminal branch. Comparisons were performed between the electrocardiographic (ECG) findings at onset, the creatine phosphokinase (CPK) peaks, the radionuclide ejection fractions, and the coronary angiographies. RESULTS: We found that the ST changes give indications regarding the site, extension, and extent of AIMI; RV involvement can mask posterior extension, points to the right coronary as the culprit vessel (100%), and, with high probability, indicates the proximal segment as the site of the lesion; the ECG signs of isolated AIMI indicate a peripheral obstruction; and a collateral circulation may appear relatively early. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings prove the diagnostic and prognostic value of the ST changes and RV involvement at the onset of AIMI and suggest that the higher in-hospital mortality and complication rates found with RV involvement and reported in the literature are related more to posterior extension, masked by RV involvement than to this involvement per se. Furthermore, these findings prove the clinical value of our classification of the AIMIs and distinction in segments of the right coronary artery.

[Pseudoaneurysm of the left ventricle: a clinical case]. / Pseudoaneurisma del ventricolo sinistro: caso clinico.

A case of left ventricular pseudoaneurysm with a clinical onset of left ventricular failure, in absence of preceding signs or symptoms of coronary artery disease, is described. This case is particularly interesting because it shows how much time can pass (at least six months) from clinical onset without rupture of the pseudoaneurysm.

[A case of pheochromocytoma with atypical clinical presentation]. / Un caso di feocromocitoma con presentazione clinica atipica.

A case of pheochromocytoma that had undergone coronary arteriography because it stimulated coronary heart disease is presented. The correct diagnosis was suspected while checking the signs and symptoms during an episode of pulmonary edema and was definitely proved by computed tomography and scintigraphy with I 131 metaiodobenzylguanidine. The authors stress the importance of these new non invasive procedures in the diagnosis of site and nature of this disease.

[Clinical trial by perexiline maleate in treatment of angina pectoris (author's transl)]. / Esperienza clinica con perexiline maleato nel trattamento dell'angina pectoris

A controlled double blind clinical trial has been conducted in 16 patients with "angina pectoris" in order to investigate the effect of Perexiline maleate as compared with prenilamine. Perexiline at the dose of 400 mg/die and prenilamine at the dose of 120 mg/die have been administered over a period of 4 weeks each. Between these periods placebo has been administered for two weeks. The number of attacks of angina and the number of tablets of nitroglycerine used per week by the patient during each period has been used for the evaluation. Furthermore ECG at rest and after exercise has been performed every two weeks. Our results statistically evaluated show a definite antianginal effect of Perexiline. According to our experience Perexiline should be considered the drug of choise in the treatment of angina complicated by bradicardia, left ventricular failure, bronchospasm, and in angina unresponsive to other drugs.

[Spontaneous grade I bundle of His block. Clinical, electrocardiographic and electrophysiological studies in 37 patients]. / Il blocco intrahisiano di I grado spontaneo. Osservazioni cliniche, elettrocardiografiche ed elettrofisiologiche in 37 pazienti.

The clinical, ECG and electrophysiological data of 37 patients (28 males and 9 females) with spontaneous intra-hisian block are reported. Of these patients, 11 had hypertensive heart disease and 5 had ischemic heart disease with previous myocardial infarction; in 21 patients, clinical signs of heart disease were not evident. In 18 patients, a single or recurrent episode of syncope had occurred. One patient had junctional rhythm and 36 sinus rhythm; among these, 12 patients presented PR greater than 200 msec (7 with a narrow and 5 with a wide QRS); 12 patients had a single or bilateral bundle branch block; 12 had a normal ECG. The electrophysiological study showed a split H-H1 in 22 patients, a wide His deflection (H greater than 25 msec) in 4 and HV greater than 65 msec with narrow QRS in 11. In 17 patients a more or less marked sinoatrial node and/or atrioventricular node dysfunction was present. Atrial pacing, performed in all, induced 2nd degree Mobitz 2 intra-hisian block in 9 patients. Ajmaline was used in 16 patients but induced a complete intra-hisian block in only one. In 28 patients a preventive pacemaker was implanted after electrophysiological study. During the follow-up (mean 25 months/pt.), 38% of the patients developed complete atrioventricular block. No recurrence of syncope occurred in the paced patients. Comparison of patients who developed atrioventricular block and those who maintained normal atrioventricular conduction did not show differences as far as heart disease, previous syncope, ECG pattern and results were concerned.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Cytokines in acute myocardial infarction: selective increase in circulating tumor necrosis factor, its soluble receptor, and interleukin-1 receptor antagonist.

Cytokines play a pathogenetic role in a variety of infective and inflammatory diseases. In the present study, we had two objectives: (a) to define the kinetics of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in plasma after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in patients treated with early thrombolysis, and (b) to measure other cytokines, interleukin-1 (IL-1) and TNF receptor antagonists, in plasma. TNF-alpha, but not IL-1 beta or IL-8, was present in plasma of 6 of 7 patients with severe AMI (Killip class 3 or 4). No TNF (< 50 pg/ml) was detected in a group of 11 patients with uncomplicated myocardial infarction (Killip class 1) or in control patients without AMI. Soluble TNF receptor type I and IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) were also significantly increased in the group with severe AMI compared with those with uncomplicated AMI. Circulating TNF is increased only in AMI complicated by heart failure at hospital admission. This finding may have diagnostic and therapeutic relevance.