[Silent myocardial infarction and antiphospholipid antibody syndrome]. / Infarctus du myocarde silencieux chez une jeune femme de 18 ans présentant un syndrome des anticorps antiphospholipides.

We describe a case of 18-year-old woman followed for 3 years for systemic lupus erythematosis (SLE) complicated of a nephrectomy. Having like only factor of cardiovascular risk a balanced arterial hypertension. The patient was hospitalized because of choreo-athetosic's movement. We discovered fortuitously during this hospitalization an inferior myocardial necrosis as well as a mitral regurgitation. Coronary angiography was normal and the ventriculography showed an akinesy in the inferior territory. Biology made it possible to pose the diagnosis of antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS) on (SLE). We suppose that surgery started myocardial necrosis and underline through this case interest of early identification and appropriate treatment of APS as well as a narrow monitoring particularly in young patients candidates to surgery.

Aorto-coronary artery saphenous vein bypass surgery. A ten-year follow-up.

The 10-year follow-up of consecutive series of 126 patients who underwent coronary bypass surgery from January 1970 through December 1972 without associated procedures is reported. There were 112 men and 14 women with a mean age of 50.3 +/- 8.0 years. Indications for operation were stable angina pectoris in 35 cases and unstable angina in 91 cases. Eleven patients had one-vessel disease, 55 patients had two-vessel disease and 60 patients had three-vessel disease. The mean number of grafts per patient was 1.8. Graft patency rate was 78.4% at the time of early angiographic control (from one to 24 months). There were two early deaths and 47 late deaths. One patient was last to follow-up. Twenty-six of the late deaths were cardiac in nature (57.7%). The overall 10-year survival rate was 68.0 +/- 4.1%. The factors most clearly related to survival rate were: age (p less than 0.05) ischaemic ST-segment depressions on resting preoperative electrocardiogram (p less than 0.005), preoperative electrocardiographic evidence of anterior, septal or lateral myocardial infarction (p less than 0.05), ventricular function as assessed by preoperative left ventriculography (p less than 0.05). During the follow-up period 35.1% of survivors had had no recurrence of angina and 64.9% had experienced at least one episode of angina. At the ten-year evaluation 33 surviving patients considered themselves free of angina, 27 patients considered the angina to be less severe than before the operation and four considered it to be the same or more severe. A significant positive correlation was noted between clinical response and completeness of revascularization (p less than 0.05).

[Hyperthyroidism and atrioventricular block. Pathogenic hypothesis. Apropos of a case and review of the literature]. / Hyperthyroïdie et bloc auriculo-ventriculaire. Hypothèse pathogénique. A propos d'une observation et revue de la littérature.

The authors report the case of a 26-year old male patient who had Graves' disease with a first degree atrioventricular block (AVB) and intermittent episodes of a second degree AVB of the Lucciani-Wenckebach type. These disorders of conduction had features characteristic of a nodal block and disappeared after treatment of the hyperthyroidism. The pathogenesis of atrioventricular conduction disorders in hyperthyroidism remains controverted. The authors put forward the following hypothesis: under the influence of thyroid hormones in excessive amounts, the autonomic nervous system would act by reciprocal excitation and exacerbate a patent or latent hypervagotonia which was pre-existent to the hyperthyroidism. This hypothesis needs to be tested by intracardiac electrophysiological studies with atrial stimulation.

[Results of venous aortocoronary bypass with a minimum follow-up of more than 10 years]. / Résultats des pontages veineux aorto-coronaires avec un recul minimal supérieur à 10 ans.

The results of saphenous vein coronary bypass alone were assessed in 126 patients operated between 1970 and 1972 with a postoperative follow-up period of 10 to 12 years. Spontaneous or unstable angina was observed in 72% and incapacitating effort angina in 27.7%. An average of 1.8 grafts per patient was carried out but revascularisation remained incomplete in 51.6% of cases. The early postoperative mortality was 1.58%; the early postoperative infarct rate was 12.7%. There were 47 late deaths, most of which were of cardiac origin (53.2%) or due to cerebrovascular accidents (12.8%). Actuarial survival studies showed an annual mortality rate of 3.2%. The overall 10 to 12 year survival rate was 68.4. The secondary infarction rate was 13.7%, an annual rate of less than 1.5%. Control coronary angiography was carried out in 112 patients; 78% of the grafts remained patent at 2 years. Age (p less than 0.008), basal ECG changes (p less than 0.003) and left ventricular function (p less than 0.05) were significant prognostic factors for survival. One year after surgery, 63.5% of patients were angina free. Thereafter, the annual recurrence rate for angina was 3.1%. After 10 years, 35.4% of patients remained free of angina. A statistical analysis of the factors influencing the recurrence of angina showed that the number of coronary stenoses (p less than 0.02) and the quality of revascularisation (p less than 0.001) were significant factors. After an average follow-up of 75.7 months, 9 patients were reoperated using the internal mammary to revascularize the left anterior descending artery. Sixty per cent of the operated patients were able to return to work.

[Course of the results observed in the 1st 100 coronary angioplasties performed in 96 patients. Experience in Lyons]. / Evolution des résultats observés pour les 100 premières angioplasties coronaires réalisées chez 96 patients. Expérience lyonnaise.

TCA is an original method of myocardial revascularisation which, when successful, enables coronary bypass surgery to be avoided. However, a certain number of failures and complications are inherent to the development of a new therapeutic technique. The object of this study is to analyse the evolution of our results with this technique to determine which factors changed as our experience increased. The methodology used was that initially described by A. Gruntzig. TCA was carried out 72 times on the left anterior descending, 20 times on the right coronary and 8 on the left circumflex coronary artery (72 single vessel, 28 multivessel disease). The primary success rate was 75% (72% for the first 50 and 78% for the second 50 procedures). Coronary bypass surgery was required within the first 24 hours of TCA in 7% of cases. Myocardial infarction (Q wave changes) was observed in 5% of cases. One patient died on the third day (occlusion of an aorto-coronary venous graft). In retrospect, taking into account the experience gained and the development of the material now available, a certain number of failures and complications could probably have been avoided. However, a certain number of complications seems to be unavoidable. TCA remains an inviting but not infallible alternative in the treatment of coronary artery disease and should be included in the medico-surgical management of this condition.

[Heart and sports: modifications of electrocardiogram, late potentials and echocardiography. Study of 75 sportsmen and 46 witnesses]. / Coeur du sportif: modifications électriques et échocardiographiques au repos. Etude de 75 sportifs et de 45 témoins.

The authors report the results of prospective study, which compared 75 sports subjects and 45 witnesses. All subjects were male, the differentiating parameter being the type of sport practiced. This work analysed surface Electrocardiogramme, thransthoracic echocardiography and high amplification ECG. The statistical study used the student test t compare means and the Chi2 test for the percentages, the signification limit was fixed to 5%. Clinically, our two series didn't show a significant statistical difference, concerning: age, weight, height or arterial pressure. On the electrocardiographical level, the sport's men have a lower cardiac frequency (p = 0.005), a larger PR space (p = 0.05), an important Sokolow parameter (p < 0.005), and repolarisation disorders represented, essentially by negative T waves (p = 0.02) and an upper movement of ST segment in V2-V3 (p < 0.005). Echocardiography showed a dilatation of the right cavities: right auricular (p = 0.0125) and right ventricular (p = 0.025). Move over, it has been showed that the sport's men left ventricular walls were tabor (septal wall, p = 0.0125), (posterior wall, p = 0.025), despite a difference in the values of the left ventricular telediastolic diameter (4 mm average in the two series). The signification limit was not reached and it was also showed that the left auricular was also dilated (p = 0.025). The study of the delayed Potentials, tried to bring an explication to certain sudden deaths of sport's men which are to date unexplained and which could have a rhythmical origin? It is also to be noted that sport's men present more delayed ventricular Potentials. However, the statistical signification was not reached (p = 0.07).