[Cardiovascular complications in chronic atrophic polychondritis. Apropos of an anatomo-clinical case. Review of the literature]. / Les complications cardiovasculaires de la polychondrite chronique atrophiante. A propos d'un cas anatomo-clinique. Revue de la littérature.

The case of a man, 25 years of age and presenting with chronic atrophic polychondritis (CAP), complicated by a complete atrioventricular block, double mitral valve incompetence and aneurysm of the ascending aorta, offered the possibility of investigating the various clinical manifestations and cardiovascular complications of this common disorder. CAP is a connectivitis of unknown etiology, it corresponds to ubiquitous and recurrent cartilage inflammation, leading to characteristic chondritis of the ears and nose, joint disease and laryngo-trachco-bronchial disorders. Other systemic impact is seen at sites containing high levels of proteoglycans, such as the eye, inner ear and cardiovascular system. Respiratory problems are the main cause of death, but cardiovascular effects occur in 25% of cases and constitute the second most frequent cause of mortality. These effects consist mainly of aortic and/or mitral valve incompetence. Annular dilatation, which is often associated with ectasia of the ascending aorta, is the main cause of aortic incompetence. Several cases of isolated AVB or AVB secondary to Al have been reported. Aneurysms develop along the aorta and the large and medium caliber arteries (sub-clavicular, coronary, mesenteric arteries). These are characterized by destruction of the elastic fibers and a reduction in the proteoglycan content of the walls, which is also observed when dystrophy of the cartilage occurs. Other vascular disorders reported include arteritis of the legs, superficial migratory varices and vascularitis, which in some cases gave rise to skin, renal or neurological reactions.

[Results of surgery in 144 cases for aneurysms of the infra-renal abdominal aorta in patients over 75 years of age]. / Résultats de 114 interventions pour des anévrysmes de l'aorte abdominale sous-rénale chez des patients âgés de 75 ans et plus.

114 patients aged over 75 underwent surgery for aneurysm of the infra-renal abdominal aorta in the University Teaching Hospitals in Nantes and Angers between 1979 and 1988. A retrospective study of these patients was performed to evaluate the immediate and long-term results. The mean age of the patients was 79 (+/- 4) years, the oldest being 94. 70% were men. Half of the patients underwent emergency or semi-emergency surgery (52 cases). Cardiovascular factors (in particular coronary insufficiency in 17% of cases) were the most common risk factors. In all cases grafting after laying open the aneurysm was performed, with an aorto-aortic graft in 32% of patients, an aorto-iliac graft in 37% or an aorto-bifemoral graft in 27% of patients. Combined intestinal revascularisation was performed in 10% of case either involving the inferior mesenteric artery or at least one internal iliac artery; renal revascularisation was performed in 3.5% of cases. 75% of patients underwent simple grafting. The mean duration of hospitalisation was 14 days (+/- 6), including a mean period of 7 days in ICU. 36 patients (31%) died in the first post-operative month. The mortality rate in patients who underwent emergency surgery for a complication of the aneurysm (essentially rupture) was 61% versus 6' for elective surgery. 96% of the patients who survived the first post-operative month were independent at the end of the study or at the time of their death.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Mechanical obstruction of the duodenum after surgery of the abdominal aorta]. / Occlusions mécaniques du duodénum après chirurgie de l'aorte abdominale.

The authors report two cases of duodenal obstruction occurring after insertion of an aorto-iliac prosthesis. This form of mechanical obstruction is much rare than the other forms of post-operative mechanical intestinal obstruction. While the need for surgery is often evident, precise diagnosis before the procedure is seldom obtained. CT scan appears to be the investigation of choice. This complication could be prevented by an epiploplasty covering the graft implant region.

Retrograde dissections of the aortic arch after exclusion-bypass of the descending thoracic aorta: a report of three cases.

We report three cases of fatal retrograde dissection of the aortic arch after exclusion-bypass with metal clamps according to Carpentier's thromboexclusion method. All three patients were male, aged 59, 66, and 73 years. Initial operative indications were chronic dissections in two cases and atheromatous aneurysm of the descending thoracic aorta in the other. Two of these patients were operated on in an emergency setting for a ruptured aneurysm. In all three cases, an extraanatomic bypass between the ascending aorta and abdominal aorta was performed as the first step: The proximal clamp was then placed distal to the origin of the left subclavian artery. Death occurred two hours, 12 hours, and eight days after operation, respectively. Autopsy revealed retrograde dissection initiating in the aortic arch and reaching the aortic ring as the cause of death. Pathological examination of aortic specimens confirmed that the dissections began just proximal to the site of clamping. To explain this complication, two etiologic factors, occurring either alone or together, have been postulated: postoperative hypertension and trauma to the aortic wall from the clamp.

[Aortico-left ventricular tunnel. Long-term follow-up, therapeutic implications]. / Tunnel aorto-ventriculaire. Suivi à long terme, implications thérapeutiques.

Aortico-left ventricular tunnel is a rare entity resulting in a communication between the ascending aorta and the left ventricle, with clinical signs of aortic incompetence. On the basis of two personal cases and a review of the literature including 57 patients, the operative mortality and long-term follow-up of these patients are analysed. 51 patients were operated upon with a mortality rate of 21.5% (11 cases). In this mortality group, 64% of the casualties were less than 2 years' old (7/11). Mortality was unrelated to the surgical technique. Aortic incompetence was the crucial factor of post-operative morbidity. 60% of the patients who were operated upon had significant post-operative aortic incompetence. Among the 21 patients with long-term follow-up (1.5 to 14 years), 17 have aortic incompetence (81%), 8 were reoperated and 7 underwent aortic valve replacement. Surgical repair of this malformation should be considered early in life, and the technique used should aim at consolidating the aortic annulus without deformation and at closing the aortico-ventricular window.

Tuberculous aneurysm of the descending thoracic aorta.

Tuberculous aneurysm of the descending thoracic aorta is a rare entity. To our knowledge the present case is the sixth on record to have been successfully treated surgically. These aneurysms present the usual difficulties of surgical therapy of the thoracic aorta: spinal cord and renal circulatory protection and the choice between distant or in situ revascularization. This case is of particular interest for its evolution and its treatment: resection of the aneurysm without shunting and insertion of a graft in situ covered by a flap of omentum.

[Fibromuscular dysplasia of the arteries of the leg. Apropos of 1 case]. / Dysplasie fibro-musculaire des artères de jambe. A propos d'un cas.

A 40 year old man presented fibromuscular hyperplasia of posterior tibial artery media, a rare lesion, and only exceptionally reported in the calves since a total of 3 cases were found in the literature.

[Gamma-angiography in the diagnosis of akinesia and dyskinesia after myocardial infarction]. / Apport de la gamma-angiographie au diagnostic des akinésies et des dyskinésies après infarctus du myocarde.

A one year prospective double blind trial included all patients with myocardial infarction and clinical, electrocardiographic or radiographic signs of left ventricular aneurysm. All 36 patients underwent ventriculography and radionuclide angiocardiography in the same projections: right anterior oblique, antero-posterior, left anterior oblique and left lateral. The angiographic diagnosis of left ventricular aneurysm was based on the finding of a deformation of the ventricular contour persisting in diastole; 22 patients were classified as having a left ventricular aneurysm and the 14 others had akinesia alone. The radionuclide diagnosis of left ventricular dyskinesia was based on the finding of the following 3 criteria in at least one projection: crossing of the systolic and diastolic isocontours; over 4 p. 100 of LV pixels having a negative ejection fraction; the dephased infarcted region having a movement separate from that of the remaining healthy myocardium. None of the clinical criteria of inclusion allowed diagnosis of LV aneurysm when compared with the results of ventriculography. The results of radionuclide and conventional ventriculography correlated 100 p. 100 in the diagnosis of severe contractile abnormalities. When compared with ventriculography, radionuclide angiocardiography had a specificity of 95 p. 100 and a sensitivity of 86 p. 100 for the diagnosis of aneurysm. The only false negative was a non-surgical septal aneurysm. The multiplication of the incidences of examination increases the sensitivity of the results of radionuclide angiography.

[Arterial diseases of the lower limbs in subjects less than 40 years old. Nature and prognosis. Apropos of 41 surgically treated patients]. / Les artériopathies des membres inférieurs du sujet de moins de 40 ans. Nature et pronostic. A propos de 41 malades opérés.

This study of 41 cases of young patients with obliterative arterial disease treated surgically, with follow-up for 6 and a half years, used the standard classification. Collection of the patients from a department of treatment falsified their true distribution. Atheroma was present in 90% of cases. Sixty eight per cent of patients were initially at stage II and 44% had a good long term result, essentially following the insertion of an aorto-bifemoral bypass. The mortality was 12%. The choice of surgical technique and ideal timing remain difficult to define. It would seem necessary to delay the date of the first operation for as long as possible, stressing the gravity of the first decision to operate.

[Obstructive calcification of the descending thoracic aorta and suprarenal abdominal aorta. 2 cases]. / Maladie obstructive calcifiante de l'aorte thoracique descendante et de l'aorte abdominale sus-rénale. Deux observations.

Two cases of obstructive calcification of the aorta treated by surgery are reported. The disease is extremely rare, notably in the aortic segments involved in these two cases. Its clinical features were similar to those of coarctation. Intraluminal proliferative calcifications were present in the descending thoracic aorta of the first patient who underwent aortic resection with Dacron replacement prosthesis and in the suprarenal segment of the abdominal aorta of the second patient for whom an extra-anatomical bypass between the ascending aorta and the upper abdominal aorta was performed. The first patients remains with moderate arterial hypertension after 4 years; arterial pressure returned to normal in the second patient and is still normal after 15 months.

[Trauma to the axillary artery in shoulder dislocations. Apropos of a case]. / Traumatismes de l'artère axillaire au cours des luxations de l'épaule. A propos d'un cas.

The authors have observed one case of injury to the axillary artery complicating anterior dislocation of the shoulder. It produced a marked haematoma of the axilla and ischaemia of the upper limb. At operation, avulsion of a posterior branch was associated with thrombosis of the trunk of the axillary artery. The result was good after saphenous vein grafting. This complication is very rare. Similar complications could arise from an excessively forceful reduction.

[Acute renal failure after extracorporeal circulation with aortic counterpulsation in surgically treated patients]. / Insuffisance rénale aiguë après circulation extracorporelle chez des opérés avec contrepulsion aortique.

In a series of 604 adults operated on for cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), 21 (3.5%) underwent circulatory assistance by intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP); in 5 of them (24%), acute renal failure (ARF) was observed. ARF occurred in only 26 (4.4%) of the other patients who did not require IABP. Evolution of ARF and its factors were therefore investigated in those patients having received IABP. ARF was defined as serum blood urea nitrogen (BUN) greater than or equal to 16 mmol X 1(-1), urinary urea/BUN less than 10, creatinine clearance less than 40 ml X min-1 X 1.73 m-2. Some perioperative features were compared between patients with postoperative ARF and those without ARF. ARF occurred in the 5 patients with IABP during, or immediately after, weaning from IABP. ARF was more frequent in patients operated on for mechanical complications of myocardial infarction with a significant more severe haemodynamic status. They had significantly longer CPB and aortic clamping times. The prognosis depended on the cardiac failure and not on the ARF. In patients with mechanical complications of infarction, early IABP seemed to be the predominant preventive measure. Other therapeutic implications are suggested, particularly the use of dopamine (1 to 3 micrograms X kg-1 X min-1) because of its renal vasodilating action which can contribute to the maintenance of urinary flow.

Mitral valve replacement with St Jude Medical prosthesis. Incidence of thromboembolic events in 349 patients.

This study reports incidence of thromboembolic episodes in a series of 349 patients where the St. Jude Medical (SJM) valve was implanted in the mitral position (252 isolated mitral, 91 mitral and aortic, 4 triple valve and 2 mitral and tricuspid valve replacements). The mean follow up was 28 months (range 6 to 57 months) which represents 784 patient-years. Overall operative mortality was 15 patients (4.3%). There were no valve-related deaths. Late post-operative prosthetic thrombosis occurred in 3 poorly anticoagulated patients (0.4% patient-years). A further 4 patients had a thromboembolic episode (0.5% patient-years). The overall frequency of thromboembolic episodes was 0.9 events per 100 patient-years. Per- and post-operative anticoagulation methods are described. The frequency of thromboembolism was studied with respect to the performance of SJM valve analyzed by echocardiography regardless the positioning of the prosthesis in the mitral ring. Our experience indicates that the SJM valve offers an excellent alternative in the choice of mechanical valve.

[Incidence and prognosis of acute renal failure after cardiac surgery with extracorporeal circulation]. / Fréquence et pronostic des insuffisances rénales aiguës après chirurgie cardiaque avec circulation extra-corporelle.

Acute renal failure occurred in 21 patients after 311 cardiac operations with cardiopulmonary bypass in adults (6,75%). It was non oliguric in 20 cases. It is related to per and postoperative hemodynamic depression. Patients operated for valvular replacement seemed most at risk if severe cardiac failure existed with or without preoperative renal dysfunction. Similarly those operated upon for mechanical complications of myocardial infarction were often affected. The prognosis depends on the degree of cardiac failure. Strict patient selection, myocardial protection during bypass and measures to increase low cardiac output are recommended. Intra-aortic balloon pump for patients with myocardial infarction and dopamine in the early postoperative period seem helpful.

[Heart surgery with extracorporeal circulation in hemodialyzed patients with renal insufficiency]. / Chirurgie cardiaque sous circulation extra-corporelle chez des insuffisants rénaux hémodialysés.

The authors report 4 valvular replacements under cardiopulmonary bypass in chronic hemodialysis-dependent patients. The peri-operative management was the same in every case. The recent improvements of intensive care medicine amend this protocol. Considering the analysis of data from the literature and the results of our 4 valvular replacements these operations and coronary artery-bypass graft, can be scheduled with an acceptable risk in these patients. Because of the hemodynamic improvement secondary to the cardiac operation, which allows a better tolerance of hemodialysis, this surgery must not be delayed.