Stress echocardiography and exercise electrocardiography for risk stratification after non-Q-wave uncomplicated myocardial infarction.

The aim of our study was to compare the prognostic value of stress echocardiography and exercise electrocardiography after uncomplicated non-Q-wave acute myocardial infarction in a series of 68 consecutive patients. Our data show that stress echocardiography and exercise electrocardiography offer similar prognostic information after uncomplicated non-Q-wave AMI.

Noninvasive risk stratification in women with uncomplicated acute myocardial infarction.

The aim of our study was to compare the prognostic value of stress echocardiography and exercise electrocardiography after uncomplicated non-Q-wave acute myocardial infarction in a series of 89 female patients. Our data show that stress echocardiography has independent predictive value in a female patient population recovering from uncomplicated acute myocardial infarction.

[Acute myocardial infarct as the first manifestation of acute myeloid leukemia. Description of an anatomo-clinical case]. / Infarto miocardico acuto come prima manifestazione di una leucemia mieloide acuta. Descrizione di un caso anatomo-clinico.

A case of a 46 year old man in whom acute myocardial infarction was the earliest outstanding clinical manifestation of an acute promyelocytic leukemia is reported. Reinfarction occurred a few days after, causing death of the patient. autopsy and histologic findings are reported and pathogenetic hypothesis are discussed. The Authors point out the role of an ipercoagulable state created by leukemia itself.

Dipyridamole stress echocardiography and exercise testing for risk stratification after uncomplicated myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: Risk stratification for subsequent cardiac events after an acute infarction can be obtained by exercise testing or dipyridamole stress echocardiography. It remains to be determined whether these modalities are equivalent and provide incremental information on top of clinical evaluation. The aim of our study was to compare the prognostic information obtained early after an acute uncomplicated myocardial infarction of high dose dipyridamole coupled with echocardiography (stress echo) or maximal symptom-limited exercise testing. METHODS AND RESULTS: Ninety patients underwent dipyridamole stress echo and exercise testing at a mean +/- SD of 9 +/- 4 days after admission for acute uncomplicated first myocardial infarction. All patients were prospectively followed for 22 +/- 16 months. There were 9 hard events (3 cardiac deaths and 6 acute myocardial infarctions) and 12 soft events due to post MI angina (6 angioplasty and 6 bypass surgery procedures). Univariate predictor of hard events was rest-stress wall motion score index variation (p = 0.009); univariate predictors of all events (hard + soft) were: positive exercise testing (p = 0.001), positive stress echo (p = 0.001), rest-stress wall motion score index variation (p = 0.002), extent of ischemia at echo (p = 0.008). Multivariate analysis by Cox selected a non-Q wave infarction and rest-stress wall motion score index variation as predictors of death or reinfarction (overall chi-square for the model 12.2, p = 0.0022). CONCLUSIONS: Stress echo is superior to ergometric variables for predicting events after uncomplicated myocardial infarction.

[Echocardiography or stress scintigraphy with dipyridamole for the stratification of risk after acute myocardial infarction?]. / Ecocardiografia o scintigrafia da stress con dipiridamolo per la stratificazione del rischio dopo infarto miocardico acuto?

UNLABELLED: Increased risk of subsequent cardiac events after an acute infarction can be identified through dipyridamole infusion. It remains to be determined whether echocardiographic or scintigraphic imaging modes are equivalent. The aim of our study was to compare the prognostic information obtained early after an acute uncomplicated myocardial infarction through high-dose dipyridamole coupled with echocardiography or scintigraphy via Tc 99m sestamibi SPECT imaging. METHODS AND RESULTS: Fifty-one patients underwent simultaneous dipyridamole stress echocardiography and scintigraphy at a mean +/- SD of 12 +/- 3 days after admission for acute uncomplicated myocardial infarction. A subgroup of 44 patients performed exercise testing according to maximal symptom limited protocol. All patients were followed prospectively for 346 +/- 273 days (range 11-959). Cardiac events occurred in 20 patients (39%), and 1 death, 2 myocardial reinfarctions and 17 cases of unstable angina were recorded. Univariate predictors of cardiac events were: positive dipyridamole echo (p < 0.001), ischemia in the infarct zone or in remote zones by echo (p < 0.001), ejection fraction < 40% (p = 0.042) and positive exercise testing (p = 0.003). Risk was best predicted by multivariate Cox analysis on the basis of 1) ischemia in remote zones by dipyridamole echo (p < 0.001) and 2) ischemia in the infarct zone by dipyridamole echo (p = 0.003), blood pressure at peak exercise < 150 mmHg (p = 0.010) and non-Q wave infarction (p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Echocardiographic imaging during dipyridamole infusion is superior to sestamibi scintigraphy for predicting events after uncomplicated myocardial infarction.