[Left ventricular wall motion mimicking stunned myocardium in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy with normal coronary arteries: a case report].

A 63-year-old woman was admitted to the coronary care unit of Hyogo College of Medicine because of cardiogenic shock. She previously had been hospitalized in the Gynecology Department for the treatment of recurrent uterine cancer. She had poor appetite due to chemotherapy which was given for 10 days prior to her admission. On admission, echocardiography and cardiac catheterization revealed hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy and extensive left ventricular wall motion abnormalities. Coronary arteriography showed no coronary artery disease. Left ventriculography as well as echocardiography performed on the 21st post-admission day revealed that the wall motion abnormalities had completely resolved and the systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve (SAM) was no longer evident. The systolic pressure at the apex of the left ventricle was 200 mmHg on admission. The increased ventricular pressure and the simultaneous resolution of the wall motion abnormality and SAM suggest that marked obstruction of the left ventricular outflow tract is more likely to be involved in transient ventricular wall motion abnormality rather than acute myocardial ischemia. The mechanism of the SAM in the present case seemed to be related to a Venturi effect which was augmented by the decreased preload due to hypovolemia. In addition, papillary muscle contraction seemed to pull the mitral valve toward the interventricular septum during systole.

[Cardiopulmonary exercise test in patients with DDD pacemaker: report of two cases with increased exercise capacity by decreased ventricular tracking limit rate setting].

We reported 2 patients with complete A-V block with a DDD pacemaker whose exercise capacity was increased by decreased ventricular tracking limit rate setting (VTL) of their pacemakers. Cardiopulmonary exercise test was used for estimating exercise capacity. Case 1: A 15-year-old girl complained of fainting. Her electrocardiogram (ECG) revealed complete A-V block (atrial rates 100/min, ventricular rates 39/min). After implantation of a DDD pacemaker and the VTL setting at 152/min, her bradycardia disappeared, however, she complained of dyspnea after a few minutes' walk. We performed symptom-limited cardiopulmonary exercise test with a motor-driven treadmill. When the pacing rate reached VTL (152/min), ECG suddenly changed to approximately 2:1 pacing (80/min) and the patient complained of dyspnea. Concomitant rapid increases in VE, VCO2 and RQ suggested that dyspnea was caused by the marked change in pacing rates on VTL. With the lowered VTL (110/min), there was no rapid increase in VE, VCO2 and RQ, and dyspnea subsided when the pacing rate reached VTL. At the same time, the peak VO2 and exercise time were increased by 15% and 8%, respectively. Case 2: A 47-year-old man complained of syncope. His ECG revealed complete A-V block (atrial rates 100/min, ventricular rates 33/min). After a DDD pacemaker implantation (VTL: 150/min), he experienced dyspnea while walking up the stairs in his office. Like in Case 1, when the VTL was lowered from 150/min to 110/min, both the peak VO2 and exercise time were increased by 11%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Exercise tolerance in patients after successful percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty].

In 32 patients with successful percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), we performed treadmill exercise tests (TMET) before and about one month after PTCA to assess the correlation between the improvement in coronary artery lesions and exercise tolerance. Either the Bruce protocol (B: n = 12) or the modified Bruce protocol (MB: n = 20) was used; with the latter being applied to patients whose cardiac function seemed depressed. In 15 patients, oxygen consumption (VO2) was measured by analyzing the expired gases, 13 patients underwent exercise thallium-201 myocardial perfusion scintigraphy before and after PTCA, whose results were compared with those of TMET. In both B and MB protocols, the treadmill walking time was significantly prolonged after PTCA, compared to that before PTCA (B: 7.4 +/- 1.3 vs 9.5 +/- 1.9, MB: 11.4 +/- 3.5 vs 12.7 +/- 3.5 min). Heart rates (HR) and rate pressure products (RPP) were significantly increased after PTCA in both protocols (HR B: 139 +/- 18 vs 154 +/- 17, MB: 121 +/- 20 vs 137 +/- 19 bpm, RPP B: 26,500 +/- 5,600 vs 30,300 +/- 6,700, MB: 19,400 +/- 6,200 vs 22,700 +/- 6,600 mmHg.bpm), however, systolic blood pressure did not change significantly after PTCA in either protocol. While there was a significant improvement in VO2 after PTCA (21.6 +/- 6.3 vs 25.7 +/- 4.2 ml/kg/min), the O2-pulse remained unchanged. Thallium-201 myocardial scintigraphy revealed improvement of myocardial perfusion in 8 of the 13 cases examined.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Echocardiograms of a monophasic triangular wave of the tricuspid valve].

The echocardiographic and clinical study was performed in six patients (three acute pulmonary embolism, one for each hypertensive cardiomyopathy, ischemic heart disease and primary pulmonary hypertension) who had a diastolic monophasic triangular pattern of the tricuspid valve echogram. Left-sided and right-sided IRT / square root R-R, ICT / square root R-R, PEP, Q-Mc and Q-Tc, and PEP / ET (IRT; isovolumic relaxation time, ICT; isovolumic contraction time, PEP; preejection time, Q-Mc or Q-Tc; interval of the Q wave of the ECG to the closing point of the mitral or tricuspid valve, and ET; ejection time) were measured from echocardiograms, and the comparisons of these parameters were made between two kinds of echogram with or without triangular pattern of the tricuspid valve. There were no significant differences in the left-sided parameters between the two kinds of echocardiograms. The mitral valve echogram showed a persistent M-shaped pattern irrespective of the pattern of the tricuspid valve. Right-sided IRT / square root R-R and ICT / square root R-R were significantly prolonged and Q-Tc was significantly shortened in the echogram with a triangular pattern of the tricuspid valve. Right ventricular (RV) catheterization was performed using a Swan-Ganz catheter in four patients with the triangular pattern of the tricuspid valve echogram. The mean pulmonary artery pressure ranged from 24 to 96 mmHg (40 mmHg on an average) and RV end-diastolic pressure from 8 to 17 mmHg (12 mmHg on An average). The possible explanation for the production of the triangular tricuspid valve echogram was an impaired early diastolic relaxation and increased stiffness of the RV due to the acute pressure overloading, resulting in a delayed opening and an early closing of the tricuspid valve. We conclude that a diastolic monophasic triangular pattern of the tricuspid valve echogram is a reflection of an impaired early diastolic relaxation and an increased end-diastolic stiffness of the RV.

[Echocardiography in superacute phase of myocardial infarction: an experimental study].

The significance and usefulness of two-dimensional echocardiography (2DE) in the evaluation of superacute phase of myocardial infarction were studied in 13 dogs with coronary occlusion, and 2DE findings were compared with the hemodynamic indices. Myocardial infarction was produced by the occlusion of anterior descending branch of the left coronary artery in 13 anesthetized adult mongrel dogs. In 6 dogs, the end-diastolic area and percent fractional shortening (%FS) in each short-axis view of the left ventricle at the level of the mitral valve, chordae tendineae, papillary muscles, low papillary muscles and apex were measured during 60 minutes, and end-diastolic wall thickness of infarct area situated in the transitional zone between the septum and the anterior wall were compared with that of non-infarct area immediately and subsequent 60 minutes after occlusion. Positive dP/dt/P, time constant T and cardiac output were measured simultaneously with an echocardiographic study. Severe enlargement and expansion of the left ventricular cavity (ballooning) and a decrease of %FS and thinning of the left ventricular wall perfused by the occluded artery occurred immediately after occlusion and persisted during subsequent 60 minutes. Time constant T was significantly prolonged, while positive dP/dt/P and cardiac output were decreased immediately and continued up to 60 minutes after occlusion. 2DE findings corresponded well with the changes of cardiac function and hemodynamics determined simultaneously. We concluded that the detection of the left ventricular ballooning is important in the diagnosis of superacute phase of myocardial infarction in dogs.

[Echocardiographic triangular pattern of the mitral valve during acute pressure overload of the left ventricle: an experimental study].

The changes of mitral valve echo and hemodynamic data [isovolumic relaxation time (IRT)/square root R-R, time constant T, peak positive dP/dt/P, left ventricular enddiastolic pressure (LVEDP) and left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP] during acute pressure overload produced by aortic root obstruction were analyzed in 13 mongrel dogs under sodium pentbarbital anesthesia (25 mg/kg). IRT/square root R-R, time constant T, positive dP/dt and LVSP were expressed as percent changes to the value (=100%) of pre-pressure overload, LVEDP was expressed by an absolute value as mmHg. In 7 of 13 dogs, an abnormal diastolic monophasic triangular pattern of the mitral valve was observed during acute pressure overload of the left ventricle, and values of five hemodynamic data were compared between cases with or without the triangular pattern. The values of IRT/square root R-R, time constant T, positive dP/dt/P, LVSP amd LVEDP in cases with the triangular pattern became from 200 to 500% (275 +/- 100%), from 175 to 267% (220 +/- 50%), from 55 to 112% (81 +/- 21%), from 129 to 200% (59 +/- 21%) and from 7 to 33 mmHg (16 +/- 9 mmHg), respectively. The values of IRT/square root R-R, time constant T, positive dP/dt/P, LVSP and LVEDP in cases with the non-triangular pattern became from 116 to 155% (133 +/- 17%), from 116 to 154% (136 +/- 16%), from 111 to 186% (62 +/- 34%) and from 9 to 20 mmHg (9 +/- 6 mmHg), respectively. Thus, the values of IRT/square root R-R and time constant T were significantly different between the two groups. The possible explanation for the triangular pattern of the mitral valve seems to be due to impaired active relaxation system of the left ventricle resulting in a markedly delayed opening of the mitral valve. We conclude that early diastolic isovolumic relaxation of the left ventricle is impaired by acute pressure overload, and the echocardiographic diastolic monophasic triangular pattern of the mitral valve reflects this impairment.

[M-mode and two-dimensional echocardiographic features of porcine xenograft valve dysfunction].

Clinical survey was made on the porcine xenograft valve replacements in 76 patients who underwent the replacement for the past five years at Hyogo College of Medicine Hospital. The follow-up period was from 3 to 84 months after implantation. Seventy-one patients had mitral valve replacements, 1 aortic, 2 mitral and tricuspid and 2 tricuspid. Seven patients were diagnosed as porcine valve dysfunction echocardiographically, and in four of these the dysfunction (two with bacterial endocarditis, one with perivalvular leak and one with ruptured porcine aortic valve) was confirmed at operation, and the echocardiographic features were correlated with surgical findings. M-mode and two-dimensional echocardiograms of one patient with fungal endocarditis demonstrated vegetations on the mitral and tricuspid valves. In another patient with endocarditis, the echocardiographic finding of valve thickening associated with the flail and torn cusp was observed. The two-dimensional echocardiographic study was particularly useful in detecting the dislocation of the stent echo in one patient with paravalvular regurgitation. In one patient with the ruptured and flail porcine aortic valve, the two-dimensional echocardiogram was characterized by rapid diastolic motion of the involved leaflet into the left ventricular outflow tract beyond the line of valve closure. Three patients were not confirmed at operation. In one patient, the two-dimensional echocardiogram demonstrated a systolic prolapse of the porcine mitral valve. In another two patients the M-mode echocardiographic finding included a coarse fluttering of the porcine mitral cusp in diastole. The major M-mode features of prosthetic regurgitation were fuzzy echoes with fluttering of the cusp in systole or diastole or both. In one patient with fluttering, the two-dimensional echocardiogram also demonstrated the thickening of the cusp. But in another patient with fluttering, the two-dimensional echocardiogram revealed no abnormality, and prosthetic regurgitation was not confirmed at cardiac catheterization. It was postulated that this patient had a false positive echocardiogram. Two-dimensional echocardiography complemented the M-mode echocardiographic findings and both techniques were very useful in identifying porcine valve dysfunction. Moreover, we considered that the comparison of the echocardiographic features in the course of individual case was very important in detecting porcine valve dysfunction.