Contribution of cardiac MRI in the comprehension of peripartum cardiomyopathy pathogenesis.

Pathogenesis of peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPC) is still discussed. We report one case of PPC in which a cardiac magnetic resonance imaging analysis allowed to exclude some "classical" pathogenesis hypotheses. We would like to emphasize the benefits of cardiac MRI in the comprehension of the mechanism(s) involved in the genesis of PPC.

[Contribution of cardiac MRI in the etiologic diagnosis of chest pain syndrome with a normal angiographic aspect of the coronary arteries]. / Apport de l'IRM cardiaque dans le diagnostic étiologique des syndromes douloureux thoraciques à réseau coronaire angiographiquement normal.

The etiologic diagnosis of chest pain with elevation of specific cardiac enzymes, repolarization abnormalities and a normal angiographic aspect of the coronary arteries is difficult. In this situation, the role of cardiac MRI is growing, frequently allowing to precise the etiology of the chest pain. We present a literature review concerning the semiology of the cardiac MRI in the three main involved etiologies: myocarditis, takotsubo syndrome, and myocardial ischemia with a normal angiographic aspect of the coronary arteries.

An improved spatial tracking algorithm applied to coronary veins into Cardiac Multi-Slice Computed Tomography volume.

This paper describes an enhanced vessel tracking algorithm. The method specifity relies on the coronary venous tree extraction through Cardiac Multi-Slice Computed Tomography (MSCT). Indeed, contrast inhomogeneities are a major issue in the data sets that necessitate a robust tracking procedure. The method is based on an existing moment-based algorithm designed for coronary arteries into MSCT volume. In order to extract the whole path of interest, improvements concerning progression strategy are proposed. Furthermore, the original procedure is combined with an automatic recentring method based on ray casting. This enhanced method has been tested on three data sets. According to the first results, the method appears robust to curvatures, contrast inhomogeneities and low contrast blood veins.

[Clinical and angiographic parameters affecting the quality of 16 slice spiral CT in the diagnosis of restenosis after stenting the left main coronary artery]. / Paramètres cliniques et angiographiques influant sur la qualité de l'angioscanner spiralé 16 détecteurs dans le diagnostic de resténose après stenting du tronc commun de la coronaire gauche.

The metallic component of coronary stents makes it difficult to study their lumen by angio scanner. The object of this preliminary study was to appreciate the factors influencing the diagnosis of restenosis after stenting the left main coronary artery by 16-slice spiral angio CT. This Monocentric study included 27 patients who underwent 16-slice spiral angio CT six months after stenting of the left main coronary artery. It was possible to assess the stent lumen in 21 patients (78%) and no cases of > 50% restenosis were observed. In 4 patients, hypodense zones adjacent to the stent links were observed suggesting moderate intimal hyperplasia. The tests for ischaemia were normal in 3 of these patients. Coronary angiography and endocoronary ultrasound excluded significant restenosis in the fourth patient. In univariable analysis, the facors associated with good or excellent angioscanner quality (45% of patients) were Ostial stenosis (p = 0.03), no or minimal calcification on initial coronary angiography (p = 0.0S), stent diameters > 3.5mm (p = 0.03), heart rates < 60/min (p = 0.04), absence of extrasystoles (p = 0.05) during acquisition. In multivariable analysis, the only significant factors were absent or minimal calcification and stent diameters > 3.5mm (p = 0.02). The multidetector scanner seems a very promising method of investigating patients who have undergone stenting of the left main coronary artery but this study shows that certain clinical and angiographic parameters are limiting factors of surveillance with a 16-slice angioscanner.

[Pilot study of a strategy combining coronary angioplasty with valvular and/or coronary surgery on the same day]. / Etude pilote d'une stratégie combinée associant une angioplastle coronaire a une chirurgie valvulaire et/ou coronaire le même jour.

A strategy combining percutaneous coronary angioplasty followed by valvular and/or coronary surgery was recently proposed as an alternative to the classical surgical only approach. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility and the results of such a combined strategy with the two procedures performed the same day. The population comprised 34 patients including 17 with valvular disease and revascularisable coronary lesions (15 symptomatic severe aortic stenoses and two acute mitral insufficiencies) plus 17 multitrunk coronary patients without valvular disease but with an indication for revascularisation. Angioplasty was performed several hours prior to surgery and a loading dose of 300mg clopidogrel was administered immediately postoperatively; all patients were on aspirin before the procedure. The average age was 67 +/- 11 years, NYHA class 2.3 +/- 0.7, angina 73%, LVEF 58 +/- 10%. Single coronary artery disease was present in 26%, two vessel disease in 35% and three vessel disease in 39%. The success rate for angioplasty plus stent was 98%. 60 stents were active. Bypasses were exclusively arterial (left or right internal mammary arteries). We observed 4 in-hospital deaths, one of which was due to an infarct and three due to extra-cardiac causes (1 non-cardiogenic acute respiratory distress syndrome, 1 respiratory tract infection and 1 pyelonephritis). Further surgery was necessary in 4 cases: for haemorrhage and one episode of digestive tract haemorrhage. There were no additional deaths, coronary events nor haemorrhage at the end of an average follow-up of 15 +/- 6 months. The results of this combined strategy are encouraging in this population and merit further evaluation in a prospective study.

[Cardiac arrest outside hospital: initial and subsequent cardiological management]. / Arrêt cardiaque extrahospitalier: prise en charge initiale puis en milieu cardiologique.

UNLABELLED: The prognosis of cardiac arrest outside hospital is directly related to the initial management. The aim of this work was to evaluate the characteristics of the initial and subsequent cardiological management of victims of cardiac arrest outside hospital with a retrospective analysis of data from the SAMU 35 (Emergency Medical Service, IIIe et Vilaine region) in the period April 1998 - April 2002. RESULTS: 533 non-traumatic cardiac arrests outside hospital were reported in 532 patients (average age 63 +/- 17, 73% male). The cardiac arrest occurred at home in 77% of cases. The initial cardiac rhythm documented was asystole in 63% of cases, ventricular fibrillation (VF) in 30% ventricular tachycardia (VT) in 1% and electromechanical dissociation in 6%. A cardiac aetiology was presumed in 294 (69%) of the 424 resuscitated patients. Among these, 22% (66/294) were admitted to coronary care units, 11% (31) left hospital alive, 8% (24) with no neurological sequelae. The survival rate for patients with cardiac arrest outside hospital in the presence of a witness and for whom the initial rhythm was VF or VT was 21%. The patient's age (<60 years)[OR: 1.05; CI 95%: 1.02-1.07; p < 0.001], rapid arrival of the SAMU (<10 min) [OR: 5.68; CI 95%: 1.42-22.7; p = 0.01] and resuscitation by the witness (OR: 8.26; CI 95%: 3.28-20.83; p < 0.001) were factors predictive of survival in a multivariate analysis. Coronary heart disease remains the principal cause of cardiac arrest in patients admitted to cardiology units (68%), with a recent coronary thrombosis shown in 40% of patients undergoing angiography (16/40). CONCLUSION: the prognosis of cardiac arrest outside hospital remains bleak, with a mortality of 90%. The survival rate is higher if the initial management is optimal, associated with bystander resuscitation and an immediate emergency service response allowing rapid defibrillation. Diagnosis and management of acute coronary syndrome in a cardiological setting must be integrated into the strategy.

A 3D Static Heart Model From a MSCT Data Set.

Dynamic Computed Tomography (CT) imaging aims to access the kinetics of the moving organs. In cardiac imaging, the interest lies in the possibility of obtaining anatomic and functional information on the heart and the coronaries during the same examination. However, segmentation, reconstruction and registration algorithms need to be developed for diagnostic purposes. We propose thus to built a 3D heart model from Multi-slice Spiral Computed Tomography (MSCT) dynamic sequences to facilitate the evaluation of these algorithms. The model building relies on semi-automatic segmentation techniques based on deformable models such as Fast Marching and active contours. Shape-based interpolation and Marching Cube algorithms are then used for the 3D surface reconstruction.

[Factor VIII hyperactivity: an arterio-venous thrombogenic factor. Case report]. / Hyperactivité du facteur VIII: un facteur thrombogène artério-veineux. A propos d'un cas.

Thrombosis is the principal mechanism in vascular pathology, whether cerebral, coronary or peripheral. During the initial stages of infarction, coagulation contributes to vascular occlusion, the haemostatic factors playing a determining role in the development of atherothrombotic lesions. An increase in a coagulation protein, besides any lowering of anticoagulation protein levels, is a risk factor for thrombosis. Among these pro-coagulant factors, the pro-thrombogenic action of factor VIII has without doubt been studied the least. We report the case of a 62 year old patient with a personal and family history of many previous thrombotic episodes, both arterial and venous, in whom factor VIII hyperactivity was discovered after a myocardial infarction. This case underlines the association of the factor VIII complex with thrombosis, and its clinical repercussions, especially the incidence of coronary pathology.

[Sudden death disclosing abnormal origin of the left coronary vessel from the pulmonary artery trunk]. / Mort subite révélant une naissance anormale de la coronaire gauche à partir du tronc de l'artère pulmonaire.

Anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery is a rare congenital abnormality with a poor prognosis in the newborn. Adult forms are, therefore, very rare, presenting with angina, cardiac failure or sudden death. The authors report the case of a 41 year old woman who was asymptomatic until admitted as an emergency after ventricular fibrillation. Coronary angiography established the diagnosis. Despite the absence of reversible ischaemia on exercise myocardial scintigraphy, the patient underwent coronary bypass surgery of the left anterior descending artery with a pediculated internal mammary artery graft and closure of the left coronary ostium on the pulmonary artery. The echocardiographic abnormalities regressed within a few weeks. An automatic defibrillator was not implanted. The physiopathology of this rare cardiac lesion, the mechanisms of sudden death and the different techniques of surgical repair are discussed.

[Opacification of a coronary vein during left ventriculography with inadvertent myography in a 78-year-old woman with aortic stenosis]. / Opacification d'une veine coronaire lors d'une angiographie ventriculaire gauche avec myographie accidentelle chez une femme de 78 ans porteuse d'un rétrécissement aortique serré.

A 78 year-old woman had a NYHA II dyspnoea, which was related to a calcified aortic stenosis. Functional aortic valvular surface was calculated to 0.75 cm2 by echocardiography. In addition, there were important mitral calcifications without mitral stenosis. The left ventricular contractility was normal, but there was a significant left ventricular hypertrophy. At the time of the coronary angiography, the aortic valve was crossed with difficulty. A "pigtail" probe was positioned and during left ventricular angiography, an unexpected aspect of myography was observed with an unusual opacification of the interventricular posterior coronary vein, draining in the coronary sinus. The patient remained strictly asymptomatic during all the procedure. Two echographic controls carried out in the 24 following hours appeared normal, without pericardial effusion nor new parietal anomaly of the left ventricle. Five weeks later, the patient underwent an aortic valve replacement without complication.

[Return to work after cardiac valvular surgery. Retrospective study of a series of 105 patients]. / La reprise du travail après chirurgie valvulaire cardiaque. Etude rétrospective d'une série de 105 patients.

This was a retrospective study realised by a mailed questionnaire of the medical and socio-professional conditions of return to work in patients with valvular heart disease aged 20 to 59 and operated in the cardiac surgery department of Rennes University Hospital in 1998. The results concern 105 patients of whom 78 were working before surgery and 27 were unemployed, and 53 were professionally active after surgery. The average age was 48 +/- 9 years and the male/female ratio was 2.38. After surgery, 78.4% of patients were NYHA Stages I or II, compared with 38.1% before surgery. Three main surgical procedures were carried out, sometimes in association: aortic valve replacement (71.4%), mitral valve replacement (21%) and mitral valvuloplasty (11.4%). Valve replacement was with a mechanical prosthesis in 83% of cases, a bioprosthesis in 11% of cases and a homograft in 6% of cases. Return to work (67.9%) after an average of 5.3 +/- 3.9 months was correlated with the following factors: age: 50 years old patients or more, were less likely to return to work (p < 0.02); postoperative NYHA stage: patients in stages III and IV were less likely to return to work (p < 0.03); the time off work before surgery: the longer the time (threshold > 6 months) the less likely the patients are to return to work (p < 0.03). Return to work was preferred to non-return (p < 0.03). This study shows the difficulties of professional rehabilitation of patients despite a satisfactory general condition. This is partially explained by the difficult economic context which favorises invalidity but also by the lack of information concerning the role of works doctors in the return to work. The realisation of a liaison file with permission of the person concerned between the general practitioner, the cardiologist and a medico-social security doctor and works doctor should remedy the difficulties in communication and sustain a policy of return to work.

[Medium-term results of multisite biventricular stimulation in severe cardiac failure]. / Effets à moyen terme de la stimulation multisite biventriculaire dans l'insuffisance cardiaque sévère.

Since its introduction in cardiac failure in 1994, biventricular cardiac stimulation has been widely applied with many clinical trials and the development of new specific technology. The authors present the results observed in the first 125 consecutively implanted patients at the Rennes University Hospital. After a mean follow-up of 22 months, the mortality rate was 40%. The causes of death were sudden death in 42% of patients, progression of cardiac failure in 34% and non-cardiac in 24%. The functional benefits of biventricular cardiac stimulation were seen through significant improvement in HYHA Class, 3.3 +/- 0.5 before implantation to 2.3 +/- 0.8 at the end of follow-up, and by a significant increase of 40% of peak VO2 and of maximal duration of exercise. With the learning curve and development of new technology, the left ventricular catheterisation via a coronary sinus vein, increased from 56% to over 95% during the last two years with an acceptable rate of complications. These results, with the reserve of not being a controlled trial, show the feasibility, safety and efficacy of biventricular cardiac stimulation in terms of functional benefit. Clinical trials are currently underway to assess the impact of this method on morbi-mortality and to assess the concept in association with ventricular defibrillation.

[Platypnoea-orthodeoxia syndrome. Diagnosis, etiology, treatment]. / Syndrome de platypnée-orthodéoxie. Diagnostic, étiologie, traitement.

Platypnoea-orthodeoxia (P.O.) syndrome is the association of dyspnoea and arterial oxygen desaturation aggravated in the erect position and relieved in the supine position. Initially considered very rare (20 cases reported over fifty years) and occurring essentially in patients having undergone pneumonectomy, it in fact occurs much more frequently if only it is looked for (20 extra cases reported in a single year). Some new aetiologies have been described, in particular dilatations or aneurysms of the ascending aorta. Diagnosis is made easier if the oxygen saturation is measured in the supine position when it is normal, and in the erect position when it falls considerably. Another argument is added by the small effect of inspiration of high concentrations of oxygen. Contrast echocardiography confirms the right-left shunt and allows estimation of the site. This is usually situated at the atrial level, via an inter-atrial communication or more often a patent foramen ovale; as a rule the area of dehiscence having been modified by the associated pathology allowing the right-left shunt despite normal right pressures. Exceptionally the shunt is situated at the vascular or pulmonary parenchymal level. Poor tolerance of P.O. syndrome justifies a therapeutic procedure; this is usually closure of the septal fault with an occluder introduced percutaneously; the results are generally highly spectacular.

[Is it necessary to operate quickly in patients with significant left main coronary stenosis?]. / Faut-il opérer rapidement tous les patients atteints d'une sténose significative du tronc commun de la coronaire gauche?

Although coronary bypass surgery is performed rapidly in the majority of cases of left main coronary stenosis to prevent cardiovascular complications, there is no reported consensus in the literature about the ideal interval between diagnostic coronary angiography and surgery. The aim of this multicenter study was to make an inventory of the serious vascular cardiovascular events which occurred between coronary angiography and surgery to determine possible predictive factors for complications and thereby identify a high risk subgroup requiring immediate revascularisation. The population comprised 283 patients with significant left main coronary disease, out of a total of 8,205 patients who underwent coronary angiography in the university hospitals of Angers, Brest, Nantes, Poitiers and Rennes. A surgical indication was retained in 216 patients. The choice of the operation date depended on clinical data in the presence of an acute coronary syndrome, patients remaining in the intensive care unit and undergoing revascularisation rapidly. Serious cardiac events (death, myocardial infarction, refractory unstable angina and left ventricular failure) occurring while waiting for surgery were rare, observed in only 6.5% of patients. Recent myocardial infarction and, to a lesser degree, unstable angina and/or left ventricular systolic dysfunction, were predictive of serious cardiac complications before surgery. The severity of the left main coronary disease and the association of right coronary disease did not increase the risk of serious cardiac events in the preoperative period. The low incidence of complications demonstrates that this strategy enables patients to wait for surgery with an acceptable risk without having to operate all patients with left main coronary disease as an emergency.

[Patient information and coronary angiography: experience of the Rennes group]. / Information du patient et coronarographie: l'expérience rennaise.

The object of this study was to assess the degree of patient information of subjects referred for coronary angiography and their reaction to a detailed protocol of information. The enquiry was performed in 3 stages: an oral evaluation of the degree of information with a standardised questionnaire; the giving of written documents from the French Federation and Society of Cardiology mentioning the risks of the procedure; the continuation of the interview with evaluation of the degree of satisfactions with the information provided. Two hundred and thirty one patients referred by cardiologists for non-urgent coronary angiography were interrogated (175 men, 56 women; mean age 63 years, range: 27-83 years). In the 164 subjects who had never had this investigation: 56 (34.1%) did not appreciate the invasive nature of the procedure 111 (67.6%) totally ignored the risks of the procedure 70 (42.6%) were not informed of the possibility of a surgical procedure or of an angioplasty as a result of the procedure. 89% were satisfied with the information concerning the risks of the investigation. In a second group of 100 patients, the comprehension of the information was checked by the same questionnaire used a posteriori. These results show that patient information is very often incomplete. Despite some reticence, the new procedures seem to be globally well accepted but would be more effective if used before hospital admission.

[Myocardial pseudo-infarction: "stress"-associated catecholamine-induced acute cardiomyopathy or coronary spasm?]. / Tableau de pseudo-infarctus du myocarde: cardiomyopathie catécholergique aiguë "de stress" ou spasme coronarien?

As well as pheochromocytoma, in which it has been established that an excess of circulating catecholamines is responsible for the development of catecholamine-induced acute myopathy, some rare cases have been reported of a similar cardiac incident following intense emotional stress. In this study, the case has been examined of a 56-year old female with no history of cardiovascular disorder who presented with intense, nitro-resistant prolonged chest pain mimicking an acute coronary syndrome immediately following a situation involving major psychological stress. The admission electrocardiogram revealed a sharp decrease in R-wave amplitude in the right chest leads associated with an extended QT interval, and secondarily with subepicardiac ischemia in the lower leads. However, a few days after admission the electrical signs and septo-apical akinesia that had initially been observed by echocardiography completely disappeared. The clinical examination ruled out a diagnosis of myocardial necrosis, acute myocarditis, or pheochromocytoma. Moreover, no direct evidence of coronary spasm was found. The outcome was positive, with complete reversibility of all clinical signs and no organic sequelae. It is considered that this was probably a case of catecholaminergic acute cardiomyopathy triggered by intense emotional stress, a rare occurrence that should nevertheless be systematically taken into account in cases with similar clinical signs.