[Echocardiographic diagnosis of transposition of the great arteries associated with anomalous pulmonary venous connection].

We report 2 cases of transposition of the great arteries associated with anomalous pulmonary venous connection emphasizing the clinical findings, the diagnosis, and the evolution of the association. One of the patients had the anomalous pulmonary venous connection in its total infradiaphragmatic form, in the portal system, and the other patient had a partial form, in which an anomalous connection of the left superior lobar vein with the innominate vein existed. At the time of hospital admission, the patients had cyanosis and respiratory distress with clinical findings suggesting transposition of the great arteries. The diagnosis in 1 of the cases, in which the anomalous connection was partial, was established only with echocardiography, without invasive procedures that would represent risk for the patient; in the other case, in which the anomalous connection was total, the malformation was only evidenced with catheterization. The patients underwent surgery for anatomical correction of the heart disease. Only 1 patient had a good outcome.

Coronary stent implantation in diabetic versus nondiabetic patients. Early and late outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether coronary stenting in diabetic patients provides in-hospital results and clinical evolution similar to those in nondiabetic patients. METHODS: From July '97 to April '99 we performed coronary stent implantation in 386 patients with coronary heart disease, who were divided into two groups: diabetic patients and nondiabetic patients. The in-hospital results and the clinical evolution of each group were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: The nondiabetic group comprised 305 (79%) patients and the diabetic group 81 (21%) patients. Basic clinical and angiographic characteristics were similar. Angiographic success was in diabetics = 96.6% vs in nondiabetics = 97.9% (p=ns). Among the major complications in the in-hospital phase, the rate of myocardial infarction was higher in the diabetic group (7.4% vs 1.9%) (p=0.022). In the follow-up, a favorable and homogeneous evolution occurred in regard to asymptomatic patients, myocardial infarction, and death in the groups. A greater need for revascularization, however, existed in the diabetic patients (15% vs 2.4%, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Coronary stenting in diabetic patients is an efficient procedure, with a high angiographic and clinical success rate similar to that in nondiabetic patients. Diabetic patients, however, had a higher incidence of in-hospital myocardial infarction and a greater need for additional myocardial revascularization.

Long-term follow-up of pregnant women after percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty.

The aim of this study was to evaluate long-term clinical follow-up and echocardiographic data on pregnant patients with mitral stenosis who underwent percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty (PMV) in our center and the development of their infants. PMV has proven to be an effective alternative to treat pregnant patients with mitral stenosis. However, long-term outcome of these patients, as well as the potential harmful effects caused by radiation on their infants, still awaits to be determined. From January 1988 to February 1999, 30 pregnant women (mean gestational duration, 24.95 +/- 5.59 weeks) underwent PMV. Twenty-three (77%) were subsequently followed by a medical interview during 5.33 +/- 3.12 years. Clinical variables such as NYHA functional class (FC), the need of a repeat PMV or surgical procedure, the presence of embolic events, and mortality rate were evaluated during follow-up. Mitral valve area, mean transmitral gradient, and the presence of mitral regurgitation were also assessed by Doppler echocardiography. Clinical data on the development of the infants were obtained from the assistant pediatricians. All patients were in NYHA FC III or IV before the procedure. During follow-up, 91% of them were in FC I and II. Two patients (9%) who had remained in FC III underwent a repeat successful PMV; no further surgery was required. There were no embolic events or death related to the procedure. Echocardiography showed an initial increase in mitral valve area from 1.14 +/- 0.22 cm(2) to 2.01 +/- 0.21 cm+/- (P < 0.0001). During long-term follow-up, it decreased to a mean of 1.75 +/- 0.24 cm(2) (P < 0. 0001). Initial transmitral valve gradient decreased from 17.73 +/- 4. 56 mm Hg to 5.91 +/- 1.80 mm Hg (P = 0.0001) and 8.95 +/- 3.58 (P = 0.002) during long-term follow-up. Twenty one children (96%), aged 4. 91 +/- 2.8 years, showed normal growth and development, and no clinical abnormalities were observed. These favorable long-term results suggests PVM to be the procedure of choice to treat pregnant women with mitral stenosis who remain in FC III or IV despite adequate medical therapy. No harmful effects due to the use of radiation were observed in the children.

[Treatment of subclavian artery stenosis with stents in patients previously treated with internal mammary left anterior descending artery bypass surgery]. / Tratamento da estenose da artéria subclávia com utilização de stents em pacientes previamente submetidos à anastomose da artéria mamária interna com a artéria descendente anterior.

We reported two cases of patients that underwent left internal mammary (LIMA)-coronary bypass graft and developed recurrent myocardial ischemia in the follow-up period caused by stenosis in the subclavian artery. The angiography showed retrograde flow from the left anterior descending artery to subclavian artery. After initial dilatation with a conventional angioplasty balloon catheter, we implanted Palmaz-Schatz Stents, achieving an excellent final result. Our finding suggest that Stent implantation is a safe and effective procedure, and provides an alternative to other forms of revascularization for the treatment of this disorder.

Tratamento da estenose da artéria subclávia com utilizaçäo de stents em pacientes previamente submetidos à anastomose da artéria mamária interna com a artéria descendente anterior / Treatment of subclavian artery stenosis with stents in patients underwent internal mammary left anterior descending artery bypass surgery

Descrevemos dois casos de pacientes que haviam sido submetidos a revascularizaçäo do miocárdio com a utilizaçäo da artéria mamária interna esquerda e que desenvolveram na evoluçäo, quadro de insuficiência coronária por estenose da artéria subclávia esquerda. A cinecoronariografia evidenciou fluxo retrógrado da artéria descendente anterior para artéria mamária com enchimento da artéria subclávia distal à estenose que se localizava na sua origem. Após dilataçäo inicial com catater baläo de angioplastia coronária, foram implantados stents de Palmaz-Schantz, obtendo-se excelente aspecto angiográfico, sem complicaçöes e regressäo dos sintomas. Nossos resultados demonstram que a implantaçäo de stents nestes pacientes pode ser realizada com eficácia e segurança, mostrando ser um tratamento alternativo a outras formas de revascularizaçäo cirúrgica ou percutânea para esta doença.

We reported two cases of patients that underwent leftinternal mammary (LIMA) - coronary bypass graft and developed recurrent myocardial ischemia in the follow-up period caused by stenosis in the subclavian artery. The angiography showed retrograde flow from the left anterior descending artery to subclavian artery. After initial dilatation with a conventional angioplasty balloon catheter, we implanted Palmaz-Schatz Stents, achieving an excellent final result. Our finding suggest that Stent implantation is a safe and effective procedure, and provides an alternative to other forms of revascularization for the treatment of this disorder

[Use of the Palmaz-Schatz stent in the acute phase of myocardial infarction in a patient with cardiogenic shock]. / Emprego do stent de Palmaz-Schatz na fase aguda do infarto do miocárdio em paciente com choque cardiogênico.

A 56-year-old female patient underwent myocardial revascularization with three saphenous bypass grafts. One month after surgery she had an acute myocardial infarction with cardiogenic shock and was treated with a Palmaz-Schatz stent implantation in the left main coronary artery (that was occluded) and a PTCA of the graft to the right coronary artery. The in hospital outcome was uneventful and angiographic study after six months showed no restenosis and important improvement in the left ventricular function.

[Echocardiographic relation criteria. A new selection method for mitral valvotomy with balloon catheter]. / Critério de relação ecocardiográfica. Um novo método para a indicação da valvotomia mitral com cateter-balão.

PURPOSE: To find out new subjects that could be useful to select patients between 9 and 12 points, according to Block's Criteria, to mitral balloon valvotomy. METHODS: One hundred and forty patients underwent mitral balloon valvotomy. Among them, 29 (21%) had between 9 and 12 points. These patients were divided into two groups: group A-patients with mitral valve area > or = 1.5cm2, immediately after balloon valvotomy and in the follow-up period; group B-patients with mitral valve area < 1.5cm2 immediately after or during the follow-up period, patients with severe mitral regurgitation after the procedure and patients who died in the follow-up period. All patients were analyzed by echocardiographic relation criteria (ERC): calcification + subvalvar disease/thickness + mobility. Each one was quantified from 1 to 4 points according to the degree of valvular disease. RESULTS: Group A was composed of 17 (51%) and group B 12 (41%) patients. The variables age, sex, previous mitral commissurotomy and atrial fibrillation did not show difference between groups. In group A mitral valve area (cm2) increased from 1.15 +/- 0.25 to 1.97 +/- 0.26 (p < 0.00001) keeping stable during the follow-up period. In group B percutaneous mitral balloon valvotomy resulted in an increase from 1.26 +/- 0.19 to 1.77 +/- 0.16 (p < 0.00001), however, there was an important decrease in the follow-up period to 1.34 +/- 0.15 (p < 0.00001). The ERC showed that all group A patients had a relation < 1. However, in group B, 10 patients (83%), the relation was > or = 1, and in only 2 patients (17%) was < 1 (p < 0.00001). CONCLUSION: The group of patients between 9 and 12 points in the Block's criteria is heterogenic, therefore, each case might be evaluated individually and the echocardiographic relation criteria should be used in order to select these patients to the procedure.

Echocardiographic long-term evaluation of percutaneous balloon mitral valvotomy.

Percutaneous balloon mitral valvotomy (BMV) is an alternative therapeutic method for patients with mitral stenosis. We studied 62 patients (56 females, mean age 36.4 years) who underwent balloon mitral valvotomy. Five patients were pregnant and in New York Heart Association Functional Class IV. Doppler echocardiographic studies were performed prior to the procedure, and at 7 days, 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months after the procedure. We studied the following parameters: echo-score by the sum of valvular mobility, thickening, and calcification, and subvalvular disease, graded from 1 to 4; and mitral valve area (MVA) and mitral pressure gradient (MPG) by Doppler echocardiography. The patients were separated into two groups: group I with an echo-score less than or equal to 8 (40 patients), and group II with an echo-score greater than or equal to 9 (22 patients). Mitral valve area and MPG were compared with hemodynamics through the correlation coefficient and linear regression. Comparison between groups I and II was performed using the unpaired Student's t-test. Follow-up of MVA and MPG was analyzed by analysis of variance. The Student's t-test did not show any significant difference between MVA and MPG before balloon mitral valvotomy. There was significant decrease of MVA in group II (P less than 0.01) in the last three studies. There was significant increase in MPG in group II (P less than 0.01) in every postvalvotomy study. The analysis of variance of group I showed statistical increase of the MVA, and significant decrease of the MPG after BMV. The analysis of variance of group II showed significant increase in MVA and significant decrease in MPG between the pre- and the first postvalvotomy study. There was significant decrease (P less than 0.01) in MVA, and increase in MPG in the three postvalvotomy studies. Complications included mitral regurgitation, residual interatrial communication, pericardial effusion due to an atrial wall perforation, and peripheral embolization. Atrial fibrillation did not significantly alter the results of BMV. Results were considered positive when MVA was greater than 1.5 cm 2 and area increase was greater than 25%. Patients with an echo-score less than or equal to 8 (group I) benefit from BMV, with a positive predictive value greater than 78%. In pregnant patients the symptomatology was alleviated by BMV, without any signs of fetal compromise.

[Mitral valvuloplasty with balloon catheterization in pregnant patients. Report of 3 cases]. / Valvoplastia mitral por cateter balão em pacientes grávidas. Relato de três casos.

The authors report on three pregnant patients with mitral stenosis with heart failure in functional class IV (NYHA) unresponsive to clinical treatment. They were submitted to mitral valvuloplasty, with significant clinical improvement, and were, hence, asymptomatic. Despite the small number of cases, it may be concluded that the procedure is simple and safe, which can be attested by the successful results.