Acute thrombotic obstruction with disc valve prostheses: diagnostic considerations and fibrinolytic treatment.

Twenty-six patients presenting with 28 instances of massive acute thrombotic obstruction of a prosthetic valve (16 mitral, 12 aortic) were treated with fibrinolytic agents. In 15 cases the patient presented with acute pulmonary edema and low cardiac output, in 10 with congestive heart failure and embolism and in 3 with peripheral embolism only. The diagnosis of thrombotic obstruction was made by echocardiography or cineradiography, in patients in whom the disc was immobile or barely moving; cineangiography was necessary in only four patients. The fibrinolytic agents administered were streptokinase, 2,000,000 U for 10 hours (14 cases), urokinase, 4,500 U/kg per h for 12 hours (7 cases), or the two agents successively (7 cases). Fibrinolysis was entirely successful in 19 patients: 18 are alive and well without surgical intervention after follow-up of 6 to 64 months and 1 patient had surgical revision after fibrinolysis. In two patients, fibrinolytic treatment was apparently successful but obstruction recurred 4 and 19 months later, respectively, and the patients were again treated by fibrinolysis. In two patients complete failure of fibrinolytic treatment led to emergency surgery, and in three patients improvement was incomplete and death occurred shortly after treatment. No hemorrhagic complications were observed, but there were five cases of embolism during the fibrinolytic treatment. Fibrinolytic treatment would seem to be an attractive, nonsurgical alternative for the thrombosis of a valve prosthesis but, because of the risk of embolism with possible permanent damage, its use should be reserved for critically ill patients who are too sick to undergo immediate surgery.

Radionuclide angiographic demonstration of systemic lung arterialization with arteriovenous fistulas.

Radionuclide angiography has diagnosed systemic arterialization of the right lung base in a patient presenting with a basal thoracic bruit. The bruit was due to high flow in the systemic artery and development of arteriovenous fistulas, confirmed by TCT scan and contrast aortography. But the parenchyma of the right lung base appeared normally aerated on the radiographic studies, and Xe-133 ventilation scintigraphy was normal. This case was therefore classified as systemic arterialization of lung without sequestration.

Quantitative analysis of left-ventricular function using gated single photon emission tomography.

We describe a quantitative method that measures segmental motion of the left ventricle, using tomographic slices obtained by gated single photon emission tomography (GSPECT). These slices contain the major axis of the left ventricle and are presumed to show wall motion directed towards a center of contraction. Values of parameters describing segmental wall motion in GSPECT were obtained from 61 patients, who received a left cardiac catheterization 1 hr later. These values were compared with results of similar calculations applied to data from contrast ventriculography. We conclude that GSPECT allows a detailed and quantitative, noninvasive study of wall motion of all left ventricular segments, with high inter- and intraobserver reproducibility.

Abnormal fibrin clot architecture in nephrotic patients is related to hypofibrinolysis: influence of plasma biochemical modifications: a possible mechanism for the high thrombotic tendency?

Porosity, viscoelasticity and morphological properties of plasma fibrin from 16 nephrotic patients and 16 healthy volunteers were compared. Nephrotic patients were characterized by formation of tight and rigid plasma fibrin gels which resulted in a slower rate of fibrin lysis studied either under pressure-driven permeation or diffusional transport of fibrinolytic agents. These latter findings indicated that both abnormal fibrin network conformation and abnormal fibrin fiber structure were involved in hypofibrinolysis. Albumin supplementation up to 40 mg/ml partially restored normal fibrin architecture and increased the rate of fibrinolysis in these patients. Multiparametric analysis showed that nephrotic patients were mainly characterized by a low plasma albumin level (R = -0.85), a low albumin to fibrinogen ratio (R = -0.89) and a high resistance to lysis (R = -0.82). High triglycerides level was the only plasma modification related to the slower fibrin lysis rate (R = -0.54). High fibrin rigidity (G') was the only fibrin parameter simultaneously related to the nephrotic state (R = 0.75) and the lysis resistance (R = -0.71). After eliminating the effects of age, albumin and fibrinogen levels, low fibrin porosity (Ks) and low fiber mass-length ratio (mu) were the main features of the nephrotic state. These findings are discussed in relation to both the pathophysiology of thrombotic complications in nephrotic syndrome and their pharmacological prevention.

Hemodynamic effects of continuous infusion of AR-C 239 in left ventricular failure.

AR-C 239 is a new specific alpha 1 antagonist drug with an action similar to that of prazosin. In dogs it appears to be specific for the alpha 1 adrenoreceptor. AR-C 239 was tested in 11 patients (49 +/- 11 years old) with left heart failure, who had not received any previous treatment. The drug was infused intravenously with a stepwise increase in dose, producing three stable plasma concentration plateaus: 10 +/- 2, 51 +/- 3, and 138 +/- 55 ng/ml. Hemodynamic data were collected at time T0 before drug infusion, and half-way through each infusion. Blood pressures and cardiac output were recorded using a Millar microtip manometer (left ventricle), a Swan-Ganz catheter (pulmonary artery), and a femoral catheter, connected to a Syscomoram computer system which calculated the following parameters: work, resistances, tension-time index and contractility indices. Left ventricular ejection fraction and volumes were obtained from cineangiograms performed 30 min before drug infusion and at the end of the third infusion plateau. AR-C 239 produces a dose-dependent fall in systemic blood pressure (r = 0.539, n = 33, p less than 0.001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Global left ventricular function and regional wall motion in pure mitral stenosis.

Global left ventricular function (LVF) and segmental wall motion of the left ventricle are registered in 113 patients presenting a pure mitral stenosis (MS) and in a control group of 50 individuals. The segmental wall motion is measured on the end-diastolic-end-systolic frames of the left ventricle, obtained from right anterior oblique (RAO) monoplane cineangiography. Measurement of the segmental wall shortening is performed using the Stanford method. Group 1 includes 68 patients (60% of the total number of patients studied). These patients show no pathological contraction abnormality. In this group, the global LVF is not different from the control group. Group 2 includes 45 patients (40% of the total) for whom contraction abnormalities are present: anterior hypokinesis in 20% of the cases (anterior area mean shortening (AAS) = 18 +/- 8%; p less than 0.001 vs. group 1 and control group), and posterior hypokinesis in 20% of the cases (posterior area mean shortening (PAS) = 9.8 +/- 5.8%, p less than 0.001 vs. group 1 and control group). In this group, global LVF is impaired; ejection fraction (EF) = 0.57 +/- 0.1% (p less than 0.001 vs. group 1); velocity of circumferential fiber shortening (VCF) = 1 +/- 0.3 circ/s (p less than 0.001 vs. group 1); enddiastolic pressure (EDP) = 11 +/- 5 mmHg (p less than 0.01 vs. group 1). Segmental contraction abnormalities appear to be the main factor involved in the global LVF impairment. Segmental wall motion abnormalities could be related to subvalvular fibrosis, or LV filling difficulties, or principally, to a possible interplay between the right and the left ventricles.

Clinical characteristics affecting success or failure of PTCA in patients with multiple vessel disease and poor candidates for surgery.

A special form of complex coronary angioplasty is represented by the extension of indications for percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) to patients with multivessel disease (MVD) for whom surgery is not indicated, and thus for whom surgical standby is not available. Over a two-year period, 254 consecutive coronary patients with multivessel disease underwent PTCA under such conditions. These patients could not benefit from surgery for various reasons. Of the 612 arteries involved, 155 were occluded, 47 had been previously bypassed. A distal nonbypassable lesion in one of the three major arteries was found in 244 patients, 61 had suffered from a previous infarct, 24 demonstrated an ejection fraction below 0.40, and in 19 a single patent vessel was found. Fifteen patients were in cardiogenic shock and 69 procedures were undertaken for unstable angina. Of this latter group, 25 emergency PTCA were attempted for refractory unstable angina, and 44 additional emergency procedures were directed to the treatment of acute infarct. A total of 40 intra-aortic counterpulsations were needed. As far as possible the procedure aimed at full revascularization. Immediate outcome is strongly affected by the clinical context, and despite a rather constant initial success rate (88-95%), the procedural mortality (directly related or not) can change dramatically with clinical factors.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Quantitative frame by frame analysis of regional contraction and lengthening on left ventricular cineangiograms: application to the study of normal left ventricles and left ventricles with mitral valve prolapse.

This work attempted to study the segmental wall motion on left ventriculograms, in terms of segmental shortening, velocity of segmental shortening, and temporal sequences of various events in systole as well as in diastole. The ability of such a method to characterize patterns of normal regional wall motion and to detect mild abnormalities such as isolated asynchronisms, was tested on two groups of patients. Group I included 25 patients presenting evidence of a normal left ventricle (LV) after left heart catheterization. Group II consisted of 21 patients suffering from an isolated pure idiopathic mitral valve prolapse (MVP), with no mitral insufficiency and with an unaffected global LV function. In all patients left ventriculography was filmed in the right anterior oblique view at a rate of 50 frames/s. For each patient a cycle was chosen, distant from any premature beat, with acceptably contrasted outlines, and a quantitative frame by frame study of the motion of 10 segments was performed using a semiautomated method derived from the Stanford method. In the control group (Group I), analysis of the segmental motion by means of this method demonstrates a mild nonuniformity of the normal wall motion. This is principally marked by a stronger and faster contraction in anterolateral segments (segments 7, 8, 9) and by a shorter duration of the contraction in this region. In contrast the MVP group (Group II), exhibited a frank asynergy of the anterolateral region occurring from end systole to early diastole.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The vascular resistance of arterial stenoses in series.

The vascular resistance of stenoses in series has been studied in vitro by use of fiber optic laser Doppler anemometry to measure the cross-sectional areas of the stenoses. Pressure gradients across each of the stenoses were measured while both the severity and the separation of the stenoses were altered. The individual resistances were compared with the combined resistance. Resistance at a stenosis is a nonlinear function of the severity of the stenosis. The resistance is a complex function of the perfusion pressure and the cross-sectional area of the stenosis and cannot be accurately predicted from a single plane angiographic image. With multiple stenoses an approximate assessment of the combined effect can be obtained by summing the value of the resistance for each stenosis but not the degree of the stenoses. The nonlinear relationship of resistance to stenosis severity means that if one stenosis is more severe than the other, the combined effect can be regarded as the same as the effect of the more severe stenosis acting by itself. The distance between the stenoses does not change their combined effect.

Long-term beneficial effects of PTCA on segmental early relaxation in disease of the left anterior descending coronary artery.

The relationship between regional left ventricular (LV) motion and global pressure relaxation of the left ventricle remains unclear. To clarify the recent concept of segmental early relaxation in coronary artery disease, the authors investigated two groups of patients. In group I, all 12 patients (mean age 47 +/- 7 years) exhibited evidence of a normal heart after an extensive investigation. In group II, 25 patients (55 +/- 7 years) presented an isolated stenosis of the left anterior descending coronary artery, and they underwent a hemodynamic investigation before and after (six to nine months) a durable successful percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). After all conventional hemodynamic measurements had been done, a quantitative frame-by-frame analysis of left ventricular wall motion was conducted. The authors' method is derived from that of Ingels, applying to LV cineangiograms filmed in 30 degrees right anterior oblique view at a 50 frames/second rate. Thus segmental wall motion is analyzed in terms of amplitudes (%), velocities of shortening and lengthening in circumferences/second (circ/sec), and times of events (%). Statistical results took into account the reproducibility of the method. Main results regarding the control state of group II consisted of an asynergic motion of the anterior region taking place from end systole to early diastole: 1. Early end of contraction in anterior segments (% of systolic time interval: 88 +/- 14% vs 96 +/- 6% in group I, p less than 0.001) 2. Asynchronism at end systole (maximal velocity of shortening - 0.4 +/- 2.3 circ/sec in anterior segments vs 0.05 +/- 1.9 in inferior segments, p less than 0.02) 3. An early but poor outward anterior wall motion (anterior lengthening at 0.04 sec after the end of ejection 2.9 +/- 10% in group II versus 5.4 +/- 7.2% in group I, p less than 0.05) These abnormalities are strongly correlated with a significant impairment of peak negative diastolic pressure/diastolic time (dP/dt) (1500 +/- 400 mmHg. sec-1 vs 1850 +/- 410 in group I, p less than 0.02). Long-term beneficial effects of PTCA in group II were characterized by an almost complete normalization, both asynergy and relaxation taking place back within the normal range. The authors conclude that in this kind of patient, peak negative dP/dt could be an index of an asynergic segmental motion, this one being correctly analyzed and quantified on LV cineangiograms with our method.

[Multiple left coronary-ventricular microfistula and apical hypertrophy]. / Microfistules multiples coronaro-ventriculaires gauches et hypertrophie apicale.

Coronary arterio-systemic fistula is a rare condition, especially when multiple fistulae communicate with the left ventricule. The association of multiple congenital coronary artery-left ventricular fistulae and apical hypertrophy has not been previously reported. The authors report three cases, all in women, with multiple coronary artery-left ventricular fistulae and apical hypertrophy diagnosed by angiography. The association may not be coincidental as multiple microfistulae could cause abnormalities of the microcirculation and result in reactional myocardial hypertrophy.

[Effects of injectable calcium blockers on cardiac function and relaxation in left ventricular hypertrophy]. / Effets des calcium-bloqueurs injectables sur la fonction cardiaque et la relaxation dans les hypertrophies du ventricule gauche.

Nineteen patients with left ventricular hypertrophy were given intravenous calcium antagonists: 9 patients received intravenous verapamil (VPM IV) and 10 patients diltiazem (DTZ) by intracoronary and then intravenous injection. Systemic and pulmonary resistances, cardiac output, left ventricular and aortic pressures, isometric contractility, isometric relaxation and left ventricular compliance were studied in sinus rhythm, during atrial and then ventricular pacing at 120/min and finally after tachycardia before and after administration of calcium antagonists. Left ventriculography in the 30 degrees RAO projection in sinus rhythm was performed before and after injection of the calcium antagonists to study the variations in the end diastolic volume, mass and mass-volume ratio. Finally, frame by frame numerisation of the ventriculographies during systole and diastole helped evaluate variations in amplitude, time and velocity of fibre shortening or lengthening. The administration of the calcium antagonists did not have any significant effect on heart rate (-2.8 +/- 10 p. 100, NS) or indices of isometric contractility (delta Vmax + 4 +/- 43 p. 100, NS). Significant falls in systemic and pulmonary resistances (-15 +/- 23 p. 100, p less than 0.05 and - 26 +/- 32 p. 100, p less than 0.05, respectively) and an increase in systolic index (+ 15.5 p. 100 +/- 12 p. 100, p less than 0.01) were observed. The improvement in left ventricular ejection was independent of the variation in resistances but was closely related to variations of parameters of relaxation. The effects on volumic compliance and filling velocities were also closely related to variations in relaxation (p less than 0.05 and p less than 0.01). Calcium antagonists protected left ventricular ejection during supraventricular tachycardia and prevented the changes in left ventricular relaxation observed during arrhythmias and after tachycardia.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Hemodynamic effects of a new positive inotropic agent (AR-L 115 BS) in ischemic and nonischemic myocardiopathies]. / Effets hémodynamiques d'un nouvel agent inotrope positif (l'AR-L 115 BS) dans les myocardopathies ischemiques et non ischémiques.

AR-L 115 BS is an imidazo-pyridine derivative with a positive inotropic action associated with peripheral and coronary vasodilatory properties. The effects of intravenous administration (a bolus of 0,45 mg/kg/min) were studied in 19 patients in functional class III of the NYHA classification in the absence of any previous drug therapy. Twelve patients had a primary myocardiopathy and the other 7 had coronary artery disease with akinetic anterior walls. A Swan-Ganz thermodilution catheter and a Millar microtransducer were used to measure pressures (pulmonary artery, left ventricular, aorta) and cardiac output under basal conditions and then every 2 minutes during intravenous administration of AR-L 115 BS. Left ventriculography in the 30 degrees RAO plane was performed under basal conditions and at the end of the investigation to measure volumes, ejection fraction, volumic compliance and segmental wall motion by the Stanford method. A stable concentration of circulating AR-L 115 BS was obtained (1 500 ng/ml). The positive inotropic action of the drug was responsible for a significant increase of all ejectional indices (cardiac and systolic index X 24 p. 100, p less than 0.01; ejection fraction +14 p. 100, p less than 0.01), of all indices of isometric contractility (dP/dt max +25 p. 100, velocity of contractile elements +35 p. 100, V max +30 p. 100 (p less than 0.01) and of the velocity of circumferential fibre shortening (+65 p. 100, p less than 0.001). All segmental shortening was improved.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Myocardial infarction caused by the thrombosis of the common trunk of the left coronary artery. Fatal outcome despite an early obstruction removal by angioplasty. Apropos of a case]. / Infarctus du myocarde par thrombose du tronc commun de la coronaire gauche. Evolution fatale malgré une désobstruction précoce par angioplastie. A propos d'un cas.

We report an exceptional case of acute myocardial infarction due to thrombosis of the left main coronary artery in a 39-year old male patient. After failure of recanalization by systemic fibrinolysis, percutaneous angioplasty under circulatory assistance was successfully performed pending a possible transplantation. The patient unfortunately died of haemodynamic disturbances 48 hours after the infarction.

[Hemodynamic effects of a new alpha-1 antagonist, AR-C 239 administrated in intravenous bolus, in patients with cardiac insufficiency]. / Effets hémodynamiques d'une nouvelle molécule alpha 1 antagoniste, l'AR-C 239 administré en bolus intraveineux, chez les patients en insuffisance cardiaque.

A new specific alpha-1 antagonist was studied in 16 patients with left ventricular failure. In Group I (8 patients) the drug was given as a 40 micrograms/kg intravenous bolus, and in Group II (8 patients) at the dose of 80 micrograms/kg. A thermodilution Swan-Ganz catheter, a Millar microtransducer introduced via the femoral artery were relayed to a SYSCOMORAM system to record the systemic artery pressures (SAP), pulmonary artery pressures (PAP), left ventricular pressures, and to calculate cardiac output and systemic and pulmonary arterial resistances (SAR, PAR) over a 30 minute period. In Group I (40 micrograms/kg), administration of AR-C 239 led to a significant decrease in PAP and SAP (-24 +/- 17 p. 100, p less than 0.02) with a fall in time-tension index (-20 +/- 19 p. 100, p less than 0.05) and a significant increase in LV stroke volume (+23 +/- 12 p. 100, p less than 0.01). At 80 micrograms/kg there was also a fall in LV filling pressures (-29 +/- 25 p. 100, p less than 0.05) and PAP (-38 +/- 28 p. 100, p less than 0.02) and an improvement in LV compliance (Gaaschisk -43 +/- 19 p. 100, p less than 0.01). These results show that AR-C 239 is a powerful vasodilator without secondary beta mimetic effects or influence on LV contractility; it may provide an effective means of treating cardiac failure.

[Comparative effects of intracoronary fibrinolysis and conventional treatment of myocardial infarction]. / Effets comparés de la fibrinolyse intracoronaire et du traitement conventionnel dans l'infarctus du myocarde.

57 patients with a complete coronary thrombosis were treated by intracoronary fibrinolysis during the first 6 hours of inaugural myocardial infarction. The artery was revascularised in 37 cases (65 p. 100). Eleven patients had isolated stenosis of the left anterior descending artery and 16 patients isolated stenosis of the right coronary artery. These patients were compared with 27 other patients admitted between the 6th and 18th hours of primary myocardial infarction treated conventionally, in whom coronary angiography performed between the 14th and 21st day after infarction showed isolated left anterior descending disease in 14 cases (9 thromboses and 5 stenoses) and isolated right coronary disease in 13 cases (7 thromboses and 6 stenoses). The haemodynamic data and heart rates were identical in both groups during control coronary angiography between the 14th and the 21st days. Global left ventricular function and regional wall motion were studied by 30 degrees right anterior oblique ventriculography using the Stanford method before fibrinolysis in the first group and at the end of the 3rd week in both groups. In LAD, repermeabilisation by fibrinolysis, significant improvements were observed in ejection fraction (EF p. 100 = 42 +/- 9 vs 50.6 +/- 14 p. 100, p less than 0.05); fractional shortening of the hypokinetic segment (FS p. 100 = 4.5 +/- 4.6 vs 12.4 +/- 8.8 p. 100, p less than 0.001), and in the number of hypokinetic or akinetic segments (6.0 +/- 1.1 vs 4.2 +/- 2.1, p less than 0.05). Segmental and global left ventricular function was much poorer in the group treated conventionally at the 21st day (EF p. 100 = 44 +/- 11 p. 100, p less than 0.05; FS p.t100 = 5.8 +/- 9.7 p.t100, p less than 0.05; number of diseased segments: 6.0 +/- 1.4, p less than 0.01). On the other hand, the improvement was less marked in patients with inferior wall infarction; the results in the two groups were comparable.

[Refractory unstable angina. Emergency treatment by coronary artery angioplasty under aortic counterpulsion]. / Angor instable rebelle. Traitement d'urgence par angioplastie coronaire sous contrepulsion aortique.

We report our experience of 15 transluminal coronary angioplasties performed in an emergency in 13 patients (mean age 67 +/- 8 years) with refractory unstable angina. The procedures were conducted under diastolic counterpulsation effected by means of an intra-aortic balloon. The angina was of the threatening infarction type on 11 occasions and of the threatening extended infarction on 4 occasions. Electrocardiographic abnormalities were recorded in the anterior (11 cases) or in the inferior (4 cases) territory. Three patients had a very alarming haemodynamic status, with acute pulmonary oedema in two and cardiogenic shock in one. After intra-aortic counterpulsation was installed and the clinical signs were stabilized, coronaro-ventriculography was performed, leading to a decision of immediate angioplasty since age, underlying diseases, myocardial function and diffused lesions made most of the patients unsuitable for surgery. In multiple vessel patients electric and angiographic data were used to locate the tight stenosis (92% in all cases) responsible for the acute coronary ischaemia. The stenosis was found to affect the anterior interventricular artery in 9 cases, the circumflex artery in 2 cases, the right coronary artery in 2 cases and a saphenous shunt on the anterior interventricular artery in 2 cases. Immediate arteriographic and clinical success was obtained in 12 out of 15 cases (80%); there were 3 failures with 2 transmural infarctions. Later on, 2 patients underwent aorto-coronary bypass and 1 died of myocardial failure and pulmonary superinfection 3 weeks after the procedure. Ten of our 13 patients were stabilized and were discharged under medical treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Detection of coronary atherosclerosis before 45 or 50 years of age. Value of skin biopsy]. / Dépistage de l'athérosclérose coronarienne avant 45 et 50 ans. Intérêt de la biopsie de peau.

A three year prospective study was undertaken to determine the possible relationship of coronary atherosclerosis in subjects under 50 years of age, confirmed by coronary angiography, and structural changes of the connective tissue dystrophy. The independence of the histological changes with respect to other cardiovascular risk factors was also evaluated. The study was carried out by a double blind technique between the histological and clinical results. We present our preliminary results in 88 male patients, 64 with atherosclerosis and 24 controls. Histological abnormalities were found in 81.25% of patients with atherosclerosis compared to 33.3% in the control subjects. Accelerated skin aging, a simple diagnosis, requires only light microscopy for diagnosis and seems to be the simplest and most reliable screening test. It is found in 61% of atherosclerotic patients in the general population and in 74% of coronary patients under 45 years of age, independently of other risk factors especially cigarette smoking. As a screening test for coronary atherosclerosis before 45 years of age, the sensitivity was found to be 74.2% and specificity 57.1%, the predictive value being 79.3%. Connective tissue dystrophy needs electronic microscopy and seems to be less reliable in the detection of atherosclerosis as this condition is usually found in patients over 45 years of age. However, these changes are related to atherosclerosis and not to age. This study shows that skin biopsy in the search of accelerated skin aging, enables atherosclerosis to be detected simply and reliably, independently of other risk factors. This test, by defining the individual structural risk, is a method of following the progression or regression of atherosclerosis and so help control treatment.

[Functional content of the electrocardiogram of coronary patients]. / Le contenu fonctionnel de l'électrocardiogramme chez le coronarien.

A comparison of the haemodynamic and electrocardiographic data was carried out in 180 coronary patients. All underwent catheterisation and coronary angiography for angina. They were divided into three main groups: 53 patients with coronary atheroma without significant stenosis; 43 patients with at least one coronary stenosis greater than 50%; 84 patients had myocardial infarction with ECG changes of transmural necrosis and coronary thrombosis (or greater than 80% stenosis). Parameters of left ventricular function (LVF), especially ejection fraction (EF), systolic work (LVESW), end diastolic pressure (LVEDP), end diastolic volume (LVEDV), myocardial mass calculated from angiography (LMV) and volumic compliance were analysed in all cases. Each patient had at least 5 ECG recordings analysed by a HP 6 calculator which determined the values of the principal numeric ECG parameters and the means of the 5 recordings. Particular attention was given to the sum of the R waves in the 12 leads (sigma R mV) and Macruz's index (duration of P/PR - P in Lead II). A satisfactory correlation was found overall between sigma R and EF (r = 0,45, p less than 0,001). sigma R was the only ECG variable related to LVF in patients without infarction. In this group of 96 patients, sigma R correlated with LVEDV (r = 0,46, p less than 0,001) with LVM (r = 0,46, p less than 0,001), with LVESW (r = 0,52, p less than 0,001). There was a discordance between angiographically measured LVM and the mass of electrically active myocardium in patients with infarction. sigma R was independent of LVM, LVEDV, and LVESW.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Obstruction of the left coronary branch. Ergometric, hemodynamic and angiographic findings]. / Les obstructions du tronc coronaire gauche. Données ergométriques, hémodynamiques et angiographiques.

The authors present 6 personal cases of complete obstruction of the left main stem coronary artery and review the main epidemiological, clinical, ergometric, haemodynamic, angiographic and therapeutic data concerning this condition which is uncommon (0.66% of patients who underwent coronary angiography for angina in this series). This series had a number of special features. Clinical symptoms were moderate, consisting of exercise-induced aggravated angina, except in one patient with a history of anterior infarction complicated by regressive initial heart failure with residual angina. For this reason, all patients were able to perform a standard exercise-test on an ergometric bicycle without any problem. As the exercise test revealed major abnormalities, extreme precautions were observed when coronary angiography was performed, but no incident occurred in any of the 6 patients. Haemodynamic data were normal in 4 cases and altered in 2 cases. The important role played by collateral circulation must be stressed; it is probably under evaluated at arteriography. The absence of lesion of the right coronary artery is thought to facilitate the development of a collateral vascular network. Five patients were operated upon, made an uneventful recovery and were followed up for 19, 42, 17, 5 and 2 months respectively: all were symptom-free under medical treatment. In 3 out of these 5 patients who underwent a post-operative exercise-test all parameters showed excellent results; however, the 4th patient proved unadaptable to exercise, and ECG showed persistent ischaemia due to a very poor distal coronary bed; in the 5th patient, under diltiazem, the results on ischaemia and on the circulatory signs of heart failure were very good.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)