Should we still perform angioplasty and stenting of an unprotected left main coronary artery stenosis in heart transplant patients? Two new cases and a review of the literature.

Coronary balloon angioplasty with stent implantation has emerged as a possible alternative to bypass grafting or repeat transplantation in left main coronary stenosis in heart transplant patients. We report 2 new cases of stent implantation for unprotected and isolated left main stenosis in heart transplant patients. Despite an initially successful procedure, restenosis prompted the performance of bypass surgery in both patients. The relative advantages and disadvantages of available techniques of revascularization are discussed in the context of the literature.

[Echocardiography in selecting patients to undergo Carpentier's mitral valvuloplasty]. / L'échocardiographie dans la sélection des malades avant valvuloplastie mitrale de Carpentier.

The aim of this study was to confront preoperative echocardiographic data with the anatomic operative findings in patients with mitral insufficiency (MI) undergoing Carpentier's mitral valvuloplasty in order to determine the mechanism(s) of the regurgitation, to classify MI by the echocardiographic changes and to thereby answer the question as to whether echocardiography can identify the patients likely to benefit from this operation. Between February 1985 and November 1987, 66 patients (47 men, 19 women, average age 58 +/- 9 years) with pure MI were referred for surgery with a view to mitral valvuloplasty. This operation was possible in 49 patients (2 of 6 rheumatic MI and 47 of 60 dystrophic MI). The sensitivity of echocardiography was excellent and its specificity very good in diagnosing prolapse of one or the other mitral leaflets. Echocardiography was not as good in distinguishing rupture from elongation of the chordae tendinae and myxoid degeneration from fibro-elastic leaflets. Echocardiography allowed preoperative classification of MI in 4 groups: Group 1 (n = 46) with prolapse of the posterior leaflet; Group 2 (n = 4) with prolapse of the anterior leaflet; Group 3 (n = 8) with prolapse of both mitral leaflets; Group 4 (n = 2) with abnormalities of the mitral annulus alone. Carpentier's valvuloplasty was possible in 43/46 patients in Group 1, 2/4 patients in Group 2, 1/8 patients in Group 3 and 1/2 patients in Group 4. In conclusion, echocardiography is a good tool for selecting patients with dystrophic MI for Carpentier's valvuloplasty.

[Heart valve surgery and associated diseases in aged subjects]. / Chirurgie valvulaire et pathologies associées chez les sujets âgés.

The object of this study was to assess the additional risk related to associated pathology in patients aged 70 or over undergoing valvular heart surgery. Two hundred and thirty nine patients aged 70 to 87 years (average 74.6 +/- 3.2) underwent this form of surgery between October 1979 and June 1989. Sixty seven had coronary artery disease, 26 had atherosclerotic occlusive peripheral arterial disease, and 149 had one or more extracardiovascular pathology. Two hundred and thirteen patients underwent monovalvular and 26 bivalvular replacement. Coronary bypass was associated in 25 cases. Eighteen patients (7.5%) died in the 30 days following surgery. The perioperative mortality was not significantly greater in patients with extra-cardiac pathology (9.4% vs 4.4%; NS), in patients with coronary artery disease (11.9% vs 5.8%; NS), in patients with respiratory failure and FEV1 < 1 litre (1 death out of 20 cases) or in patients with renal failure and serum creatinine levels > or = 175 mumol/l (20% vs 6.3%, NS). Respiratory failure was the only extra-cardiac variable identified with increased perioperative morbidity. The perioperative mortality of elderly patients with valvular heart disease is greater than that of patients under 70 years of age (6.4% vs 2.1%) in our experience of the last 6 years p < 0.01). Associated arterial and extra-cardiac pathology does not significantly increase the mortality and strict selection of elderly inoperable patients together with improved surgical techniques and postoperative care has considerably reduced perioperative morbidity and mortality in this group of patients.

[Prognosis of non-revascularized triple coronary vessel disease. Apropos of 87 cases]. / Pronostic des coronariens tritronculaires non revascularisés. A propos de 87 observations.

Between 1982 and 1988, 87 patients (74 men, 13 women), with an average age of 59.6 +/- 10.1 years, had triple coronary artery disease and did not undergo any medical or surgical revascularisation, mainly because of the severity of the coronary disease or left ventricular dysfunction. Sixty-four patients had previous myocardial infarction, 33 unstable angina and 37 left ventricular failure. At coronary angiography, 31 patients had Class III or IV (NYHA) angina. The cardiothoracic ratio was 0.50 +/- 0.06; the left ventricular ejection fraction was 0.47 +/- 0.20. During follow-up of 3.9 +/- 2.6 years (2 patients lost to follow-up), 35 patients died (26 of cardiac and 9 of non-cardiac causes), giving a 5 year actuarial survival of 63%. In univariate analysis, the factors predictive of increased cardiac mortality were: absence of alcohol consumption (p = 0.013); class 3 or 4 angina (p = 0.017); resting angina (p = 0.030); cardiac failure (p = 0.0006); chest X ray showing interstitial or alveolar oedema (p = 0.002); increased cardiothoracic ratio (p = 0.003). A decreased left ventricular ejection fraction was only at the limit of statistical significance (p = 0.054). In multivariate analysis (Cox model), only 4 variables were correlated with increased cardiovascular mortality: resting angina (relative risk, RR = 2.56), cardiac failure (RR = 2.55), increased cardiothoracic ratio (RR = 2.14), absence of alcohol consumption (RR = 4.43). These results confirm the poor prognosis of patients with triple vessel disease not revascularised. They show the value of clinical appreciation to determine the prognosis of these patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Has life expectancy of patients after surgery for aortic valve endocarditis improved over the last twelve years?]. / L'espérance de vie des malades opérés pour endocardite infectieuse aortique a-t-elle augmentée dans les douze dernières années?

Between 1983 and 1991, 104 patients (average age: 52 +/- 13 years) with aortic endocarditis (94 on native and 10 on prosthetic valves), were operated, 81 before the end of antibiotic therapy. Blood cultures were negative in 17 patients, identified a streptococcus in 49 patients, a staphylococcus in 16 patients, and a Gram negative or other organism in 22 patients. The following complications were observed before surgery: severe cardiac failure in 67 patients, renal failure in 24 patients, conduction defects in 13 patients, neurological complications in 13 patients, systemic or coronary embolism in 12 patients. Aortic valve replacement was performed in all patients, associated with mitral valve replacement in 25 patients and tricuspid valve replacement in 1 patient. Twelve patients died after surgery (11/81 of early operations, 1/23 operated later; NS). During a follow up of 3.5 +/- 2.8 years, there were 24 late deaths, 12 of non cardiovascular causes. Of the 20 variables tested, 3 were related to perioperative and late mortality (age, cardiac and renal failure). The 5 year survival (58.1 +/- 5.7%) is identical to that of the period 1970-1982 despite a very significant drop in perioperative mortality. Some of the causes of late mortality (older age of patients, changes in the infecting organisms) provide little hope of improving the prognosis in the near future. Others suggest that earlier surgery could improve the long term prognosis.

[Obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: medical or surgical treatment?]. / Myocardiopathie hypertrophique obstructive: traitement médical ou chirurgical?

This retrospective study assesses the results of medical and surgical treatment on survival and functional capacity of patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM). Between 1981 and 1991, 73 patients were referred for treatment of HOCM: 24 were operated (Group 1) and 49 were treated medically (Group 2). Patients in Group 1 had more severe forms of HOCM than those in Group 2: 83% were in > or = NYHA Class III compared with only 20% in Group 2 (p = 0.003); 42% had previous cardiac failure compared with 16% in Group 2 (p = 0.02); 29% had atrial fibrillation compared with only 8% in Group 2 (p = 0.004); the average intraventricular pressure gradient was 78 mmHg compared with 42 mmHg in Group 2 (p = 0.001); mean pulmonary arterial pressures were 24 mmHg compared with 15 mmHg in Group 2 (p < 0.001); the cardiac index was 2.2 l/min/m2 compared with 2.7 l/min/m2 in Group 2 (p = 0.001); Sellers > or = grade 3 mitral regurgitation was present in 48% compared with 12% in Group 2 (p = 0.002). However, a family history of HOCM or of sudden death was commoner in Group 2 (28% vs 4% in Group 1: p = 0.03). Surgery consisted of myomectomy alone (5 patients) or associated with mitral valve replacement (MVR) (17 patients) or MVR alone (2 patients). Two patients in Group 1 died (1 perioperative death, 1 late death due to dissection of the aorta), giving over a 3.4 +/- 3.0 year follow-up period without any losses to follow-up, an abnormal mortality of 2.4%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Evaluation of non invasive methods for the diagnosis of atherosclerosis of the graft after orthotopic cardiac transplantation]. / Evaluation des méthodes non invasives pour le diagnostic d'athérosclérose du greffon après transplantation cardiaque orthotopique.

The frequency and severity of atherosclerosis of the cardiac transplant make it an essential complication of cardiac transplantation. Coronary angiography is the usual diagnostic method but it has severe limitations. In order to evaluate other diagnostic methods coronary angiography and non-invasive techniques: echocardiography, exercise stress ECG, exercise radionuclide ejection fraction, stress Thallium scintigraphy, were performed practically simultaneously in 60 patients after cardiac transplantation. These non-invasive methods were said to be positive in the presence of, respectively, a segmental wall motion abnormality, ischaemic ST segment depression, absence of increased ejection fraction on exercise, reversible or irreversible myocardial hypofixation. Coronary angiography was considered as the reference procedure for distinction between "normal coronary circulation" (no angiographically detectable lesion) and "graft atherosclerosis" (at least one coronary stenosis irrespective of the severity and extension). None of the non-invasive methods had an adequate sensibility when compared with coronary angiography (echocardiography 0.27, exercise stress ECG 0.28, exercise radionuclide ejection fraction 0.64, myocardial scintigraphy 0.62) or negative predictive value (echocardiography 0.56, exercise stress ECG 0.58, exercise radionuclide ejection fraction 0.68, myocardial scintigraphy 0.66). This inadequacy of the non-invasive technique may be explained by the fact that they are more adapted to the diagnosis of myocardial ischaemia than that of coronary studies. In addition, the extent of the coronary lesions may have masked discordance between 2 segments by the global hypovascularisation. The results of this study indicate that the non-invasive methods studied cannot be recommended for diagnosis of atherosclerosis of cardiac transplants.

[Radionuclide ejection fraction at rest and in exercise in chronic aortic insufficiency. Pre- and postoperative study in asymptomatic or paucisymptomatic patients]. / Fraction d'éjection isotopique du ventricle gauche au repos et à l'effort dans l'insuffisance aortique chronique. Etude pré- et postopératoire chez les patients a- ou paucisymptomatiques.

Twenty patients (17 men and 3 women: average age 50 +/- 14 years) with asymptomatic or paucisymptomatic aortic regurgitation were studied to compare the values of radionuclide left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) at rest and on exercise before (1) and 6 +/- 1 months (2) and 5.7 +/- 1.1 years (3) after surgery. The resting EF was similar at all three examinations: 53 +/- 8 (1); 57 +/- 8 (2); 55 +/- 16 (3). However, it increased significantly on exercise from 40 +/- 10 (1) to 54 +/- 12 (2) (p < 0.001) and to 52 +/- 20 (3) (p = 0.036 versus 1). In the 7 patients with resting EF greater than 55 before surgery, there was no postoperative improvement: 61 +/- 6 (1); 61 +/- 5 (2); 65 +/- 9 (3). However, the exercise EF increased from 44 +/- 13 (1) to 55 +/- 17 (2) and 69 +/- 11 (3) (p = 0.004 vs 1). In 13 patients with resting EF < 55%, the value increased in the early postoperative phase but not later: resting: 49 +/- 5 (1); 55 +/- 8 (2) (p = 0.04); 49 +/- 17 (3) (NS vs 1); effort: 38 +/- 7 (1); 54 +/- 10 (2) (p < 0.001); 40 +/- 16 (3) (NS vs 1). Left ventricular systolic function only returns to normal and exercise after surgery in patients with resting preoperative EF > or = 55%, but nothing indicates that this normalisation is an absolute condition for a successful surgical result in aortic insufficiency in terms of survival and quality of life.

[Value of coronary angiography in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease of the transplanted heart. Coronary angiography and arteriosclerosis of the graft]. / Valeur de la coronarographie dans le diagnostic de la maladie des artères coronaires du greffon après transplantation cardiaque. Coronarographie et athérosclérose du greffon.

The diagnostic value of coronary angiography, a widespread method of detection of transplant coronary artery disease, was studied in 17 cardiac transplant patients with reference to histological examination. In the 6 coronary segments studied, the only significant but weak correlation that was found was for the distal left anterior descending artery: the correlations were not statistically significant in the other 5 segments. Coronary angiography underestimated lesions and false negative results were frequently reported (66 and 27% respectively). The limitations of coronary angiography may be explained by the technical artefacts related to both methods of evaluation and the anatomically diffuse and distal nature of transplant coronary artery atherosclerosis. A more reliable diagnostic method would seem to be required in view of the clinical importance of this pathology.

[Pre- and postoperative ventricular arrhythmia in mitral valve insufficiency]. / Les arythmies ventriculaires pré- et postopératoires de l'insuffisance mitrale.

In order to assess the prevalence and prognosis of ventricular arrhythmias in patients with surgical mitral regurgitation, a prospective cooperative study was undertaken in 14 French cardiological centres. Seventy-nine patients (45 men, 34 women, average age 62.8 +/- 12.8 years), who underwent mitral valvuloplasty (44 cases) or valve replacement (35 cases), were included. Three 24 hour Holter recordings were performed before, 15 days and 6 months after surgery. Etiology of mitral disease was dystrophic in 49 patients, degenerative in 11, rheumatic in 10, post-endocarditis in 3 and undetermined in 6. Only 5 patients had a left ventricular ejection fraction < or = 45 %. Complex ventricular arrhythmias (Lown > or = 4) were recorded before surgery in 22 patients (28 %), more often in dystrophic disease (17/49 versus 5/30, p = 0.04). No significant correlation was observed between the ventricular arrhythmias and the other preoperative findings, except for a tendency to an inverse correlation between the left ventricular ejection fraction and the Lown grade. Two patients died in the immediate postoperative period (Lown 1); 1 died of a non-cardiac cause at the 2nd month (Lown 4A). The prevalence of complex arrhythmias was unchanged after surgery (34 % on early Holter and 22% on late Holter recordings) with no difference between valvuloplasty and valve replacement. In conclusion, these results indicate that ventricular arrhythmias do not influence the early and 6 month postoperative prognosis in mitral regurgitation with good left ventricular function.

[Doppler echography in the evaluation of mitral valve function following Carpentier's valvuloplasty]. / L'échographie doppler dans l'évaluation de la fonction mitrale après valvuloplastie de Carpentier.

In the present study Doppler-echocardiography was used to evaluate the quality of mitral valve regurgitation (MVR) repair by Carpentier valvuloplasty. Between January, 1984 and June, 1987, this operation was performed in 51 patients (39 men, 12 women; mean age 58 +/- 10.9 years) presenting with mitral valve regurgitation; 25 were in class III and 14 in class IV of the NYHA classification. Two patients died soon after the operation and 2 others some time later. The 47 survivors were followed up for a mean period of 20.5 +/- 11.2 months: 3 of them required mitral valve replacement for residual MVR or mitral stenosis, one developed cerebral embolism. At the latest control, 18 patients were in NYHA class I and 26 in NYHA class II. Doppler velocimetry showed no or little mitral valve dysfunction; the residual MVR was below grade 1 in 37 of the 44 survivors who were not reoperated upon. Mitral function was satisfactory after Carpentier valvuloplasty, with a mean transmitral gradient of 3.3 +/- 1.3 mmHg and a mean mitral valve area of 2.9 +/- 0.98 cm2. In 3 patients an intraventricular gradient of 10 to 20 mmHg, reflecting moderate ventricular obstruction, was detected by Doppler velocimetry. These data obtained with the combined Doppler-echocardiographic method confirm that the quality of mitral function is excellent after Carpentier mitral valvuloplasty.

[Staphylococcal endocarditis on a heart valve prosthesis. Apropos of 28 cases]. / Les endocardites infectieuses à staphylocoques sur prothèse valvulaire. A propos de 28 cas.

The purpose of this retrospective study of 28 cases of staphylococcal endocarditis on cardiac valve prosthesis was to evaluate the prognosis of that disease and the possible causes of its recent improvement. Between March 1977 and May 1987, 69 patients were treated for bacterial endocarditis on cardiac valve prosthesis. Among these, 28 patients (19 men, 9 women, mean age 53.2 +/- 14.3 years) had staphylococcal endocarditis (Staph. epidermidis in 18 cases, Staph. aureus in 10 cases) of early (10 cases) or late (18 cases) onset. Complications were present in no less than 27 out of 28 patients, the most frequent being heart failure, embolism or neurological disorders. The mortality rate was high (61 p. 100). Among the clinical variables studied, only a state of shock seemed to be predictive of death. Mortality was higher in the group treated medically (100 p. 100) than in the group treated surgically (50 p. 100). Since 1984, however, a significant decrease of mortality was noted; it coincided with the systematic use of vancomycin but also with surgical treatment in all cases. As a result of this study, we suggest that all patients with staphylococcal endocarditis on cardiac valve prosthesis should be operated upon and that this should be done as soon as possible, before the end of the classical antibiotic therapy period.

[Value of the positive exercise test without angina (after myocardial infarct)]. / Valeur de l'épreuve d'effort positive sans angor (après infarctus du myocarde).

In order to determine the value of a positive exercise test (ET) (i.e. ischaemic ST depression) without chest pain observed after a myocardial infarction (MI), 102 ET's were reviewed. ET was performed without anti-ischaemic drugs. The mean time-lag between MI and ET was 51 +/- 55 months. The MI was inferior in 26 cases, inferior and/or posterior in 74 cases and of undetermined location in 2 cases. Thirty patients had both ST depression and chest pain (group 1); 35 had electrocardiographic signs of ischaemia without pain (group 2), and 37 had neither chest pain nor signs of ischaemia (group 3). Age, sex ratio, site of infarction and time-lag between MI and ET were similar in all three groups. The post-ET follow-up period was 33 +/- 18 months (range: 6 to 66 months); 2 patients in group 3 were lost sight of. There was no significant difference between groups 1 and 2 as regards total duration of ET, workload attained, heart rate, systolic arterial pressure, pressure-rate product and amplitude of ST depression at maximum exercise level. Group 3 differed from the other 2 groups in workload attained (p less than 0.05) and in pressure-rate product (p less than 0.05 vs group 1, p less than 0.01 vs group 2). There was no significant difference between groups 1 and 2 as regards post-ET events (recurrent angina, reinfarction, coronary bypass, transluminal angioplasty).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Results of surgery in mitral valve insufficiency with impaired left ventricular function]. / Résultats de la chirurgie dans les insuffisances mitrales à fonction ventriculaire gauche altérée.

This cooperative study (8 French Cardiology Departments) was undertaken to determine the postoperative outcome of patients with pure, chronic, non-ischemic mitral regurgitation and poor left ventricular function (ejection fraction less than 50%). Seventy-three patients, 48 males and 25 females with a mean age of 55.5 +/- 12.1 years were included. Fifty-eight patients were in Class III or IV of the NYHA Classification. The average cardiothoracic ratio was 0.59 +/- 0.07. Forty-six patients were in atrial fibrillation. The average ejection fraction was 43 +/- 5 per cent (end systolic volume: 97.8 +/- 37.9 ml/m2; end diastolic volume: 175.2 +/- 67.6 ml/m2). Sixty-one patients underwent prosthetic mitral valve replacement and 12 had a Carpentier valvuloplasty. Two patients died after the operation and 20 died during follow-up (average 48.1 +/- 27.6 months), giving a 5 year actuarial survival rate of 69.6 per cent. In the long-term, fifteen per cent of patients were in NYHA Class III or IV. A multivariate Cox analysis showed that the only predictive factors of a poor outcome were age and female sex. These results of surgery for mitral regurgitation with moderate to severely altered left ventricular function were relatively good, but this study does not allow evaluation of the evolution of patients with mitral regurgitation and very poor left ventricular function (no patients with ejection fraction less than 25%).

Infective endocarditis due to Streptococcus bovis. A report of 53 cases.

Fifty-three patients (42 men; 11 women) with Streptococcus bovis infective endocarditis attended a tertiary cardiology hospital between 1980 and 1991, and constituted 11% of the total number of infective endocarditis cases hospitalized there during that period. The mean age was 59 +/- 15 years; 15 had previously suffered valvular disease (12) or had a valvular prosthesis (3); one patient had had a previous infective endocarditis. The infective episode involved the aortic valve in 26 patients, both the aortic and mitral valves in 18 patients, the mitral valve only in six and other valves in three. Echocardiographic examination showed one or more vegetations in 44 patients. Cardiac failure was diagnosed in 35 patients and embolic episodes in 22, of whom 11 were cerebrovascular accidents. The patients became afebrile 19 +/- 39 days after starting antibiotic treatment. Valve replacement was performed in 37 patients during their initial hospitalization, and in four during follow-up. After a mean follow-up of 4.6 +/- 3.1 years with a 100% follow-up, 15 patients died: 1 preoperatively, one in the first 30 days after operation, 13 later (8141 operated patients and 5/12 non-operated patients). Actuarial survival was 73% at 5 years. Gastrointestinal signs were present in 12 patients; 43 patients (81%) had a full colonic examination which showed polyps in 20 patients and adenocarcinomas in seven. Of 11 late deaths four were related to a malignant colonic tumour. This study confirms that Streptococcus bövis infective endocarditis is 'relatively benign', but it stresses the frequency and potential severity of the associated colonic lesions, requiring colonoscopy and making the treatment of high risk lesions mandatory.

Natural history of severe mitral regurgitation.

The aim of this retrospective study was to review the outcome of 216 patients (pts), investigated for severe mitral regurgitation (MR) between January 1980 and December 1987. Definition of 'severe' was mainly clinical: MR sufficiently advanced for the cardiologist to investigate whether surgery should be imminent. One hundred and sixty two pts (group 1) were operated on; 54 (group 2) did not undergo surgery. Baseline characteristics were similar in the two groups, except for aetiology (less dystrophic and more ischaemic MR in group 2), functional class (88.3% class III or IV in group 1 vs 48.1% in group 2; P = 0.001), pulmonary pressures (lower in group 2) and left ventricular ejection fraction (group 1: 0.66 +/- 0.13; group 2: 0.56 +/- 0.17; P = 0.001). Mean follow-up after hospital admission or surgery was comparable in the two groups (group 1: 3.9 +/- 2.5 years; group 2: 3.5 +/- 2.7 years). Three pts (group 2) were lost to follow-up. Sixty-three pts died; 35 of the 162 operated on; 28 of the 54 non-operated on. Actuarial survival rate at 8 years was 74.0 +/- 4.3% in group 1 vs 33.2 +/- 9.2% in group 2 (P = 0.001). These results confirm that the prognosis of severe MR is poor if it is not operated on, whereas the postoperative course of severe MR, when operated on in time, is good.

Cerebrovascular accidents in infective endocarditis: role of anticoagulation.

Anticoagulation is still a matter of debate in infective endocarditis, since it can increase the risk of complications, mostly neurological. In our series of 269 patients with native valve endocarditis studied between 1970 and 1982, 35 were anticoagulated. We observed 14 patients with brain infarcts, of whom five died, and 12 patients with cerebromeningeal or brain haemorrhage of whom six died. In a similar series of 63 patients with prosthetic valve endocarditis, all of whom were on anticoagulation and were studied between 1972 and 1987, we observed five patients with brain infarcts, three of whom died, and two patients with brain haemorrhage, one of whom died. The frequency of cerebrovascular accident (CVA) was similar for both groups (11.1% in prosthetic endocarditis vs 11.5% in native valve endocarditis, P = ns), as was mortality rate (57% vs 48.4%, P = ns). CVA are significantly more frequent among anticoagulated patients (19/94 vs 19/238: P less than 0.01), but the mortality rate in CVA is similar for anticoagulated and non-anticoagulated patients (11/19 vs 8/19: P = ns). The indications for anticoagulation in infective endocarditis remain similar to those in valvular heart disease. In patients with infective endocarditis, anticoagulation with heparin should be maintained whenever a brain infarct is present, unless it is large and/or haemorrhagic.