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The use of transradial access for cardiac procedures has increased worldwide over the past two decades. Despite the many advantages this technique offers, there remains some concern that radial artery occlusion, a potential complication of radial cannulation, might lead to significant ischemic sequelae in the hand. This paper reviews the major causes, its possible consequences and the strategies for its prevention and treatment. It appears however from multiple studies that there is little or no correlation between radial occlusion and symptomatic hand ischemia.

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A 32-year-old male presented with advanced renal failure and nephrotic proteinuria due to lambda light chain multiple myeloma. Renal biopsy showed a proliferative glomerulonephritis with isolated C3 deposits. Renal recovery was obtained after chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplant. We review previously described cases of C3 glomerulopathy associated with monoclonal gammopathy.

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BACKGROUND AND AIM: Decrease in heart rate variability (HRV) is a known risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The aim of our study is to evaluate HRV in chronic hemodialysis patients and to determine factors that might decrease or increase it. METHODS: This is a retrospective study including 51 patients, 23 males and 28 females, with a mean of age of 64.5 years (23-84 years) on chronic hemodialysis for end stage renal disease due to various causes. Twenty-four-hour heart rate monitoring was recorded in all patients to evaluate HRV. HRV of hemodialysis patients was compared to normal patients (control). We also looked for correlation between HRV and a number of clinical and biological factors. RESULTS: All HRV parameters were decreased in chronic hemodialysis patients compared to normal controls with a significant difference (p<0.0005). HRV decreases with age (p=0.012), and is lower in diabetic patients (p=0.026). Interestingly, we found that chronic hemodialysis patients on beta-blockers had higher HRV with p=0.011. CONCLUSION: HRV is reduced in chronic hemodialysis patients mainly in old and diabetic patients, but this decrease is less important in those receiving beta-blockers.

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OBJECTIVE: Tilt Table testing is widely used for the diagnosis and evaluation of vasovagal syncope. By evaluating the fluctuations of the autonomic nervous system that play an important role in syncope genesis, heart rate variability (HRV) can be considered as a tool of added value. METHODS: We evaluated prospectively 123 patients admitted for recurrent syncope with a positive tilt Table testing. A time domain analysis of a 24 hours ambulatory electrocardiography was used in all patients to asses the particularities of their autonomic function. We compared their results with those obtained from a group of 82 healthy volunteers. RESULTS: Statistical analysis of the results showed a significant increase of all HRV parameters in the group of vasovagal syncope compared to the healthy volunteers. SDNNidx (58 vs 42; p < 0.001), rMSSD (40 vs 27; p < 0.001), SDNN (102 vs 83; p < 0.001), SDANN (79 vs 67; p< 0.001), pNN50 (11 vs 4.9; p <0.001). CONCLUSION: Time domain analysis of heart rate variability reveals increased values in patients with vasovagal syncope. It seems to be an interesting, easy and complementary test in the evaluation of syncope of unknown etiology.

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Brachiocephalic atherosclerosis and aortoiliac occlusive disease are often encountered concomitantly, The authors report a technique of combined brachiocephalic and femoral revascularization in which a single transthoracic approach is used.

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This article reports the use of gadolinium to perform a coronarography in a patient with renal insufficiency, unstable angina, and peripheral vascular disease. The examination was well tolerated and the images obtained of good quality. Cathet Cardiovasc Intervent 2001;54:68-69.

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Benign substernal goitres usually extend into the upper anterior mediastinum and are easily extractable through a cervical approach. Very infrequently these tumours extend into the thoracic cavity causing compression of mediastinal structures. The authors report a case of pulmonary hypertension and severe cardiac failure secondary to a long-standing substernal goitre, and support the surgical management of this disease.

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The authors report an unusual case of left atrial myxoma in a 30-year-old woman, discovered after a recurrent stroke. This tumor was misdiagnosed earlier because of an exclusive neurologic symptomatology, a normal cardiac exam without any sign of mitral obstruction (unusual high implantation of the myxoma within the roof of the left atrium), and the lack of doing an echocardiography which should be systematically done after an ischemic stroke, even if its etiology seems to be evident. Surgical resection of the tumor led to prevent further myxomatous emboli, but unfortunately, the patient keeps severe neurological sequelae.

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The success of thrombolytic therapy for acute myocardial infarction is limited by failure of reperfusing 25% of occluded arteries, bleeding complications in 0.4 to 1% of patients and the possibility of recurrent ischemia. These problems can be overcome by the use of immediate angioplasty without previous thrombolytic therapy. Between February and December 1993, twelve patients (ten men and two women) admitted for acute myocardial infarction were treated by immediate angioplasty. Five patients had a contraindication to thrombolysis and seven had angioplasty as a deliberate choice. Successful recanalisation was obtained in 11 patients (92%) with one reocclusion at 24 hours. Two patients admitted in cardiogenic shock 12 hours after the onset of symptoms died lately with multiorgan failure. Only one case of clinical restenosis was observed and was redilated. In conclusion, immediate angioplasty without prior thrombolytic therapy is a rapid method of revascularisation with minimal risk and good outcome when it is used early after acute myocardial infarction.

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Patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and contraindication to thrombolysis have a high mortality and morbidity with conventional medical treatment. Among 226 consecutive patients hospitalized within 6 hours of the onset of Q-wave AMI, 45 (20%) had contraindications to thrombolysis. All were treated by emergent primary angioplasty. Mean age of the 45 patients was 60 +/- 11 years and 8 (18%) were > or = 70 years old; 17 (38%) had multivessel disease and 5 (11%) presented with cardiogenic shock. Successful angioplasty was achieved in 42 of the 45 patients (93%) 52 +/- 27 minutes after admission and 238 +/- 100 minutes after the onset of pain. Overall in-hospital mortality was 9% (4 of 45). Neither major bleeding nor stroke occurred. There was 1 case of early symptomatic reocclusion, treated with emergent repeat angioplasty without reinfarction. Predischarge angiography in 33 patients showed only 1 silent reocclusion (3%). Ejection fraction at discharge was 46 +/- 13%. Repeat catheterization at 6 months in 19 patients showed 4 restenoses (21%) and 4 reocclusions (21%) of the infarct-related artery. There were 3 late deaths (2 noncardiac), which gave survival rates of 87 and 85% at 1 and 3 years, respectively, and event-free survival rates of 71 and 69% including in-hospital deaths. There were no cases of late reinfarction. Consequently, in this series, primary coronary angioplasty proved safe and highly effective in rapidly restoring sustained infarct-vessel patency during AMI, and led to a greater improvement in early and late outcomes than that reported in the literature for medically treated subjects in this high-risk subset for which thrombolytic therapy is contraindicated.

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Between June 1988 and November 1991, 64 out of 200 consecutive admissions (32%) before the 6th hour of myocardial infarction underwent angioplasty of first intention. Fifty men and 14 women (average age 62 +/- 11 years) benefitted from this 24 hour emergency interventional cardiology service. The indication was formal in 22% of patients because of a contra-indication to thrombolysis (N = 40) or cardiogenic shock (N = 4); in 6%, the choice was logical because of diagnostic uncertainty (N = 12); it was a deliberate choice in 4% of cases (N = 8). Successful angioplasty was defined as reperfusion of the occluded artery without circulatory delay or > 50% residual stenosis. Arterial recanalisation was attempted in all patients (associated with intraaortic balloon pumping in 3 cases) and was successful in 59 patients (92%) within 231 +/- 100 minutes of the onset of chest pain and within 49 +/- 29 minutes of hospital admission. The outcome was uncomplicated without any other intervention in 81% of patients (48/59). Three reocclusions were observed, two of which were symptomatic and treated successfully by repeat emergency angioplasty. Six surgical revascularisations were necessary (2 emergency, 4 secondary). One major complication related to the angioplasty was observed (haemopericardium). Global hospital mortality was 9% (6/64): three of the 4 patients admitted in cardiogenic shock, 3 of the 40 high risk patients with contra-indications to thrombolytic therapy, none of the 20 patients considered to be at low risk (uncertain diagnosis and deliberate choice).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

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Chronic cardiac failure with normal left ventricular systolic function is observed in conditions without ventricular failure (pericardial adiastole, obstruction to intracardiac blood flow) or with ventricular failure due to isolated abnormalities of left ventricular filling. These forms of cardiac failure are often subject to diagnostic error. However, it is essential that they be recognised because traditional therapy must be used with caution and because of the efficacy of treatment of the underlying pathology whenever this is possible.

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A total of 675 patients (mean age 60 +/- 11 years, range 22-85, 71% males) with calcified pure aortic stenosis (490) or mixed lesions (185) had an aortic prosthesis: 290 Starr-Edwards, 147 Bjork, 18 other mechanical valves, 163 pericardial xenografts, 57 porcine xenografts; 76 patients simultaneously underwent a coronary bypass, 12 a replacement of ascending aorta, and six a mitral valvuloplasty. Preoperatively, 67% were in functional class III or IV (NYHA); 69.5% had a coronary arteriography: significant coronary stenosis was observed in 27% of patients. The operative mortality was 6.8% depending on the functional class at surgery, age (4.9% before 70 years, vs. 12.5% after), and the date of surgery (8.1% before 1983 vs. 3.7% after). The 10- and 15-year actuarial survival rates were 62 +/- 3% and 44 +/- 4%, respectively. No significant differences were observed between patients with pure aortic stenosis and mixed aortic lesions. In patients over 70 years, the survival rates were 71 +/- 5% at five years and 51 +/- 10% at 10 years. Age, functional class, degree of congestive heart failure, and degree of cardiomegaly were the main preoperative predictors of late death. At 10 years, 88% of patients were free from myocardial dysfunction, 87% from thromboembolic events, and 89% from haemorrhages. We conclude that in this type of valvulopathy, short- and long-term surgical results are good despite the fact that most patients are elderly and in an advanced functional class.

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Between 1968 and 1984, 78 patients (mean age 43, range 14 to 65 years) underwent combined aortic, mitral and tricuspid surgery (22 triple valve replacements, 56 aortic valve replacements with tricuspid conservative surgery and mitral valve replacement (N = 48), or commissuroplasty (N = 8). Pre-operative consequences of valvular disease (mainly mixed valve disease) were severe as assessed by functional class (72 pts in III or IV NYHA), cardiomegaly (CTR: 62 +/- 6%), increase of mean pulmonary arterial and wedge pressures (respectively 30 +/- 12 and 19 +/- 6 mmHg) decrease in cardiac index (2.1 +/- 0.5 l min-1 m-2), LV dilatation (LV end diastolic volume: 184 +/- 86 ml m-2) and impairment of LV systolic function (LV ejection fraction: 50 +/- 12%). Operative mortality rate was 11.5%. The 69 survivors were all followed up, for a mean of 56 months (2 to 207). 16 late deaths occurred. Actuarial survival rate at 10 years was 58.4%, and greatly influenced by pre-operative NYHA class. Linearized rates of thromboembolic events, valve thrombosis and haemorrhage were respectively 6.4, 1.5 and 1.2% pt-1 yr-1. Those of infective endocarditis, periprosthetic leak, reoperation and valve failure were 0.6, 3.3 and 4.9% pt-1 yr-1 respectively. At 9 years, 42% of the patients were in NYHA class I or II and free from complications.

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