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From 1976 to 1984, 31 patients underwent enlargement of very small aortic roots using autologous pericardial strips the subannular part of which extended into the incised anterior mitral valve leaflet. The majority of these interventions (n = 24) were carried out before the end of 1980. Over an average follow-up period of 52.5 months, only one of the surviving patients had a complication traceable to the pericardial implantation (aneurysmatic patch dilatation), and 2 late deaths were also not directly connected with the type of surgical procedure. Objective findings for evaluating the hemodynamic status and behavior of the patch material were attained in a total of 14 patients by heart catheterization and angiography. Eleven patients were examined twice at an average of 2.5 months, and 11 at an average of 52.5 months. Eight of latter patients had undergone an early postoperative investigation. The hemodynamic results after prosthetic valve replacement and aortic annulus enlargement was satisfactory in those examined. No evidence could be found in any patient of disturbance of the mitral valve's function, paravalvular leakage at the aortic prosthesis, or obstruction of the left ventricular outflow tract caused by this operative technique. Progressive patch dilatation which had already been proved at the first examination was observed in one case. These results verify not only the efficiency of this technique for the enlargement of a small aortic root in the frame of prosthetic valve replacement, but especially the suitability of autologous pericardium as patch material for this purpose.

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Using combined two-dimensional echocardiography and Doppler technique in 30 patients with pure mitral valve stenosis or combined valve disease with prevailing mitral stenosis, the mitral valve area and diastolic pressure gradient were determined, and compared to the invasively recorded values obtained during heart catheterization. Four patients were examined by Doppler ultrasound before and after mitral valve replacement. The determination of the mitral valve area was performed 1) invasively by means of the formula derived by Gorlin (and measured between 0.5 and 2.9 cm2), 2) by means of planimetry by integration of the two-dimensional echo in the short-axis view (between 0.7 and 2.8 cm2), and 3) by Doppler ultrasound based on the formula 220/t1/2, whereby the pressure half-time was obtained by dividing maximum flow velocity by square root 2. Here, the mitral valve area was between 0.5 and 2.8 cm2. The correlation between values obtained invasively and by means of Doppler ultrasound was good (r = 0.86), and compared well to the correlation between two-dimensional echocardiography and heart catheterization (r = 0.88). The best correlation of r = 0.89 was found between the mitral valve areas obtained by Doppler ultrasound and two-dimensional echocardiography. The diastolic pressure gradient was calculated by means of the formula derived from the Bernoulli equation, which is: delta P = 4Vmax2, whereby Vmax equals the maximum transmitral flow velocity. The invasively measured pressure gradients were between 2 and 30 mm Hg, the values obtained by Doppler ultrasound were between 6 and 29 mm Hg.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

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A case report is given of a 37-year-old patient who had echinococcus infestment the heart. Diagnosis was established after drainage of the pericardium, when cysts of a diameter between 0.5 and 3 cm were evacuated. During this procedure the pericardium and the left ventricle were searched and revised extensively and drug therapy with Mebendazole was instituted. In spite of that a new cyst developed in the pericardium and a big cyst in the abdomen, was found which had practically transformed the whole left lobe of the liver into a cyst. Both lesions were removed surgically. It must be emphasized 1) that a very careful search of all organs liable to harbour echinococcus should be performed in patients who have cardiac involvement of the disease, 2) that chemotherapy will not prevent with necessity the development of fertile elements which could not be removed during surgery and 3) that patients have to be followed through several years in order to evaluate the success of therapy.

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Nine patients presenting with intracardiac masses were examined by ultrasound (US) and computed tomography (CT). Of these, 6 patients with atrial myxomas were diagnosed primarily by US, with the movement of the pedunculated tumors well visualized by this technique. The myxomas and the three solid tumors were demonstrated by CT as contrast defects following the intravenous administration of contrast medium. Two solid intraventricular tumors, however, were overlooked by US. In the detection of solid tumors CT is considered superior to US, owing to its better geometric resolution. Generally solid tumors require heart catheterization to obtain information about the blood supply. Visualization of atrial myxomas by CT and US, in contrast, should be followed by immediate operation without additional invasive procedures.

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Isolated levocardia combined with corrected transposition of the great arteries and complete situs inversus is rare. Due to discordant interrelationships between atria and ventricles and between ventricles and great arteries, both anomalies result in a normal circulation. In the presented case no associated cardiac malformations were present and the 55-year-old woman remained symptom-free for a long time until she developed an acquired valve disease. A systematic approach to chamber localisation in complex morphologic lesions of the heart is reviewed, and the value of CT, which can be applied successfully in older children and adults is demonstrated.

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The effect of 0.8 mg nitroglycerine on haemodynamics and pulmonary functions was examined in 12 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Resting heart rate was increased from 72 to 82/min by nitroglycerine, but at rest and on exercise there was only a slight reduction in systolic blood pressure, the diastolic level remaining essentially unchanged. There was a decrease in cardiac index of 16 and 15% at rest and on exercise, respectively. A highly insignificant reduction in mean pulmonary artery pressure occurred both at rest and on exercise. Respiratory variations of pulmonary artery pressure markedly decreased after nitroglycerine and correlated well with airway resistance, which fell by 28%. Pulmonary vascular resistance fell from 188 to 149 dyn.s.cm-5. Vital capacity increased after nitroglycerine as a sign of reduction of pulmonary emphysema. Partial pressure of arterial oxygen and carbon dioxide showed no definite changes at unchanged respiratory rates. Thus nitroglycerine produces a marked improvement in haemodynamics and pulmonary function without any increase in ventilatory distribution abnormalities. These results support the use of nitroglycerine as one of several means of treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

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Computed axial tomography (CAT) was used in 70 patients with diagnostic problems centering on the heart (47 patients) or the aorta (23). The method proved suitable for the diagnosis, differential diagnosis and serial control of pericardial effusions and also well demonstrated intracardiac tumours. Aortic aneurysms are also easily demonstrated and their extent can be exactly defined. But aortic wall dissection and stenosis of arteries arising from the aorta are not visualized and therefore require angiography.

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Changes in the heart and lungs in patients with organic mitral valve disease, which can be demonstrated on plain radiographs, were correlated to pulmonary pressure. The most important radiologic criteria were: the extent of dilatation of the out flow tract of the right ventricle, enlargement of the left and the right pulmonary artery, the degree of interstitial pulmonary edema, enlargement of left atrium and calcification of mitral valve. With a point valuation of the criteria a prediction of pulmonary hypertension in mitral valve disease from plain radiographs is possible.

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A mobile left-ventricular tumor was detected by echocardiography in a 28-years-old patient, who has sustained an anteroseptal infarction four years before. The patient was admitted to hospital because of arterial embolism. The echocardiographic finding was validated by left-ventricular angiography. In open-heart surgery a pedunculated tumor was excided, in microscopic study the tumor revealed the findings of an organized thrombus. The echocardiographic and angiographic findings are shown, the echocardiographic differential diagnosis is pointed out.

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In ten patients with coronary heart disease molsidomine achieved a clear-cut decrease in pre- and after-load of the heart at rest. Due to decreased venous return at rest there was a fall in stroke volume resulting in a fall of systolic and diastolic aortic pressure. But at the same level of standardised exercise, systolic and diastolic arterial pressure and cardiac output were similar with or without molsidomine. Without changing after-load, there was a fall in pulmonary artery mean pressure (P less than 0.005), probably due to an increase in left-ventricular compliance and (or) a fall in pulmonary vascular resistance. A rise in venous capacity or a decrease in venous return during exercise was excluded as a possible mechanism of molsidomine action.

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