Faculty Bibliography

The incidence, angiographic features and natural history of discrete atherosclerotic coronary aneurysms were evaluated in 20 patients with 22 aneurysms (0.2% of 8,422 patients referred for coronary angiography). Fifteen aneurysms (68%) were in the left anterior descending, four (18%) in the circumflex, two (9%) in the right and one (5%) in the left main coronary artery. Aneurysm diameter ranged from 4 to 35 mm (mean 8); 95% of aneurysms were adjacent to a severe obstruction. Seventy-five percent of patients had severe triple vessel disease that included severe left main disease in 15%. Total obstruction of one or two arteries was present in 75%. In patients with wall motion abnormalities, 78% of the abnormalities were in the distribution of the aneurysm. Follow-up (range 1 to 90 months [mean 30]) was obtained in all 20 patients. There were two cardiac and two noncardiac deaths; 12 patients had coronary bypass surgery and of 16 survivors, 13 were angina-free. In conclusion, discrete coronary aneurysms are much less common than diffuse ectasia. Unlike ectasia, they are never found in arteries without severe stenosis, and are most common in the left anterior descending coronary artery. Associated coronary artery disease is more severe in patients with discrete aneurysms than in those with diffuse ectasia. Discrete coronary aneurysms do not appear to rupture, and their resection is not warranted

A retrospective analysis of an institutional experience with aortic valve replacement (AVR) in patients 70 years of age or older during 1976 to 1987 was performed. The study was prompted in part by the current interest in palliative aortic valvoplasty, an interest based to a certain extent on the impression that AVR in the elderly has a high mortality. The mean age of the patients was 75.0 +/- 4.0 years (+/- the standard deviation) (range, 70 to 89 years). Eighty-three percent of patients received porcine valves and 17%, mechanical valves. Preoperatively 32% were in New York Heart Association class III, and 59% were in class IV. Operative mortality was 5.6% for elective isolated AVR for aortic stenosis (19% of all patients), 8.2% for all isolated AVR (38%), and 12.4% overall. Concomitant operative procedures were done in 62.0%; AVR with coronary artery bypass grafting (42%) had an operative mortality of 14.3%. Multivariate analysis showed significant predictors of operative mortality to be emergency operation (p less than 0.01), isolated aortic regurgitation (p = 0.01), and previous cardiac operation (p = 0.02). Follow-up (34 +/- 27 months) was 94% complete. Five-year survival from late cardiac-related death was 81.0%. The constant yearly hazard rate for late death for patients 70 years of age or older who underwent AVR was 5.42% per year, which is similar to the 5.77% per year rate calculated for age-matched and sex-matched controls. Five-year freedom from reoperation was 99%; from late thromboembolic complications, 91%; and from late anticoagulant-related complications, 94%. Freedom from all valve-related morbidity and mortality was 61% at 5 years.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Twenty-nine patients were studied by pulsed, continuous wave, and color Doppler before and after percutaneous transseptal valvuloplasty. New atrial septal defects were detected in 14 patients, and the patients were monitored for up to 320 days after the procedure. The diameter of the defect, best evaluated by the transesophageal approach, was 3 to 15 mm. A narrow, high velocity (1.4 to 3.1 meters per second) left-to-right shunt jet was detected in 13 of 14 patients. The shunt jet was continuous in nine of 14 patients, late systolic-holodiastolic in four patients, and bidirectional in one patient. Cardiac catheterization in nine patients confirmed the Doppler findings and demonstrated a peak pressure gradient of 10 to 32 mm Hg between the left and right atria. Oximetry revealed a calculated pulmonary to systemic flow ratio ranging from 2.3:1 in the patient with the largest atrial septal defect by echocardiography to 1:1 (no oxygen saturation step-up) in the patient with the smallest atrial septal defect. In the three patients who underwent cardiac surgery, the operative findings confirmed those of echocardiography. We concluded that atrial septal defects are common after transseptal valvuloplasty. Usually, their relatively small size and the underlying valvular disease that produces high left atrial pressure are responsible for the high pressure gradient between the left and right atria. This results in the high velocity and continuous shunt jet detected by Doppler echocardiography

Transesophageal echocardiography was performed during mitral balloon valvuloplasty. It provided valuable information about the position of the transseptal needle, wires, and balloon catheter throughout the procedure, and it helped in the immediate evaluation of its results. Transesophageal echocardiography was well tolerated and there were no complications

Reconstructive surgery of the mitral valve has been an alternative to mitral valve replacement in patients with mitral regurgitation. Previously, we reported on postoperative left ventricular outflow tract obstruction associated with systolic anterior motion of the anterior mitral leaflet. The current study was designed to evaluate the incidence of this complication and the long-term results of mitral valve reconstructive surgery. Sixty-five patients, aged 19 to 78 years, had mitral valve reconstructive surgery. Two patients died perioperatively, and three died late after surgery. The 60 surviving patients were studied by M mode, two-dimensional, and Doppler echocardiography 1 to 55 months postoperatively (mean 21). Fifty patients had no evidence of postoperative mitral regurgitation, two patients had moderate mitral regurgitation, three patients had mild mitral regurgitation, and five patients had trace mitral regurgitation. No significant mitral stenosis was detected in any patient postoperatively. After surgery, the diameter of the left ventricular outflow tract was significantly smaller than that before surgery. The echocardiograms of six patients showed abnormal systolic anterior motion of the anterior mitral leaflet that was not observed preoperatively. Doppler echocardiography demonstrated pressure gradients across the left ventricular outflow tract between 10 and 64 mm Hg. Inhalation of amyl nitrite increased these gradients. An additional patient who had systolic anterior motion but no gradient developed a 36 mm Hg gradient after inhalation of amyl nitrite. The remaining patients had no gradient induced by amyl nitrite. Abnormal systolic anterior motion of the anterior mitral leaflet may be surgically induced by changes in left ventricular geometry and the size of the left ventricular outflow tract during systole.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)