Doppler assessment of right ventricular function in patients with essential hypertension

Forty patients [16 males and 24 females] with essential hypertension [EH] with age ranged between 35-55 years as well as 15 normal subjects with matched age and sex were subjected to Doppler evaluation of right ventricular [RV] diastolic function. Patients were subdivided into 2 groups according to the echocardiographic criteria of left ventricular hypertrophy [LVH]. This study revealed, impaired RV diastolic function in patients with EH. The right ventricular anterior wall thickness [RVAWT] increased significantly in hypertensive patients. This study revealed significant increase in mean pulmonary artery pressure in group I when compared to control group [p <0.001]. There was a good positive correlation between RVAWT and IVST, PLVWT and LVM index in group I and group II. In conclusion, structural and functional changes induced by EH are not limited to the LV but also involve RV and pulmonary circulation

Toxoplasmosis gondii and dilated cardiomyopathy; serological and echocardiographic study

The present study comprised 50 patients [36 males and 14 females, 10 - 70 years old] and 15 normal subjects of matched age and sex as control group. They were clinically diagnosed as cases of advanced idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy [DCM]. It was shown that the incidence of toxoplasmosis seropositivity was 14/50 [28%] in these patients, 5/14 [35.7%] with IgM seropositivity and 9/14 [64.3%] with IgG seropositivity. There was no relation between the toxoplasmosis serological profile [i.e. the magnitude or the type of antibody] and the studied echocardiographic parameters

Vasodilators: a possible new line of therapy for recurrent aphtous stomatitis

Numerous therapeutic regimens have been used for the treatment of RAS, but permanent remission have not been obtained by any modality. Therapy was chiefly symptomatic and supportive. The present work suggested a new line of therapy for RAS, which proved markedly effective in shortening the healing period as well as prolongation of the relapse free period. Systemic and local nitrites as well as nifedipine can be used to fulfill that purpose

serum magnesium level in ischemic heart disease and relathionship to cardiac complications

To evaluate the serum magnesium [Mg] levels in patients with ischemic heart disease [IHD], eighty five patients with IHD were selected from patients of coronary care unit in Mansoura University Hospital 52 with chronic IHD without myocardial infraction [MI] and 33 cases with acute MI 25 cases out of the 52 patients with chronic IDH were presented by arrhythmias and remaining 27 patients had no arrhythmias-On the other hand 16 cases with acute MI were presented by arrhythmias and remaining 17 patients were non arrhythmic. In the present study the mean serum Mg levels in patients with IHD- with and without AMI; patients with chronic IHD and patients with acute MI were significantly lower [p<0.001] than the level in normal controls. There was in significant decrease in mean serum Mg in subgroup with arrhythmias when compared to those without arrhythmias [p>0.05], however a insignificant decrease [p<0.001] was observed in patients with IHD [with and without MI] patients with chronic IHD develop left ventricular failure [LVF] when compared to those who escape this complication in the same group. Also there was significant hypomagnesemia in patients without acute MI who complicated by premature ventricular contraction [PVCs] when compared to normal controls from the present study we can conclude that hypomagnesemia- in addition to hypokalemia - is a predisposing factor to dangerous complication in patients with IHD and the addition of Mg to the conventional therapy can reduce the incidence of complications in these patients