Estudio de correlación entre perfusión miocárdica y angiografía coronaria. (escopean) / Correlation between myocardial perfusion and coronary angiography

Determining the severity of coronary heart disease is of great importance to the cardiologist. There is a very good correlation between the severity of coronary heart disease and perfusion abnormalities to the myocardium as determined by radioisotope studies. We present our experience with forty (40) cases of ischemic heart disease diagnosed with sestamibi and its correlation with the obstruction of the coronary arteries by angiography. There is good correlation between the sestamibi findings and the coronary artery angiography obstructions and our findings concur with those published in the literature, which is between 75-85 per cent

Ecocardiografía transesofágica en Panamá: experiencia en 30 meses / Transesophageal echocardiography in Panamá: experience in 30 months

47 transesophageal echocardiograms (TEE) were performed on 43 patients (27 men and 20 women) in 30 months. The average age was 52.1 +/- 24.3 years. The most frequent indications for the procedure were: search for the source of emboli in 15 patients, suspected endocarditis and valvulopathies in 11. The main findings were intracavitary thrombi in 9 and vegetations in 8. The findings on TEE changed the medical management in 22 patients, confirmed suspected diagnosis in 15, and added nothing new in 10. Hypotension occurred in only one patient and resolved when the transducer was withdrawn. Comparing their results with those found in the literature the authors found that the indications were similar. TEE is an easy, safe and trustworthy study in selected patients

Cardiomiopatía tóxica por uso de cocaína / Toxic cardiomyopathy due to cocaine use

The clinical record of 5 patients are studied. They were hospitalized in Santo Tomás Hospital with history of chronic and massive intoxication with inhaled and ingested cocaine. They all had cardiomegaly: in one, of grade I; in three, of grade III. The echocardiography mode B showed global cardiomegaly with dilatation of cavities and ejection fraction of 20% or below