Relation between serum cardiac troponin I values and severity of clinical, electrocardiographic and quantitative angiographic features in unstable angina.

This study sought to find out a correlation, if any, between serum cardiac troponin I values and extent and severity of coronary artery disease in patients with unstable angina. Eighty patients with unstable angina and normal serum creatine kinase values were studied and a comparative evaluation of serum cardiac troponin I values with clinical findings, electrocardiography, quantitative coronary angiography and follow-up events was performed. Among 80 patients, 34 (43%) had cardiac troponin I values of 0.6 microgram/L or higher (group I) and 46 (57%), below 0.6 microgram/L (group II). The mean cardiac troponin I in group I was 2.6 +/- 1.7 micrograms/L and 0.2 +/- 0.1 microgram/L in group II. The patients in group I had more type C lesions, frequent triple vessel and left main coronary artery involvement, and higher mean percentage diameter stenosis in the coronary arteries than those in group II. Early follow-up showed that more patients in group I required procedures earlier (including PTCA and CABG) than those from group II. Mid-term follow-up (9.5 +/- 4 months) data also showed greater occurrence of cardiac events (i.e. myocardial infarction and the increased need of PTCA) in group I. Patients with elevated cardiac troponin I more often experienced Braunwald's class III (A and B) unstable angina associated with presence of marked ST-T changes on the electrocardiography than those from group II. Our study suggests elevated values of serum cardiac troponin I to be evenly associated with the severity and extent of coronary lesions, clinical severity of unstable angina and marked electrocardiographic changes. Follow-up results confirm the potential value of this marker in predicting the course of coronary artery disease.

Non-surgical mitral commissurotomy using metallic commissurotome.

Percutaneous transatrial mitral commissurotomy using a new miniaturised metallic commissurotome mounted on a 12 F catheter was done in 24 patients with severe mitral stenosis. There were 17 (70.8%) females and seven (29.2%) males with age ranging from 12-42 years (mean 26.0 +/- 6.7 years). Atrial fibrillation was present in three (12.5%) patients. Three (12.5%) patients had restenosis following closed mitral commissurotomy. The mitral valve score on echocardiography ranged from 6 to 10 (mean 7 +/- 1.3). The procedure was performed with one device which was reused after sterilisation with glutaraldehyde. The device was opened maximally upto 39.0 +/- 1.7 mm (range 35-40 mm). The procedure was successful in 23 (95.8%) patients. The mean left atrial pressure decreased from 26.8 +/- 8.0 to 9.3 +/- 7.1 mm Hg (p < 0.001). There was a fall of mean pulmonary artery pressure from 47.2 +/- 18.6 (range 20-29 mm Hg) to 23.6 +/- 9.6 mm Hg (range 12-51 mm Hg) (p < 0.001). The mitral valve area as assessed by Doppler echocardiography (pressure half time) increased from 0.9 +/- 0.1 (range 0.6-1.2 cm2) to 2.1 +/- 0.4 cm2 (range 1.6-2.6 cm2) (p < 0.001), with split in both commissures in 22 (95.6%) cases. One patient developed severe mitral regurgitation with tear in the anterior mitral leaflet needing immediate mitral valve replacement. One patient developed transient aphasia which recovered completely within four hours. Percutaneous transatrial mitral commissurotomy using metallic commissurotome offers reliable and effective alternative to balloon mitral commissurotomy and may be more cost-effective because of its reusability.