[A transesophageal Doppler echo-color study of pulmonary venous flow before and after the correction of valvular defects]. / Studio mediante eco-color Doppler transesofageo del flusso venoso polmonare prima e dopo correzione di vizi valvolari.

AIM OF THE STUDY: To verify changes of pulmonary venous flow pattern before and after surgical or percutaneous correction of valvular heart disease. METHODS: The pulmonary venous flow pattern was studied by transesophageal echocardiography in 27 patients affected with heart valve disease (11 mitral insufficiency, 10 mitral stenosis, 2 aortic stenosis and 4 pulmonary stenosis), before and after surgical or percutaneous correction. Pulmonary venous flow velocity variables measured included peak systolic and diastolic flow velocities (VmaxS and VmaxD), systolic and diastolic velocity time integrals (IS and ID) and their respective ratios (VmaxS/VmaxD and IS/ID). Paired Student's t-test was used for analysis of data; a p value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: In mitral stenosis and insufficiency, as well as in pulmonary stenosis, the VmaxS/VmaxD and IS/ID ratios were constantly < 1. Aortic stenosis, on the contrary, showed a normal preoperative pattern of pulmonary venous flow, which did not change after correction. All other successful corrections (17 surgeries, 4 angioplasties) were characterised by an increase of VmaxS/VmaxD and IS/ID ratios. (Mitral stenosis: VmaxS/VmaxD 0.80 +/- 0.31 vs 1.4 +/- 0.5, p = 0.006; IS/ID 0.86 +/- 0.77 vs 1.62 +/- 0.62, p = 0.016. Severe mitral insufficiency: VmaxS/VmaxD -0.71 +/- 0.32 vs 1.19 +/- 0.32, p < 0.0001; IS/ID 0.41 +/- 0.19 vs 1.04 +/- 0.31, p = 0.006. Moderate mitral insufficiency: VmaxS/Vmax D 0.38 +/- 0.04 vs 0.95 +/- 0.06, p = 0.001; IS/ID 0.32 +/- 0.05 vs 0.95 +/- 0.07, p = 0.02. Pulmonary stenosis: VmaxS/VmaxD 0.43 +/- 0.23 vs 1.09 +/- 0.35, n.s. e IS/ID 0.49 +/- 0.34 vs 0.92 +/- 0.65, n.s.). Failure to return to a normal pulmonary venous pattern was observed in the 2 cases of partially successful mitral valvuloplasty (one of which was subsequently transformed into a mitral valve replacement with immediate normalisation of the pattern) and in the 2 cases of incomplete relief of a pulmonary stenosis after pulmonary valvuloplasty. CONCLUSIONS: Though preliminary, these observations suggest a high sensitivity of this method and, therefore, a possible role of pulmonary venous pattern studies in the assessment of the efficacy of treatment in mitral and pulmonary valve disease.

Usefulness of transesophageal echocardiography in the pediatric catheterization laboratory.

Transesophageal echocardiography was performed in 51 children (aged 2 to 14 years, mean 4; weight 9 to 50 kg, mean 21) undergoing elective diagnostic or therapeutic cardiac catheterization. The interventional procedures were percutaneous balloon dilation of pulmonary (n = 8) and aortic (n = 2) valve stenosis, percutaneous closure of patent ductus arteriosus (n = 8), and attempted occlusion of Pott's anastomosis by the double umbrella device (n = 1). The diagnostic catheterizations were performed on preoperative children of whom 5 had undergone previous palliative procedures. Precise placement of the balloon across the valve, timing of balloon inflation and deflation according to real-time monitoring of ventricular function and immediate evaluation of results and complications were accomplished with transesophageal monitoring. The exact position of distal and proximal umbrellas of patent ductus occlusive devices was checked on transesophageal imaging and completeness of occlusion controlled on color Doppler. The only relevant information in the preoperative cases was the detection of a septic thrombus in a severely ill patient. With more experience and smaller probes, transesophageal echocardiography may become a new method of monitoring cardiac catheterization also in smaller children where it may reduce duration of the procedure and amount of contrast material.

[Echocardiography-guided endomyocardial biopsy]. / La biopsia endomiocardica ecoguidata.

We have performed 20 echocardiography-guided endomyocardial biopsies in 16 patients, totalling 98 bioptic samples. In each case fluoroscopy was available to supplement the echocardiographic findings. The right ventricle was biopsied in 17 cases, the left ventricle in 3. All 3 left ventricular biopsies and 14 out of 17 right ventricular biopsies were satisfactorily guided by echocardiography. An adequate echocardiographic window was not obtained in 3 cases of right ventricular biopsies and the procedures were carried out under fluoroscopy. In 5 cases (25%), totalling 10 samples, echocardiography showed a somewhat different position of the bioptome from that suggested by fluoroscopy, thus guiding a significant repositioning of it. Finally, in one patient, echocardiography promptly visualized a severe pericardial effusion, due to cardiac perforation, thus allowing its immediate drainage.

[Congenital coronary fistulae. Comments on 9 surgical cases]. / Fistole coronariche congenite. Considerazioni su 9 casi operati.

The authors relate their experience concerning the surgical correction of congenital coronary fistula. Between May 1971 and June 1986, 9 patients (4 boys and 5 girls) aged from 17 days to 49 years were operated upon at the Division of Cardiac Surgery of Bergamo (Ospedali Riuniti). All the patients, except three who were asymptomatic, showed early cardiac failure or dyspnoea on effort and angina in the elderly. At the physical examination a continuous murmur was heard in 8 cases; the chest x-ray showed significant cardiomegaly and on the electrocardiogram a right/left ventricular hypertrophy pattern was detected in 5 patients. All the patients underwent cardiac catheterization and a coronary angiography. The left-to-right shunt ranged from 60% to 250% of the cardiac output. The anomalous communication affected the right coronary artery in 7 cases and the left in 2, opening into the right atrium in 4 patients, into the right ventricle in 3 and into the pulmonary artery in 2. All patients but one, in whom division and suture were the only necessary procedures, underwent correction by means conventional cardiopulmonary by-pass with moderate hypothermia. In 3 cases closure through the coronary artery was preferred, in 1 through the right ventricle and in 2 transpulmonary. There was only 1 late death which occurred in a 3 year-old patient due to renal failure. After a mean follow-up of 6 years, 7 patients are to be asymptomatic while 1 patient had to be reoperated for a significant residual shunt.

Cross-sectional echocardiographic study of criss-cross hearts and superoinferior ventricles.

From August 1982 to October 1985, 8 consecutive patients, aged 4 months to 8 years (mean 2.6), with criss-cross or superoinferior ventricles, or both, were studied. Seven patients had usual atrial arrangement and 1 had mirror-image arrangement. In 5 patients there was atrioventricular (AV) concordance with crossed AV streams, the ventricular septum was horizontal in 4 and sagittal in 1, and the ventriculoarterial connections were discordant in all. The 3 patients with AV discordance had superoinferior ventricles, but a criss-cross AV relation was not present; the ventriculoarterial connections were concordant in 2 and double-outlet right ventricle in 1. The sequential connections and spatial relations of the cardiac chambers, as well as the associated anomalies, were accurately assessed by echocardiography. The diagnosis was confirmed by angiography in all patients, by surgery in 3 and by autopsy in 2.

[Echocardiographic diagnosis of total anomalous pulmonary venous return]. / Diagnosi ecocardiografica di ritorno venoso polmonare anomalo totale.

Between March 83 and November 84, 20 patients with TAPVC were studied by cross-sectional echocardiography. The diagnosis was confirmed by catheterization, surgery or autopsy in each case. The anomalous drainage of the pulmonary veins was supracardiac in 10 patients, to the coronary sinus in 5, infracardiac in 4, mixed (supracardiac and infracardiac) in 1. The correct diagnosis was prospectively achieved in 17 patients (85); the echocardiographic examination could not show the precise site of the drainage in 2 (10); in only one patient (5) with right isomerism, double inlet indeterminate ventricle and severe pulmonary stenosis, the diagnosis of TAPVC infracardiac was missed. Seven patients (4 with TAPVC supracardiac, 3 to the coronary sinus) were sent to surgery without preoperative catheterization; the diagnosis was confirmed in all. Cross-sectional echocardiography proved to be a reliable diagnostic tool in the assessment of TAPVC. The patients in which the site of anomalous drainage is clearly identified by echo, can be sent to surgery without invasive investigation.

[Aortic coarctation and associated abnormalities in the first year of life. Echocardiographic diagnosis]. / Coartazione aortica e anomalie associate nel primo anno di vita. Diagnosi ecocardiografica.

Thirty-eight cases of "Aortic Coarctation Syndrome" presenting in the first year of life (66% under 3 months of age) were studied with cross-sectional echocardiography. Direct imaging of the coarctation was achieved in 75% of cases. Patent ductus arteriosus was present in 60% (80% before three months). Associated anomalies were present in 63%; VSD 29%, Aortic stenosis 16%, Mitral stenosis 16%, AV Canal 5%, Taussig Bing type of DORV 5%, Corrected transposition with VSD 3%, Ebstein anomaly 3%, Univentricular A-V connection 3%. The results were compared with angiographic and/or surgical and/or autoptic findings. The echocardiographic diagnosis proved to be very reliable in most cases. The policy of sending to surgery most neonates and infants with coarctation of the aorta without preoperative catheterization is discussed.