[Evaluation of fragmented potentials in right bundle branch block without structural myocardium abnormalities. Study made by signal-averaged electrocardiogram on time and frequency domain]. / Avaliação de potenciais fragmentados em presença de bloqueio de ramo direito sem alterações estruturais miocárdicas ventriculares. Estudo pelo eletrocardiograma de alta resolução no domínio da freqüência.

PURPOSE: To evaluate if the presence of right bundle branch block (RBBB), without structural myocardial abnormalities (SMA) can generate fragmented potentials (FP) and spectral turbulence on signal-averaged electrocardiogram (SAECG). METHODS: Twelve children with atrial septal defect (ASD) and incomplete right bundle branch block (IRBBB without SMA (group I) were compared to 17 children with post-operative tetralogy of Fallot (TF) with CRBBB, all with SMA, 5 with ventricular premature beats and 2 with sustained ventricular tachycardia (group II). All had SAECG on time (TD) and frequency domain (FD) with 5 variables analysed. RESULTS: All patients of group I had normal variables, in contrast with group II which presented abnormal variables suggesting FP and ST. CONCLUSION: In ASD without SMA, the isolated IRBBB did not generate FP and ST.

[Coronary fistula associated with severe pulmonary stenosis and cianosis]. / Fístula coronariana associada à estenose pulmonar grave e cianose.

A 17 year old male adolescent was admitted to the hospital due to dyspnea and cyanosis, since the age of 6 years. On physical examination, it was found a continuous murmur over the left esternal border at the 4th and 5th intercostal spaces suggesting a coronary fistula. A color-echocardiogram associated with an angiography confirmed the diagnosis of coronary fistula and severe pulmonary stenosis. The functional consequence was a right to left shunt with cyanosis. A surgical repair was performed with closure of the fistula at the point where it drained into the right ventricle plus a pulmonary commissurotomy. The patient had an uneventful recovery.

Fístula coronariana associada à estenose pulmonar grave e cianose / Coronary Fistula Associated with Severe Pulmonary Stenosis and Cianosis

Adolescente do sexo masculino, 17 anos, com queixa de dispnéia e cianose desde os 6 anos, apresentava ao exame fisíco sopro contínuo nos quarto e quinto espaços intercostais esquerdos, sugestivo de fístula coronariana. O eco-color e a angiografia confirmaram a hipótese de fístula coronariana associada a estenose pulmonar valvar grave e shunt direito-esquerdo, o que provocava a cianose. Foi submetido a correçäo cirúrgica para fechamento da fístula ao nível do seu sítio de drenagem e realizaçäo de cosurotomia pulmonar, permanecendo assintomático até o momento.

Aneurisma subvalvar mitral em criança pós meningite bacteriana / Subvalvar mitral aneurism in child with bacterial meningitis

Os autores relatam um caso de aneurisma subvalvar mitral pós meningite bacteriana aguda, em crianças de cor branca. O aneurisma ventricular surgiu como complicaçäo de uma miopericardite, três semanas após a relaizaçäo de uma pericardiocentese. Foi realizada a resseçäo cirúrgica do aneurisma e a funçäo do ventrículo esquerdo penaneceu inalterada. Säo discutidas as possíveis causas de aneurisma ventricular.

Ressonância magnética em cardiopediatria / Magnética resonance in pediatric cardiology

A ressonância magnética possui papel fundamental como método de investigaçäo cardiovascular. O conhecimento das modalidades de imagem obtidas pelo método é imprescindível para se poder explorar de forma adequada sua potencialidade. A Cardioloiga Pediátrica encontra na ressonância, um auxílio incontestável em diversas situaçöes clínicas. Säo fornecidos muitos subsídios para o diagnóstico e o tratamento. No entanto, o uso adequado dos demais métodos de investigaçäo existentes, invasivos e näo invasiv, em conjunto com a ressonância, é importante para se obter um avanço real na abordagem da criança e do adolescente cardiopata.

[Left heart catheterization by the transseptal route]. / Cateterismo cardíaco esquerdo por via transeptal.

PURPOSE: To analyse the transseptal catheterization technique, its indications and possible complications. METHODS: The transseptal catheterization has been undertaken in 233 patients, 202 children (aged 0.1 to 16 years) with congenital heart disease and 31 adults (aged 37 to 73 years) submitted to mitral valvuloplasty. The Mullins technique was employed to access left heart chambers. RESULTS: In the pediatric group, the indications for transseptal catheterization were coarctation of the aorta and valvular or subvalvular aortic stenosis. By this technique, multiple diagnostic analysis and therapeutic procedures, such as blade atrioseptostomy and mitral valvuloplasty, became available. Among the complications in the 2 groups, pericardial perforation was the most frequent, depending on the laboratory practice with this technique. CONCLUSION: The transseptal cardiac catheterization is a safe and effective technique to investigate hemodynamic data in several congenital heart diseases and is essential to many therapeutic procedures. The technique has a low incidence of complications when employed by experienced teams.

[Prevalence of tricuspid and aortic valve prolapse in patients with mitral valve prolapse]. / Prevalência de prolapso valvar tricúspide e aórtico em portadores de prolapso valvar mitral.

Two-dimensional echocardiograms were performed in 30 patients with mitral valve prolapse (15 females and 15 males, with an average of 33.3). The main objective was to observe the prevalence of involvement of tricuspid and aortic valves. Tricuspid valve prolapse was observed in 43.3% with anterior and septal involvement in 92.3% and posterior involvement in 15.3%. The incidence of aortic prolapse was 10% with involvement of both right coronary and non-coronary leaflets. All patients with aortic valve prolapse showed involvement of both mitral leaflets and at least two tricuspid leaflets. It is concluded that involvement of other valves such as tricuspid (43.3) and aortic (10%) is a common finding in patients with mitral valve prolapse.

[Surgical treatment of high-risk valvar endocarditis]. / Tratamento cirúrgico da endocardite valvar de alto risco.

The authors have studied the immediate and long term outcome of surgical treatment of acute phase infective endocarditis in a group of 33 high risk patients with valvular heart disease. The age varied from 2 to 68 years, 18 patients were male and 22 were of the white race. The aortic valve was the most frequently involved (18/54.5%), followed by mitral valve (13/39.3%), and tricuspid valve (2/6.0%). Twenty-four patients (72.7%) were in functional class III and seven (21.0%) in functional class IV. The noninvasive studies in those patients revealed 13 cases (39.4%) with normal cardiac size. The EKG was abnormal in 27 cases (81.8%) mostly with left atrial and ventricular hypertrophy. The echocardiogram revealed the presence of vegetations in 27 patients (81.8%) and the blood cultures were positive in 24 cases (72.7%). All patients were treated with antibiotics. The pathologic analysis revealed the presence of vegetations in 94% and structural alterations in 16.5%. Twenty-one patients had heart valve replacement with mechanical prosthesis (63.6%), 11 (33.3%) had bioprosthesis and one had tricuspid excision without replacement (3.0%). The hospital mortality was 12% and the late mortality 3%. Three deaths occurred in patients who had prolonged clinical treatment (more than 35 days) and one patient died of severe fungal endocarditis. The follow-up of the remaining 26 patients varied from 1 to 596 weeks (mean 183) demonstrating important clinical improvement and a normally functioning valve prosthesis. All patients remained in functional class I or II. The analysis of our data indicates that surgical treatment is the best option for high risk endocarditis and should be undertaken earlier in all patients in this group.

[Surgical treatment of high-risk valvular endocarditis]. / Tratamento cirúrgico da endocardite valvular de alto risco.

The authors have studied the short and long term results of surgical treatment of acute phase of infectious endocarditis in a group of 33 high risk patients with valvular heart disease. The age varied from 2 to 68 years; 18 patients were male and 22 were of the white race. The aortic valve was most frequently involved (18/54.5%), followed by the mitral valve (13/39.3%) and tricuspid valve (2/6.0%). Twenty four patients (72.7%) were in functional class III and seven (21%) in functional class IV. The noninvasive studies in those patients revealed 13 cases (39.4%) with normal cardiac size. The ECG was abnormal in 27 cases (81.8%) mostly with left atrial and ventricular hypertrophy. The echocardiogram revealed the presence of vegetations in 27 patients (81.8%) and blood cultures were positive in 22 cases (66.6%). All patients were treated with antibiotics. The pathologic analysis revealed the presence of vegetations in 94% and structural alterations in 16.5%. Twenty-one patients had heart valve replacement with mechanical prosthesis (63.6%), 11(33.3%) had bioprosthesis and one had tricuspid excision without replacement (3.0%). The hospital mortality was 12% and the late mortality 3%. Three deaths occurred in patients who had prolonged clinical treatment (more than 65 days) and one patient died of severe fungal endocarditis. The follow-up of the remaining 26 patients varied from 01 to 448 weeks (mean 183) demonstrating important clinical improvement and a normally functioning valve prostheses. All patients are in functional class I and II. The analysis of our data indicates that surgical treatments is the best option for high risk endocarditis and should be undertaken earlier in all patients in this risk group.