[Venous thromboembolic complications following air travel. Retrospective study of 40 cases recorded in Martinique]. / Accidents thromboemboliques veineux après un voyage aérien. Etude rétrospective de 40 cas recensés à la Martinique.

Thromboembolic events following air travel do occur, and have been reported several times in the literature. The authors report a high frequency of these incidence in their geographical region. A retrospective study of 40 cases of phlebitis or pulmonary embolism associated with air travel was conducted over the last 6 years. Cases were analyzed based on the following criteria: sex, age, duration of flight, latency period, diagnostic signs, way of discovery, date of diagnosis and thrombus localisation. The authors analyse these data and underline the main causes of these incidence, with an emphasis on the specific climatic factors in their region. Special attention is placed on the fact that these may occur in young individuals with no previous medical history. The authors conclude by suggesting preventive measures, including general measures and the use of anticoagulants.

[Subannular pseudoaneurysm of the left ventricle complicating mitral valve replacement; apropos of a case]. / Pseudo-anévrysme sous-annulaire du ventricule gauche compliquant un remplacement valvulaire mitral; à propos d'un cas.

The authors report the case of a 72 year old woman with a Carpentier-Edwards bioprosthesis implanted in March 1981 for severe mitral stenosis, asymptomatic until 1986. The progression of effort dyspnoea with prosthetic valve dysfunction despite digitalo-diuretic therapy and severe ventricular subannular pseudoaneurysm. Doppler echocardiography and cardiac catheterisation and angiography confirmed the mitral subannular pseudoaneurysm and led to surgical cure of this fibrous structure and implantation of a mechanical mitral valve prosthesis. This complication of mitral valve replacement is a cause of pseudoaneurysm which should not be overlooked.

[Congenital diverticulum of the right ventricle apropos of a case complicated by pulmonary endocarditis]. / Diverticule congénital du ventricule droit à propos d'un cas compliqué d'endocardite pulmonaire.

Congenital diverticulum of the right ventricle is an extremely rare abnormality, usually discovered by chance during evaluation of a more complex cardiac malformation. We report a case of isolated diverticulum of the right ventricle in a 14-year old boy who also had pulmonary valve endocarditis secondary to acute osteomyelitis. Owing to the evolutive risks inherent in the diverticulum and to the persistence of highly mobile pulmonary valve vegetations 5 years after the initial infectious episode, surgical treatment of the lesions had to be performed. The diagnostic, evolutive and therapeutic problems raised by right ventricular diverticula are discussed.

[Bouillaud's disease in Martinique. Epidemiological and nosological features]. / La maladie de Bouillaud en Martinique. Aspects épidémiologiques et nosologiques

From the epidemiological point of view there does not appear to be any particular geographical pattern of this disease. Indeed, it is poor living conditions, low family income, large family size and poor oro-dental hygiene which are responsable for the outbreak of small familial epidemics of acute rheumatic disease of the joints; from the clinical point of view, acute rheumatic joint disease presents no particular features in the Antilles. All the characteristics described in the classical works are found, including the malignant form, whose rarity is emphasised. A programme of prevention of rheumatic disease has yet to be started in the Antilles, and we feel that it should be a three-pronged attack: 1. More information to the general public on the necessity for rapid treatment of the symptoms; 2. Increased vigilance by the medical services in the fight against this disease of deprivation, and close collaboration with the social services; 3. Finally, the setting up of a specialised social cardiology service to supervise the young rheumatic patients, and to ensure that they are educated. Such arrangements would avoid the disorganisation sometimes experienced by the families and friends; it must be admitted that we sometimes have to prevail upon the family to allow the child to be transferred to a centre of social cardiology on the continent so that the young rheumatic patient may receive training for a career which is compatible with his or her handicap.