[Medical and surgical treatment for patients with dissecting aneurysms of the aorta].

The medical and surgical treatment of 96 patients of dissecting aneurysms was reviewed. There were 42 patients with Stanford type A dissecting aneurysms, 19 of whom received medical treatment and 23 of whom had surgical treatment. Among 54 patients with Stanford type B dissecting aneurysms, 24 had medical and 30 had surgical treatments. The treatment results and the long-term outcomes were studied using the Kaplan-Meier method, categorizing the subjects in non-survivor (in-hospital) and survivor groups. The results indicated that those with surgical treatment had a higher survival rate (75%) in the early post-operative course, for both type A and type B aneurysms. However, the long-term outcome of the survivor group was not different between type A and type B aneurysms regardless of type of treatment. Fifty-six percent of cases with type A aneurysms with serious complications survived by medical treatment alone, and no intimal tears were visualized on angiogram. Therefore, it was suggested that, in patients who had no angiographically defined intimal tears in the acute phase, medical treatment may be more effective, even for type A dissecting aneurysms.

[Blood flow patterns in the left ventricle in patients with myocardial infarction and ventricular aneurysm: evaluation using real-time two-dimensional Doppler echocardiography].

To evaluate how the intraventricular blood flow is affected by the size of a left ventricular aneurysm and ventricular dysfunction, systolic left ventricular blood flow patterns were evaluated using two-dimensional Doppler flow images (real-time 2-D Doppler echo). The subjects consisted of 10 normal controls, 35 patients with anteroseptal infarction, two patients with inferior infarction and five patients with anteroseptal-inferior infarctions. The systolic period was divided into three subsets; early, mid- and end-systole. Forty-two patients with myocardial infarction were classified into three groups according to the left ventricular inflow patterns on real-time 2-D Doppler echo using the apical left ventricular long-axis approach; i.e., inflow signals confined to early systole (Group I), visualized up to mid-systole (Group II) and end-systole (Group III). Left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVDd), left ventricular end-systolic dimension (LVDs), and % non-contractile circumference (delta L) were calculated by the same echocardiographic approach. Ejection fraction (EF) was calculated by left ventricular cineangiography using the Simpson's method. The left ventricular inflow Doppler signals in the normal controls and Group I turned in the apex and then directed toward the left ventricular outflow tract during late diastole and early systole. Significant differences in EF were observed among the three groups. EF in Group I, II and III was 53 +/- 9%, 41 +/- 8% and 29 +/- 7%, respectively. However, LVDd, LVDs and delta L had the largest values in Group III and the smallest values in Group I. LVDd, LVDs and delta L were smallest in Group I and largest in Group III. In the normal controls, the left ventricular inflow signals proceeded to the apex and directed toward the left ventricular outflow tract in the early systolic period. Various changes in the inflow pattern were observed in patients with myocardial infarction and severe wall motion abnormalities, including delayed timing in proceeding from the apex to the left ventricular outflow tract, stagnant blood at the apex and further inflow of blood toward the apex even during end-systole. The patients with sustained inflow during late systole had hypofunction of the left ventricle as demonstrated by smaller EF and larger LVDd, LVDs, and delta L. In conclusion, the observation of intracardiac blood flows by real-time 2-D Doppler echo is of help in evaluating the severity of myocardial infarction.

[Comparison of two-dimensional echocardiography with 201T1-single photon emission computed tomography for evaluating the myocardial infarct zone].

The reliability of measuring the myocardial infarct zone by two-dimensional echocardiography (2 DE) was compared with that by regional myocardial blood flow as evaluated by single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in 47 patients with old myocardial infarction, with ventricular aneurysm (An group; n = 15), and without ventricular aneurysm (Non-An group; n = 32). Short-axis images of the left ventricle at the level of the mitral valve, the papillary muscles, and the apex were obtained both by 2DE and SPECT. The left ventricular wall was divided into 36 segments in 2DE and 40 segments in SPECT with reference points at the posterior end of the right side of the interventricular septum. The segments in which the radial shortening on 2DE and the 201Tl uptake index on SPECT were below one standard deviation from the means of 10 normal subjects were defined as those with abnormal wall motion and hypoperfused areas, respectively. The relationships between these findings were studied. The extent of apical movement was measured by left ventricular cineangiography in each case, and was compared between the An and Non-An groups. 1. Wall motion abnormalities on 2DE and hypoperfusion on SPECT showed a correspondence of 81% in the An group and 78% in the Non-An group at the level of the mitral valve, and 78% in the An group and 76% in the Non-An group at the papillary muscle level. However, a better correspondence was observed in the An group (84%) as compared to the Non-An group (64%) at the level of the apex. 2. Apical movement assessed by cineangiography showed more extensive changes in the Non-An group than in the An group (2.3 +/- 0.9 mm vs 4.1 +/- 1.7 mm in the RAO view, 2.4 +/- 1.9 mm vs 5.3 +/- 2.1 mm in the LAO view). From these observations, it was suspected that the cause of disparity between radial shortening and the 201Tl uptake index at the level of the apex is related to the cardiac movement of the apex toward the base during systole. 3. Since wall motion abnormalities demonstrated by radial shortening (2DE) and hypoperfusion indicated by the 201Tl uptake index (SPECT) generally corresponded well, 2DE was thought to be a useful method for evaluating myocardial infarct zone.

[Two-dimensional echocardiography in ventricular septal rupture after acute myocardial infarction].

We studied the echocardiographic findings of 11 patients with proven ventricular septal defect following acute myocardial infarction. There were seven men and four women whose ages ranged from 48 to 77 years, with an average of 66 years. Nine patients had acute anterior and two acute inferior myocardial infarctions. Two-dimensional echocardiography (2DE) was performed for eight patients and M-mode echocardiography for all 11 patients. In all eight patients with apical four-chamber view, in whom four had additional apical short-axis view, the septal defect was directly visualized, but it was not detected by M-mode echocardiography. The defect was visualized in the apical region of the septum in all eight patients by the apical four-chamber view. The anteroapical region of the septum was the site in three with anterior infarction and the inferoapical region in one with inferior infarction by the apical short-axis view. In five of the eight patients who underwent 2DE, surgical or autopsy confirmation of the defects was obtained, with a complete agreement with the echocardiographic findings. In two patients with echocardiographic findings of septal defects, the perforations were confirmed at surgery. Two cases with aneurysmal bulges of thin septum into the right ventricle had the thin necrotic muscle in the anteroapical regions. One patient with a cystic bulge into the septum showed an irregular tear in the inferoapical region of the septum at surgery. In eight patients, the left ventricular wall motion was assessed by 2DE. Six patients revealed hyperkinetic motion in the non-infarcted areas of the basal septum or posterior wall, and these cases had good prognosis. We concluded that 2DE is a sensitive, prompt and safe technique for diagnosing and observing the risk of complicating septal defects in acute myocardial infarction. In this respect, both the apical four-chamber and short-axis views should be utilized for the topographic diagnosis of the defect.

[Two-dimensional echo-Doppler technic for evaluating dissecting aneurysms using the paravertebral approach].

Cross-sectional echocardiography facilitates recognizing dissecting aortic aneurysms, but the diagnosis of abnormalities of the descending aorta in the retrocardiac portion is difficult. We prospectively designed to assess the usefulness of a new echocardiographic technique in defining the retrocardiac descending thoracic aorta in its long and short axes. Two patients with dissecting aneurysms involving the retrocardiac descending aorta were studied in the 90 degrees right lateral position using a Toshiba SSH-11A or SSH-40A cross-sectional echocardiographic apparatus. The transducer was positioned in the third or fourth intercostal space closely to the left of the thoracic vertebrae, and the ultrasonic beam was directed toward the retrocardiac descending aorta from the patient's back. The descending thoracic aorta was identified in its long axis as a straight tubular structure with parallel walls. The transducer was then rotated approximately 90 degrees, to visualize the descending aorta in its short axis as a circular structure. This "paravertebral approach" has not previously been reported. In both patients, the retrocardiac descending thoracic aorta was clearly visualized in its long and short axes, and the oscillating intimal flap was visualized within the descending aorta in the paravertebral approach. Pulsed Doppler echocardiography (PDE) using the long-axis paravertebral approach identified the flow in the false and true lumens of the descending thoracic aorta. Flow patterns including the peak flow velocity and the velocity profile obviously varied between the true and false lumens. The peak flow velocities in the former were extremely high compared to those in the latter. The former exhibited laminar profiles, but the latter showed some spectral broadening. By the same approach, the entrance tear was explored and the jet flow through the tear was detected in Case 1 by PDE, which had high flow velocity with wide spectral broadening and aliasing in systole and also had relatively low flow velocity with some spectral broadening in diastole. To our knowledge, there has been no previous report of detecting flow at the entrance tear by PDE. These cross-sectional echocardiographic studies suggest that the paravertebral approach may prove helpful in initially evaluating patients with symptoms or signs suggestive of acute dissecting aneurysms. However, comprehensive studies are necessary to define the sensitivity and specificity of these echocardiographic techniques in recognizing all types of dissecting aneurysms.

[Echocardiographic study of right ventricular performance by acute and chronic pressure overloadings].

Echocardiographic analysis of right ventricular ejection time (RVET), pre-ejection time (RVPEP), RVPEP/ET and isovolumic relaxation time (RVIRT) was performed in patients with acute or chronic right ventricular pressure overloading. Fifty-five patients undergoing right ventricular cardiac catheterization, were categorized into seven groups; 11 patients with atrial septal defect (ASD) without pulmonary hypertension (PH) (group 1), 12 with ASD with PH (group 2), six with mitral stenosis (MS) without PH (group 3), nine with MS with PH (group 4), seven with primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH) (group 5), seven with acute pulmonary embolism (PE) (group 6), and three patients with convalescence of PE (group 7). Corrected RVIRT (RVIRTc) and RVET (RVETc) were calculated by regression analysis correlating with heart rate in normal subjects. RVIRTc, RVETc, RVPEP and RVPEP/ET in seven groups were significantly correlated with systolic pulmonary artery pressure (SPAP) (r = 0.62, p less than 0.001; r = -0.41, p less than 0.01; r = 0.61, p less than 0.001; r = 0.65, p less than 0.001, respectively), but RVDd did not correlate with SPAP (r = 0.370, p less than 0.05). Comparing acute right ventricular pressure overloading group (group 6) with each of chronic right ventricular pressure overloading groups (groups 2, 4, 5, and 7), RVIRTc and RVDd were significantly increased in the former than the latter, but RVETc, RVPEP and RVPEP/ET were not significantly different in both groups. There was a significant correlation between RVIRTc and RVPEP/ET in chronic pressure overloading, but not in acute pressure overloading. We concluded that early diastolic RV relaxation and systolic performance were both impaired by increased afterload in chronic pressure overloading. In acute pressure overloading, however, early diastolic RV relaxation was more significantly impaired possibly because of acute changes of muscle architectures due to acute right ventricular expansion and anoxia.

[M-mode and two-dimensional echocardiography in the evaluation of right atrial masses].

Five cases of miscellaneous right atrial mass were described to illustrate the very valuable diagnostic contribution of two-dimensional echocardiography (2DE). Two patients had a large myxoma in the right atrium, and other two had an extension of hepatoma into the right atrium through the inferior vena cava. The fifth patient with a past history of myocardial infarction had a floating right atrial thrombus. The myxoma in the right atrium appeared as a mottled, ovoid, and sharply demarcated mobile mass attached to the interatrial septum. The diagnosis of these two patients was confirmed at operation. The right atrial myxoma in the first case weighed 310 g and filled almost the entire right atrium and right ventricle. To our knowledge, this was the largest myxoma among previously reported cases. The hepatoma extended into the right atrium resembled myxoma, but was obscurely demarcated. The 2DE was useful to localize a large immobile mass extending into the right atrium. All these right atrial tumors were adequately demonstrated in the right lateral decubitus position with the transducer over the right parasternal position. In the fifth case, bedside real-time 2DE was performed after the attack of pulmonary thromboembolism, and an irregular echogenic mass was seen to float freely, suggesting a thrombus. Following the immediate anticoagulant therapy with heparin, the thrombus echo was no longer visible by 2DE. It was concluded that 2DE should be extensively applied to diagnose right atrial tumors or thrombi.