[Clinical expression of papillary fibroelastoma. Apropos of a case]. / Expressions cliniques des fibro-élastomes papillaires. A propos d'une observation.

The authors review the literature of the clinical features of papillary fibroelastomas in the light of a new case. These benign tumours of the endocardium may be distinguished from Lambl's vegetations by their site and size. Some workers suggest that they correspond to giant Lambl's vegetation and could be a form of "aging" of the valvular endocardium. Nevertheless, Lambl's vegetations are always present after 10 years of age but the papillary fibroelastoma is rarely detected by echocardiography and there have been few case reports. They are essentially cardiac valve tumours (73% of valvular tumours) and may give rise to serious clinical symptoms, sudden death by migration or coronary obstruction, systemic embolism, especially from left heart lesions. However, they can be situated at any point of the endocardium. The diagnosis of a valvular or an endocardial tumour is based on echocardiography which, though not always accurate, gives a better aetiological diagnosis. In cases of symptomatic tumours, surgery (usually simple ablation) is indicated with a low operative risk and cure of symptoms. Tumours discovered by chance pose very difficult problems of management and may lead to diagnostic or preventive surgery.

[Results of valve replacement with cloth-covered Starr-Edwards ball valve prosthesis (author's transl)]. / Résultat des remplacements valvulaires par prothèse de Starr-Edwards à cage habillée et bille métallique.

Cloth-covered Starr-Edwards prosthesis, was used to replace either the aortic valve (54 cases) or the mitral valve (71 cases), between 1968 and 1978, in an attempt to reduce the incidence of thrombo-embolic complications. Comparative studies using a silastene ball prosthesis during the same period showed that after aortic replacement, the mortality rate during the first month (12 p. cent), late deaths (actuarial survival curves), and most complications (including thrombo-embolin) were not significantly different in the two groups. Hemolysis is significantly greater after the two groups. Hemolysis is significantly greater after replacement with the metallic ball prosthesis; in one patient there was a mechanical change in the material. After mitral replacement, hospital mortality rates (6 p. cent) and the survival curves, after silastene or cloth-covered prostheses, did not differ significantly. Cloth covered mitral valve cause a significantly higher, but compensated rate of hemolysis, a metallic noise heard by 22 p. cent of the patients, and a significant reduction (about 1/5) in the incidence of thromboembolic complications.