[A case report of corrected transposition of the great arteries without any associated defects in a 36-year-old man and the review of adult cases reported in Japan].

We report a case in a 36-year-old man of corrected transposion of the great arteries (CTGA) without any associated defects. We also review clinical characteristics and later complications of adult CTGA cases reported in Japan. The patients was referred to our hospital for further examination of the abnormal ECG found during regular medical check-up. His ECG showed left axis deviation, first degree AV block, abnormal Q waves in the left precordial leads, and disappearance of septal q waves in the left precordial leads. His exercise capacity was found to be more than 12 METS by treadmill exercise testing. His roentgenogram revealed an egg-shaped ventricle with normal CTR (45%). The following findings were obtained by two-dimensional echocardiogram and heart catheterization: 1) the functional left ventricle had the characteristics of the anatomical right ventricle, 2) The positions of the left and right atrioventricular valves were reversed, 3) Other cardiac anomalies such as VSD, pulmonary stenosis, tricuspid regurgitation (TR) were not proved. Therefore, he was diagnosed as having CTGA without any cardiac defects (SLL type). At present, with ages more than 15 years, 36 cases of CTGA without cardiac anomalies have been reported in Japan including this case. But most cases had significant TR. This case was the 7th reported case without the accompaniment of TR. Among 36 cases, TR was found in 71%, complete AV block in 20%, and congestive heart failure was noted in 45%. Prognosis of CTGA without any defects is dependent on the appearance of TR, advanced AV block, and congestive heart failure. As these later fatal complications are observed very often, it is important to detect the patient of CTGA accurately.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Evaluation of cardiac function at rest and under acute loading in patients with essential hypertension using pulsed Doppler echocardiography].

We studied 45 untreated patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension (EH) and 27 normotensive controls to assess the relationship between pulsed Doppler echocardiographic parameters and cardiac function, and the effects of acute changes in preload or afterload on these parameters. The following pulsed Doppler parameters were measured: as left ventricular (LV) inflow parameters, rapid filling peak velocity (R), presystolic peak velocity (A), and A/R; as LV outflow parameters, preejection period (PEP), ejection period (ET), ET/PEP, and peak velocity (PV). These parameters were compared with those relating to cardiac function, such as age, interventricular septal thickness (IVST), LV mass index (LVMI), % fractional shortening (%FS), LV end-systolic wall stress (WS), blood pressure, and heart rate. The changes in preload and afterload were induced by sodium nitroprusside (SNP) or phenylephrine infusion, which caused decreases or increases in the mean blood pressure by approximately 15%. 1. LV inflow parameters: Compared to normals, A and the A/R were higher in the group EH (p less than 0.01). IVST in the group EH correlated with R and the A/R, but LVMI did not correlate with these parameters. In normals, A correlated with %FS and WS, but did not in the group EH. R and the A/R correlated with age in normals, but not in the group EH. 2. LV outflow parameters: There were no significant differences between the two groups. PV in the group EH correlated positively with %FS, and negatively with WS. The ET/PEP in normals correlated with %FS and WS, but not in the group EH. 3. Effects of SNP: Reduction in preload caused a decrease in R and an increase in the A/R in both the groups (p less than 0.01). At the same time, reduction in afterload induced increase in PV. 4. Effects of phenylephrine: An increase in afterload did not change A, R or the A/R, though PV decreased significantly in normals and tended to decrease in the group EH. In summary, though the significance of the pulsed Doppler parameters of the LV was not always the same between the two groups, these parameters may be used to evaluate cardiac function in EH, if we pay attention to the influence of preload and afterload.