QT Prolongation Complicated with Torsades de Pointes in Prosthetic Mitral Valve Endocarditis: A Case Report.

We present the case of a 49-year-old male patient with prosthetic mitral valve endocarditis associated with QT prolongation and torsades de pointes. He was asymptomatic until the end of January 2012, when he was admitted to our hospital emergency unit because of syncope, fever, and suspicion of endocarditis. Cardiologic evaluation was requested and the transthoracic (TTE) and transesophageal (TEE) echocardiograms revealed vegetations on the prosthetic mitral valve. All cultures were positive for methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus. The corrected QT (QTc) interval was markedly prolonged upon admission (QTc 540 ms). He experienced torsades de pointes (TdP) several times and he was recovered after bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The clinical course and the long QTc interval with deep inverted T wave were completely normalized 4 weeks after. He continued on triple antibiotic therapy for 45 days with a good revolution. The clinical features and the possible mechanisms of QT prolongation (inflammation, infection) of this patient are discussed.

[Chronic kidney disease and myocardial infarction: epidemiological, clinical, therapeutic and prognostic characteristics (about 231 cases)]. / Insuffisance rénale chronique et infarctus de myocarde : particularités épidémiologiques, cliniques, thérapeutiques et pronostiques (à propos de 231 cas).

AIMS OF THE STUDY: To study the epidemiologic, clinical, therapeutic and prognostic characteristics of the myocardial infarction (MI) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). To identify the impact of CKD in hospital, mid- and long-term survival after myocardial infarction. To determine the predictive factors of hospital and midterm MACCE in patients with CKD. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study population was 231 patients with a myocardial infarction admitted alive from January 2005 to December 2006. The population was divided into two groups. Group 1: glomerular filtration rate (GFR) ≥60 ml/min: 112 patients; group 2: GFR<60 ml/min: 119 patients. RESULTS: Patients with CKD had more history of stroke and arterial hypertension. They had received less medical therapies and urgent reperfusion. In multivariate analysis, CKD was a predictive factor of hospital (P=0.016), at 6 months (P=0.003), at 1 year (P=0.004) and at 2 years MACCE (P=0,015). The predictive factors of hospital MACCE in group 2 were: use of vasopressors (P=0.001) and primary angioplasty (P=0.043). In patients with CKD, only surgical coronary revascularization was MACCE predictive factor (P=0.03). CONCLUSION: Baseline renal function is a powerful predictor of short- and long-term events after myocardial infarction. Our results confirm the need to include the renal function in the evaluation of the level of risk among patients admitted with acute myocardial infarction.

[Supraventricular tachycardia in infants]. / Les troubles du rythme supraventriculaires chez le nourrisson et l'enfant. À propos de six cas.

Supraventricular tachycardia in infants are variable. We try to summarize clinical, electrical and treatment particularities of supraventricular arrhythmia in infants. The majority of infants with supraventricular arrhythmia have a good clinical outcome and an excellent prognosis and may not require chronic antiarrhythmic therapy if they had precocious treatment.

Left ventricular thrombus complicating tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy.

A 45 day old new-born with arrhythmia-induced cardiomyopathy complicated by thrombus formation is presented. Drug treatment produced immediate symptomatic relief and subsequent reversion to normal cardiac function. The thrombus disappeared a few days later.

Prosthetic valve endocarditis: management strategies and prognosis: A ten-year analysis in a tertiary care centre in Tunisia.

BACKGROUND: Prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) is a rare and serious complication after heart valve replacement; its optimal management strategy, though, still needs to be defined. OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical, microbiological and echocardiographic characteristics of PVE and to analyse the influence of the adopted therapeutic strategy (medical or surgical) on short- and midterm outcome in a tertiary care centre in a developing country (Tunisia). METHODS: All cases of PVE treated in our institution between 1997 and 2006 were retrospectively analysed according to the modified DUKE criteria. RESULTS: A total of 48 PVE episodes were diagnosed (30 men and 18 women), mean age was 37.93 years. Twenty-eight patients (58.33%) were exclusively medically treated, whereas 20 (41.66%) were treated by a combined surgical and medical strategy. Indications for surgery were haemodynamic deterioration in eight patients (40%), annular abscess in six (30%) and persisting sepsis in six (30%). In comparison with those from the medical group, operated patients had a longer delay to diagnosis (p=0.025), were more frequently in heart failure (p=0.04) and experienced more early complications (p=0.011); they also more frequently had prosthetic dehiscence (p=0.015), annular abscesses (p=0.039) and vegetations >10 mm (p=0.008). Conversely, no differences were found between the groups in terms of age, sex, or nature of involved organisms. In-hospital mortality for the medical group was 14.28% and for the surgical group 35% (p=0.09). CONCLUSION: PVE is a very serious condition carrying high mortality rates regardless of the adopted strategy. Our study demonstrates that, in selected patients, medical treatment could be a successful and acceptable approach. (Neth Heart J 2009;17: 56-60.).

[Percutaneous mitral commissurotomy. 5-year results]. / La commissurotomie mitrale percutanee. Resultats a 5 ans.

Long-term results of percutaneous mitral commissurotomy were evaluated in 410 patients with mean age of 31 years (18 to 68 years). 48% of patients had mean thickened leaflets, 35% had calcified valves and 17% had flexible leaflets and subvalvular apparatus. Procedure was performed with a double balloon in 57% and with Inoue's balloon in 43% patients. A good immediate results was obtained in 77% of patients. A good result was defined as a mitral valve area > or = 1.5 cm2 without mitral regurgitation. Clinical follow-up concern 378 patients. The actuarial 5 years rate were 84% in our serie, without surgery or new percutaneous mitral commissurotomy and good functional results (NYHA class I or II) were 71%. Valvular anatomy, immediate results (mitral valve area), history of mitral commissurotomy, old patients, atrial fibrillation can influence strongly the results.

[Percutaneous implantation under local anesthesia of an implantable automatic defibrillator: report of the first Tunisian case]. / Implantation percutanée sous anesthesie locale d'un defibrillateur automatique implantable: a propos du premier cas Tunisien.

We report the case of a 58 years old male affected by a severe relapsing ventricular tachycardia despite a well administered anti arrhythmic therapy. Etiology is an arrhythmogene right ventricular dysplasia. Considering the severity of this arrhythmia we proceed to percutaneous implantation of an automatically implantable defibrillator under local anesthesia. Evolution was favorable with a follow-up of 3 months.

[Acute dissection of the ascending aorta complicating aortic coarctation successfully treated with surgery]. / Dissection aiguë de l'aorte ascendante compliquant une coarctation de l'aorte opérée avec succès.

Vascular complications and arterial hypertension are major risk factors in the evolution of disease connected with coarctation of the aorta. Supra- and sub-stenotic aortic aneurysms are classical findings, whereas a dissecting aneurysm is a rare occurrence. In this study, we report on a case of acute dissection of the ascending aorta complicating a poorly followed-up coarctation of the aorta in a ten-year-old girl. The diagnosis, determined by X-ray of the thorax, was confirmed by echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging. The first operative stage consisted of treating the aneurysm. After resection of the latter, an impregnated dacron prosthesis was inserted in termino-terminal. The immediate result is satisfactory, and a second operation is planned for the aortic coarctation.