[Transesophageal echocardiography in cardiac and paracardiac tumors. A multicenter study]. / Apport de l'échocardiographie transoesophagienne au cours des tumeurs cardiaques et paracardiaques. Etude multicentrique.

A multicentre study was undertaken to determine the diagnostic value of transoesophageal echocardiography (TOE) in tumours of the heart and pericardium. Forty-five cases were recensed: 24 myxomas, 1 fibroma, 1 hydatid cyst, 2 lymphomas, 3 sarcomas, 1 pleuropericardial cyst, 1 branchogenic cyst and 12 cardiac metastases. The diagnosis was made in all 45 cases by TOE but only in 35 cases by conventional transthoracic echocardiography which failed to recognise 2 myxomas, 1 hydatid cyst, 1 sarcoma, 2 paracardiac cysts and 4 cardiac metastases. The site of the tumour was identified 45 times by TOE compared with only 12 times by transthoracic echocardiography. However, the anatomical investigation of mediastinal tumours requires complementary computerised tomography. Moreover, TOE, like all other imaging techniques, is unable to predict the benign or malignant nature of the tumour, 1 leiomyosarcoma having been confused with a myxoma.

[Stenoses of the supra-aortic trunks associated with aortic supravalvular stenosis in a 3-year-old girl. Long-term surgical result]. / Sténoses des troncs supra-aortiques associées à un rétrécissement aortique supravalvulaire chez une fillette de 3 ans. Résultat chirurgical à long terme.

Supravalvular aortic stenosis may be associated with arterial lesions. This condition is rare and its natural history is not well known. The authors report the case of a child operated in 1981 for supravalvular aortic stenosis and stenoses of the supraaortic vessels. The operation consisted of enlarging the ascending aorta with a patch and resection-reimplantation of both carotids without interposition of prosthetic material. Twelve years later, the haemodynamic result was the same as that of the postoperative control. This case tends to prove the low evolutive potential of this condition and the long term benefits of this surgical technique.

[Lipomatous septal hypertrophy. Apropos of 3 cases]. / Hypertrophie lipomateuse septale. A propos de trois cas.

Lipomatous hypertrophy of the inter-atrial septum is characterised by fatty accumulation in the inter-atrial septum. Long unrecognised, it has been discovered anew by virtue of the use of transesophageal echocardiography. The authors report three cases, including one presenting as acute ischemia of the right lower limb. After studying the contribution of imaging techniques to its diagnosis, the authors consider the principal differential diagnoses of this condition.

[Value of the methylergometrin maleate test in recurrent cardio-circulatory arrests]. / Intérêt du test au maléate de méthylergométrine dans les arrêts cardio-circulatoires récidivants.

A 56-year-old man, with no particular past history, sustained two cardio-circulatory arrests preceded by constrictive chest pain. Coronary arteriography was normal during etiological investigations. The methylergometrine maleate (Méthergin (tm)) test enabled the diagnosis of severe spastic angina and guided appropriate management of this patient.