[Diagnostic accuracy, limits and practical implications of Multidetector Computed Tomography Coronarography. About 105 cases]. / Performances, limites et implications pratiques du coroscanner. A propos de 105 cas.

BACKGROUND: Non-invasive examination of coronary artery disease is an attractive and rapidly evolving possibility. In certain clinical situations ,multi-detector computed tomography coronarography (MDCT) is currently considered as a promising technique alternative to conventional coronary angiography (CCA). PURPOSE: We suggest from our personal study and from a review of the literature, to analyze diagnostic accuracy of MDCT , its limits and to deduct, its practical implications and its indications. METHODS: 105 patients underwent 64-slice MDCT . Coronary angiography was performed every time when the MDCT was pathologic. In two cases the MDCT was realized in complement of inconclusive coronary angiography .Study of coronary arteries was based on "per -segment" and "per- patients" analyse Results : The mean age was 63,3 years., sex ratio was 0 ,7. Hypertension was noted in 63% of cases 29 ,9 % of patients had mellitus diabetes.The initial clinical presentation was unusual chest pain in 46 patients, exercise chest pain in 40 cases. the MDCT was done for the detection of silent ischemia In 5 cases, for screening of CAD in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy in 5 cases , before cardiac surgery in 3 case and before non cardiac surgery in 2 cases. MDCT was normal in 30 patients ( 28% ) so coronary angiography was avoided in 60% of patients with unusual chest pain, and in 50% of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and in also in 50% of patients selected for cardiac or non cardiac surgery. In per-segment study the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value of the MDCT in detecting coronary stenosis were respectively 89 %,98% , 91% and 97% versus, 98%,89%,94%, 95% the per-patient evaluation .The MDCT was inclusive in10 patients because .of calcifications in 8 cases and because uncontrolled unchecked heart rate in 40 cases Conclusion : our results for negative predictive value of MDCT are similar to reports from the literature. This suggests that in this clinical setting , MDCT may replace coronary in patients with low probability of coronary artery diseases, its is also useful for assessment of cardiomyopathy and before cardiac or non cardiac surgery.

[Epidomiological characteristics of infective endocarditis: a study of 135 cases]. / Caractéristiques épidémiologiques de l'endocardite infectieuse: etude de 135 cas].

BACKGROUND: Infective endocarditis (IE) is a serious pathology which is in a continuum evolution in the setting of diagnosis and therapeutic fields AIM: To describe clinical, echocardiographic, microbiological, therapeutic and outcome characteristics of infective endocarditis in a Tunisian population. METHODS: The records of 135 patients admitted to adult cardiology department of la Rabta hospital between January 1981 and December 2011 were collected. The diagnosis of certain IE was retained according to modified Duke Criteria. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 38.5 ± 16 years, with a male predominance (sex ratio: 1.4). IE affected native valves in 77% of cases, prosthetic valve in 15.5% of cases, congenital heart disease in 2% and pacemaker in 1.48% of patients. The portal of entry was identified in 43.7% of the patients, the oral origin was predominant. Blood cultures were positive in only 34% of patients. Causative microorganism was staphylococcus in 43.6%, streptococcus in 43.6% and negative bacill gram in 17.4% of patients. Echocardiography showed vegetation in 98% of patients, cardiac abscess in 23.7% of patients and valve mutilation in 17.7% of cases. Prosthesis dehiscence was present in 4.5% of cases. Complications were primarily hemodynamic (57%) followed by embolic events (34%). Surgery occurred in 57.7% of patients, it was early in 69% of cases. The indication was mainly hemodynamic and mixed in 70%of patients. Hospital mortality was 28% with predictor's factors: left heart (p=0.02), prosthesis (p <0.05), staphylococcus (p<0.005), heart failure (p<0.05) and neurological complications (p=0.04). CONCLUSION: According to our study, infective endocarditis has always touched a young population in Tunisia, rheumatic valve disease is still the predominant underlying heart disease and both streptococcus and staphylococcus are most frequently isolated. Mortality remains high despite considerable progress in terms of diagnosis and therapy.

[Mitral stenosis a rare antology of diffuse pulmonary ossification]. / Le rétrécissement mitral cause rare d'ossification pulmonaire diffuse.

BACKGROUND: Diffuse pulmonary ossification is a rare entity with unknown pathogenesis. It presents with the formation of mature bone within the pulmonary parenchyma. Pulmonary ossification can be idiopathic or associated with diffuse and chronic lung disease, system disorders or heart disease essentially mitral stenosis. AIM: We report a case of a 49 year-old woman with long standing mitral stenosis. CASE: The patient had undergone a valve replacement with a mechanical prosthesis. She complains from dyspnea on exertion and dry cough. Frontal chest radiograph shows bibasilar confluent calcific areas of increased opacity. Computed tomography scans confirmed the presence of ossified acinar clusters. Other aetiologies of diffuse pulmonary ossification were eliminated by different complementary exams. CONCLUSION: Diffuse pulmonary ossification is slowly progressive. Patients are generally asymptomatic or complain from mild symptoms. Most cases are of diffuse pulmonary ossification are diagnosed during autopsy. Establishing a prognosis is difficult as few living cases are diagnosed.

[Q fever endocarditis: a case report]. / Endocardite infectieuse a coxiella burnetii. A propos d'un cas.

Do we bring back the observation of a patient aged of 42 years having a mitro-aortic valvulopathy who present since 3 months a level III dyspnea, a fever to 39 degrees C, a change of the general state and a splenomegaly. To the chest x-ray we note a pulmonary parenchymatous focus. Echocardiography puts in evidence a mitral illness to stenosis predominance and an aortic illness complicated of a graft bacterial with an abscess of the mitro-aortic trigone. Haemocultures were negative and the serology of the Rickettsia was positive. The diagnosis of infective endocarditis to Coxiella Burnetii is kept and is the patient put under Doxycycline 200 mg/j, Hydroxychloroquine 2 cp/j and Ofloxacine 400 mg/j. Will the two first antibiotics be pursued to the 18th month. The patient benefited, after 20 days of three antibiotics therapy, of a duplicate aortic and mitral replacement with simple following.

[Aortic valve replacement in the elderly]. / Remplacement valvulaire aortique chez le sujet âgé.

We report a retrospective study about 60 patients operated on for aortic valve replacement between 1981 and 2000. All patients were aged more than 65 years. 56.6% of patients were in the class III or IV of the NYHA. The type of the valvular substitute was a mechanical prostheses in 58.3% of cases and a biological prostheses in 41.7%. A mitral geste was associated in 6 cases and a myocardial revascularisatin in 5 cases. The early mortality rate was 15% and the late mortality was 23%. The high mortality is meanly related to the associate lesions (coronaropathy) and the prognosis is a better with the improvement of surgical technics and perioperative management.