High-output congestive failure due to arteriovenous fistula resulting from lumbar disc surgery--a case report.

A patient is described who developed high-output congestive failure following surgery to a lumbar disc. Diagnosis of arteriovenous fistula was suggested by the signs of high-output state and a continuous bruit heard over the low back scar. Confirmation was demonstrated by abdominal aortography. Corrective surgery resulted in resolution of congestive failure.

Detection of right atrial myxoma by coronary cinearteriography.

During routine coronary cinearteriography, a large, right atrial myxoma was detected in a patient with angina pectoris. It was clinically unsuspected and was found at surgery to extend partially into the left atrium.

Diagnosis of tricuspid regurgitation. Current status.

The most accepted diagnostic methods of tricuspid regurgitation (TR) are the physical examinations and the evaluation of right atrial pressure. However, these methods are not consistently diagnostic, and a "silent" form of TR has been recognized. The current status of noninvasive and invasive diagnostic techniques is reviewed.

The use of the hepatic pressure maneuver to identify the murmur of tricuspid regurgitation.

To enhance the bedside diagnosis of tricuspid regurgitation, the influence of manual pressure applied below the liver on lower left sternal border murmurs was determined in 23 patients. All 23 subjects had right ventriculograms and right atrial phonocardiograms. The sign was positive in 13 cases, including 3 who were without a Carvallo sign. The application of manual pressure below the liver is a simple and valid additional maneuver for identifying the murmur of tricuspid regurgitation.

The relationship of carotid sinus stimulation to exercise testing.

This review is an attempt to demonstrate the safety and usefulness of the simple maneuver of carotid sinus stimulation with selected subjects undergoing exercise tests. In a variety of circumstances the addition of CSP before or after treadmill walking can yield clinically relevant information relating to arrhythmias, conduction disturbances, symptoms, and pacemakers. Further applications and benefits of these combined procedures remain to be clarified and expanded for judicious application with attention to safeguards.

Diagnosis of severe tricuspid regurgitation.

Fifty-nine patients were studied who had severe tricuspid regurgitation which was confirmed by right ventriculography and during surgery in order to determine the incidence of clinical, radiologic, and hemodynamic clues of severe tricuspid regurgitation. Eighty-eight percent of patients had Carvallo sign alone or in combination with pulsatile liver or prominent jugular venous V waves, and the classic triad was present in 42 percent. Most patients had enlargement of the right atrium on chest x-ray film. The classical "ventricularization" pattern of right atrial pressure was seen in 30 percent, prominent V waves with rapid Y descents were present in 37 percent, and normal contour of right atrial waves with normal mean pressure was seen in 33 percent. The inspiratory maneuver was helpful to induce the ventricularization pattern or prominent V waves with rapid Y descents especially in patients with normal right atrial pressure waves. In conclusion, right ventriculography is a sensitive and accurate method for detecting and quantitating tricuspid regurgitation in the absence of the diagnostic physical findings.

Sequential study of left ventricular function in aortic valvular stenosis.

To assess the progression of aortic valvular gradients (AVG) and their relation to left ventricular function, 21 patients with aortic valvular stenosis were studied sequentially by cardiac catheterization and left ventriculography. All AVG were obtained from the left ventricle to ascending aortic pullback tracings. The ejection fraction and mean velocity of circumferential fiber shortening were obtained from left ventriculograms. A new onset of syncopal episode was helpful to predict the progression of AVG in five patients, but in others the progression of aortic stenosis was generally not predictable. The left ventricular contractility of these patients was usually normal, but seven patients exhibited the progressive impairment that was not proportional to the change of AVG and was clinically unrecognized. Also, the left ventricular function may deteriorate in the absence of progression of the aortic valvular gradient. Thus, serial hemodynamic studies could be indicated in patients with mild to moderate aortic stenosis even in the absence of new symptoms and signs.

Intracardiac phonocardiography in tricuspid regurgitation: relation to clinical and angiographic findings.

Intracardiac phonocardiograms were obtained from the right atrium in order to study the relation between the clinical signs of tricuspid regurgitation, intracardiac murmurs and the degree of regurgitation demonstrated on right ventriculography with use of a preshaped catheter. In five patients with no heart disease, right ventriculograms showed no evidence of tricuspid regurgitation and intracardiac phonocardiograms in the right atrium demonstrated no murmur. Among 35 patients with valvular heart disease, a Carvallo sign (increased intensity of systolic murmur during inspiration) was present in 19 and absent in 16. All 19 patients with a Carvallo sign had variable degrees of tricuspid regurgitation on right ventriculography, and intracardiac phonocardiograms were positive for tricuspid regurgitation in 18. Among 16 patients with an absent Carvallo sign, neither right ventriculography nor intracardiac phonocardiography was indicative of tricuspid regurgitation in 5. Five patients had 1+ regurgitation and the intracardiac phonocardiogram was positive in three of these five patients. The other six patients showed 3+ to 4+ regurgitation and the intracardiac phonocardiogram was positive for tricuspid regurgitation in all. In conclusion, (1) the Carvallo sign is a reliable indicator of tricuspid regurgitation but its absence does not rule it out, and (2) right ventriculography using a preshaped catheter and intracardiac phonocardiography are useful in detecting clinically unrecognized tricuspid regurgitation.

Giant Lambl's excrescences of papillary muscle and aortic valve: echocardiographic, angiographic, and pathologic findings.

A 54-year-old female with rheumatic heart disease was found to have a mass in the left ventricle by echocardiography and angiography. Subsequently, giant Lambl's excrescences of papillary muscle and aortic valve were confirmed by operation and pathologic examination. Possible complication from cardiac catheterization could be avoided by the utilization of echocardiography prior to catheterization.

Persistent ST segment elevation in left ventricular aneurysm before and after surgery.

Post-myocardial infarction aneurysms are often accompanied by persistent ST segment elevations. To determine whether or not these ST segments regress following successful surgery for left ventricular aneurysms, serial electrocardiograms were studied in 74 patients and compared to changes of heart size and NYHA Functional Class. The mean postoperative follow-up period was 18.2 months (range 3 to 52 months). The mean precordial sigma ST elevation preoperatively was 5.27 mm. and 4.71 mm. after surgery (P less than 0.025). For the highest ST segment of an individual lead, the mean values were 1.9 mm. before surgery and 1.88 mm. postoperatively (P less than 0.1). Although clinical improvement occurred in 66 (89.2 per cent) by NYHA class and x-ray evidence of improvement was seen in 46 (62.2 per cent), a degree of ST elevation remained in all cases and was less elevated in only 19 (25.7 per cent). After surgery for left ventricular aneurysm, ST segments tend to remain elevated with little apparent relation to reduction of heart size or clinical improvement.

Tricuspid regurgitation: clinical and angiographic assessment.

Because previous attempts to diagnose and quantitate tricuspid regurgitation (TR) by angiography have been unreliable, 60 patients with mitral or combined mitral and aortic valve disease had right ventriculography using a special preshaped catheter. A clinical diagnosis of TR was confirmed in 45% of the patients with moderate and severe TR. A pansystolic murmur increasing in intensity with inspiration, a pulsatile liver, and a prominent CV wave in the jugular veins when present together were specific for severe TR but were seen in only 30% of the patients with severe TR but were seen in only 30% of the patients with severe TR (3+ or 4+). Ventricularization of the right atrial pressure contour was specific for severe TR but was seen in only 40% of the patients with severe TR. A normal right atrial mean pressure (RAP) did not exclude TR, but a rise in RAP or an unchanged RAP with deep inspiration was seen in all patients with TR. Similar findings were observed in two patients with severe pulmonary hypertension who had no TR. There was no relation between the magnitude of this rise in RAP, the degree of pulmonary hypertension, and the severity of TR. The use of a special preshaped catheter tends to avoid the induction of premature beats, and right ventriculograms with a preshaped catheter may be useful in diagnosing TR.

Mean velocity of circumferential fiber shortening in prolapsed mitral leaflet syndrome.

In 26 patients with mitral valve prolapse, ventricular function was evaluated by mean velocity of circumferential fiber shortening (MVCF) as measured along the basilar, middle and apical axes. Significantly increased rates of MVCF were found in patients with mitral prolapse along the basilar axis (1.75 +/- 0.23 circ/sec) and middle axis (2.09 +/- 0.34 cir/sec) (P less than 0.025 and P less than 0.05, respectively). Patients with mitral valve prolapse and regurgitation demonstrated a significant increase in MVCF along the basilar axes (1.72 +/- 0.15 cir/sec) (P less than 0.05). Asynergy apperars to have a negative effect on the MVCF along the middle axis. The MVCF was found not to be related to clinical findings, symptoms or electrocardiographic changes. The mechanism for the increase in MVCF in patients with mitral valve prolapse remains unsettled.

Exercise testing and portable ECG recording in arrhythmia-prone patients.

To detect transient arrhythmias or conduction disturbances, 200 patients with the symptoms of palpitations, syncope or dizziness, and patients with coronary heart disease, angina pectoris, arrhythmias or conduction disturbances on resting 12-lead electrocardiogram, were studied by submaximal treadmill exercise and portable Holter recording. Thirty-nine patients (19.5%) had arrhythmias on the resting 12-lead ECG, 136 patients (68%) showed arrhythmias either on treadmill or Holter recording or both. Eighty-nine patients (44.5%) showed arrhythmias on exercise, while 123 patients (61.5%) had rhythm or conduction disturbances on Holter recording. Twenty-two patients (11%) had arrhythmias only on treadmill walking, while 68 (34%) had arrhythmias only with the Holter. In six patients different arrhythmias was noted by each method. Although the Holter recording technique affords a higher yield of recording transient arrhythmias than did exercise testing, both methods are useful and complementary in evaluating the ambulatory patients suspected of having rhythm or conduction disturbances.