[A rare cause of myocardial infarction: carbon monoxide intoxication]. / Une cause rare d'infarctus du myocarde: l'intoxication au monoxyde carbone.

We describe a 34-year-old man who suffered an acute myocardial infarction after carbon monoxide domestic exposure. The coronary angiogram was normal. The necrosis is explained in part by a severe coronary spasm. The purpose of this work was to assess the pathophysiology and the treatment of this rare cause of myocardial infarction.

[Congenital coronary aneurysm. Three case reports]. / Anevrysmes coronaires congenitaux. A propos de trois observations.

Congenital coronary aneurysms are an unusual anatomical entity. Their prognosis appears to be particularly dependent on the presence or absence of aneurysm thrombosis. We report three cases of congenital coronary aneurysms, diagnosed in one case after myocardial infarction. Two patients were treated successfully by an exclusion of the aneurysm and coronary bypass and the third patient was treated medically. The aim of this study is to discuss the clinical features, prognosis and management of this disease.

[New indications for cardiac pacing]. / Les nouvelles indications de la stimulation cardiaque.

Over the past decades, the pacemakers have become the standard treatment for patients with symptomatic sinus node disease or high grade atrioventricular block. With the development of pacemaker technology, attempts have been made to apply pacing to the treatment of problems other than symptomatic bradycardia. These problems include pacing to prevent atrial arrhythmia, improve hemodynamic function and to prevent neurocardiogenic syncope. The aim of modern pacing is not only reducing mortality but also improving quality of life and reducing morbidity. Ongoing studies will help to identify better the patient population that benefits most of this treatment.

[Myocardial infarction by complete thrombosis of the common coronary trunk. Two case reports]. / Infarctus du myocarde par thrombose complète du tronc commun coronaire. A propos de deux observations.

Complete thrombosis of the left main coronary artery is a rare angiographic finding. It carries a very high mortality rate related to cardiogenic shock; malignant arrhythmia or sudden death. We report two case of a 37 and 65 years old women, admitted to our hospital with complete occlusion of the left main coronary responsible of anteroseptal myocardial infarct. The revascularisation consisted in surgical treatment in one case and percutaneous angioplasty in the second patient. The aim of our study is to discuss the different therapeutic approaches and the prognosis of this affection.

[Evaluation of thoracic aortic atherosclerosis by transesophageal ultrasonography: value and limits as predictive factor of coronary disease]. / L'évaluation de l'athérosclérose de l'aorte thoracique par l'échographie transoesophagienne: ses intérêts et limites comme facteur prédictif de l'atteinte coronaire.

Atherosclerotic disease in the aorta is associated with a high risk of cardiovascular events. This prospective study was conducted to correlate the presence of aortic plaques in the thoracic aorta detected by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and angiographically significant coronary artery disease. The presence of aortic plaques on TEE had a sensitivity of 97%, a specificity of 80% and positive and negative predictive values of 89% and 94%. Univariate logistic regression revealed that aortic plaques were the most significant independent predictor factor of coronary artery disease compared to other risk factors. This study reveals that the thoracic aortic plaques detected by TEE is a strong predictor of the presence and the severity of coronary artery disease.