[Adaptation of the MacNew QLMI quality of life questionnaire after myocardial infarction to be used in the Spanish population]. / Adaptación del cuestionario de calidad de vida postinfarto MacNew QLMI para su uso en la población española.

BACKGROUND: The advantage of specific quality of life instruments is its ability to evaluate specific issues related to the illness of interest. The aim of the present study is to develope a Spanish version of the self-administered questionnaire MacNew QLMI, specific for patients after myocardial infarction (MI). MATERIAL AND METHOD: Forward and back-translation method by bilinguals was performed; once the test for feasibility and comprehension was carried out. 143 patients with a first MI completed the Spanish version of the MacNew QLMI and principal components factor analysis was performed. Reliability was assessed in 50 patients with stable MI that completed twice the questionnaire (with an interval of two weeks), measuring reproducibility and internal consistency with Student t test, intraclass correlation and Cronbach's alpha. RESULTS: Factor analysis showed a similar three dimensional structure as the original version. Intraclass correlation coeficient were 0.83, 0.87 and 0.83, and Cronbach's alpha coeficients were 0.85, 0.88 and 0.83 for the emotional, physical and social dimensions respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The Spanish version of the MacNew QLMI questionnaire has a good equivalence with the original version, a good internal consistency and a good reproducibility; it can be used in the Spanish population to study its validity.

[Echocardiographic manifestations in patients with hypereosinophilia]. / Manifestaciones ecocardiográficas en pacientes con hipereosinofilia.

In order to assess the degree and type of cardiac involvement in patients with sustained hypereosinophilia, we studied by two-dimensional, M-mode echocardiography and Doppler (4 cases) 20 patients distributed into 2 groups. Group I: 10 patients with the idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome. Group II: 10 patients with secondary hypereosinophilia. In group I, 6 patients (60%) had echocardiographic abnormalities consistent with the endomyocardial disease: four apical obliteration of right ventricle, three apical obliteration of left ventricle, three endocardial thickening of the left ventricle, three endocardial thickening of the left ventricle posterior wall, one endocardial thickening of the right ventricle free wall, three subvalvular mitral thickening, three subvalvular tricuspid thickening, two pericardial effusion and two protodiastolic septal notch. These corresponded to 2 cases of endomyocardial fibrosis and restriction, as shown by pathological and hemodynamic study. In only 1 patient from group II echocardiographic abnormalities consistent with right apical occupation and tricuspid subvalvular thickening, with mild regurgitation detected by Doppler, were found. It was concluded that echocardiographic abnormalities are common in patients with idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome, even in the absence of clinical features. The development of echocardiographic abnormalities in patients with sustained secondary hypereosinophilia is exceptional and is probably related to duration of eosinophilia. Therefore, we think that echo-Doppler is a fundamental investigation for the diagnosis and follow-up of these patients.