[Primary cardiac malignant mesenchymal tumor containing chondrosarcomatous component--a case report].

A case of 70 years old female bearing a primary cardiac tumor was presented. Mitral valve replacement and reconstruction of the interatrial septum were necessary because the tumor originated from the left atrial side of the interatrial septum and invaded the anterior mitral valve leaflet and around the annular area. Pathological examination of the resected specimens revealed mesenchymal tumor containing chondrosarcomatous component. The patient received radiation therapy (50 Gy) postoperatively and she resumed normal daily activity. Preoperative echocardiographic manifestations were of proved benefit in the diagnosis of malignant cardiac tumor and a proper therapeutic strategy could be chosen.

[Three cases of primary aldosteronism including one case with postoperative ventricular tachycardia].

Three patients with primary aldosteronism were treated surgically between February and September 1984. All patients had suffered from hypertension with U waves in ECG and laboratory examinations revealed hypokalemia, hyperaldosteronemia and suppressed plasma renin activity. The localization of the adrenal tumor was diagnosed accurately in all 3 patients by adrenal vein sampling and in 2 of the patients by PRP, CT scan, adrenal scanning with 131I-iodo cholesterol and adrenal venography. Adrenal tumors were surgically removed by unilateral adrenalectomy through the flank approach in all cases. Histological examinations of removed specimens showed adrenocortical adenoma. Removal of the adenoma caused a prompt reversal of the laboratory serum abnormalities and hypertension was normalized within 2 weeks postoperatively in all cases. Severe ventricular tachycardia (Torsades de Pointes) was observed suddenly in one of the patients after about 5 hours postoperatively. Therapy including conventional antiarrhythmic drugs, such as lidocaine or procainamide, and potassium administration failed to prevent the arrhythmia. Ventricular tachycardia was successfully treated and disappeared with the use of magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) intravenously. The serum potassium concentration was normal during the episode and the serum magnesium concentration, which was not detected before or just after the operation, was under the limit of normal range (1.4 mEq/l) after the use of magnesium sulfate. Hypomagnesemia which is retrospectively thought to be the result of primary aldosteronism may be responsible for the episode of postoperative ventricular tachycardia.

Clinical evaluation of biventriculo-cineangiographic findings in hypertensive left ventricular hypertrophy.

In the present study, we demonstrated that hypertensive left ventricular hypertrophy can be divided angiographically into symmetrical (SH) and asymmetrical septal hypertrophy (ASH) groups. In the SH group, the dynamics of the septal wall and the free wall were almost the same as those of the control group. On the other hand, the ASH group rather resembled the HCM group in the thickness and dynamics of the septal wall and the free wall as well as in the septal configuration. The most characteristic difference of the ASH and HCM groups from the SH group was in the significantly greater thickness of the septal wall at end diastole. However, in view of the developmental mechanism of hypertensive heart, it is interesting to note that the more the septal-free wall ratio increases, the more the thickness of the septal wall increases in the SH group.