Atresia pulmonar con tabique ventricular integro. / Pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum

Se estudiaron 27 casos de atresia pulmonar con septum intacto. Se trata de una malformacion sumamente grave, cianotica, con pronostico fatal generalmente temprano. La cirugia es de alto riesgo y nuestros cinco pacientes operados fallecieron. Se discuten algunos datos que permiten sospechar la malformacion antes de emplear estudios especializados, en particular, informes electrocardiograficos y radiologicos

[Value of echocardiography in the diagnosis of myxoma of the left auricle]. / Valor de la ecocardiografía en el diagnóstico del mixoma de la aurícula izquierda.

We have been able to differentiate the right pre-operatory diagnosis of mixoma in the left auricle versus "tumor" caused by hypertrophy and fusion of the papillary muscles of the left ventricle in a severe mitral stenosis. In the mixoma we find the echoes only in the ventricular diastole and not in the sistole; there is a place without echoes in the protodiastole--which has a diagnosis value, and sometimes in the telediastole. When it is a "tumor" in the fusioned papillary muscles of the left ventricle, echoes can be found in ventricular diastole and sistole and there are not spaces without echoes in the protodiastole as it is usual in the pedicled tumors of the left auricle. We have found a new sign to predict the existence of a tumor in the left auricle instead of a mitral stenosis; if we find echoes in the left auricle during the ventricular sistole, we will observe that the front edges of the waves form a capital W, and the back ones form a small w. In the central portions of both ws, the waves go forward as it should happen in the mitral valve when existing a real mitral stenosis. Nevertheless, as this central portion is surrounded by a space without echoes, it means that the tumor is a pedicled one, constitutes an obstruction and is causing similar signs to those pertaining to the mitral stenosis.

Takayasu's arteritis. Clinical study of 107 cases.

The clinical experience derived from the retrospective study of 107 cases of TA over a 19 year period is presented. The disease predominated in females (8.5:1), with age of onset usually less than 20 years. In half of the cases an acute inflammatory phase was observed, characterized mainly by systemic and cardiovascular symptoms. Subsequently the natural course of TA was toward chronicity with gradual deterioration. The most frequent variety of TA (65 per cent of the patients) was Type III, in which the supra-aortic trunks and the abdominal aorta were involved. The predominant clinical features were reduction of amplitude of peripheral arterial pulses (96 per cent), vascular bruits (94 per cent), and raised blood pressure (72 per cent), mainly resulting from renal arterial involvement (62 per cent). Heart failure (28 per cent) is rarely the result of direct coronary arteritis. TA is most often confused with aortic coarctation, but usually the aortogram distinguishes these. The etiology of TA is discussed. The high incidence of previous and present active tuberculous (48 per cent) in the present series and previous experimental work suggest that tuberculosis may play an important role in the etiology of TA. Treatment for antihypertension and heart failure should be employed when indicated. Treatment with corticosteroids requires further evaluation. Treatment for tuberculosis is not justified in all cases until the exact role of tuberculosis is well established.