Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty versus thrombolysis in acute myocardial infarction.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcome of primary percutaneous transluminal coronary angiography (PTCA) in the treatment of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) The study included patients with electrocardiographic signs of transmural AMI, symptom duration of less than 12 h, and with no contraindications to thrombolytic therapy. Patients who had undergone primary PTCA were matched consecutively, for age, gender, infarct localization and duration of symptoms, to patients who had received thrombolytic therapy (82 patients to each group). Patients who were admitted to hospital during daytime had a primary PTCA, whereas those admitted outside daytime were given thrombolytic therapy. In the primary PTCA group, 9 patients had a combined endpoint compared with 22 patients in the thrombolysis group (p < 0.02 ). In-hospital mortality was 3.7% in the PTCA group and 4.9% in the thrombolysis group (ns). At six months, a combined endpoint occurred in 23 patients in the primary PTCA group and in 50 patients in the thrombolysis group (p < 0.00005). Six months' mortality was 4.9% in the PTCA group and 7.3% in the thrombolysis group (ns). Among patients in the PTCA group, left ventricular ejection fraction was significantly higher, stay in hospital was shorter and there were significantly fewer incidences of heart failure and severe arrhythmias than among patients in the thrombolysis group. The results of primary PTCA implemented in our departments are comparable with those reported in randomized trials from experienced centres. Our study indicates that patients treated with primary PTCA have fewer complications, a better left ventricular systolic function and a shorter hospital stay compared with patients treated with thrombolysis.

Recurrence of uterine intravenous leiomyomatosis with intracardiac extension. Diagnostic considerations and surgical removal.

A 28-year-old woman (gravida 2, para 2) was admitted 20 months after a hysterectomy because of fibromyoma. The hysterectomy specimen had shown intravenous leiomyomatosis. The patient presented with unspecific abdominal symptoms, serologic signs of hepatic and renal failure and clinical right-sided heart failure. Progression despite treatment with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue promoted transferral to the present centre. Abdominal ultrasonography, phlebography and transoesophageal echocardiography showed a left pelvic mass and a seemingly free-floating tumour extending from the left main iliac vein via the inferior caval vein to the right ventricle. During a combined cardiac and distal caval approach using extracorporeal circulation, a 45 cm massive leiomyoma was removed successfully. Seven weeks later the left pelvic tumour was removed radically together with left oophorectomy. At control 12 months later the patient was well and without any remaining symptoms.

[Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty in acute myocardial infarction. A prospective controlled study]. / Perkutan transluminal koronar angioplastik ved akut myokardieinfarkt. En prospektiv kontrolleret undersøgelse.

In the present study we compared the outcome of primary percutaneous coronary angioplasty (PTCA) (PTCA without prior or concomitant administration of thrombolytic drugs) in 82 consecutive patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) with the outcome of 82 AMI patients, who were treated with intravenous thrombolysis. The thrombolysis patients were prospectively matched to the angioplasty patients regarding age, sex, duration of symptoms and infarct localisation. The in-hospital mortality was 3.7% in the PTCA group versus 4.9% in the thrombolysis group. Thrombolysis-treated patients had increased use of diuretics and ACE-inhibitors as compared to PTCA-treated patients. The mean ejection fraction was 52 +/- 11% in the PTCA group versus 47 +/- 10% (p = 0.01) in the thrombolysis group. We conclude that initial Danish experience with primary PTCA is promising, and that this treatment may favourably affect the outcome of acute myocardial infarction.

Recumbent cranial diabetes insipidus. Studies in a patient with adipsia, hypernatremia, poikilothermia and polyphagia.

A male, aged 16, with chronic hypernatremia, adipsia, polyphagia, and poikilothermia was studied regarding regulation and secretion of arginine vasopressin. During recumbency at night, low plasma arginine vasopressin levels and increased volumes of dilute urine were found; whereas plasma arginine vasopressin levels and urine osmolalities rose and urine volumes decreased during ambulation in the daytime. Neither a 25% reduction of mean arterial pressure nor hypertonic saline infusion increased plasma arginine vasopressin or urine osmolalities. Treatment with 1-desamino-D-arginine-vasopressin at 6 p.m. and a scheduled fluid intake according to actual body weight eradicated hypernatremia and hyperosmolality. These data demonstrate a complete loss of arginine vasopressin secretion to osmotic stimulation, a partial defect of arginine vasopressin secretion to non-osmotic stimulation, an abolished response to stimulation of high-pressure-baroreceptors, but an intact responsiveness to stimulation of low-pressure-baroreceptors.