[Severe cardiac insufficiency and type Ib pseudohypoparathyroidism]. / Insuffisance cardiaque sévère et pseudo-hypoparathyroïdisme de type Ib.

The authors report the case of a 28 year old woman with acute left ventricular failure associated with severe hypocalcaemia (1.7 mmol/l) without chronic renal failure or hypoproteinaemia. The echocardiographic appearances were those of dilated and globally hypokinetic cardiomyopathy with a severely depressed left ventricular ejection fraction (23%). Haemodynamic improvement was only obtained by the association of calcium supplements and Vitamin D derivatives (Un-Alfa) to conventional treatment. A low serum calcium associated with hyperphosphotaemia, hypocalciuria, hypophosphaturia and, above all, a high parathormone concentration, provided the diagnosis of a sporadic form of type Ib pseudohypoparathyroidism. Secondary cardiac failure to the hypocalcaemia is mainly observed in children and young adults in the context of chronic renal failure or true hypoparathyroidism. Pseudohypoparathyroidism is a very rare condition and systolic LV dysfunction for which hypocalcaemia is responsible, would seem to be totally reversible after calcium supplementation.

Conversion from intravenous to oral slow-release disopyramide in acute myocardial infarction.

Twelve patients with acute myocardial infarction were given 1.5 mg/kg/5 min bolus +0.4 mg/kg/hr 6 hr IV infusion of disopyramide followed by 250 mg twice daily of a slow-release oral formulation of this drug. Plasma concentrations of total disopyramide rapidly reached steady-state within the therapeutic margins. The plasma steady-state concentrations of the major metabolite mono-N-dealkyl-disopyramide (MND) showed large intra-individual variations. There was no correlation between plasma levels of either disopyramide or MND and the occurrence of anticholinergic side effects. The drug had no significant effect on mean blood pressure, heart rate, or ECG intervals. This therapeutic regimen, including conversion from the IV form to oral slow-release tablets, could be recommended in myocardial infarction.