Incidence and concomitant factors of tricuspid valve insufficiency in patients with aortic and mitral valve diseases

Invasive data about the frequency and associated factors of tricuspid regurgitation in normals and in patients with aortic and mitral valve disease are still rare. Thus, right ventricular biplane angiograms (RAO/LAO projection), the mean pulmonary artery pressure and the presence of atrial fibrillation were analyzed with regard to tricuspid regurgitation in 30 normals and 165 patients with pure mitral regurgitation, mitral stenosis, aortic regurgitation, aortic stenosis, combined mitral valve disease or combined aortic valve disease. Patients with tricuspid stenosis or coronary artery disease were excluded. In 52 of the 195 patients tricuspid regurgitation was present. Tricuspid regurgitation occurred statistically more often in patients with mitral stenosis (33%), mitral regurgitation (48%) or combined mitral valve disease (68%) than in patients with aortic regurgitation (4%) or combined aortic valve disease (3%). In patients with aortic stenosis and in normals tricuspid regurgitation was not present. In patients with combined mitral valve disease, tricuspid regurgitation was more often present than in patients with pure mitral stenosis (p less than 0.002), despite comparable values of the mean pulmonary artery pressure, the right ventricular enddiastolic and endsystolic volume indexes, the right ventricular ejection fraction and the frequency of atrial fibrillation. Only in patients with pure mitral regurgitation tricuspid regurgitation was associated with an elevated mean pulmonary artery pressure (p less than 0.02). Differences in the right ventricular size and function did not occur between normals and patients with mitral or aortic valve disease. Therefore, the mean pulmonary artery pressure, atrial fibrillation and the size and function of the right ventricle are not major determinants for the occurrence of tricuspid regurgitation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Demographic characteristics of patients undergoing aortic valve replacement for stenosis: relation to valve morphology.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relative importance of the different causes of isolated aortic valve stenosis in a surgical series, and to relate these to patient characteristics including the rate of insertion of bypass grafts for coronary artery disease. DESIGN: Survey of the clinical and pathological data on patients undergoing aortic valve replacement for isolated stenosis. SETTING: Tertiary care cardiothoracic surgical unit. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 465 adult patients undergoing aortic valve replacement representing a consecutive series in one surgical unit. Retrospective review of patients records and classification of cause of aortic stenosis based on pathological examination of excised valve cusps. RESULTS: 63.7% patients had calcific bicuspid valves, 26.9% tricuspid calcific valves, and 5.4% rheumatic, 2.6% mixed pathology and 1.5% unicommissural valves. The ratio of males to females for bicuspid valves was 1.85:1 and for tricuspid calcific valves 0.76:1. The mean age of patients with bicuspid valves was 64.9 years compared with 73.4 years for those with tricuspid valves. Some 22.3% of patients with bicuspid valves and 44.8% of those with tricuspid valves had sufficient coronary artery disease to necessitate insertion of coronary bypass grafts. The differential rate of insertion of coronary bypass grafts was independent of age. CONCLUSIONS: Bicuspid calcified aortic valves are the predominant cause of isolated aortic valve stenosis followed by tricuspid calcified aortic valves. The sex and age distribution of bicuspid and tricuspid calcific aortic valve stenosis is different. The higher rate of insertion of vascular grafts in tricuspid calcific aortic valves may indicate that risk factors for atherosclerosis enhance cusp calcification in these patients.     

Left-sided endocarditis in intravenous drug users: a case report and review of the literature

We report a case of staphylococcus endocarditis of the mitral and aortic valves in an intravenous drug user (IVDU) complicated by abscess of the aortic root and aorto-left atrial fistula. Interestingly, the tricuspid valve was free of vegetation. Infective endocarditis in IVDUs more commonly involves right-sided valves; left-sided endocarditis is rare, indicates severe disease, or is a postmortem finding. This case illustrates the need for considering left-sided valve endocarditis in IVDU with septicemia, even if the tricuspid valve shows no evidence of vegetation.     

Surgical management of a patient with combined heart pathologies and lung cancer. A simultaneous coronary artery bypass surgery,aortic valve replacement,tricuspid valve repair and pulmonary resection

Coexisting coronary artery disease and significant heart valve disease represent a considerable risk factor in patients undergoing pulmonary resection. The possibility to perform concomitant (simultaneous) heart and lung surgery could be a good option for many patients.In the presented case report, the intervention was performed on two valves, triple coronary artery bypass and pulmonary resection, which has not been published in literature to date.A 68-year-old woman with coronary artery disease, aortic valve stenosis, tricuspid valve regurgitation and pulmonary disease (malignant pathology) presented with triple vessel disease, moderate aortic valve stenosis, severe tricuspid regurgitation and tumorous infiltration in the upper lobe of the left lung. She underwent combined heart and pulmonary surgery-left upper lobectomy, aortic valve replacement, tricuspid valve repair and coronary artery bypass surgery. On the eight day of surgery, she was discharged. She continues to do well on follow-up.Simultaneous cardiac surgery and pulmonary resection for malignancy become almost standard treatment of patients who require heart and lung surgery. The most often approach is midline sternotomy that enables a comfortable cardiac intervention as well as an acceptable access to lungs. The left lower lobectomy remains an exception, in which pulmonary resection during extracorporeal circulation (ECC) is more often an option of left thoracotomy. If the use of ECC is inevitable, some authors prefer pulmonary resection before starting up ECC if the location of the neoplasm does not require resection during ECC.     

Reconstructive procedures in heart valve disease

The percentage of patients who undergo valve repair has increased considerably during the past decade. Valve repair is particularly important in patients with atrioventricular valve disease since it provides better results than replacement. Aortic valve repair is presently performed only in selected patients with aortic stenosis and insufficiency. There is a renewed interest in aortic valve debridement in patients with calcific aortic stenosis. Mitral valve repair can be performed in most patients with mitral insufficiency and in many with mitral stenosis. The surgical techniques for mitral valve repair are well established and are reproducible. The tricuspid valve is almost always reparable in patients with tricuspid disease associated with mitral valve disease.     

Successful percutaneous treatment of suspected embolic left main thrombosis in a patient with a mechanical aortic valve

Left main coronary artery thrombosis is a rare but potentially fatal phenomenon. We present the unusual case of total occlusion of the left main coronary artery suspected to be secondary to embolized thrombus from a patient's mechanical, prosthetic aortic valve resulting in an anterior wall ST elevation myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock. The acute interventional management and review of literature of left main thrombosis is described.     

Triple valve surgery: a 25-year experience.

OBJECTIVE: Surgical treatment of rheumatic valvular disease still constitutes a significant number of cardiac operations in developing countries. Despite improvements in myocardial protection and cardiopulmonary bypass techniques, triple valve operations (aortic, mitral and tricuspid valves) are still challenging because of longer duration of cardiopulmonary bypass and higher degree of myocardial decompensation. This study was instituted in order to assess results of triple valve surgery. METHODS: Between 1977 and 2002, 34 patients underwent triple valve surgery in our clinic by the same surgeon (EB). Eleven patients underwent triple valve replacement (32.4%) and 23 underwent tricuspid valve annuloplasty with aortic and mitral valve replacements (67.6%). RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the two groups of patients who underwent triple valve replacement and aortic and mitral valve replacement with tricuspid valve annuloplasty. There were 4 hospital deaths (11.8%) occurring within 30 days. The duration of follow-up for 30 survivors ranged from 6 to 202 months (mean 97 months). The actuarial survival rates were 85%, 72%, and 48% at 5, 10, and 15 years respectively. Actuarial freedom from reoperation rates at 5, 10, and 15 years was 86.3%, 71.9%, and 51.2%, respectively. Freedom from cerebral thromboembolism and anticoagulation-related hemorrhage rates, expressed in actuarial terms was 75.9% and 62.9% at 5 and 10 years. Major cerebral complications occurred in 10 of the 30 patients. CONCLUSION: We prefer replacing, if repairing is not possible, the tricuspid valve, with a bileaflet mechanical prosthesis in a patient with valve replacement of the left heart who will be anticoagulated in order to avoid unfavorable properties of bioprosthesis like degeneration and of old generation mechanical prosthesis like thrombosis and poor hemodynamic function. In recent years, results of triple valve surgery either with tricuspid valve conservation or valve replacement in suitable cases have become encouraging with improvements in surgical techniques and myocardial preservation methods.     

Isolated tricuspid stenosis: report of a case submitted to valvular commissurotomy

In this report, a rare case of tricuspid stenosis uncomplicated by other valve lesions is presented, with clinical, hemodynamic, echocardiographic, and angiographic studies. The patient was markedly incapacitated, mostly as a result of a restricted cardiac output. Tricuspid commissurotomy was performed, with a stenotic deformity of a bicuspid atrioventricular valve, probably of congenital origin, found at surgery. Considerable improvement was observed, notwithstanding the persistence of some signs of residual tricuspid obstruction as a result of an incomplete commissurotomy, to avoid increasing the slight degree of preexistent valvular regurgitation.     

Prenatal diagnosis of idiopathic infantile arterial calcification without fetal hydrops

Idiopathic infantile arterial calcification (IIAC) is a rare autosomal recessive disease that is characterized by extensive calcification of the internal elastic lamina and intimal proliferation of large‐ and medium‐sized arteries, including the aortic, coronary, pulmonary, and iliac arteries. Most reported cases of IIAC were diagnosed in the neonatal periods. Prenatal diagnosis of this condition is extremely rare and is usually made in the third trimester when fetuses had nonimmune hydrops together with aortic and pulmonary calcification. Early prenatal diagnosis can hardly be made without fetal hydrops in the second trimester. We report a case of IIAC referred to our center because of hyperechogenic tricuspid valve. The prenatal diagnosis was made by echocardiographic detection of diffuse hyperechogenicity of the cardiac valves, annuli, aorta, pulmonary artery, renal artery and common iliac artery without fetal hydrops. To the best of our knowledge, this was the first case of IIAC accurately diagnosed prenatally in the absence of fetal hydrops.     

Aortic valve perforation in the setting of Cogan's syndrome

Cogan's syndrome is a rare disorder characterized by the coexistence of ocular and audio‐vestibular manifestations. Systemic manifestations are quite unusual with pan‐vasculitis and cardiac involvement reported in the form of aortitis with aortic aneurysm, dissection, or extremely rare aortic valve perforation. Hereby, we report a case of a 56‐year‐old woman presented with ocular, audio‐vestibular, and systemic manifestations with medium‐sized vasculitis in the form of multiple splenic artery aneurysms, superior mesenteric artery thrombosis, and cardiovascular involvement in the form of aortic regurgitation due to noncoronary cusp perforation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the second case to report aortic perforation in the setting of Cogan's syndrome.     

Three-dimensional echocardiographic evaluation of an incidental quadricuspid aortic valve

Background: Quadricuspid aortic valve is one of the rare forms of congenitalcardiac valvular disease. Its diagnosis is often missed, evenwith the transthoracic echocardiogram. Many of these patientsprogress to aortic incompetence later in life requiring surgicalintervention. In addition, quadricuspid aortic valve can beassociated with other congenital cardiac deformities. Henceearly recognition and follow-up is critical in these patients. Case presentation: We report a patient with quadricuspid aortic valve identifiedon intraoperative transesophageal 3-D echocardiography. This66-year-old male presented with the features of congestive heartfailure. The preoperative transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE)disclosed, moderately severe aortic valve insufficiency alongwith severe mitral and tricuspid regurgitation, but failed toreveal the quadricuspid anomaly of the aortic valve. Interestingly,this patient had undergone transthoracic echocardiography ontwo previous occasions during the past seven years for the evaluationof his valvular heart disease, which all failed to documentthis anomaly. Intraoperatively, transesophageal echocardiography(TEE) displayed an aortic valve composed of three medium andone small cusps. Conclusion: Our patient's case demonstrates the usefulness of transesophagealechocardiography in detection of this uncommon congenital malformation.     

A new technique: Right ventriculography using a preshaped catheter

Right ventriculography with a preshaped catheter (J- or L-shaped) was evaluated in make the diagnosis of tricuspid regurgitation. Thirty normal subjects who did not have valvular disease showed no evidence of tricuspid regurgitation or premature ventricular contractions during injection except in one case. On the other hand, 24 patients with combined aortic and mitral valve disease showed mild to moderate tricuspid regurgitation in 11 patients and severe tricuspid regurgitation in eight patients. Only two patients developed frequent run of premature ventricular contraction during injection. Seven patients with severe tricuspid regurgitation were found to have severe tricuspid regurgitation during surgery. No evidence of tricuspid regurgitation was found In all six patients with isolated aortic valve disease. We can conclude that right ventriculography by the preshaped catheter improves the diagnostic accuracy of tricuspid regurgitation and a grading system of tricuspid regurgitation by angiography is proposed.     

Cardiac and cerebral manifestations of antiphospholipid syndrome

We describe cardiac and cerebral manifestations in 27 patients with the antiphospholipid syndrome and give a review of the literature. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We studied 27 patients with either cardiac, cerebral or both manifestations, who also were diagnosed with the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). All patients fulfilled the proposed classification criteria for the APS according to the Scientific Standardisation Committee of the International Society of Thrombosis and Haemostasis (1). Three patients died. RESULTS: Eighteen of the 27 patients had coronary artery disease with either thrombotic coronary occlusions, high grade stenosis or complete vessel occlusion. In three patients the left main artery was involved. Ten patients had involvement of the left anterior descending artery (LAD), 6 patients of the circumflex artery (RCX) and 5 patients had involvement of the right coronary artery (RCA). As valvular lesions have been described in association with the APS it should be noted that in 16 cases there was mitral- and/or aortic valve disease and in 3 cases tricuspid valve disease. Four patients underwent mitral- and/or aortic- and/or tricuspid valve replacement. 7 patients presented with a history of cerebrovascular involvement; 5 of these patients had cerebral infarction, one patient recurrent cerebral bleeding under oral anticoagulation and another patient presented with cognitive disorders. Three of the 7 patients had a prior history of myocardial infarction, whereas 3 patients underwent mitral or aortic valve replacement. CONCLUSION: The frequent occurrence of coronary disease, cardiac valvular disease and cerebral disease in patients diagnosed with APS may suggest a causative relationship between the presence of PL antibodies and vascular disease.     

主动脉瓣四叶瓣畸形合并主动脉瓣病变的外科处理

目的 探讨主动脉瓣四叶瓣畸形对主动脉瓣功能的影响及其外科治疗.方法 2000年1月至2013年1月,我院通过经胸超声心动图和术中病理诊断主动脉瓣四叶瓣畸形13例.其中4例主动脉瓣的功能基本正常,9例合并主动脉瓣病变：重度关闭不全7例,重度关闭不全伴狭窄2例,合并二尖瓣中度关闭不全2例,三尖瓣中重度关闭不全1例.结果 13例患者中4例主动脉瓣功能正常者,继续随访中.9例合并主动脉瓣病变者,均行主动脉瓣置换术,同期行二尖瓣成形术2例、三尖瓣成形术1例.围术期无严重并发症及早期死亡,均康复出院.术后平均随访（6.34±5.17）年,心彩超提示主动脉瓣功能良好,无远期死亡.结论 主动脉瓣四叶瓣畸形是一种少见的先天性畸形,超声心动图有助于早期诊断.主动脉瓣功能正常时,可以随访;当合并主动脉瓣功能障碍时,应及时行主动脉瓣置换或修复,手术后可获得良好的远期效果.     

Valvular injuries resulting from blunt chest trauma

The occurrence of valvular lesions alone as a result of nonpenetrating trauma is not common. Most reports have shown mainly isolated rupture of the aortic valve, whereas, reports of traumatic rupture of the tricuspid valve without associated injuries are rare in the literature. At our center, three patients were treated for traumatic valvular rupture-one had aortic insufficiency and the other two had tricuspid insufficiency. The time interval between trauma and surgery was 10 weeks for the aortic rupture, 18 months for one tricuspid valve rupture, and 18 years for the other. After surgical treatment, all three patients have continued to be asymptomatic.     

Hepatic portal venous flow in patients undergoing tricuspid valve surgery.

OBJECTIVE--To determine the changes of flow in the hepatic artery and portal vein of patients undergoing tricuspid valve repair together with mitral valve replacement. DESIGN--Non-randomised parallel group study. SETTING--Tertiary referral centre. PATIENTS--18 patients with mitral valve disease with or without tricuspid regurgitation (age range 46-73; six men) and six patients with coronary artery disease and normal left ventricular function (women age range 39-78; four men). INTERVENTIONS--Mitral valve replacement with or without modified De Vega repair of the tricuspid valve or coronary artery bypass surgery. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Flow in the hepatic artery and portal vein as measured by duplex Doppler flowmetry before and two to four weeks after operation. RESULTS--Preoperative hepatic artery flow was less in patients with mitral valve disease than in patients with coronary artery disease (162.7(13.1) ml.min-1 v 242.5(6.6) ml.min-1, p < 0.05). Portal vein perfusion was significantly reduced only in patients with associated tricuspid regurgitation compared with (844(83) ml.min-1 v 1422(64) ml.min-1 p < 0.05). Hepatic perfusion was unaltered after operation in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery (p > 0.05). Flow in the hepatic artery and portal vein was improved only in patients undergoing mitral valve replacement with associated tricuspid valve repair (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION--Abnormalities of hepatic perfusion can be measured non-invasively in all patients with mitral valve disease but especially in those with associated tricuspid regurgitation needing valve repair. These abnormalities improved two to four weeks after mitral valve surgery and tricuspid valve repair, suggesting that measurement of portal flow might be a useful means of assessing the severity of tricuspid regurgitation.     

Anomalous origin of the right coronary artery from the ascending aorta: case history

A patient is described with an anomalous right coronary artery arising high above the left sinus of Valsalva. This patient is unique because the other 2 cases with such an anomalous origin of a right coronary artery had bicuspid aortic with such an anomalous origin of a right coronary artery had bicuspid aortic valves; this patient had a normal tricuspid aortic valve.     

Surgical treatment of patients with triple heart valve disease. Results and analysis of factors affecting the surgical outcome

During a 10-year period (1972 to 1981), 48 patients underwent repair of combined aortic, mitral and tricuspid disease at our Institution. The aortic valve was replaced in 47 cases and treated by valvulotomy in one; the mitral valve was replaced in 47, and conservatively managed in one by means of open mitral commissurotomy; the tricuspid valve was treated by annuloplasty in 37, by commissurotomy in 3 and replaced in 8. Operative mortality decreased from 67% among those cases operated on normothermic cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) with coronary artery perfusion (1972 to 1973) to 23% in those operated with mild hypothermic CPB and intermittent aortic cross-clamping (1974 to 1976), to 8% in patients treated with mild to deep hypothermic CPB and cold cardioplegic solutions (1977 to 1981) (p = 0.012). Analysis of the factors affecting the surgical risk has demonstrated that age at the time of operation, preoperative functional class, duration of the disease, preoperative cardiothoracic ratio and insertion of a prosthesis in the tricuspid position did not significantly influence the operative result. On the contrary, the recent techniques of myocardial protection with the use of cold cardioplegia, possibly associated with an earlier indication for operation and a prompter treatment of postoperative complications, were the major determinants of the improved surgical outcome.     

Recurrent systemic embolism caused by thrombosis in a stenotic bicuspid aortic valve

Thrombosis in a native aortic valve is a rare complication whichmay lead to systemic embolization. A few cases of aortic thrombosisin previously abnormal valves have been described. In this report,we describe a 42-year-old male who suffered two acute ischaemicattacks, one in the upper right limb and another in the cerebralterritory supplied by the left sylvian artery, from a thrombusthat developed in a bicuspid and stenotic aortic valve. Thediagnosis was made with transthoracic and transoesophageal echocardiography,and the patient subsequently underwent surgery. In cases ofbicuspid aortic valves, we should think of thrombosis as a possiblecomplication with its resulting risk of embolism, and assesssuch patients with transthoracic and transoesophageal echocardiography,thus enabling their early detection and treatment.     

Treatment of mechanical aortic valve thrombosis with heparin and eptifibatide

A 75-year old woman with a history of coronary disease status post 3-vessel coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) 8 years ago and a repeat one-vessel CABG 2 years ago in the setting of aortic valve replacement with a #19 mm St. Jude bileaflet mechanical valve for severe aortic stenosis presented with two to three weeks of progressive dyspnea and increasing substernal chest discomfort. Echocardiography revealed a gradient to 31 mmHg across her aortic valve, increased from a baseline of 13 mmHg five months previously. Fluoroscopy revealed thrombosis of her mechanical aortic valve. She was not a candidate for surgery given her multiple comorbidities, and fibrinolysis was contraindicated given a recent subdural hematoma 1 year prior to presentation. She was treated with heparin and eptifibatide and subsequently demonstrated resolution of her aortic valve thrombosis. We report the first described successful use of eptifibatide in addition to unfractionated heparin for the management of subacute valve thrombosis in a patient at high risk for repeat surgery or fibrinolysis.