Comparison of dobutamine stress echocardiography and technetium-99m sestamibi single-photon emission tomography for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease in hypertensive patients with and without left ventricular hypertrophy

Stress echocardiography has been considered an accurate method for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease in hypertensive patients and in patients with left ventricular hypertrophy. In contrast, the specificity of myocardial perfusion scintigraphy in these patients has been questioned. The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of these two imaging modalities in conjunction with dobutamine stress test for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease in hypertensive patients with and without left ventricular hypertrophy. Dobutamine (up to 40 μg kg^–1min^–1) stress echocardiography in conjunction with sestamibi (MIBI) single-photon emission tomography (SPET) was performed in 84 patients with the diagnosis of systemic hypertension who had been referred for evaluation of myocardial ischaemia. Ischaemia was defined as new or worsened wall motion abnormalities at echocardiography and reversible perfusion defects at SPET. Significant coronary artery disease (≥50% luminal diameter stenosis) was detected in 66 patients (79%). The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the ischaemic pattern at echocardiography for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease were 73% (CI 63%–82%), 83% (CI 75%–91%) and 75% (CI 66%–84%), those for MIBI were 67% (CI 57%–77%), 83% (CI 75%–91%) and 70% (CI 60%–80%) respectively (P = NS vs echocardiography). Significant stenosis was detected in 123 (49%) of the 252 analysed coronary arteries. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of echocardiography for the regional diagnosis of coronary artery disease were 63% (CI 56%–69%), 90% (CI 86%–94%) and 77% (CI 72%–82%). Those for MIBI were 58% (CI 51%–64%), 91% (CI 87%–94%) and 75% (CI 69%–80) respectively (P = NS vs echocardiography). Left ventricular hypertrophy was detected in 59 patients (70%) by echocardiography and did not influence the overall or regional specificity of echocardiography or MIBI SPET. It is concluded that in hypertensive patients, dobutamine stress echocardiography and MIBI SPET have a comparable accuracy for the overall and regional diagnosis of coronary artery disease. Hypertensive patients with or without left ventricular hypertrophy should not be considered unsuitable candidates for stress myocardial perfusion scintigraphy. Received 10 July and in revised form 19 September 1997     

Immediate postgadolinium spoiled gradient-echo MRI for evaluating the abdominal aorta in the setting of abdominal MR examination

To assess the reproducibility and image quality of immediate postgadolinium chelate spoiled gradient-echo MRI in demonstrating disease of the abdominal aorta. All patients (27 patients: 21 men, 6 women) with substantial disease of the abdominal aorta, who underwent abdominal MR examinations at 1.5 T between 1991 and 1995, were entered in the study. Patients were referred for evaluation of suspected aortic disease (14 patients) or other abdominal diseases (13 patients). Three experienced investigators manually measured luminal and external aortic wall diameters and rated image quality, definition of inner and outer walls, extent of disease, and presence of other abdominal abnormalities, in an independent fashion. A cardiovascular surgeon then rated all studies to determine whether clinical management could be based on the MR findings alone. There was 98 to 99% agreement in measurements of luminal and external wall diameter between the three investigators. Overall image quality was rated as good in 77.8 to 88.9% of patients. A total of 31 additional nonaortic abdominal abnormalities were detected by all observers. The cardiovascular surgeon rated 25 of 27 studies as adequate to determine clinical management based on MR findings alone. Immediate postgadolinium spoiled gradient-echo MRI is a reproducible technique for the demonstration of abdominal aortic disease and possesses good image quality. Advantages of this technique include simultaneous evaluation of other nonvascular diseases of the abdomen, short examination time, and easy implementation as part of routine abdominal MRI scanning protocol.     

多巴酚丁胺负荷超声心动图及组织多普勒成像技术在诊断冠心病中的临床应用

目的探讨多巴酚丁胺负荷超声心动图(DSE)和组织多普勒成像技术(TDI)在冠心病(CHD)诊断中的应用价值,以寻求一种敏感的、无创的CHD诊断方法。方法选择胸闷或胸痛怀疑CHD患者40例,应用TDI测量静息状态(Rest)下前壁中段收缩峰值速度(Vs),以及多巴酚丁胺峰值负荷状态(Peak)下前壁中段Vs,同时测量静息心率和负荷心率;所有入选对象均进行冠脉造影,并根据左前降支狭窄程度是否大于等于50%分为左前降支狭窄组(LST组)与左前降支非狭窄组(non-LST组)。分别比较Rest和Peak前壁中段LST组与non-LST组平均Vs差别等。结果Rest前壁中段LST组与non-LST组Vs差别无显著性意义;但Peak前壁中段LST组与non-LST组差别有显著性意义。结论DSE结合TDI是诊断冠心病有价值的定量分析方法。DSE在诊断CHD时的敏感性、准确性明显优于静息状态超声心动图。     

心脏连续横断断层的解剖学研究

用20个成人尸体心脏,从右心耳上缘平面向下作1.0cm厚的连续横断断层切片。对心脏每一断层下断面,进行各项观测,同时还观察了心脏各断层与胸壁的对应关系。     

二尖瓣环钙化与颈动脉粥样硬化关系的超声研究

目的 了解二尖瓣环钙化（MAC）与颈动脉粥样硬化之间的关系，探讨MAC能否作为颈动脉粥样硬化的独立预测因子。方法 采用高频超声对156例MAC患者（其中55例为重度MAC患者）及118例年龄、性别与之相匹配的无MAC对照者的颈动脉进行了检测。结果 ①与对照组比较，MAC组及重度MAC组患者高血压和糖尿病的患病率明显增加（P〈0．05）；②MAC组颈动脉粥样硬化斑块发生率，颈动脉狭窄≥20％、≥40％及双侧颈动脉狭窄≥40％的发生率均显著高于对照组（P〈0．01），重度MAC组上述指标的改变更为显著（P〈0．01）。此外，重度MAC组颈动脉狭窄≥60％的发生率明显高于对照组（P〈0．05）；③MAC组及重度MAc组颈动脉内-中膜厚度（IMT）显著高于对照组（P〈0．01）；④单因素及多因素Logistic回归分析结果均表明：MAC是颈动脉狭窄≥40％最有意义的预测因子（P〈0．01）。结论 MAC与颈动脉粥样硬化之间存在十分密切的关系，通过对MAC的检测，能够预测颈动脉粥样硬化的存在及其程度，在临床实际工作中，对于有二尖瓣环钙化的患者应常规进行颈动脉粥样硬化的检查。     

Diagnosis and management of severe atherosclerosis of the ascending aorta and aortic arch during cardiac surgery: focus on aortic replacement

Objective: Severe atherosclerosis of the ascending aorta and arch frequently causes difficulties during heart operations, hindering surgical manoeuvres and potentially leading to systemic embolism. The aim of our study was to assess the safety and effectiveness of replacing the atherosclerotic ascending aorta in this setting. Methods: Aortic atherosclerosis was characterized by epiaortic ultrasonographic scanning in 90.1% of 1927 consecutive adult patients undergoing cardiac operations, and by computed tomographic chest scanning in selected cases. Thirty-six of the 152 patients requiring major derangements from our standard practice due to aortic atherosclerosis underwent replacement of the ascending aorta and constitute the study group. Replacement of the aorta was extended to the arch in 13 cases (36.1%). It was associated with single or multiple valve surgery in 34 patients (94.4%) and with coronary revascularization in 30 (83.3%). Two patients (5.6%) underwent coronary bypass grafting without valve surgery. A cryoablation procedure was associated in three patients with permanent atrial fibrillation. Deep hypothermic circulatory arrest was employed in 34 patients (94.4%), while proximal aortic disease allowed conventional distal crossclamping in 2 cases. The risk of operative mortality was estimated by the logistic EuroSCORE both with and withholding the variable ‘surgery of the thoracic aorta’. All survivors were followed-up for 1–41 months (16 ± 12). Results: Two patients died in the hospital (5.6%) and two during follow-up, for a cumulative survival of 91.3% and 85.6% at 1 and 3 years, respectively (hospital deaths included). The hospital death rate compared favourably with the expected estimates of 25.5% (p < 0.05) and 10.3% (p = 0.67) obtained by the EuroSCORE full model and without ‘aortic surgery’, respectively. In-hospital adverse neurologic events occurred in six patients (16.7%), including stroke in one patient (2.8%) and neurocognitive disturbances in five (13.9%), although they were all transient and cleared before discharge. Excess bleeding required re-exploration in four patients (11.1%), and one more patient underwent emergency grafting for acute postoperative coronary occlusion. Ten patients (38.5%) were intubated for longer than 24 h. Conclusion: Despite significant perioperative morbidity, replacement of the severely atherosclerotic aorta is worth consideration to avert expectedly higher death and stroke rates.     

Effects of complete heart block on myocardial function, morphology, and energy metabolism in the rat.

AIMS: Severe sustained bradycardia may cause acute and possibly chronic congestive heart failure (CHF). The aim of this study was to investigate acute and chronic effects of complete heart block (CHB) on cardiac function, morphology, and creatine (Cr) metabolism. METHODS AND RESULTS: CHB was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats (approximately 250 g, n = 11) by means of electrocautery applied to the region of AV node and were compared with controls (n = 15). The rats were investigated at 1, 3, and 12 weeks after CHB induction with transthoracic echocardiography. Invasive haemodynamic assessment of left and right ventricular pressures was performed at 12 weeks. After the sacrifice, the hearts were freeze-clamped for analysis of myocardial Cr, and high energy phosphometabolites. The efficacy of operative procedure was 54%. The peri-operative mortality rate was 20%. Heart rate (HR) decreased by approximately 50% (P < 0.01) while stroke volume (SV) increased 2.5 times (P < 0.01) in the CHB rats. Cardiac index remained unchanged. The rats with CHB grew normally and were in no apparent distress. Filling pressures in left and right ventricles were normal. The CHB rats developed marked cardiomegaly with biventricular dilatation and eccentric left ventricular hypertrophy (P < 0.01). There was no change in the myocardial content of Cr and high energy phosphometabolites. CONCLUSION: Rats with CHB are compensating for reduction in HR with increased SV without haemodynamic and biochemical characteristics of CHF. This model may be useful to study the effects of CHB and bradycardia on myocardial structure, function, electrophysiology, and metabolism as well as for studies of cell therapy for reparation of AV conductance.     

Endovascular management of pseudo-aneurysms after previous surgical repair of congenital aortic coarctation

Objective: Whatever the surgical technique used, false aneurysm formation is one of the long-term complications of repair of aortic coarctation. Conservative management is associated with a 100% rate of rupture. The conventional surgical approach is complex and associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. We report our experience of endovascular management of pseudo-aneurysms after previous surgical repair of congenital aortic coarctation. Methods: Between October 2005 and 2006, stent-grafting of pseudo-aneurysms after previous surgical repair of congenital aortic coarctation was performed in four patients. Median age was 31.5 years (range: 24–38). Two patients had undergone two previous interventions. The last previous surgery consisted of graft interposition (N = 2), subclavian flap aortoplasty (N = 1) and aorto-aortic bypass (N = 1). Median size of the pseudo-aneurysm was 31.5 mm (range: 20–58). Mean time between the last surgery and endovascular treatment was 24 years (range: 3–32). One patient was treated emergently because of hemoptysis in relation with an aorto-bronchial fistula, the three other patients were treated electively. A transfemoral approach was used in all patients. The Zenith TX2^® (Cook) thoracic stent-graft was used in all the patients, one patient underwent previous dilatation at the coarctation level. When present, the ostium of the left subclavian artery was always covered (N = 3). Results: No major complication occurred during the procedure and no patient died during the follow-up. One patient presented a type II endoleak which spontaneously healed during the first month. Another patient with his left subclavian artery covered presented claudication of the left arm requiring a carotid-subclavian bypass. After a median follow-up of 7.5 months (range: 1–12.9), the patients were asymptomatic and CT scans demonstrated complete exclusion of all treated postcoarctation aneurysms without recoarctation and without any stent-graft-related complication. Conclusions: The endovascular management of pseudo-aneurysms after previous surgical repair of congenital aortic coarctation is feasible. This approach was safe and effective. Long-term clinic and imaging follow-up is mandatory.     

Cardiac hemangioma presenting as atypical chest pain.

A 44-year-old man presented with atypical chest pain and dyspnea. Investigation revealed the presence of a 15-mm rounded, well-vascularized left-ventricular mass. The mass was removed surgically and histopathologic evaluation identified a cardiac hemangioma.     

实时三维超声在经导管先天性心脏间隔缺损封堵术 围术期中应用初探

目的初步评价实时三维超声心动图在先天性心脏间隔缺损经皮心导管缺损封堵术围术期中的临床应用价值。方法对18例包括9例房间隔缺损(继发孔型)、9例室间隔缺损患者围术期进行实时三维超声心动图检查,对所获取实时三维超声资料进行进一步的三维超声剖视分析和定量测量,并与二维超声结果比较。结果18例均获较满意的Live3D实时三维超声显示,能实时显示房、室间隔缺损的缺损解剖部位、立体形态及与房室瓣、半月瓣和腔、肺静脉等相互空间关系,经导管缺损封堵术后的Amplatzer装置在房、室间隔空间位置、与间隔边缘吻合程度及随间隔活动状况等,而较显示缺损一个径线的二维超声提供更丰富直观的三维超声空间诊断信息。实时三维超声房、室间隔缺损测值(1.25±0.58cm)与所选Amplatzer装置型号(1.72±1.06cm)相关性(r=0.97,P<0.0001)高于经胸二维超声测值(1.28±0.71cm)(r=0.93,P<0.0001)。结论实时三维超声心动图技术简便安全、实用性及可操作性强,在经心导管缺损封堵术术前病例选择、术中封堵器安置及术后疗效判定中具有良好的应用前景。