Regional myocardial dysfunction: evaluation of patients with prior myocardial infarction with fast CT

A prototype ultrafast cine computed tomographic (CT) scanner, designed specifically for cardiac imaging, was used to evaluate a preliminary series of patients with prior myocardial infarction (n = 21) and a control group without coronary artery disease (n = 5). Multilevel 50-msec CT scan exposures were obtained during peripheral intravenous bolus injections of contrast medium. A comparison was made between cine-CT scans and standard left ventriculographic images in assessing segmental left ventricular motion. Results indicate that cine CT, performed at sufficiently rapid speeds (20 scans per second) to allow useful analysis of regional ventricular wall motion, can provide adequate image quality. Analysis of 110 segments revealed a good correlation (90.9%) between the two techniques in characterizing normal from abnormal regional wall motion. Cine CT, based on this initial study, demonstrates considerable potential for evaluating not only cardiac chamber dimensions but also segmental wall dynamics.     

THE DEFECT IN HURLER AND HUNTER SYNDROMES, II. DEFICIENCY OF SPECIFIC FACTORS INVOLVED IN MUCOPOLYSACCHARIDE DEGRADATION

Cultured fibroblasts, derived from patients with the Hurler and Hunter syndromes, show defective degradation of sulfated mucopolysaccharide. The aberrant metabolism of Hurler cells can be corrected by secretions of fibroblasts of genotype other than Hurler, and similarly, the defect of Hunter cells can be corrected by secretions of fibroblasts of genotype other than Hunter. The active factors in these secretions, which are heat labile and associated with macromolecules, accelerate the degradation of mucopolysaccharide.     

Juxtaposition of atrial appendages: angiocardiographic observations

The angiographic features of four cases of left-sided juxtaposition and one case of right-sided juxtaposition of the atrial appendages are described. The anomalous appendage was cephalad and dorsal to the normal position of the left atrial appendage and was larger than normal during atrial diastole; the appendage located on the anatomically correct side was caudad and its diastolic size was less than normal. The four cases of left-sided juxtaposition were all associated with transposition of the great vessels. Right-sided juxtaposition was detected inadvertently in a patient with a congenital obstructive lesion of the mitral valve. Left-sided juxtaposition can be demonstrated angiocardiographically by opacification of the right atrium, whereas right-sided juxtaposition can be seen by contrast injection into any cardiac chamber but the left ventricle, with certain exceptions.