Operative management of intracardiac myxomas: A single center experience

Background

Cardiac myxomas are the most common benign intracardiac tumors. We studied the clinical presentation of cardiac myxomas, their morbidity, mortality and recurrence rate following surgery at our institution over a period of four years.

Methods

During August 2008 to November 2012, a total of 12023 cardiac surgeries were performed. Amongst these, 50 patients (12 males, 38 females) underwent complete removal of primary or recurrent intracardiac myxomas. Complete tumor excision with a cuff of interatrial septum followed copious saline irrigation of the cardiac chambers was performed in each case.

Results

Forty six patients survived the surgery of which 43 are being followed up at regular intervals for development of recurrence. Myxomas constituted 0.41% of the total cardiac surgeries at our institute. Most of them were noted in the fourth decade. The commonest location was left atrium (74%) followed by right atrium (22%). Only one patient had a myxoma in the right ventricle. Forty six patients (92%) survived the surgery.

Conclusion

Cardiac myxoma excision account for a very small percentage of cardiac procedures. Immediate surgical treatment is indicated in all patients. Cardiac myxomas can be excised with a low rate of mortality and morbidity.     

DNA synthesis in rat atrial myocytes as a response to left ventricular infarction. An autoradiographic study of enzymatically dissociated myocytes

An autoradiographic study was performed on enzymatically isolated atrial muscle cells to examine the DNA synthetic response of atria to left ventricular infarction. DNA synthesis was studied in left and right atrial myocytes and nonmyocytes of: young Sprague-Dawley rats 11 days after ligation of the left coronary artery; rats subjected to a sham surgical procedure without coronary artery ligation; unoperated rats. Each animal received a series of ten injections of tritiated thymidine at 12-h intervals, beginning on the fifth post-operative day; cells were isolated 36 h after the last injection. In infarcted animals, 37.1% of the left atrial myocytes were labeled and binucleated, and 6.5% were labeled and mononucleated; 13% of the right atrial myocytes were labeled and binucleated, while 12.7% were labeled and mononucleated. For both the left and right atria, the incidence of tritiated thymidine label in myocytes of the sham-operated group was similar to that of the unoperated controls, indicating that the surgical procedure did not stimulate DNA synthesis in atrial myocytes. In both left and right atria of the infarcted group, non-muscle cells were labeled to a greater extent (49.9% and 47.1%) than in the sham-operated group (22% and 20.8%), which in turn showed labeling to a greater extent than did the unoperated control group (10.9% and 11.6%), indicating that DNA synthesis was stimulated in non-myocytes of the atria by the sham operation and was further stimulated by experimental infarction.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Myxomes cardiaques (à propos de 23 cas opérés)

Objective

This study aims to report clinical particularities, treatment concepts, potential evolution related to cardiac myxoma to the light of our initial experience and reviewed of the literature.

Methods and results

Between May 1980 and January 2005: 23 patients were operated in our service for cardiac myxoma. There were 21 left-atrium myxomas and two in right atrium. The mean age was 42.73 years (range 21 to 60 years). The sex-ratio was 2.28 (16 women and seven men). In four cases, the myxomas were chance findings at echocardiography but the 19 symptomatic patients had different symptoms: dyspnea, palpitations, left ventricular failure, positional syncope, systemic embolism, chest pain or right ventricular failure. The diagnostic of myxoma was realized in all cases by echocardiography. The resection of the tumor and a wide part of the inter-atrial septum were performed in all case. The post-operative course was usually uncomplicated: only one patient had double recurrence and died of mediastinitis after the third operation.

Conclusion

The myxoma is considered to be rare, and remains classical emergency with low operative risk, however the risk of recurrence imposes a long-term follow-up by echocardiography.     

64排螺旋CT心脏扫描在显示非心房颤动患者肺静脉和左心房结构中的价值

目的探讨64排螺旋CT心电门控血管造影在显示非心房颤动患者肺静脉和左心房结构中的价值。方法回顾性分析2007年8～12月160例行64排螺旋CT心电门控心脏血管造影患者的肺静脉和左心房解剖结构,利用工作站后处理,通过最大密度投影(MIP)、多平面重组(MPR)及容积再现(VR)图像了解肺静脉数目、开口大小,左心房囊样结构,并评价其临床应用价值。结果160例患者共发现肺静脉642根。3支肺静脉者8例(5.00%),其中左侧共干者4例,右侧共干者4例;5支肺静脉者10例(6.25%),其中左侧3支者6例,右侧3支者4例;4支肺静脉者142例(88.75%)。左上肺静脉最大径为(24.30±4.54)mm、最小径为(17.76±4.24)mm、开口面积为(352.92±124.11)mm~2;左下肺静脉最大径为(19.10±4.45)mm、最小径为(12.27±3.52)mm、开口面积为(201.96±93.65)mm~2;右上肺静脉最大径为(22.99±5.04)mm、最小径为(16.19±4.87)mm、开口面积为(316.53±144.20)mm~2;右下肺静脉最大径为(18.63±4.60)mm、最小径为(14.46±3.48)mm、开口面积为(219.20±95.85)mm~2。有左心房囊样结构者25例(15.63%),其中男性21例,女性4例,年龄38～74岁,平均57岁。25例患者共发现囊样结构29个(有4例存在2个囊样结构),19个(65.51%)位于左心房右顶壁,6个为Ⅰ型,13个为Ⅱ型;6个(20.69%)位于左顶壁,3个为Ⅰ型,3个为Ⅱ型;4个(13.80%)位于左心房左下壁,3个为Ⅰ型,1个为Ⅱ型;未发现位于右下壁者。结论64排螺旋CT心电门控心脏扫描能够很好地显示肺静脉的数目、开口大小,左心房囊样结构,为研究肺静脉和左心房提供了一个很好的工具。     

心房电重构与房颤关系的基础研究

目的检查观测心房电生理改变与房颤（AF）发生和持续的关系,探讨心房电重构与房颤的内在联系。方法健康成年杂种犬14只（雌雄不拘,体重10．0～12．5kg）,随机分为2组：对照组（A组）和起搏组（B组）。右侧开胸将电极置于右心房,以400次／min的频率快速起搏右心房（A组只手术不起搏）,分别于实验开始及起搏6h后对每只犬进行电生理检查,测定心房有效不应期（AERP）。起搏开始及起搏后测定burst刺激诱发房颤的频率和持续时间。结果A组在整个时间内AERP无变化,B组心房快速起搏后,AERP明显缩短。A、B两组起搏前房颤的频率和持续时间差异无统计学意义。A组起搏前、后房颤的频率和持续时间无变化,B组心房快速起搏后房颤的频率增多,持续时间延长。结论快速心房起搏可以引起心房有效不应期缩短,即心房电重构。心房电重构造成的心房有效不应期等电生理变化促进了房颤的发生和维持,是心房电重构与房颤关系的基础。     

Left atrial remodelling in mitral regurgitation--methodologic approach, physiological determinants, and outcome implications: a prospective quantitative Doppler-echocardiographic and electron beam-computed tomographic study.

AIMS: To define accurate and normal range of echocardiographic left atrial (LA) volume measurement and to assess the prevalence, determinants, and outcome implications of LA enlargement in mitral regurgitation (MR). METHODS AND RESULTS: We prospectively compared LA volume obtained simultaneously by electron beam-computed tomography (EBCT) and by four echocardiographic methods in 33 test patients. Accurate echocardiographic LA volume measurements were obtained only by biplane area-length method with vertical longitudinal-length (r = 0.95, P < 0.0001; 145 +/- 57 vs. 143 +/- 55 mL, P = 0.57). Using this method, the normal range in 100 normal subjects, the physiological determinants and outcome implications of LA enlargement in 320 patients with organic MR were analysed. In normal subjects, indexed to body surface area, LA index (27 +/- 6 mL/m(2)) was not influenced by age or gender and values > or = 40 mL/m(2) were beyond the upper limit of normal. In MR, the most powerful determinants of LA enlargement were higher regurgitant volume (RVol) and atrial fibrillation (AF) (P < 0.0001), followed by older age, female gender, higher left ventricular end-systolic volume, and mass (all P < 0.001). After diagnosis in sinus rhythm, LA index > or = 40 mL/m(2) predicted superiorly and independently to LA diameter the occurrence of AF [adjusted RR 1.48 (1.06-2.16), P < 0.01] and the combined endpoint of death or need for mitral surgery [adjusted RR 1.61 (1.3-2.0), P < 0.0001]. CONCLUSION: LA remodelling can be accurately assessed by echocardiography and LA index > or = 40 mL/m(2) is beyond the normal range. In organic MR, higher LA index is the combined result of multiple physiological effects, provides independent prognostic information, and therefore should be part of a comprehensive echocardiographic examination.     

Evaluation of left atrial and posterior mediastinal anatomy by multidetector helical computed tomography imaging: Relevance to ablation

Introduction Increasing use of catheter ablation in the left atrium (LA) requires understanding of substrate anatomy, especially with regard to potential damage to adjacent structures. Methods and results We reviewed multidetector helical computed tomography (MDCT) imaging on 42 subjects, 26 imaged before planned LA ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF), and 16 without AF. LA volume and dimensions were larger in patients with AF (p < 0.05) and the spine and aorta (Ao) impressed the LA more frequently in the AF group. The esophagus (Eo) was the predominant feature on the posterior LA wall, contacting it in all patients. The Ao was in contact with the LA body or the left inferior pulmonary vein (PV) in 32 (76%) of 42 cases, and in 10 it ran along an indentation on the posterior aspect of the LA. The coronary sinus was adjacent to LA ablation sites, the azygos vein was rarely adjacent to those sites, and the left bronchus abutted the PV ostium but not the LA. Two patients had findings that directly impacted the ablation procedure: one patient had a dilated fluid filled Eo with esophageal stricture and underwent nasogastric decompression before ablation, and one was discovered to have an anomalous PV and underwent surgical repair. Conclusions MDCT imaging identifies structures adjacent to the LA, which could be affected by ablation. Posterior LA topography can be influenced by the position of the Ao or by the proximity of the spine. Preprocedural imaging can characterize anatomic structures that could be vulnerable during ablation, and detect unusual pathology that can affect the treatment plan.