Alexander Arditti

Echocardiographic evaluation of patients with systemic sarcoidosis

Echocardiographic evaluation of 42 patients with sarcoidosis disclosed 13 patients (group A) with abnormalities compatible with sarcoid heart involvement such as thickening or thinning of the septum (eight patients), pericardial effusion (four patients), and increased end-diastolic dimension of the left ventricle with decreased systolic function (three patients). The remaining 29 patients (group B) were diagnosed as having normal echocardiograms. The clinical data revealed no statistically significant difference between the groups regarding age, sex, chest x-ray stage, activity, and previous heart disease. Group A patients had older clinical onset of the disease (52 vs 83 months; p less than 0.05) and higher incidence of ECG abnormalities than group B patients. There were no statistically significant differences between the groups regarding two-dimensional echocardiographic internal dimensions of both ventricular chambers. The radionuclear right ventricular ejection fraction was low in both groups and the left ventricular ejection fraction was depressed in group A patients (p less than 0.01). As observed in pathologic studies, the septum is a target structure which can be characterized echocardiographically. Screening suspected sarcoid heart disease involvement is important to characterize patients with a relatively high risk of clinical cardiac abnormalities such as complete atrioventricular block, ventricular arrhythmias, congestive heart failure, and sudden death.

Efficacy of intravenous amiodarone in the management of paroxysmal or new atrial fibrillation with fast ventricular response

We tested the efficacy of intravenous amiodarone (5 mg/kg) in slowing ventricular response and/or restoring sinus rhythm in 26 patients with paroxysmal or new atrial fibrillation with fast ventricular response. There were 16 men and 10 women with ages ranging from 35 to 84 years, mean 63 years. Intravenous amiodarone initially slowed the ventricular response in all patients from 143 +/- 27 to 96 +/- 10 beats/min (P less than 0.001). Twelve patients (46%) reverted to sinus rhythm within the first 30 min (range 5 to 30 min, mean 14 +/- 9 min). One patient reverted to atrial flutter after 10 min and 40 min later to sinus rhythm. Six patients (23%) converted to sinus rhythm after 2 to 8 hr and in these 6 cases, the initial slowing in ventricular response obtained with amiodarone persisted until conversion. Seven patients (27%) did not convert to sinus rhythm following amiodarone administration and they required further medical therapy to slow the ventricular response and/or to convert to sinus rhythm. No serious side effects from drug administration were noted. Intravenous amiodarone appears as a highly effective medication in the conversion or control of new onset atrial fibrillation with fast ventricular response.

Unstable angina: The significance of ST segment elevation or depression in patients without evidence of increased myocardial oxygen demand

We evaluated 46 patients with unstable angina (UA), who showed no significant changes in heart rate, blood pressure, and double product (as evidence of increased oxygen demand) during episodes of chest pain. Coronary angiography was performed in all patients during the same hospitalization. Of 26 patients with UA and ST depression (group A), 10 had left main coronary artery disease (CAD) and eight had left main equivalent CAD. Of 20 patients with UA and ST elevation (group B), only one had left main CAD and one had left main equivalent CAD. All patients in group A had ST depression in leads V4 and V5, and all patients in group B had ST elevation in leads V2 and V3. The presence of ST depression in leads V4 and V5 in UA patients without evidence of increased oxygen demand may be suggestive of significant left main or left main equivalent CAD. Therefore, coronary angiography is recommended during the same hospitalization.

Unstable angina pectoris evolving to acute myocardial infarction: significance of ECG changes during chest pain

We retrospectively evaluated 32 patients with unstable angina (UA) and no evidence of increased oxygen demand during episodes of chest pain (no significant changes in heart rate and blood pressure), who developed an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) during the same hospitalization. Based on the type of ST changes during anginal pain, two groups were defined: Group A included 19 patients who developed ST elevation during AMI; 15 of these 19 patients (79%) were in Killip class I, two were in class II, and there was one patient each in classes III and IV, respectively. Only one of the 19 patients died. Group B included 13 patients who developed ST depression during AMI; nine of these 13 patients were in Killip class IV and the remaining four patients died before they could be evaluated. Ten patients died (77%) (p less than 0.01), seven in electromechanical dissociation and three in cardiogenic shock. Postmortem examination, performed in four patients, revealed total obstruction of the left main coronary artery. It is concluded that patients with UA who, during attacks of chest pain, develop ST depression and no evidence of increased oxygen demand may have a poor prognosis when they develop an AMI. This selected group of high-risk patients appears to need immediate intensive medical care and most probably early surgical treatment.

Polymorphous Ventricular Tachycardia and Atrioventricular Block

Nine patients are presented who had polymorphous ventricular tachycardia (PMVT) occurring during alrioventricular (AV) block. There were five men and four women with a mean age of 80 ± 9 years. Five patients had organic heart disease and the remaining four had primary conduction disease (bundle branch block). AV block was complete in four patients (2:1 in three, and paroxysmal in two). The mean ventricular cycle length(of the AV block rhythm) was 1567 ± 203 ms. The mean QT interval was 0.64 ± 0.09 s and the mean QTc was 0.51 ± 0.06 s. When compared to a similar control group with AV block but without PMVT, the ventricular cycle length was similar but the QT and QTc were significantly longer. PMVT was usually of short duration (eight beats to 12 s) and in seven of these nine patients, frequent premature ventricular beats (PVBs) were recorded at various times from the occurrence of PMVT. This is in contrast to the control patients in whom PVBs were detected in one patient only. In conclusion, patients with AV block who develop PMVT usually have longer QT intervals and have detectable PVBs on routine ECGs, unlike similar patients with AV block but without PMVT. In a patient with AV block, a QT interval above 0.60 s and PVBs an the ECG seem to indicate an increased risk for the development of PMVT.

Left and right ventricular function in inferior acute myocardial infarction and significance of advanced atrioventricular block.

Of 139 consecutive patients with a first inferior acute myocardial infarction, 26 (19%) had advanced atrioventricular (AV) block and 113 (81%) did not. All were evaluated by 2-dimensional echocardiography (2-D echo) and radionuclide angiography. Patients with advanced AV block had lower radionuclide left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (51 +/- 10 vs 58 +/- 11%, p less than 0.01), higher LV wall motion score on 2-D echo (5.6 +/- 2.6 vs 3.1 +/- 2.7, p less than 0.001), lower radionuclide right ventricular (RV) ejection fraction (32 +/- 15 vs 39 +/- 16%, p less than 0.001) and higher RV wall motion score on 2-D echo (3.4 +/- 1.7 vs 1.5 +/- 2, p less than 0.002) than did patients without AV block. The incidence rate of RV dysfunction was higher in patients with advanced AV block (78 vs 40%, p less than 0.02), and the mortality rate was also higher (although not significantly) in patients with advanced AV block (15 vs 6%). In conclusion, patients with inferior acute myocardial infarction and advanced AV block have larger infarct sizes (as seen on radionuclide angiography and 2-D echo) and lower RV and LV function than patients without AV block. This finding may explain the higher mortality rate observed in this group.

Single channel dual echocardiography

An inexpensive method for obtaining simultaneous echograms from two or more cardiac areas is described. The measurement of systolic and diastolic time intervals, the identification of various auscultatory findings and the diagnosis of some valvular lesions are among the uses of such a technique.

Alternating Wenckebach Periods in Acute Inferior Myocardial Infarction: Clinical, Electrocardiographic, and Therapeutic Characterization

We report on twelve patients with alternating Wenckebach periods (AWP) occurring during an acute inferior myocardial infarction (AIMI). There were nine males and three females, with a mean age of 61 years (range, 43 to 75). AWP appeared during the first 48 hours of the AIMI in 10 patients and on the fourth day of hospitalization in two patients. AWP occurred spontaneously in nine patients and following the administration of atropine in the remaining three patients. Mean systolic blood pressure significantly decreased during AWP as compared to the period preceding or following the bradyarrhythmia (93 ± 42 mmHg vs 123 ± 37 mmHg, p < 0.02). Killip functional class was significantly higher during AWP as compared to the period preceding or following the bradyarrhythmia (2.1 ± 1.2 vs 1.5 ± 0.8, p < 0.02). Pacemaker therapy was initiated prophylactically in two patients, because of syncope in six, because of hemodynamic deterioration in two, and for syncope and hemodynamic deterioration in two. Three patients died in cardiogenic shock despite pacemaker therapy. No evidence of right ventricular infarction was seen in the patients.

Three-vessel coronary artery spasm in a patient with variant angina and normal coronary arteries

Variant angina with two or more electrocardiographic or angiographic localizations has seldom been reported [1-4]. We present a case of variant angina pectoris and normal coronary arteries with three different and independent electrocardiographic localizations.

Deep inspiration induced sinus arrest. An unusual manifestation in a patient with the sick sinus syndrome

In a patient with the sick sinus syndrome and near syncope a prolonged sinus pause was documented and reproduced thereafter during sustained deep inspiration. Administration of intravenous atropine abolished this phenomenon, most probably indicating a hyperresponsiveness of the sinus node and AV junction to a vagotonic reflex.