P. Jaumin

Inhibition by amlodipine of activity evoked in isolated human coronary arteries by endothelin, prostaglandin F2 alpha and depolarization.

Amlodipine, a dihydropyridine calcium antagonist has been examined on the rhythmic activity of isolated human coronary arteries. Amlodipine inhibited both the spontaneous rhythmic activity and the rhythmic activity evoked by prostaglandin F2 alpha and endothelin in isolated human coronary arteries. It also inhibited the contraction evoked by potassium depolarization. The action of amlodipine was characterized by slow onset and voltage dependency.

Perigraft seroma following axillofemoral bypass: report of three cases.

One hundred and twenty-three axillofemoral or bifemoral bypasses were performed in the Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery of the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium between 1975 and 1986. Three cases of perigraft seroma were noted. A polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) graft had been inserted in all three cases. In one case, the seroma recurred rapidly after surgical drainage. The two others were not drained. In all three cases appearance remained unchanged throughout the observation period. The three bypasses are patent at 5, 14 and 24 months. Observation is advocated for this complication especially in high risk patients.

Traumatic Rupture of the Thoracic Aorta - a Report of 27 Operated Cases

Twenty-seven cases of traumatic rupture of the thoracic aorta have been operated on in the cardiovascular and thoracic surgery unit at the Catholic University of Louvain: 10 acute ruptures and 17 chronic false aneurysms. The disproportion between the two groups indicates that the acute pathology tends to remain unrecognized, probably because of major associated injuries that can mask the aortic rupture at the time of trauma. To increase the number of cases of acute traumatic rupture of the aorta successfully diagnosed, the diagnosis should be suspected and a routine aortography should be done in every patient who has sustained a high-speed deceleration injury.

Restenosis After Carotid Endarterectomy

Fifty endarterectomies of the internal carotid artery have been performed on 43 patients from March, 1984, to December, 1985. There were no perioperative or hospital deaths. The permeability of the operated vessel was confirmed by Doppler or angiography in every case. All patients received aspirin 100 mg/day and dipyridamole 400 mg/day post operatively and all were examined for follow-up. Routine Doppler examination of the carotid artery was performed at frequent intervals. At long-term follow-up, 4 patients had died. None of these deaths could be linked to a neurologic deficit. Three restenoses due to intimal hyperplasia were discovered at follow-up between the eighth and twelfth months. The three re stenoses were successfully reoperated. Because the risk of carotid artery restenosis appears to be real, routine fol low-up with Doppler examination is required. Suspicion of restenosis is an indi cation for control angiography. If restenosis is severe, a reoperation is warranted.

Management and Follow-up of Descending Aortic Dissection

The management of 25 consecutive patients with descending aortic dissection is reported. Nineteen patients had medical therapy and 6 needed early surgical correc tions. Indications for early surgery are outlined. Nineteen patients were dis charged and 6 died in-hospital. The actuarial survival is 76% at 11 months and 50% at 4 years. The authors describe the factors susceptible to influence early and late out come.

The Bronchial Carcinoid Adenoma - a Clinical, Radiological and Anatomopathological Study of 25 Operated Patients

SummaryThe goal of this retrospective study is to compare the results of 25 operated cases of bronchial carcinoid adenoma with those published in the literature. If the epidemiological, clinical, laboratory and follow-up results are comparable, our study identifies two unusual aspects of the radiological findings (volume doubling time, cupula sign).In addition, our results confirm the difficulty of a pre-operative anatomopathological diagnosis of the carcinoid tumour, as well as the mediocre contribution of the percutaneous needle aspiration biopsy in peripheral cases.In view of the relatively high number of falsepositive diagnoses of anaplastic small-cell carcinoma in our series, the possibility of an exploratory thoracotomy must be considered.