Pentti I. Halonen

Atrial myxoma in a family.

A family is described in which the mother and three of seven children had atrial myxoma. The mother had biatrial myxoma; surgical treatment resulted in massive intraoperative embolization and death. Surgery was sucessful in two sons with left atrial myxoma and systemic arterial embolization. A third son had calcified right atrial myxoma with destruction of the tricuspid valve and episodes of syncope and pulmonary embolism; surgery including valve replacement, was successful. The mothers father and a brother had died suddenly without a definite diagnosis. The family data are consistent with dominant transmission. The possibility of finding affected relatives should be borne in mind when studying patients with atrial myxoma.

Pericarditis and myocarditis caused by toxoplasma: Report of a case and review of the literature

Abstract The writers have described a case of pericarditis and myocarditis caused by Toxoplasma in a 54-year-old man, who recovered. The diagnosis of toxoplasmosis was based upon a strongly positive dye test and complement fixation test, which showed rising titers during the disease. The cases of pericarditis and myocarditis in acquired toxoplasmosis reported in the literature are reviewed.

Serum α-hydroxybutyric dehydrogenase (HBD) in myocardial infarction

Abstract In a comparative study, simultaneous determinations of the α-hydroxybutyric dehydrogenase (HBD), GOT and LDH enzyme activities were made from 369 serum samples in serial analyses in 60 clinically diagnosed cases of recent myocardial infarction. Elevation of serum HBD occurred more frequently than a concurrent rise in serum GOT or LDH. Enhanced serum HBD activity persisted for a longer time than the corresponding rise in serum GOT or LDH. It is suggested that the determination of HBD activity offers a promising aid in the detection of myocardial infarction, especially since the measurement of this enzyme is easy.

Absorption of I131-triolein in congestive heart failure

Abstract The absorption of I 131 -triolein into the blood and the fecal excretion of I 131 activity were studied in seventeen patients with congestive heart failure and twelve control subjects with no congestive heart failure or gastrointestinal disease. The recovery of I 131 -lipid was distinctly smaller and the peak activity occurred later in patients with heart failure than in control subjects. The fecal excretion of radioactivity by these patients after the ingestion of I 131 -triolein was several times the radioactivity excreted by the control subjects. The changes were greatest in patients with severe congestive heart failure and improved as the heart failure became compensated.

Supravalvular pulmonic stenosis, abnormal facial appearance, and mental retardation

Abstract A case of supravalvular pulmonic stenosis in a mentally retarded girl is described. She had a peculiar face and malocclusion of the teeth. A possible relationship with the syndrome of supravalvular aortic stenosis, characteristic facies, and mental retardation is discussed.

Neurogenic sarcoma in the heart

Abstract The authors have described a clinically diagnosed sarcoma of the heart in a 52-year-old man. The sarcoma had invaded the heart, pericardium, and mediastinum. Histologically the tumor was a malignant schwannoma having its origin in the vagus nerve or in the cardiac plexus arising from this nerve.

Hypoplasia of the aorta: Report of a case

Abstract A case of solitary hypoplasia of the aorta in a 14-year-old boy is reported. The suspicion of aortic hypoplasia was aroused by the absence of the aortic knob at x-ray examination. Angiocardiography showed an extreme hypoplasia of the aorta. Catheterization of the right heart revealed normal hemodynamics in the pulmonary circulation. The systolic blood pressure in the arms was remarkably elevated, but the diastolic pressure was normal. The systolic pressure in the legs was lower than that in the arms. This finding first led to the diagnosis of coarctation of the aorta. An interesting clinical feature was the finding of extremely narrow retinal arteries on ophthalmoscopy. Aortic hypoplasia should be considered in the differential diagnosis in cases of obscure cardiac failure in young individuals and in cases of congenital heart disease.

Increased urinary coproporphyrins following acute myocardial infarction and pulmonary embolism

Abstract The authors have studied the secretion of coproporphyrins in the urine in twelve cases of myocardial infarction, five cases of pulmonary embolism and twelve healthy persons. In the healthy subjects the daily amount of urinary coproporphyrins was 21 to 142 μg. During the first two or three days following myocardial infarction and pulmonary embolism an increase occurred in the daily urinary coproporphyrin secretion, the total amount being 310 to 207 μg/24 hr. in the patients with infarction and 287 to 203 μg/24 hr. in patients with pulmonary embolism.