Roberto Enciso

Acute myocardial infarction during pregnancy and puerperium review

The purpose of this review is to analyze the possible parameters that lead to the devel opment of what is a rare event—acute myocardial infarction (AMI) during pregnancy and puerperium. Through the Index Médicus, 109 publications on the subject were obtained. Since the first well-documented case by Katz in 1922, 136 patients have been reported, and from these reports the following data have been gathered: the average age was 32.1 years. This event is more frequent during the third trimester and puerperium of the first and second pregnancies. In 42.6% of the patients no coronary risk factors were observed, but when present, hypertension and cigarette smoking were the most common. The anterior wall along or in combination with any other anatomic area was affected in 73% of cases. Coronary angiograms, when taken, appeared normal in 47%. The maternal mortality rate was 26/136 (19.1%) and was higher during the third trimester, labor, and puerperium. Eight patients (8/26) (30.7%) had sudden death. In 5 of these, (62.5%) coronary thrombosis was found. In 18/26 deaths, an autopsy was performed; 9/18 (50%) had coronary thrombus formation and in 7/18 (39%) variable degrees of atherosclerosis were detected. On the other hand, the fetal mortality rate was 16.9%; however, in only 52% was death coincidental with that of the mother. Coronary artery spasm associated with a probable hypercoagulability state was the most likely mechanism in the majority of these patients, followed by atherosclerotic heart disease and coronary dissection—the last being secondary most likely to hormonal changes. During the AMI these patients should be studied by a medical team composed of a cardiologist, gynecologist, and anesthesiologist. A complete cardiologic work-up should be made to decide individually about further pregnancies.

Silent Giant Left Atrium A Case Report

A sixty-two-year-old white woman with a 14.5 cm (145 mm) silent giant left atrial enlargement secondary probably to rheumatic heart disease is presented. Aside from mild progressive shortness of breath during the past year, the patient had been asymptomatic all her life. Her clinical picture was manifested for the first time by syncope secondary to slow atrial fibrillation, for which a permanent pacemaker was required. The correct diagnosis of the enlarged chamber was not possible through the routine chest roentgenogram. In this case, the echocardiogram, nuclear angiogram, and computed tomography were the pertinent studies needed to reach the diagnosis.

Acute Myocardial Infarction During Pregnancy and Puerperium in Athletic Women Two Case Reports

The authors present 2 cases: 1 of a thirty-two-year-old woman and another of a thirty- eight-year-old woman, both Hispanic and athletic, with no identifiable precipitating or coronary risk factors, such as previous heart disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, cigarette smoking, hyperlipoproteinemia, oral contraceptive use, coagulation disorders, thyroid disease, collagen tissue disorder, or family history of premature myocardial infarc tion, who both developed an acute posteroinferior wall myocardial infarction with normal coronary arteries, one during pregnancy, from which normal twin girls were born, and another, during the postpartum period. After reviewing the literature the authors consider the present cases as unique due to the rare association of pregnancy with intrapartum and postpartum acute myocardial infarction with normal coronary arteries in athletic women.

Traumatic coronary arteriovenous fistula communicating the left main coronary artery to pulmonary artery, associated with pulmonary valvular insufficiency and endocarditis: case report.

The authors present a case of a seventeen-year-old white male who suffered from a knife chest wound and secondarily developed a traumatic coronary arteriovenous fistula communicating the left main coronary artery to the pulmonary artery, associated with pulmonary valvular insufficiency and endocarditis.

Heart Block in Dextrocardia with Situs Inversus A Case Report

The authors report a case of a forty-one-year-old white woman with dextrocardia with situs inversus who presented episodes of prolonged sinus arrest and syncopal episodes secondary to possible idiopathic degeneration of the conduction system, managed successfully with a permanent bicameral pacemaker. In their literature review they found that this case represents a very rare association.

Ventricular Tachycardia as a First Manifestation of Right Ventricular Myxoma—A Case Presentation

The authors present a case of a thirty-nine-year-old white man in good health who developed episodes of ventricular tachycardia as a first manifestation of a right ventricular myxoma, which was diagnosed by two-dimensional echocardio gram and then resected with no complications and total disappearance of the cardiac arrhythmia. After reviewing the literature they consider the present case as a rare manifesta tion of an infrequent location of an uncommon disease.

Cholera and Myocarditis A Case Report

The authors describe the case of a fifty-nine-year-old white man, previously in good health, who initiated his present illness with acute episode of enterocolitis characterized by mild fever and, in the next eight hours, twenty-four episodes of watery diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, as well as generalized sweating and severe weakness secondary to hypovolemia and electrolyte disorder. These complications were corrected in seventy- two hours in the intensive care unit. Two days later, when the patient was stable hemo- dynamically, under cardiac monitoring and with normal laboratory studies including serum electrolytes, he developed electrocardiographic changes characterized by trifasci cular block (prolonged P-R interval, complete right bundle branch block [CRBBB] and left posterior hemiblock [LPH]) with a cardiac rate of thirty beats per minute, for which a temporary pacemaker was inserted. Endomyocardial biopsy showed histopathologic signs of myocarditis and the immunologic study of the cardiac tissue revealed positive poly merize chain reaction (PCR+) with the presence of antitoxine choleric antibodies (AcTCA). After three weeks, the same conduction disturbances remained, for which a permanent pacemaker was inserted. On top of intravenous fluid replacement and elec trolyte supplements, the patient was managed with tetracycline 2 g a day for one week and sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim 800/160 mg a day for two weeks. The purpose of this study is to present a rare and very well-documented myocarditis by cholera in a patient with enteric disease, in whom several cardiac complications occurred.

Pulmonary Valvular Stenosis Associated with Takayasu's Disease. Favorable Response to Corticosteroids A Case Report:

The authors describe the first reported case of type IV Takayasus arteritis with pulmonary valve stenosis. After thirty months under corticosteroid therapy the disappearance of the pulmonary valve stenosis signs was observed in the patient. In the same patient coarcta tion of the aorta, aortic insufficiency, stenosis of both pulmonary arteries, and left coronary artery stenosis were observed. This case illustrates the extensive cardiovascular involvement that can occur in Takayasus arteritis and suggests that pulmonary valvular stenosis could be secondary to the same inflammatory process.