Coronary angiography in octogenarians: results and implications for revascularization.

Purpose: To determine the risks and the consequences of coronary angiography performed on octogenarians with symptomatic coronary artery disease.

Patients And Methods: In order to define angiographic findings, procedural complications, and therapeutic consequences, a retrospective evaluation was made of 115 consecutive patients with angina, aged 80 or above, who underwent coronary angiography in our institution between 1988 and 1992.

Results: In all, 115 patients (68 men) aged 82 +/- 2 years, 70% with unstable angina, underwent coronary angiography corresponding to 1.

[Non-compliant drug taking in elderly subjects].

Particular consequences of a poor therapeutic compliance by elderly patients are discussed in the context of three selected case reports. They comprise: dosage-errors, discontinuation of therapy (also transient), neglecting of time schedule or rhythm of intake, concomitant therapies. This lacking therapeutic compliance is particularly important because of following situations or interaction between: the elderly patient, that has to be appreciated specific life values, dietary habits, culture and motoric, sensory and/or psychic handicaps and his, lay environment (acquaintances or relatives, inexpert in subsequent medical problems), or last his, medical environment and the positive or harmful interactions of the physicians and/or different therapeutic options.

Surgery in primary leiomyosarcoma of the heart.

Primary leiomyosarcoma of the heart is uncommon and we were able to find only 15 cases reported in the literature. Few of these cases were discovered during life and, as a result, even fewer have been treated surgically. We report a case of a right atrial leiomyosarcoma which was proven pathologically (histologically, immunohistochemically and ultrastructurally) after surgical resection.