Congenital middle ear anomalies: anatomical and functional results of surgery.

The aim of this study was to describe the audiometric results following surgery in a consecutive series of pediatric patients with a congenital middle ear disorder. Retrospective chart review was performed for 29 consecutive children who underwent 33 middle ear surgeries for congenital ossicular chain anomaly between 1990 and 2012. Anomalies were classified into four groups according to the Teunissen and Cremers classification.

[Acute coronary syndrome in elderly patients: experience of Aix-en-Provence General Hospital].

Introduction: Cardiovascular causes are the first causes of death in elderly patients. Nevertheless, elderly patients are underrepresented in randomized studies of acute coronary syndromes although treatment of ACS for elderly patients has specificities that need special attention.

Methods And Results: To discuss these specificities, we realized a retrospective study involving patients aged more than 75years old and admitted for ACS in the cardiology department of Aix-en-Provence General Hospital in the first six months of 2010 (Group A) and 2012 (Group B) which we compared.

Blood supply to the human sternocleidomastoid muscle and its clinical implications for mandible reconstruction.

Objectives/hypothesis: The use of the sternocleidomastoid (SCM) flap for reconstructive surgery of the mandible seems to be a practicable although underestimated option.

Study Design: This study was conducted on 15 cadavers that had been neoprene-latex injected in the middle and inferior pedicles.

Methods: Lengths of the SCM were equally divided into upper, middle, and lower thirds.

Functional results of Vibrant Soundbridge middle ear implants in conductive and mixed hearing losses.

Objective: Our purpose was to evaluate the results of Vibrant Soundbridge (VSB) in conductive or mixed hearing loss.

Materials And Methods: Twenty-five adult patients (29 ears) with a mixed or conductive hearing loss and various etiologies were included in this retrospective study. The preoperative ipsilateral pure tone average was 71 ± 3.

[Acquired long QT syndrome: a dominant problem?].

QT prolongation is essentially of pharmacologic origin. It is principally linked to a block of the outward potassium current Ikr, with as a consequence a prolongation of the repolarisation causing early after potentials and re-entry. The term "repolarisation reserve" expresses the variable risk of arrhythmia among individuals under the same drug blocking Ikr.

[Aneurysm of a saphenous vein bypass graft to coronary artery: a case report discovered as an incidental finding].

We report a case of aortocoronary bypass graft aneurysm revealed by exertional dyspnea and presenting as an anterior mediastinal mass at the unenhanced computed tomography scan. The diagnosis has been established using combined contrast-enhanced CT scan which specified the vascular nature of the mass and coronary angiography which connected it to the aorto-marginal branch saphenous vein graft. This case illustrates the frequently asymptomatic expression of aneurysm and the importance of combined imaging modalities for the diagnosis.

[Cardiac resynchronization in congestive heart failure: role of Doppler echocardiography in patient selection].

Cardiac echodoppler is an efficient tool to analyse cardiac mechanic loop. Diastolic and systolic desynchronisation criteria are analysed. It should allow a more efficient selection of patients who could take benefit of resynchronization therapy, but also to choose resynchronization system, to program optimal atrioventricular delay, interventricular delay and to evaluate resynchronization efficiency.

[Resynchronization of the failing heart by pacing].

Cardiac pacing has been proposed for patients with advanced heart failure refractory to optimal drug treatment and having conduction disorders to resynchronize mechanical activity of the heart. Activation asynchronism as caused by bundle branch block results in alteration of systolic function and arrhythmias. A too short or too long atrio-ventricular delay can also affect diastolic ventricular filling.

Atrioventricular cross-talk in biventricular pacing: a potential cause of ventricular standstill.

The aim of the study was to evaluate, in recipients of biventricular pacing systems, the risk of asystole due to ventricular pacing inhibition by sensing the left atrial signals by the LV lead at conventional sensitivity. Long-term ventricular sensitivity was programmed at > or = 4 m V in 17 consecutive recipients of ventricular resynchronization systems implanted for chronic management of congestive heart failure. Ventricular pacing inhibition due to AV cross-talk on spontaneous left atrial electrogram (AVCSA) was tested at a 2 mV ventricular sensitivity immediately after implantation of the stimulation system and 1 month later.