[Amiodarone therapy in childhood: efficacy and side effects].

In the adult, Amiodarone is a very effective drug in the treatment of ventricular and supraventricular arrhythmias. The presence of severe side effects such as some alterations in the thyroid function and/or pulmonary fibrosis have restricted the use in children. Nevertheless, research has shown that there is a low incidence of collateral side effects and this therapy in infancy can be very effective.

Pulmonary valve agenesis and supravalvular pulmonary stenosis. Report of a case and review of literature.

Pulmonary valve agenesis is a rare malformation, and is usually associated with a ventricular septal defect. Occasionally it may be associated also with right ventricular outflow obstruction. Children with this syndrome usually die early in infancy either of intractable heart failure or of severe respiratory distress.

[Exercise test in 100 healthy children between 5 and 12 years of age (author's transl)].

100 healthy children, between 5 and 12 years of age underwent maximal exercise test on a bicycle ergometer in sitting position. Particularly interesting seem to be the observations on maximal heart rate during exercise, maximum work load, energy cost in terms of heart rate, EGG during exercise. As concerning the maximal heart rate, it was observed a levelling of around 195 beats min.

[beta-Blocking therapy in obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Long term results (author's transl)].

34 patients have been controlled after beta-blocking therapy, for a mean period of 5 years. Symptoms and evolution: syncope disappeared, angoy passed from 47% to 23%, dyspnea from 65% to 47%, dizziness from 70% to 54%, weakness from 30% to 37%. A systolic murmur was present in 75% of the cases.

[Echo-angiocardiographic correlations in congenital abnormalities of the mitral valve (author's transl)].

Echocardiographic findings satisfactorily compared with angiocardiographic data in six infants affected by congenital abnormalities of the mitral valve. Peculiar echocardiographic features were as follows: a) mitral stenosis: reduced E-F slope of the anterior mitral leaflet, paradoxical diastolic movement of the posterior leaflet, enlargement of the left atrium; b) "parachute mitral valve": small, dysmorphic, stiff mitral valve, with an extra echo projecting between those of the two leaflets; c) "cor triatriatum": enlarged left atrium whose cavity is divided in two portions by an extra echo; d) "hypoplastic left heart syndrome": the mitral leaflets are thin, short. The ventricular cavity and the diameter of the aorta are small; the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery are on the contrary markedly dilated.

[The incomplete atrio-ventricular canal. Operative and long term results in 100 cases (author's transl)].

100 patients with endocardial cushion defect of the partial type underwent surgical correction between the years 1957-1975. The age of patients ranged from 3 to 57 years with a mean of 18 years. In 89 patients there was a mitral insufficiency.

[Cardiac fibroma: a successfully operated case and a review of the literature (author's transl)].

A case of cardiac fibroma in a three years old child successfully operated on is presented. The tumor was localized on the interventricular septum and was provoking an obstacle in the outflow of the right ventricle. The preoperative diagnosis was formulated by angiocardiography.

[Surgical treatment of cardiac abnormalities associated with corrected transposition of the great arteries (author's transl)].

Twelve patients with corrected transposition of the great arteries, who underwent surgical repair, are reported. In four cases a ventricular septal defect was present; in six cases, a ventricular septal defect and pulmonary stenosis and in two an incompetence of the systemic atrio-ventricular valve. The anatomic types of corrected transposition and the pertinent diagnostic characteristics were reviewed and discussed.