Unstable angina pectoris as a warning symptom before acute myocardial infarction.

Four hundred patients who were admitted over the last three years with myocardial infarction were questioned about the presence and pattern of angina before its onset. Two hundred and twenty-four (56 per cent) patients had angina before their infarction; 184 (46 per cent) had the unstable pattern of angina. That such a high proportion of patients experience unstable angina as a prodromal symptom makes it possible that myocardial infarction could be prevented in some of these patients.

The significance of a persistent precordial ST segment greater than or equal to 0.1 mV depression in acute inferior myocardial infarction (coronary angiographic and ventriculographic findings).

40 patients with acute inferior myocardial infarction (MI) associated with persistent precordial ST segment depression greater than or equal to 0.1 mV underwent coronary arteriography and left ventriculography within 5-6 days of their admission. The inferior MI was the result of complete occlusion of the right coronary artery (RCA) in 38 patients and the result of complete occlusion of the posterior descending artery (PDA) coming off the circumflex artery (Cx) in two patients.

Strokes and mitral valve prolapse. Coincidence or relation?

Four cases with cerebral ischaemic events and mitral valve prolapse are described. Full investigations failed to reveal any other potential cause for these cerebral events.

Inhospital prognosis of patients with their first transmural or subendocardial infarction and comparison of their coronary arteriogram and ventriculogram.

The inhospital clinical course and early prognosis were studied prospectively in 500 patients who suffered their first transmural or subendocardial myocardial infarction, and were admitted in the coronary care unit of our hospital over the last four years. The coronary arteriogram and left ventriculogram of 300 patients out of the 500 was also compared. 434 patients developed transmural and 66 subendocardial infarction, as judged by electrocardiographic criteria.

Association of mitral valve leaflet prolapse with cerebral ischaemic events in the young and early middle-aged patient.

In order to clarify possible links between mitral valve leaflet prolapse and cerebral ischaemic events we carried out a study prospectively over a period of two years on 66 patients (35 men and 31 women) under the age of 50 who suffered from transient cerebral ischaemic attacks or completed strokes. Twenty-three (34.8 per cent) of the 66 patients were found to have mitral valve leaflet prolapse syndrome.