Reentry mechanisms and ablation of ECG-typical atrial flutters involving the cavo-tricuspid isthmus and the proximal coronary sinus.

Aim: Reentry circuits of a rare typical atrial flutter (AFL) involving the cavo-tricuspid isthmus (CTI) and proximal coronary sinus (CS) are described based on electrophysiological data and effects of radiofrequency (RF).

Methods And Results: Twelve patients with ECG-typical AFL in whom entrainment demonstrated that CTI and proximal CS were both part of the circuit were included. Initial RF target was CTI in 8 patients and proximal CS in 4.

[A myocardial infarction complicated with mitral anterior papillary muscle rupture during long-term corticotherapy].

The authors report anterolateral papillary muscle rupture, occurring in a 67-year-old patient admitted for acute coronary syndrome. Mitral regurgitation, a rare but dramatic complication of myocardial infarction, is most often a consequence of posterior papillary muscle rupture. The 'protection' of the anterior papillary muscle is associated with vascularization via a dual coronary artery supply.

[Left auricle myxoma, a rare cause of myocardial infarction].

Introduction: The association of left auricle myxoma and myocardial infarction is exceptional. Nevertheless, a causal relationship exists between the 2 affections.

Observation: A 54 year-old woman was hospitalised in a rush for myocardial infarction.

[Coronary angioplasty using 5 or 6 F guide catheters. Results of a comparative, monocentric, prospective randomized study].

Improvement of balloon and stent profile allows to use smaller-diameter catheters to avoid vascular complications by reduce the size of puncture site. First studies using 5 F guiding catheters showed good results in term of safety and feasibility. The authors performed a prospective, randomised study to define exactly the place of such small catheter compared to 6 F approach.

[Screening of the abdominal aortic aneurysms during an echocardiography].

We examined the abdominal aorta by ultrasound in 1106 patients during transthoracic echocardiography, whatever the reason of the echocardiography, to track abdominal aortic aneurysms. The study group comprised 822 men and 284 women. We found 88 patients having an abdominal aorta with a diameter of more than 23 mm and 11 patients with a diameter of more than 35 mm.