[Pure arrhythmic form of the pre-infarction syndrome or spasm responsible for myocardial necrosis].

A 74 years old man was admitted as an emergency for syncopal attacks due to recurrent ventricular fibrillation (VF). These attacks were observed at the height of myocardial ischaemia as shown by ST elevation in Leads II, III and RV without associated anginal pain. Inferior myocardial infarction occurred during recurrent VF on the 4th day; the outcome was favourable.

[The future of catheterization in acquired heart valve diseases].

The value of routine catheterization and angiography in the investigation of acquired valvular disease is currently under debate. In many cases, echocardiography provides enough information, even for pre-operative assessment of the heart disease. However, the pre-operative assessment of the valvular disease requires an estimation of the severity of the valvular lesion and a study of left ventricular performance.

[Chronic aortic insufficiency with major left ventricle failure.ion. Results of aortic valve replacement and study of prognosis].

Twenty four patients with chronic aortic incompetence and major left ventricular dysfunction underwent aortic valve replacement. Left ventricular failure was responsible for severe symptoms: NYHA Classes III and IV. It was defined by the following haemodynamic criteria: LV ejection fraction (EF) 40 p.

[Analysis of interobserver variations in the estimation of myocardial volume, thickness and mass in right anterior oblique monoplanar angiocardiography].

The parameter derived from right anterior oblique angiocardiography (end diastolic and end systolic volumes, stroke volume, ejection fraction, wall thickness and myocardial mass) are used to decide the most appropriate management of cardiac disease. It is important to assess their reliability especially as other clinical data may be underestimated and the objective results may play a prominent role in the decision. Therefore, good quality cinefilms of 31 patients were reinterpreted by three observers (A, B and C); the contours were traced on a Vanguard console with an electromagnetic pet and the data treated automatically by the SNIASS SYSCOMORAN program (Simpson's method, assimilating the left ventricle to an ellipsoid divided into n identical cylinders).

[Prognosis of asymptomatic or slightly symptomatic chronic aortic insufficiency. Apropos of 54 patients followed for an average of 36 months].

A series of 54 patients with chronic aortic insufficiency with little (38) or no symptoms (16) were studied. All had severe regurgitation leading to discussion of aortic valve replacement. All patients (44 male and 10 female) underwent clinical, radiological, electrocardiographic, hemodynamic and angiographic investigation with assessment of left ventricular volume by monoplane 30 degrees cineangiography on entry to the study.