[Acute myocardial infarction: immediate coronary angioplasty for failure or contra-indications of thrombolytic therapy. Apropos of a series of 100 cases].

One hundred patients admitted to a centre of interventional cardiology with acute myocardial infarction of less than 6 hours, underwent coronary angioplasty of first intention because of contra-indications to thrombolytic therapy (n = 20) or after thrombolytic therapy with streptokinase (n = 54), acylenzymes (n = 12) or tissue type plasminogen activator (n = 14). The indication of angioplasty were those of the TIMI (Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction) classification (occluded artery, TIMI grade 0) (n = 60) (suboccluded artery, TIMI grade 1) (n = 40). The criterion of success of angioplasty was an increase greater than 1 of TIMI grade.

[Effects of heart rate increase by transesophageal stimulation on the left ventricular filling in the normal subject. A pulsed echo-Doppler study].

The effects of increasing the heart rate on left ventricular filling were studied by Doppler echocardiography in 12 mildly sedated normal subjects. The heart rate was increased by 10, 20 and 30 bpm with respect to the basal rhythm by transoesophageal pacing. Four stages were thereby defined: S0, S1, S2 and S3.

[Value of transesophageal auricular stimulation for evaluating the accessory pathway and effect of treatment in Wolf-Parkinson-White syndrome].

In order to assess the value of the various atrial pacing techniques employed to evaluate the anterograde conduction of the accessory pathway and the effect of antiarrhythmic agents in Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, transesophageal atrial pacing was performed in 12 patients before and during treatment with oral flecainide acetate in doses of 200 mg per day. Before treatment, the shortest interval conducted with a 1/1 atrioventricular conduction by the accessory pathway ranged from 225 to 600 ms (mean 311 +/- 98 ms), and the effective refractory period of the accessory pathway, measured by the extrastimulus method in 11 patients, varied from 240 to 320 ms (mean 273 +/- 22 ms). These two values were very close in each patient and correlated well with each other (r = 0.

[Magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis of myxedematous pericardial effusions].

Two cases of myxedematous pericardial effusions studied by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are reported. After a reminder of the place of pericardial involvement in this disease, the advantage of MRI which provides original semiologic factors on the analysis of topographic extension and on the approach of the cellular characteristics of the effusion, is presented. Concerning the latter, difficulties of interpretation and current imprecisions are discussed but we will especially remember the advantage of this recent technique in the diagnosis of an effusion, even moderate, in hypothyroidism, mainly in patients with poor sonographic response.

[Carotid sinus syndrome of mixed cardioinhibitory and vasodepressive form. Value of sequential atrioventricular stimulation].

The authors report an observation of cardioinhibitory and vasodepressive carotid sinus syndrome. The vasodepressive response was analyzed by electrophysiological exploration with determination of changes in arterial pressure. This pressure is increased automatically by the "pacemaker effect of a ventricular corrective response.