[Corynebacterium diphtheriae endocarditis complicated by septic arthritis and cerebral abscess].

The authors report a rare case of the mitis type Corynebacterium diphteriae endocarditis on a prosthetic valve complicated by septic arthritis and cerebral abscess. The authors underline the importance of regular transoesophageal echocardiographic control and underline the diagnostic value of ultrafast computed tomography for the diagnosis of aortic annular and interventricular septal abscesses in patients with mechanical prosthetic valves.

[Struma cordis: right intraventricular ectopic thyroid].

The authors report the case of a benign tumour composed of hyperplasic thyroid tissue in the right ventricle, diagnosed in a 43 year old woman by echocardiography after a syncopal episode. The outcome was favourable with a 13 year follow-up after surgery.

[Left coronaro-ventricular fistula after septal myectomy].

The authors report the case of a 17 year old patient operated for valvular aortic stenosis associated with severe hypertrophy of the interventricular septum. The operation consisted of aortic valve replacement and septal myectomy. Color-flow imaging in the postoperative period showed a coronary artery--left ventricular fistula in the region of the septal myectomy.

[Demonstration of muscular activity in the human aorta. Effects of trinitrin].

The human thoracic aorta is usually considered to be a purely elastic vessel. Transoesophageal echo-cardiography (TEE) provides a new approach to study the mechanical properties of the descending aorta. The aim of the study was to evaluate the reproducibility and accuracy of M mode recordings of the human descending thoracic aorta and to appreciate the changes produced by an infusion of glyceryl trinitrate (GTN).

[Cardiac pathology in human immunodeficiency virus infection].

Clinical cardiac manifestations are rare in the course of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), but cardiac lesions can be found at autopsy in 60% of cases. Myocardium and pericardium are the most frequently involved. Cardiac involvement in opportunistic infections, Kaposi's sarcoma, and non Hodgkin's malignant lymphomas usually reflects systemic dissemination of the disease.

[Role of the renin-angiotensin system in arterial hypertension with aortic coarctation in young adults].

The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) was evaluated in 7 hypertensives with pure isthmic coarctation of the aorta. RAS was studied under basal conditions, standing, after saralasine (a specific angiotensin II antagonist) and after acebutolol (a cardioselective beta-blocker and an inhibitor of renin secretion). Plasma volume was measured by radio isotopic methods and cardiac catheterisation was performed to assess the pressure gradient across the coarctation.

[Arrhythmias following closure of atrial septal defects. Apropos of 300 cases].

In a series of 300 cases whose atrial septal defects were closed (268 with ostium secundum, 27 with ostium primum, and 5 cases with both), arrhythmias were found in 60%. These were usually slow supraventricular arrhythmias caused by substitution (51%), and less commonly rapid supraventricular arrhythmias (27%), extra-systoles (16%), disorders of atrio-ventricular conduction of second and third degree and disorders of the auricle (6%). Conduction disorders were significantly more common (p less than 0.

[Long-term results of palliative operations and complete cure of tetralogy of Fallot].

714 cases of Fallot's tetralogy have been encountered over the last thirty years. A closed heart operation was undertaken in 472 patients. The mean age at operation was 5,1 years.

[Valve replacement in case of a partial atrioventricular canal. A propos of 17 cases].

In 17 patients with a partial form of atrioventricular canal, at least one valve was replaced. The mitral valve was the most commonly affected (16 cases), sometimes in association with the tricuspid valve (5 cases) or the aortic valve (1 case); the tricuspid valve alone was replaced in one case. 7 cases were ranked as operative deaths, and the longer term mortality was of 4 cases.

[Spontaneous and post-surgical outcome of incomplete forms of atrio-ventricular canal].

125 patients with an incomplete type of atrioventricular canal defect (AVC) were followed up over a very long period. A study of the changes in parameters which are not open to great variability has allowed a more precise approach to the spontaneous and postoperative course of this congenital cardiac defect. The fact that the condition is usually well during the first three decades is not a justification for witholding operation; complications occur after the thirtieth year, and the operative risk becomes greater.

[Subvalvular aortic stenosis, dysmorphic familial syndrome and peripheral muscular disease].

Two related cases are reported, those of two sisters aged 7 and 13, who had an aortic subvalvular stenosis in the form of a fibro-muscular channel, associated with mitral incompetence, a triangular facies with a pointed chin, pinched lips, a divergent squint, hypertelorism, a mask-like face, normal intelligence, and a peripheral muscular disorder with arthrogriposis. The description of such a combination of malformations is original, and this is discussed.

[Atrial spetal defects of the ostium secundum type with mitral valve insufficiency. Apropos of 31 cases].

31 cases of ASD with mitral incompetence have been reviewed. The aetiology of the mitral incompetence is most frequently congenital, contrary to the classical view. The usual mitral defect is a combination of gaping of posterior commissure with a narrow valvular opening.

[Left juxtaposition of the atria. Apropos of a case with dextroversion, transposition of great vessels, bilateral conus, interventricular communication and pulmonary atresia].

Report of one case of a woman aged 29 years with a severe cyanotic congenital heart disease complicated by brain abscess. The diagnosis of left juxtaposition of the atria combined with dextroversion, a d-transposition of the large vessels and a vestricular septal defect was done pre-operatively. An attempt at a Rastelli's operation was followed by immediate death.

[Transposition of great vessels with pulmonary stenosis and interventricular communication. Anatomic and surgical aspects. Apropos of 10 cases].

10 cases of anomalous position of the great vessels are reported. They include 8 cases of d-transpositions, 1 of 1-transposition and 1 anatomically corrected malposition. These cases have in common the combination of a ventricular septal defect with a pulmonary stenosis.