Intravascular ultrasound imaging of human coronary arteries after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty: morphologic and quantitative assessment.

An intravascular ultrasound catheter system was used in patients to assess the effect of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. In 14 out of 16 patients, the intravascular ultrasound catheter could be successfully advanced to the site of a previous dilatation. Qualitative assessment of the cross-sectional images revealed intimal thickening and an increase of ultrasound reflectance and calcification at atherosclerotic coronary arteries.

[Impaired diastolic ventricular function in dilated cardiomyopathy with variously reduced systolic function. A Doppler echocardiography analysis].

Diastolic ventricular function was assessed by Doppler echocardiography in 50 patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and sinus rhythm. The patients were subdivided into two groups with either a moderately reduced ejection fraction (less than 32%; group 1, n = 25) or a severely reduced ejection fraction (less than 32%; group 2, n = 25), the latter having an unfavorable prognosis. The degree of heart failure according to the NYHA classification was more pronounced in group 2 (p less than 0.

Doppler echocardiographic analysis of cardiac flow during the Mueller manoeuver.

The inspiration against a closed airway, the Mueller manoeuver, leads to a negative intrathoracic pressure. It is controversially discussed whether this is causing an augmentation of right heart murmurs. There is only limited knowledge on the temporal relationship of the negative intrathoracic pressure with right and left ventricular filling and stroke volume.

[Intravascular sonography of the coronary vessels following percutaneous transluminal angioplasty].

Intravascular ultrasound imaging was performed in 15 patients (three women and 12 men; mean age 55 [48-70] years) after percutaneous balloon angioplasty of the right coronary artery (7 patients), the anterior interventricular branch (6) or the circumflex branch of the left coronary artery (2). The catheter, external diameter 4.8 F, was advanced over a 0.

Radioimmunoimaging of subacute infective endocarditis using a technetium-99m monoclonal granulocyte-specific antibody.

Immunoscintigraphy with a technetium-99m murine monoclonal IgG1 antibody directed against non-specific cross-reacting antigen (NCA-95) and carcinoembryonic antigen was performed with 20 patients with suspected subacute infective endocarditis (SIE) and 6 controls with suspected inflammatory/infectious disease elsewhere in the body. Immunoscintigraphy and echocardiography localised SIE in 11 of 15 patients in whom the disease could be confirmed. In 4 patients with validated SIE, the immunoscan was abnormal, and the echocardiogram was normal.

[Doppler echocardiography determination of systolic and diastolic function in sequential and ventricular stimulation].

In 16 patients with sequential pacing and partly impaired left-ventricular function (mean shortening fraction 23 +/- 7%), the flow through the mitral and aortic valves were studied with Doppler echocardiography at different AV-intervals, keeping heart rate constant at 70/min. The time-velocity integral of the early and late diastolic filling, the first one-third filling fraction, and the diastolic-filling time were found to be significantly dependent on the length of the AV interval (p less than 0.001).

[Intravascular ultrasonic diagnosis. In vivo findings before and after angioplasty in peripheral arterial occlusive disease].

In 15 patients (13 men, two women, mean age 63 [47-75] years) with peripheral arterial occlusive disease in stages IIB-IV (Fontaine) intravascular ultrasound findings were compared with the angiographic results before and after treatment. In 12 patients stenosis (n = 10) or occlusion (n = 2) of the iliac artery (n = 2) or the superficial femoral artery (n = 10) were treated by conventional balloon angioplasty; in three patients with occlusion of the superficial femoral artery excimer laser angioplasty was performed. There was good correlation between measurements of vessel diameter by the two techniques (r = 0.

[Estimated relation of Doppler echocardiography parameters of diastolic ventricular function and pulmonary capillary pressure in acute ischemia].

A close relation between the Doppler-echocardiographic transmitral flow signal (TMF) and the left ventricular filling pressure in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) was described in several reports. The present study investigated the validity of this relation during an episode of acute ischemia induced by coronary angioplasty (PTCA) by simultaneous recording of TMF and mean pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCm). Thirty-nine patients were examined at rest, and 33 of them were further studied during a subsequent PTCA of the left anterior descending artery (n = 22) or the right coronary artery (n = 11).

Impaired relationship between Doppler echocardiographic parameters of diastolic function and left ventricular filling pressure during acute ischemia.

The relationship between left ventricular filling pressure and Doppler echocardiographic parameters of diastolic mitral flow (MF) was evaluated in patients with ischemic heart disease during acute ischemia induced by percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) of the left anterior descending artery. Thirty-two patients were examined by simultaneous recordings of the Doppler MF signal and the mean pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCm) as an approximation of left ventricular filling pressure. At rest PCm was correlated with the early/late velocity integral ratio (Ei/Ai: r = 0.

[Ventricular arrhythmia and late potentials in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy].

Holter monitoring (48 h) and registration of signal-averaged late potentials (method of Simson, high pass filter 40 Hz) were performed in outpatiens with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. A prevalence of spontaneous ventricular arrhythmias could be determined in 51 patients; the results of 45 patients not taking antiarrhythmic drugs are presented here. 96% of these showed ventricular premature beats, 76% had multiform extrasystoles, 27% showed pairs of ectopic beats and 20% had runs of ventricular tachycardia (more than 3 QRS complexes).

[Doppler echocardiography evaluation of left ventricular function in intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation].

Doppler-echocardiographic measurement of transaortic and mitral flow allows an assessment of systolic and diastolic left ventricular performance. To evaluate the hemodynamic effects of intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation (IABP) 10 patients were examined during IABP after myocardial infarction or cardiothoracic surgery. Doppler echocardiographic transaortic (VAo), early (VE) and late (VA) transmitral flow velocities, transaortic velocity time integral (VTIAo), acceleration and deceleration intervals and rates were obtained.

[Right-left shunt caused by myxoma of the right atrium].

We report on a 62-year-old female patient who developed central cyanosis due to a right atrial myxoma with right-to-left shunt.

[Is the plasma ANP level an index of volume expansion in dialysis patients?].

Fluid overload is a frequent complication in anuric patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) or hemofiltration (HF). Elevated ANP plasma concentrations are associated with overhydration or congestive heart failure (CHF). After intensive ultrafiltration in 18 HD patients with high ANP levels at the end of HD, ANP values normalized (28 +/- 4 fmol/ml) in 11 patients (group A), suggesting previous volume overload, whereas ANP remained elevated (126 +/- 31 fmol/ml) in seven patients (group B).

[Doppler echocardiography determination of the minute heart volume in ergometric stress].

To prove the use of Doppler-echocardiography in the determination of cardiac output during supine bicycle exercise, 14 patients suffering from dilatative cardiomyopathy were studied. Cardiac output was simultaneously determined by Doppler-echocardiography and with radionuclide ventriculography. In some cases, cardiac output was additionally measured using the thermodilution technique.

[Noninvasive determination of stroke volume with spectral Doppler echocardiography].

To assess the determination of volume flow by Doppler echokardiography 15 patients were studied twice in intervals of 2 to 6 hours. Cardiac output was determined simultaneously by thermodilution and by Doppler echocardiography. In three patients (20%) no Doppler signal could be recorded.

[Significance of the detection of echocardiographic vegetation for the clinical course and prognosis of infectious endocarditis].

52 patients with infective endocarditis and manifestations on 62 valves were examined by echocardiography between January 1978 and May 1983. In 34 patients (65%) vegetations were visible at least on one valve, in 10 patients (19%) the result was doubtful and in 8 patients (16%) no vegetations could be seen. In a comparison of echocardiographic and intraoperative or autopsy findings, with doubtful results left out, the over-all sensitivity was 96%, specifity 44% and reliability 83%.

[Determination of left atrial size. Comparison between echocardiographic and radiological determination].

The size of the left atrium was determined echocardiographically and radiologically in 66 patients with mitral valve disease, grade I-IV (New York Heart Association classification). Angiocardiography served as the reference. The echocardiographic determination was both by M-mode and two-dimensional, the radiological one was from the postero-anterior films (after Higgins), as well as from the lateral pictures.

Development of tolerance during nitrate therapy: dissociation of arterial and venous effects. A doppler echocardiographic study.

Using pulsed Doppler echocardiography as a noninvasive method to assess central venous return, nine healthy volunteers were studied before and after isosorbide dinitrate given four times daily for 8 days. First dose isosorbide dinitrate led to a drop in heart rate and mean arterial pressure, and right ventricular inflow velocities decreased. With sustained treatment effects on systemic venous return remained unaltered, whereas reduction in heart rate and in mean arterial pressure was lost.

[Left ventricular volumes by cross-sectional echocardiography in the dog: a comparison with biplane angiocardiography (author's transl)].

Using apical long axis and precordial short axis views, left ventricular end-diastolic and end-systolic volumes and ejection fraction were determined by cross-sectional echocardiography and compared with biplane angiocardiography. 10 anesthetized, closed chest dogs were first studied in the control state. Inferior vena cava was occluded by a balloon-inflated catheter, measurements were repeated.

[Reno-cardiac interactions in kidney failure (author's transl)].

The high incidence of cardiac complications in endstage renal failure is not only related to the chronic pressure load of the left ventricle, although the proportion of patients with elevated blood pressure increases from 53 to 81% as reno-parenchymal disease progresses. Other factors as anemia, hyperparathyroidism, autonomic neuropathy and retention of electrolytes, metabolic products of toxins may cause damage to the heart. It is a matter of discussion whether uremia itself causes cardiomyopathy.

[Echocardiographic dimensions of the left ventricle during ergometric exercise: results in normal subjects (author's transl)].

10 healthy men aged 18 to 32 years underwent M-mode-echocardiographic studies at rest, during exercise and recovery. Semisupine bicycle exercise was performed using work loads of 25, 50, 75, and 100 W with measurements taken every minute. With increasing exercise, heart rate rose significantly (p less than 0.

[Radioimmunoassay for human myoglobin: methodology and diagnostic significance in myocardial infarction (author's transl)].

A radioimmunoassay was developed to determine serum myoglobin (SMb). 50 healthy persons showed values between 0 and 90 ng/ml. Serial tests of 10 patients following acute myocardial infarction or during angina pectoris (AP) indicated that SMb reached pathological values before CK and CK-MB (average 250 +/- 95 ng/ml at the time of hospitalisation which corresponds to 3.