[Magnetic resonance of tumors of the heart].
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to A Raisaro.
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Endomyocardial biopsy is an essential procedure for the diagnosis and grading of rejection in heart transplant patients. Direct control of the bioptome positioning has classically been obtained by fluoroscopy. Starting in June 1988, at our institution an alternative approach involving the use of two-dimensional echocardiography was introduced in clinical practice. In 125 patients 1591 biopsies have been performed: 445 under echographic control and 1146 under fluoroscopic control with 3.6 and 4.5 samples/biopsy, respectively. The percentages of inadequate samples caused by biopsy site sampling were 0.4% and 1.3%, respectively, in the two groups. Cardiac perforation has occurred twice in the fluoroscopic group; it has not been observed in the echographic group. One case of iatrogenic tricuspid regurgitation was detected in each group. We now consider echocardiography the method of choice to guide the bioptome. We prefer it to fluoroscopy because it eliminates the risks of x-ray exposure, increases the number of sampling sites in cases of echocardiographic evidence of rejection, can be easily performed as a bedside procedure, allows choice and variation of sampling sites, and permits monitoring of cardiac complications during and after the procedure. A randomized clinical trial is probably needed to assess with statistical significance the superiority of the echographic-controlled biopsy.
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Persistent hypertension is one of the causes of sudden death which sometimes happens in patients operated on for coarctation of the aorta. Seven patients operated on for coarctation of the aorta were examined using exercise testing (Treadmill-Bruce), Echo-Doppler and NMR. Pressure gradients between the right upper and lower limbs were compared with those of normal young people and evaluated using NMR. The authors conclude that the patients operated on have resting blood pressure and pressure gradients, both resting and during exercise, greater than normal. Some patients operated on, with normal resting blood pressure and a slight gradient, can develop hypertension during exercise and a significant pressure gradient. Significant gradients during exercise are correlated to isthmic obstruction which is visible on the NMR. Follow-up after surgical repair of coarctation of the aorta cannot exclude measurement of exercise pressure gradients. This gives more physiological information compared with pressure gradients measured at rest.