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Biomedical subjects

C Pernot

Publications and source records attributed to C Pernot.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

[Value and limitations of pulsed Doppler echocardiography in the determination of pressure gradients in children].

The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of pulsed Doppler echocardiography in assessing pressure gradients in children despite the theoretical limitations of this technique in the measurement of high velocity blood flow (due mainly to the phenomenon of "aliasing"). 20 patients with an average age of 6.7 years (range 3 months to 19 years) were studied by 2D echocardiography and pulsed Doppler within 48 hours of cardiac catheterisation. Valvular stenosis was present in 14 cases (aortic, 7, pulmonary, 7). There were 3 cases of infundibular obstruction and 2 vascular stenosis (coarctation of the aorta and stenosis of a branch of the pulmonary artery). One patient had stenosis at the origin of a prosthetic tube graft. The gradient was estimated from the Doppler flow curves using simplified Bernoulli formula (P = 4 X maximal jet velocity). In 17 patients (gradients of 20 to 90 mmHg) an excellent correlation was observed between the pulsed Doppler and haemodynamic results (r = 0.90). In 3 cases with gradients over 80 mmHg it was not possible to quantify the gradient but pulsed Doppler fixed an inferior limit of 80 mmHg. Therefore, using a 3 or 2.25 MHz probe at the low depths of investigation encountered in childhood, pulsed Doppler gave a reliable indication of pressure gradients less than or equal to 80 mmHg. These results and the non-invasive nature of the method make pulsed Doppler a particularly interesting complementary examination in children or babies with stenotic cardiac lesions.

Adolescent↗

[Selective coronary angiography in children. Technic and indications].

Non-selective opacification of the coronary arteries is often adequate for practical purposes in children, especially for studying the coronary circulation before operating congenital heart disease. However, selective coronary angiography is essential to demonstrate some abnormalities of distribution poorly visualised by the non-selective method and especially in cases of coronary anomalies or acquired coronary disease before procedures of reimplantation of revascularisation. The indications must be carefully considered and the technique particularly adapted using paediatric catheters and trained personnel skilled in retrograde arterial catheterisation in children. 51 selective coronary angiographies were carried out in 47 children 1 to 13 years old, including 12 children under 3 years of age. In 33 cases (23 Fallot's tetralogy the object was to detect coronary abnormalities not observed on non-selective opacification (3 LAD arteries arising from the right coronary, 1 single coronary artery) or to determine their anatomical relationships in complex cardiac malformations (5 cases). There were 5 cases of isolated congenital or acquired coronary disease with signs of ischaemic heart disease in 3 cases (LAD arising from the pulmonary artery and antero-septal infarction, calcified aneurysms and antero-lateral infarction in Kawasaki disease, pseudoxanthoma elastica with multiple coronary stenosis and severe angina). The investigation was indicated for complications of cardiac surgery in 2 children and in 4 cases selective coronary angiography was performed to assess the results of coronary reimplantation.

Adolescent↗

[Malformations of the tricuspid valve associated with Fallot's tetralogy. Apropos of a series of 224 surgically treated Fallot's tetralogies].

This study was based on 7 children aged 20 months to 13 years with tetralogy of fallot (TOF) and tricuspid valve defects. Cases of endocardial cushion defects (8 cases of atrioventricular) were excluded. Three types of tricuspid valve defect were observed: 4 tricuspid valve prolapse (with one associated mitral valve prolapse); 2 accessory tricuspid valves passing through a ventricular septal defect to prolapse in diastole under the aortic valve; 1 Ebstein anomaly. The prevalence of tricuspid valve defects associated with TOF 3 p. 100 in this series. The diagnosis can: usually be made by 2D echocardiography. Tricuspid valve prolapse (usually the septal leaflet) is visualised in the apical 4 chamber view. The passage of accessory tricuspid tissue across the VSD into the left ventricular outflow tract is visible in the parasternal long axis or subcostal long axis views. Ebstein anomaly can be demonstrated in apical 4-chamber views showing the abnormally apical site of insertion of the septal leaflet of the tricuspid valve and "atrialisation" of part of the right ventricle. Tricuspid valve defects did not pose any special surgical problems during complete repair of TOF but this series did not include any cases of tricuspid hypoplasia or parachute tricuspid valve which have been reported in the literature and which do complicate surgery. Tricuspid valve and subendocardial cushion defects should be looked for systematically in patients with TOF undergoing 2D echocardiography.

Adolescent↗

[Radioisotopes for the study of right and left ventricular function in surgically treated Fallot's tetralogy].

Radio-nuclide angiography after surgical correction of tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) allows measurement of the ejection fraction, especially of the right ventricle, under basal conditions and on effort, parameters which are difficult to measure by other non-invasive methods. Twenty-two children with a mean age of 12.6 +/- 6.9 years who had undergone complete correction of TOF at a mean age of 6.7 +/- 3.8 years underwent Technetium 99m blood pool studies at equilibrium. The results were compared with those of a control group of children with a mean age of 10.2 +/- 3.3 years. No first passage studies were performed because the frequency of postoperative pulmonary regurgitation does not allow quantification of the shunt due to a possible residual ventricular septal defect. No significant difference was found between the patients and control subjects at rest: LV ejection fraction (66.7 +/- 11 p. 100 vs 63 +/- 7.7 p. 100), RV ejection fraction (50.3 +/- 7.2 p. 100 vs 54 +/- 14.8 p. 100). The response to effort of the right and left ventricles depends on the type of exercise. The LV ejection fraction increased normally whilst the RV ejection fraction showed a lot of individual variation. Equilibrium radionuclide angiography was also used to calculate the ratio of right to left end diastolic ventricular volumes. This ratio indicates the degree of RV diastolic overload when LV diastolic volumes are normal, which was the case in our series. The study group showed a significant increase in this ratio compared to control subjects (1.94 +/- 0.65 vs 1.2 +/- 0.23). Exercise radionuclide imagery should provide more accurate assessments of the surgical results and prognosis of these children providing standardised protocols are used. These investigations are best performed in patients over 15 years old, so as to avoid the technical difficulties related to small size. Resting studies are possible at all ages.

Adolescent↗

[Outcome of children operated on for congenital cardiopathy before 2 years of age. Foreseeable sequelae at adulthood].

A brief description is presented of the long-term follow-up of four commonly encountered cardiopathies undergoing early surgical correction. Sequelae are not increased and probably even less frequent when compared to children undergoing surgery after two years of age. It is still too early, however, to establish whether or not certain manifestations, such as rhythm or conduction disturbances and ventricular dysfunction will develop at a later date. The prognosis of coarctation of the aorta depends to a great extent on other associated lesions which can become serious over time and require additional surgical procedures. In the past, early surgery for large ventricular septal defects was poorly tolerated, but now the prognosis is particularly favorable. Persistent hemodynamic abnormalities such as stenoses of the pulmonary outflow tract can worsen the prognosis in tetralogy of Fallot. In addition, it is especially important to recognize subsequent ventricular dysrhythmias due to their potentially serious nature. The most common procedures for transposition of the great arteries consist of auricular transposition of the venous returns which may later cause rhythm disturbances or venous stenoses. The long-term functional capacity of the right ventricle as a pump for the systemic circulation is not known. A general outline of follow-up care is presented.

Adult↗

[2-dimensional echocardiography of congenital obstruction of left ventricle inflow. Apropos of 25 cases].

Twenty-five cases of left ventricular inflow obstruction in children aged 4 months to 11 years were investigated by two-dimensional echocardiography and cineangiography. The results of 2D echo were compared with the operative appearances in 15 cases and the pathological findings in three cases. This series included 5 cases of cor triatrium and 20 of congenital mitral stenosis, 3 of which were associated with a supramitral ring. Abnormalities of the mitral papillary muscles were the main cause of congenital mitral stenosis in this series (12 cases); there were 6 cases of single papillary muscle and 6 cases with two closely situated or fused papillary muscles. These abnormalities of the mitral papillary muscles were demonstrated on the transverse left ventricular views obtained from the parasternal or subcostal regions. All the papillary muscle abnormalities diagnosed by 2D echo were confirmed at autopsy or surgery. Cases of mitral stenosis due to short and thickened chordae were demonstrated on parasternal long axis views. Hypoplasia of the mitral ring was visualised on long axis or apical views. The supramitral ring was demonstrated on the parasternal long axis or apical four chamber views, as an abnormal echo situated just above the mitral valve in the left atrium. All three cases in this series were correctly diagnosed by 2D echocardiography. Nineteen of the 20 congenital mitral stenoses were associated with other cardiac malformations (14 coarctations of the aorta, 9 aortic stenoses, 4 ventricular septal defects) which were also detected by 2D echocardiography.

Child↗

[Late ventricular tachycardia after surgical correction of congenital cardiopathy. Impact, severity and predictive factors].

A group of 6 patients operated for Fallot's tetralogy (4 cases) or a similar congenital cardiac malformation (2 cases) were studied to assess the prevalence, severity and predictive factors of late post-operative ventricular tachycardia. These 6 patients were compared with a control group of 44 patients undergoing complete correction of Fallot's tetralogy. The age at operation (6 +/- 2 years), the length of follow-up (8 +/- 2.5 years) and surgical technique were comparable in both groups. The clinical parameters and results of non-invasive investigations (resting ECG, Holter monitoring) were compared. The first attack of tachycardia occurred on average 3 years after surgery. A triggering factor was found in 3 cases (a blow on the chest--2 cases--, general anaesthesia--1 case). These postoperative tachycardias are characterised by poor clinical tolerance, a tendency to recur, resistance to therapy and reserved prognosis. They are significantly commoner in patients operated late and in those with a poor haemodynamic result: right ventricular systolic pressure greater than 60 mmHg and recurrence of the ventricular septal defect. The combination of ventricular tachycardia and a poor haemodynamic result is associated with a mortality rate of 33 p. 100. The functional status of the patient, conduction defects and the surgical technique used were not predictive of ventricular tachycardia. The detection of a ventricular arrhythmia on the resting ECG, and, particularly, on Holter monitoring, and the induction of ventricular tachycardia by ventricular stimulation should lead to treatment against malignant ventricular arrhythmias and sudden death. The choice of anti-arrhythmic agent may be guided by endocavitary stimulation techniques to assess its efficacy.

Child↗

[Evaluation of the pulmonary artery and its branches by two-dimensional echocardiography in the tetralogy of Fallot and pulmonary atresia in infants. Angiocardiographic correlation and therapeutic implications].

Twenty-two infants aged 5 days to one year (mean: 3.8 months), consisting of 17 with tetralogy of Fallot and 5 with pulmonary atresia-ventricular septal defect, were prospectively investigated by two dimensional echocardiography (2 D echo) in order to evaluate the severity of the impairment of the pulmonary outflow tract and value of 2 D echo in the preoperative evaluation. Right pulmonary artery (PA), observed by angiography in 20 patients, was correctly recorded and could be measured in all cases (20/20), whereas the left PA was seen in 19 patients (19/20). Pulmonary confluence was recognized in 20/20 cases and its absence in 2 cases. In one patient without pulmonary confluence, a large substituted systemic vessel was mistaken for right PA. Echo established in the 22 patients (100%) the presence (17 cases) or absence (5 cases) of continuity between the right ventricle and the PA. Echo demonstrated 2 out of the 3 stenoses of the branches found by angiography. The internal diameter of PA measured by echo, ranging from 3 to 9 mm, was compared with angiographic measurements. A significant linear correlation was observed for each diameter (ring, trunk and branches) between the two techniques. However, echo slightly under-estimated the angiographic diameters. These results show that 2 D echo is a reliable method to determine the severity of impairment of the pulmonary outflow tract in infants with tetralogy of Fallot. They suggest that is may be used to guide the choice of surgical procedure and is adequate, in selected patients, to carry out a palliative intervention without open surgical procedure.

Angiocardiography↗

Radiologic and echocardiographic patterns of 98 cases of atrial septal defect without other defects (isolated atrial septal defect).

We collected 98 cases of single atrial septal defect. Analytical study of the pulmonary vasculature and the shape of the heart allowed us to differentiate 71 cases of pulmonary hypervascularity with increased cardiothoracic index and an appearance of right ventricular dilatation. The left inferior segment was usually straight, but sometimes convex, with a great curvature including the middle left segment. Apart from these 71 typical cases, there were 18 cases of incomplete patterns, 7 cases of atypical patterns with a convex left inferior segment with a small curvature and two normal cases (normal shape of the heart and normal vasculature). - Echocardiography was performed in 35 cases. It was valuable in 34 cases and established the diagnosis each time the X-ray picture was uncertain. Increase of the ratio of the telediastolic diameter of the right to left ventricle is almost constant and the septal motion is paradoxical in 79% of all cases. - Post-operative change was characterized from the radiological point of view by rapid return to normal of the pulmonary vascularity, followed by decrease of the cardiothoracic index, while the modifications of the shape of the left middle and inferior segment regress slowly and incompletely. As for echocardiography there is constant decrease of the ratio of the telediastolic diameter of the right to left ventricle, while the septal motion returns to normal in 79% of all cases.

Adolescent↗

[Diffuse pulmonary lymphangiectasia of late disclosure associated with cardiopathy].

Congenital pulmonary lymphangiectasia is a rare abnormality with dilatation of pulmonary lymphatics and the radiological pattern of a pulmonary interstitial syndrome. It is usually symptomatic at birth and is almost always lethal. The authors report the case of an infant with congenital pulmonary lymphangiectasis and congenital heart disease who is still alive. This case report is interesting from the pathogenic, nosologic and prognostic point of view.

Humans↗