A most unusual case of fatal acute hepatic failure as clinical presentation of liver metastases from breast cancer is described. The patient had a four-year history of indolent breast neoplasm and no previously known liver disease.

Anuria↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Percutaneous mitral commissurotomy in patients with mitral valve stenosis and thrombosis of the left atrium].

UNLABELLED: Mitral percutaneous valvotomy (MPV) is an effective therapeutic alternative in the treatment of patients with mitral stenosis (MS) and thrombus in the left atrium have been an absolute contraindication to this procedure. The aim of our study is to evaluate the safety of MPV in patients with MS and thrombus in the appendix of the left atrium (ALA). Between September 1996 and April 1997, we performed ten procedures of MPV with Inoue's technique in patients with MS and thrombus in ALA. Nine females and 1 male were included. Their were 41 +/- 7.6 years old. The Wilkins score in our patients were 8 +/- 1.2. All were treated with oral anticoagulants between three and twelve months but the thrombus did not resolved. With transesophagic echocardiogram and fluoroscopic control we avoided the contact between wires and Inoue's catheter with ALA. Results were positive. Mitral valve area increased from 0.8 +/- 0.2 cm2 to 1.95 +/- 0.3 cm2. There was no case of systemic embolism or others major complications during the MVP and during following one year. CONCLUSION: MPV is a safe and efficient therapeutic alternative in the treatment of selected patients with MS and thrombus in ALA.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Low-molecular-weight heparin in unstable angina pectoris].

We studied the therapeutic effect of standard heparin (HS) compared with low-molecular-weight (HBPM) in two homogeneous groups of 14 patients heparin selected at random, with clinical history and electrocardiographic signs of unstable angina pectoris. Patients received the conventional treatment with platelets' inhibitors, nitrates, adrenergic beta-blockers or calcium antagonists. Both heparins, separately, showed statistical therapeutic effect on the symptoms and signs of unstable angina pectoris. They decreased to zero the number and duration of symptomatic myocardial ischemic events observed by ambulatory electrocardiogram (EKG-Holter). The symptoms of the angina pectoris disappeared at the same elapsed time: in 51.9 +/- 20.2 min. for the HS, and in 48.14 +/- 20.7 min. for the HBPM. They decreased the frequency of the silent myocardial ischemia observed at the EKG-Holter: 9 events decreased to 4 with the HS, and 8 events decreased to 3 with the HBPM. They decreased the total elapsed time of the silent ischemia from 52 min. to 15 min., and the mean elapsed time of the silent ischemia decreased from 3.71 +/- 3.29 min. to 1.07 +/- 1.81 min. with the HS (P < 0.001). With HBPM it decreased the total elapsed time of the silent ischemia from 60 min to 10 min, and the mean elapsed time of the silent ischemia decreased from 4.28 +/- 4.49 min. to 0.71 +/- 1.43 min. (P < 0.02). Both heparins considerably decreased the frequency of the lethal arrhythmias. Although in this study we did not find statistical differences in the therapeutic action of either heparins, HBPM reduced rapidly angina symptoms and the events associated to angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmias, specially lethal extrasystolia, conduction defects and atrial paroxysmal tachycardia. Compared to HS, HBPM is easily applied, does not produce side effects on coagulation or bleeding time.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Low molecular weight heparin in pregnancy. Report of three cases with pure mitral stenosis].

Three pregnant women with 5 +/- 1.7 weeks of pregnancy and mitral stenosis are described. Their valve area were < 1.0 cm2. They received medical treatment with little improvement and were included in our valvotomy percutaneous mitral (VPM) program with Inoue technique before their 30th week of pregnancy. Before they were treated with low molecular weight heparin (LMWH), Enoxiparin) as prophylaxis of intracavitary thrombus formation transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiogram demonstrated the absence of thrombus. We used 40 mgs. subcutaneous injection once a day during 16 weeks. Repeated transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiogram during VPM showed no evidence of intracavitary thrombus. Complete blood count and coagulation parameters remained within normal limits. The three cases delivered a healthy products. In conclusion, although this series is small, we show that the LMWH can be used in the first trimester of pregnancy as prophylactic treatment instead of oral anticoagulant treatment.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Prognostic indexes in primary dilated cardiomyopathy].

The purpose of this study was to investigate, if besides the hypocontractility, which is the main finding in Primary Cardiomyopathy (PDC) there was some other mechanism in the development of heart failure and if this fact could influence in it's prognosis. We studied 13 patients with PDC in the hemodynamic cardiac laboratory from January 1982 to January 1988, these with systemic arterial hypertension. Coronary heart disease, myocarditis, primary valvular lesion, infiltrative disease, nephropathy, congenital heart disease, diabetes and alcoholism, were excluded. The control group was formed by 12 healthy subjects, which were studied for another purpose. We analyzed nine variables, including ejection fraction, peripheral vascular resistance, systolic and diastolic circumferential stress, left ventricular mass, left ventricular end diastolic and systolic volumes as well as force-velocity and force-fiber length relationship. The patients were followed up from 8 to 60 months (average 39 months). The cases with PDC were divided in two groups, "compensated" and "decompensated". The last ones with low ejection fraction and significantly increases systolic stress. We investigated which was the mechanism of compensation and decompensation through the force-velocity and force-fiber length relation. We found that compensation is associated with great increase of the after-load forces, the more end systolic volume at the end of the systole is not only controlled by the "force", but the decompensation is developed when the hypocontractility is added to the incompetence to compensate the after load. We found that the three deaths in this study had these hemodynamic characteristics, being the cause of death: the presence of heart failure in two patients and ventricular fibrillation in one.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied