Biomedical subjects

M Dallocchio

Publications and source records attributed to M Dallocchio.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed1991

[Macronodule associated with bilateral adrenal hyperplasia. A rare misleading cause of primary aldosteronism (two cases)].

Aldosterone-producing adrenal adenoma and bilateral hyperplasia are the two predominant subtypes of primary aldosteronism. Their recognition is based essentially on adrenal CT scan and on measurements of plasma aldosterone and 18-hydroxycorticosterone (18-OHB) concentrations in response to postural testing. We report 2 cases of primary aldosteronism associated with a unilateral hyperplastic macronodule resembling an aldosterone-producing adenoma on CT scan. Plasma aldosterone and 18-OHB concentrations were consistent with this diagnosis in one patient. In the light of these two cases and of those previously published, the investigations needed for the etiological diagnosis of primary aldosteronism are discussed.

18-Hydroxycorticosterone↗

PubMed1991

[Left ventricular diastolic function. Doppler-echocardiography study].

During the last few years the use of the noninvasive doppler-echocardiography method to study left ventricular relaxation and filling has aroused considerable interest owing to its excellent feasibility. However, it is now known that the filling flow rate may vary according to several parameters including filling conditions, heart rate, patient's age, site of measurement and medication, so that the curves obtained must be interpreted with extreme caution. Apart from this, doppler-echocardiography is invaluable not only to distinguish between physiological and pathological left ventricular hypertrophy, but also to detect heart transplant rejection.

Echocardiography, Doppler↗

PubMed1991

Effects of perindopril on left ventricular hypertrophy, coronary blood flow, and mechanical properties of cardiac muscle in renovascular hypertensive rats.

We studied the effects of perindopril on left ventricular hypertrophy, systemic and coronary hemodynamics, and mechanical cardiac performance in renovascular hypertensive rats (Goldblatt, two-kidneys, one-clip). Systemic and coronary hemodynamics, before and after carbochrome infusion, were assessed by radioactive microspheres injection via an atrial catheter in conscious rats. Mechanical performance was measured on isolated papillary muscle from the same animal. Twelve treated hypertensive rats were compared with 10 nontreated hypertensive rats and nine sham-operated normotensive rats of the same age. Perindopril treatment induced a complete control of blood pressure (mean blood pressure from 156 +/- 22 mm Hg in the untreated group to 100 +/- 24 mm Hg in the treated group (P less than .01), compared to 106 +/- 18 mm Hg in the sham group). This was associated with a nearly complete regression of left ventricular hypertrophy (left ventricular mass/body weight 2.26 +/- 0.38 mg/g in the treated group v 3.1 +/- 0.6 in the untreated group [P less than .01], compared to 2 +/- 0.25 mg/g in the sham group [p = NS]). Minimal left ventricular coronary resistances after carbochrome were slightly higher in the hypertensive group compared both to sham and treated group. A reversal of impaired myocardial mechanical parameters towards control values was observed, except for some parameters of relaxation. We conclude that perindopril allows in this model a complete control of blood pressure, and a regression of left ventricular hypertrophy with normalization of coronary hemodynamics and contractile function.

Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors↗

PubMed1991

[Morphological and functional characteristics of the heart in untreated hypertension].

UNLABELLED: To better define the different forms of hypertensive heart disease, we performed 2D guided M mode echo recording of the left ventricle (LV) and Doppler assessment of LV filling in 118 newly recognised (less than 1 year) and untreated hypertensive patients (mean age +/- SD: 49 +/- 10 years, 80 males, 38 females). All recordings were read "blindly". 86 patients underwent also 24 hours BP monitoring during daily routine. MAIN RESULTS: 1) The relative wall thickness (h/r) shows a normal distribution: mean = 0.39; SD = 0.08; 1st quartile = 0.33; 3rd = 0.43; 2) The septal/posterior wall ratio (ST/PWT) shows also a normal distribution: mean = 1.14; SD = 0.24; 1st quartile = 1; 3rd = 1.3; 3) Among patients with LVH (Devereux's criteria, n = 65) the 6 patients with h/r less than or equal to 0.33 are significantly different from the 18 patients with h/r greater than or equal to 0.43 for age (44 +/- 8 vs 51 +/- 10; p less than 0.03), casual (146 +/- 7 vs 166 +/- 13 mmHg; p less than 0.05) and ambulatory SBP (135 +/- 19 vs 146 +/- 16 mmHg; p less than 0.05), peak systolic stress (280 +/- 15 vs 187 +/- 31 Dynes/cm2; p less than 0.001) and E/A ratio (1.17 +/- 0.01 vs 0.94 +/- 0.27; p less than 0.05) but not for ponderal excess. 4) Patients with asymmetric LVH(ST/PWT greater than 1.3 in 22; greater than 1.5 in 10) are significantly different from patients with symmetric LVH for age (54 +/- 10 vs 47 +/- 10; p less than 0.03), diastolic diameter (51 +/- 5 vs 53 +/- 5 mm; p less than 0.02), ST (13.2 +/- 2.9 vs 10 +/- 1.9 mm; p less than 0.001) and PWT (8.9 +/- 1.5 vs 9.7 +/- 1.5 mm; p less than 0.02) but not for BP fractional shortening and LV filling. CONCLUSION: eccentric LVH may be found in young hypertensive patients with normal systolic function and LV filling despite high parietal stress; asymmetric LVH is more frequent in older patients in which LVH seems to develop rather on the septum than on free wall, independently of BP and without consequences on LV function.

Adult↗

PubMed1991

[Left ventricular hypertrophy and ambulatory blood pressure].

The relationship between ambulatory blood pressure and degree of left ventricular hypertrophy is analysed with a triple objective: to assess the value of ambulatory blood pressure recording; the observation of better correlations between left ventricular mass (LVM) and systolic BP with ambulatory rather than clinical recordings is one of the most convincing arguments in favour of the prognostic value of this technique; to guide analysis of ambulatory blood pressure recordings. These recordings provide a large number of measurements over a period of variable duration. The selection of the frequency of measurement, the duration of the recording and the periods of recording (at work, during the day or night), of the criteria of interpretation (average, variability, distribution of values) is partially arbitrary. The possibility of predicting the degree of LVH from these results is one of the only rational approaches while awaiting validation with respect to long-term outcome. In the author's experience, the average of the systolic blood pressure values during the period of activity is the parameter which is most closely related to LVM in untreated hypertensive patients; to improve our understanding of the relationship between the blood pressure, LVM and left ventricular function. There is evidence that the LVH of hypertensive patients has a multifactorial basis. The use of only occasional blood pressure measurements in clinical studies may have increased the apparent importance of one or another factor related to the degree of LVH. The precise influence of these factors, independent of their possible relationship to the blood pressure, should now be reevaluated with respect to ambulatory blood pressure recordings.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Ambulatory Care↗

PubMed1991

[Effect of sotalol on left ventricular mass and function in the hypertensive patient].

The effects of 6 months treatment with Sotalol on the blood pressure, left ventricular mass and function, were studied in patients with essential hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy. Thirty-three patients (18 men and 15 women aged 53 +/- 11 years) were included initially and 26 were reviewed after 6 months of treatment. The left ventricular mass and function were evaluated by Doppler echocardiography and all recordings were interpreted "blind" at the end of the study by two operators. Treatment led to a significant reduction of the blood pressure (152 +/- 12/94 +/- 11 versus 166 +/- 18/100 +/- 9 mmHg) and of the heart rate (60 +/- 10 versus 76 +/- 12 beats per minute). The left ventricular mass index decreased by 8% (p less than 0.001) due to reduction in wall thickness. Resting left ventricular systolic function was unchanged. Left ventricular filling patterns improved with an increase in the E/A ratio which was reduced at the beginning of the trial.

Adult↗

PubMed1991

[Left ventricular remodeling in hypertension. Physiopathology].

The usual concept of ventricular hypertrophy is simple and logical: increased systolic wall stress induces a hypertrophic reaction which is 1) symmetrical affecting all ventricular walls harmoniously, 2) concentric, developing at the expense of cavity size, increasing the thickness to radius ratio, and, 3) appropriate allowing normalisation of wall stress. This hypertrophy appears initially to be useful as it contributes to the maintenance of systolic function in the face of increasing load. However, it is accompanied by abnormalities of ventricular filling, of coronary circulation and myocardial excitability which may have undesirable consequences on the prognosis. In fact this simplistic and didactic view is inadequate for describing the complexity of left ventricular remodeling in hypertension. This is apparent at three levels at least: the stimuli responsible; if increased wall stress is a necessary and sometimes in itself enough to induce hypertrophy, other mechanisms may effect the degree and nature of this reaction; the protein, cellular and tissular expression; this is particularly true with respect to the connective (collagen) tissue which seems to develop in response to distinct stimuli and which could have an important influence on the functional properties of the myocardium; the morphological expression; this is the only parameter which can be analysed directly by the clinician by echocardiography. This investigation enables assessment of the frequency of eccentric and asymmetric forms of hypertrophy, the significance of which remains unclear.

Cardiomegaly↗

PubMed1991

[A rare cause of obstruction of mitral valve prosthesis: periannular fibrosis. Diagnostic by transesophageal echocardiography].

The authors report a case of dysfunction of a double hemi-disc mitral valve prosthesis due to peri-annular fibrous overgrowth on the atrial side of the prosthesis. Conventional transthoracic Doppler echocardiography showed signs of thrombosis of the prosthesis. Transoesophageal echocardiography allowed a precise diagnosis of the lesions, resulting in immediate surgical referral.

Aortic Valve↗

PubMed1991

[Acute aortic dissecting: contribution of transesophageal echography. Apropos of 10 cases].

The diagnostic value of combined transthoracic (TTE) and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) was evaluated in 10 consecutive patients with acute dissecting aneurysm of the aorta and compared to aortography (10 cases) and computed tomography (7 cases). TEE seems to be highly superior to TTE because the intimal flap in always seen (versus 4 of the 10 TTEs) and the descending aorta and the entry site are better visualized. TEE is superior to X-ray computed tomography because it shows the direction of the flow in the false lumen (an advantage of a color Doppler), the entry site and aortic regurgitation. In spite of false-positives (1/10), TEE seems to be at least as good as aortography, the most reliable, but highly invasive, technique available. Thus, transesophageal echocardiography, performed at the patient's bedside, appears to be a promising non-invasive tool for diagnosing suspected dissecting aneurysms of the aorta.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed1991

[Complementary transthoracic and transesophageal echo-doppler in the diagnosis of rupture of the sinus of Valsalva in right heart. Apropos of 4 cases].

Aneurysms of the sinus of Valsalva are rare and usually present with rupture communicating with the right heart cavities. Echocardiography is a powerful diagnostic tool in ruptured sinus of Valsalva aneurysms, especially the Color Doppler mode which shows abnormal, continuous flow as a mosaic of colour extending from the aortic root to the right heart cavities. The four case reports describe rupture of the right sinus of Valsalva aneurysm into the right atrium (2 cases) and the right ventricle (2 cases). Transesophageal echocardiography was performed in two cases and provided valuable information by confirming the site of rupture and the length of the diverticulum. The results illustrate the accuracy of Doppler echocardiographic techniques by the transthoracic and transoesophageal approaches in the diagnosis of ruptured sinus of Valsalva aneurysms.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1991

[Thrombosis of mechanical heart valve prosthesis. Value of transesophageal echocardiography in the study of mitral valve prosthesis].

Forty-three consecutive patients with mechanical valve prostheses underwent transthoracic and transoesophageal echocardiography for suspected thrombolic prosthetic valve dysfunction. The results of these investigations were compared with those of cineradiography and the clinical outcome. The diagnosis of thrombosis was retained in 11 of the 43 patients (10 mitral and 1 aortic valve prostheses). The transthoracic Doppler echo was clearly abnormal in 6 of the 11 cases. Transoesophageal echo was of essential value in all cases but one, showing abnormal movement of the mobile element and/or a paraprosthetic thrombus. The cineradiography gave false negative results in 6 cases. In conclusion, these cases underline the undeniable value of transoesophageal echocardiography in occlusive or non-occlusive thrombosis of a mitral valve prosthesis. This investigation should be undertaken whenever there is the least suspicion of thrombosis of the prosthesis.

Adult↗

PubMed1990

Is echocardiography an adequate method to evaluate left ventricular hypertrophy regression?

M mode echocardiography is certainly an adequate method to evaluate left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) regression in hypertensive patients, provided that some important conditions are fulfilled. Left ventricular mass assessment can be made only with non-distorted ventricles, as usually encountered in non-complicated hypertensive patients. The main problem is to limit all sources of variability for serial measurements and all sources of subjectivity in their interpretation. So, we propose some guidelines that should be useful when designing and completing such studies. Two-dimensional echocardiography offers the potential advantage of allowing assessment of left ventricular mass even when the left ventricle is far from its usual shape. However, a standardization of methods and studies of its reproducibility are still required before this method could be recommended in studies of LVH regression.

Antihypertensive Agents↗

PubMed1990

Diagnosis of ruptured sinus of Valsalva aneurysms: potential value of transesophageal echocardiography.

Two patient cases are reported in which an aneurysm of the right coronary sinus of Valsalva ruptured into the right ventricular outflow tract, near the crux of the heart. Transthoracic two-dimensional echocardiography and transesophageal echocardiography using Doppler color flow mapping allowed accurate preoperative assessment of the left-to-right shunt, which was subsequently confirmed by contrast aortography and surgery.

Aortic Rupture↗

PubMed1990

Beta-blockers vs. angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors in hypertension: effects on left ventricular hypertrophy.

Both beta-blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors have been shown to cause left ventricular hypertrophy regression in hypertensive patients. So far, no study allowed a true comparison of these drugs in this regard. Therefore, 56 hypertensive patients (38 newly recognized and 18 without any antihypertensive drugs for more than 2 months, mean of 9.5+/-14 months) were randomized to enalapril (En, n = 30) or a beta-blocker, bisoprolol (Bi, n = 26), once daily and underwent before and after 2 and 6 months on treatment (a) office and 24-h ambulatory monitoring of BP, (b) M-mode echo assessment of left ventricular mass (LVM) index and fractional shortening (FS), and (c) Doppler evaluation of left ventricular filling. All recordings were read blindly by two observers. The intraobserver coefficient of variation of LVM was 9%. After 6 months, office BP (146+/-18/90+/-10 vs. 170+/-14/104+/-8 mm Hg) and 24-h BP(120+/-17/77+/-9 vs. 138+/-15/90+/-9 mm Hg) were similarly reduced with both drugs. The LVM index was significantly reduced (p < 0.001) (Bi, 11%; En, 7%) and FS was unchanged. The early to late diastolic left ventricular flow ratio (E/A) was increased with bisoprolol (1.06+/-0.29 vs. 0.85+/-0.17, p < 0.0001) but not with enalapril (0.95+/-0.24 vs. 0.88+/-0.34), but this was mainly due to heart rate reduction with bisoprolol. We found no correlation between the reductions in 24-h BP and in LVM index. Bisoprolol and enalapril were similarly effective in lowering blood pressure (BP) in the office and during 24-h monitoring and in reducing the left ventricular mass index in hypertensive patients.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗

PubMed1990

[Study of infectious endocarditis using Doppler echocardiography].

Infective endocarditis is still a common and serious disease. Echocardiography is an essential complementary investigation in this condition. Its value in the diagnosis of valvular vegetations has become more accurate since the introduction of two-dimensional and transesophageal echocardiography. Transesophageal echocardiography is currently the most reliable non-invasive technique for demonstrating small vegetations of less than 5 mm diameter. The diagnosis and surveillance of complications (valvular destruction, ring abscess) are also privileged indications of transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography coupled with intracardiac Doppler blood flow studies. The finding of these lesions may sometimes lead to early surgical management.

Echocardiography, Doppler↗

PubMed1990

[Complementarity of transthoracic and transesophageal Doppler echocardiography in the diagnosis of thrombosis of a mitral prosthesis. Apropos of 3 cases].

The diagnosis of partial thrombosis of mitral disc valve prostheses is particularly difficult because the clinical presentation is often atypical and the motion of the two hemi-discs is hard to analyse by transthoracic echocardiography. The authors report three cases of partial thrombosis of mitral double-disc valve prostheses. It was not possible to analyse the motion of the two hemi-disc correctly in any of the three patients. The mitral transprosthetic flow recorded by continuous wave Doppler was abnormal with respect to the reference postoperative recording. In addition, in one case, an abnormal echo was observed floating in the left ventricular inflow tract and was suggestive of a thrombus. Transesophageal echo showed abnormal motion of one of the hemi-discs. In two patients this consisted in immobility of the hemi-disc in the semi-closed position; in the other patient, limited excursion of the hemi-disc was recorded. Abnormal retrograde flow in the left atrium was observed in 2 cases and abnormal echoes on the atrial surface of the valve were recorded in one case. After fibrinolysis the transthoracic and transesophageal Doppler echocardiographic parameters returned to normal. These three cases underline the complementarity of transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography in the diagnosis of dysfunction of mitral disc valve prostheses.

Adult↗

PubMed1990

[Echodoppler evaluation of the normally functioning Saint-Jude's aortic valve prosthesis].

The aims of this study were: to define Doppler echocardiographic criteria of normality of aortic St Jude Medical (SJM) valve prostheses with respect to their size and to verify the validity of the continuity equation in the determination of prosthetic valve functional surface area. Forty patients with apparently normally functioning SJM prostheses without other cardiac disease were investigated at least one month after surgery. The group consisted in 1 n. 19, 6 n. 21, 9 n. 23, 12 n. 25 and 12 n. 27 SJM prostheses. The following parameters were measured: the maximum transprosthetic velocity, maximum and mean transprosthetic pressure gradients, permeability index and the Doppler surface area calculated by the continuity equation using the method proposed by Skjaerpe. The global results were as follows: maximum velocity = 2.5 +/- 0.4 m/s (1.8-3.7 m/s); maximum gradient = 26.9 +/- 9.8 mmHg (14-53 mmHg); mean gradient = 13.7 +/- 5.6 mmHg (7-30 mmHg); permeability index = 0.41 +/- 0.09 (0.23-0.57); Doppler surface area = 1.89 +/- 0.66 cm2 (0.73-3.23 cm2). When the prostheses were considered according to their sizes a weak negative correlation was observed between the mean pressure gradients and the size of the prostheses: r = -0.43, p less than 0.05 and a positive correlation between Doppler surface area and the theoretical prosthetic surface area: r = 0.71, p less than 0.005; SD = 0.45 cm2. No significant differences were observed between the pressure gradients and velocities of each size of prosthesis except when sizes 21 + 23 were compared with the large sizes (n. 25 + 27).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗

PubMed1990

[Left atrial extension of bronchial cancer diagnosed by echocardiography. Report of 2 cases].

The authors report 2 cases of left atrial extension of bronchial carcinoma detected by echocardiography. There have only been ten previous reports of echocardiography. There have only been ten previous reports of echocardiography detection of this complication as echocardiography is not requested systematically in patients with bronchial carcinoma. Left atrial metastasis is not uncommon at autopsy and the diagnostic value of echocardiography is excellent : the tumour appears as a hyperdense mass invading the roof of the left atrium through the pulmonary veins. Echocardiographic detection of left atrial extension of bronchial carcinoma is important because it implies a poor prognosis and because it may lead to a different therapeutic approach.

Carcinoma, Bronchogenic↗