A case of acute heart failure associated with Guillain-Barré syndrome

Abstract Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a disease of the peripheral nervous system, which is caused by aberrant immune responses directed against some components of peripheral nerves. GBS is rarely accompanied by cardiovascular involvement. We describe a case of acute neuropathy complicated by sudden heart failure and left ventricular dysfunction which had a presumably neurogenic origin. Pathogenesis of acute heart failure is probably due to transitorial stunned myocardium and neurogenic cardiac injury. We show a rare case of transitorial and acute cardiac dysfunction by echocardiography and laboratory markers of heart failure.     

室间隔夹层瘤的超声诊断(附4例报告)

目的 总结室间隔夹层瘤的超声心动图诊断及临床应用价值。方法1985～2005年超声诊断罕见的室间隔夹层瘤4例。超声主要取左室长轴、四腔心、五腔心、大动脉短轴及非标准切面，观察主动脉窦的形态及结构：如扩张窦瘤的大小、窦壁厚度、窦瘤破口的部位、窦瘤破口与室间隔之间的关系，主动脉窦瘤与室间隔夹层瘤之间交通口的大小，测量形成室间隔夹层瘤的大小及夹层瘤左、右室面的厚度，结合彩色多普勒观察心动周期夹层瘤与主动脉窦瘤血流动态变化，频谱多普勒测量窦瘤与室间隔夹层瘤之间的血流速度。结果4例室间隔夹层瘤均为主动脉右窦破人室间隔基底段，且均行手术治疗证实超声诊断。结论超声心动图对室间隔夹层瘤可直接做出诊断，超声诊断价值在于早发现、早诊断、及早治疗，并可为外科选择手术方式提供重要的有价值的依据。     

多巴酚丁胺负荷超声心动图试验

对多巴酚丁胺负荷超声心动图试验诊断冠心病的理论基础、方法学及临床应用价值作一综述     

超声心动图房室平面位移法对高血压病早期患者左室舒张功能的评价

目的:探讨超声心动图房室平面位移(AVPD)法评价高血压病早期患者(HT)左室舒张功能的可行性。方法:分别记录200例HT患者左房射血所致AVPD(AVPDa)值、AVPD与二尖瓣环4个位点上的AVPD均值(AVPDmean)比值,并与二尖瓣口E/A比值法(E/A分析法)进行对比。结果:200例HT患者AVPD法测值:AVPDmean值为(0·66±0·15)cm,AVPDa为(0·79±0·46)cm,E/A分析法:E/A最大峰值速度分别为(75·38±11·66)cm/s,(82·36±16·82)cm/s。根据AVPD方法诊断163例舒张功能异常,E/A分析法诊断171例舒张功能异常,二者之间差异无显著性意义(χ2=1·78,P>0·05)。结论:AVPD方法与E/A分析法有较好符合性,为一无创性评价HT患者左室舒张功能的新方法。     

Associated occurrence of persistent truncus arteriosus and asplenia

Summary An infant with persistent truncus arteriosus associated with splenic agenesis and the asplenia syndrome is reported, including clinical, echocardiographic and autopsy findings. To the authors' knowledge this association has not been previously reported.     

Comparison of dobutamine stress echocardiography and technetium-99m sestamibi single-photon emission tomography for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease in hypertensive patients with and without left ventricular hypertrophy

Stress echocardiography has been considered an accurate method for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease in hypertensive patients and in patients with left ventricular hypertrophy. In contrast, the specificity of myocardial perfusion scintigraphy in these patients has been questioned. The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of these two imaging modalities in conjunction with dobutamine stress test for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease in hypertensive patients with and without left ventricular hypertrophy. Dobutamine (up to 40 μg kg^–1min^–1) stress echocardiography in conjunction with sestamibi (MIBI) single-photon emission tomography (SPET) was performed in 84 patients with the diagnosis of systemic hypertension who had been referred for evaluation of myocardial ischaemia. Ischaemia was defined as new or worsened wall motion abnormalities at echocardiography and reversible perfusion defects at SPET. Significant coronary artery disease (≥50% luminal diameter stenosis) was detected in 66 patients (79%). The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the ischaemic pattern at echocardiography for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease were 73% (CI 63%–82%), 83% (CI 75%–91%) and 75% (CI 66%–84%), those for MIBI were 67% (CI 57%–77%), 83% (CI 75%–91%) and 70% (CI 60%–80%) respectively (P = NS vs echocardiography). Significant stenosis was detected in 123 (49%) of the 252 analysed coronary arteries. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of echocardiography for the regional diagnosis of coronary artery disease were 63% (CI 56%–69%), 90% (CI 86%–94%) and 77% (CI 72%–82%). Those for MIBI were 58% (CI 51%–64%), 91% (CI 87%–94%) and 75% (CI 69%–80) respectively (P = NS vs echocardiography). Left ventricular hypertrophy was detected in 59 patients (70%) by echocardiography and did not influence the overall or regional specificity of echocardiography or MIBI SPET. It is concluded that in hypertensive patients, dobutamine stress echocardiography and MIBI SPET have a comparable accuracy for the overall and regional diagnosis of coronary artery disease. Hypertensive patients with or without left ventricular hypertrophy should not be considered unsuitable candidates for stress myocardial perfusion scintigraphy. Received 10 July and in revised form 19 September 1997     

多巴酚丁胺负荷超声心动图及组织多普勒成像技术在诊断冠心病中的临床应用

目的探讨多巴酚丁胺负荷超声心动图(DSE)和组织多普勒成像技术(TDI)在冠心病(CHD)诊断中的应用价值,以寻求一种敏感的、无创的CHD诊断方法。方法选择胸闷或胸痛怀疑CHD患者40例,应用TDI测量静息状态(Rest)下前壁中段收缩峰值速度(Vs),以及多巴酚丁胺峰值负荷状态(Peak)下前壁中段Vs,同时测量静息心率和负荷心率;所有入选对象均进行冠脉造影,并根据左前降支狭窄程度是否大于等于50%分为左前降支狭窄组(LST组)与左前降支非狭窄组(non-LST组)。分别比较Rest和Peak前壁中段LST组与non-LST组平均Vs差别等。结果Rest前壁中段LST组与non-LST组Vs差别无显著性意义;但Peak前壁中段LST组与non-LST组差别有显著性意义。结论DSE结合TDI是诊断冠心病有价值的定量分析方法。DSE在诊断CHD时的敏感性、准确性明显优于静息状态超声心动图。     

Effects of complete heart block on myocardial function, morphology, and energy metabolism in the rat.

AIMS: Severe sustained bradycardia may cause acute and possibly chronic congestive heart failure (CHF). The aim of this study was to investigate acute and chronic effects of complete heart block (CHB) on cardiac function, morphology, and creatine (Cr) metabolism. METHODS AND RESULTS: CHB was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats (approximately 250 g, n = 11) by means of electrocautery applied to the region of AV node and were compared with controls (n = 15). The rats were investigated at 1, 3, and 12 weeks after CHB induction with transthoracic echocardiography. Invasive haemodynamic assessment of left and right ventricular pressures was performed at 12 weeks. After the sacrifice, the hearts were freeze-clamped for analysis of myocardial Cr, and high energy phosphometabolites. The efficacy of operative procedure was 54%. The peri-operative mortality rate was 20%. Heart rate (HR) decreased by approximately 50% (P < 0.01) while stroke volume (SV) increased 2.5 times (P < 0.01) in the CHB rats. Cardiac index remained unchanged. The rats with CHB grew normally and were in no apparent distress. Filling pressures in left and right ventricles were normal. The CHB rats developed marked cardiomegaly with biventricular dilatation and eccentric left ventricular hypertrophy (P < 0.01). There was no change in the myocardial content of Cr and high energy phosphometabolites. CONCLUSION: Rats with CHB are compensating for reduction in HR with increased SV without haemodynamic and biochemical characteristics of CHF. This model may be useful to study the effects of CHB and bradycardia on myocardial structure, function, electrophysiology, and metabolism as well as for studies of cell therapy for reparation of AV conductance.     

Cardiac hemangioma presenting as atypical chest pain.

A 44-year-old man presented with atypical chest pain and dyspnea. Investigation revealed the presence of a 15-mm rounded, well-vascularized left-ventricular mass. The mass was removed surgically and histopathologic evaluation identified a cardiac hemangioma.