1998;70(1) – ABC CARDIOL

Artigo Original

Morphological changes of muscular arteries in hypertensive patients

Mario Fritsch Toros Neves et al. Julia Fernandes Souza Wille Oigman

PURPOSE: To identify structural lesions in the wall of uterine arteries in hypertensive women. METHODS: Twenty six patients who underwent an elective hysterectomy were selected and separated in two groups. Group 1 was formed by women with normal blood pressure and group 2 consisted of hypertensive patients without regular treatment. Two segments of the uterine artery were obtained from every patient shortly after surgery. The fragments were fixed, sliced and stained. The morphological study was carried out using optical microscopy. RESULTS: Age was similar in both groups with means of 46.8+7.6 and 46.7+6.4 years-old in groups 1 and 2, respectively. The average maximal systolic and diastolic blood pressure during hospital admition were 130.0+3.4 and 83.8+6.5mmHg in the control group and 163.8+4.3 and 105.8+9.9mmHg in the hypertensive group (p<0.0001). Hypertensive women had larger intimal thickness (p<0.05). Elastic fibers were also more numerous and homogeneous in group 2. Cellular hypertrophy was more common in this group than in control patients (53.8% vs 23.1%). CONCLUSION: Hypertension seems to accelerate the age-related increase in intima thickness. Hypertensive women have more numerous and homogeneous elastic fibers in the wall of the uterine artery. These findings indicate that hypertension may determine structural changes similar to vascular aging.

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Artigo Original

Multicenter study of intracoronary stent implantation in Rio de Janeiro

Norival Romão et al. Esmeralci Ferreira Cláudio A. Feldman Renato Vilella … Noé Costa Cyro V. Rodrigues André Pessanha Valério Fuks Sérgio M. Leandro

PURPOSE: To evaluate retrospectively stent implantation (SI) in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) performed in 7 hospitals in Rio de Janeiro. METHODS: From June/94 to December/96 2,220 procedures were performed among which we analyzed 783 SI in 660 (29.7%) patients using coronary angiography without digital subtraction. Several types of stents were used: Palmaz-Schatz (40.9%), Gianturco-Roubin (29.1%) e NIR (22.0%). Indications for SI: 1- de novo lesion (67.9%); 2) restenotic lesion (16.0%); 3) sub-optimal results after PTCA (8.2%); 4) abrupt or threatened closure after PTCA (4.9%); 5) chronic occlusion (3.0%). All stents were implanted using high pressure balloon inflation without intracoronary ultrasound guidance. Sub-acute stent thrombosis prevention, in the majority of patients (87.8%) was done with ticlopidine and aspirin. RESULTS: Early outcome: a) the success rate of SI in 770 lesions was 98.0% in 646 (97.9%) patients; b) the clinical success rate in 634 patients was 96.0%; c) the major complications were acute myocardial infarction (1.1%); coronary artery bypass graft (1.4%) and death (0.8%); d) vascular complications with surgical correction and/or bleeding occurred in 3.0%. Late outcome: a) the clinical follow-up of 399 (60.4%) and the coronary angiographies of 121 patients (30.3%) showed in-stent lesion in 79 (19.8%); b) other event rates: myocardial infarction (1.5%); coronary bypass (2.3%); death: 1.0% and other PTCA or similar procedure (12.5%). CONCLUSION: This multicentric study showed that SI for CAD can be performed with safety, high early success rate, few complications and low rate of cardiac events during the late follow-up.

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Artigo Original

Balloon dilatation for the treatment of membranous subaortic stenosis

José Luiz B. Jacob et al. Nilton Carlos S. Machado Wilson Miguel C. Coelho Sérgio Aloisio C. Garzon

PURPOSE: This study sought to evaluate the immediate and follow-up results of percutaneous balloon dilatation for the treatment of membranous subaortic stenoses. METHODS: Fourteen patients with mean age 11.4± 5.2 years, were submitted to the procedure. They were selected when the echocardiogram showed a thin subaortic membrane that was far from the aortic valve, no fibro-muscular obstruction and only mild or moderate aortic regurgitation. After measuring the pressure gradient and analysis of the angiographic features, the balloon dilatation was made by applying a fast manual inflation until the balloon waist disappeared. The balloon diameter was the same as that of the outflow tract of left ventricle, immediately bellow the aortic valve. Pressure measurement, left ventriculogram and aortogram were repeated. Doppler echocardiogram was repeated in the following day, after 3 months and every 6 months thereafter. RESULTS: All 17 procedures were successful. The mean gradient was 76.1±21.2mmHg before and 29.8±8.8mmHg after dilatation (p<0.01). There was no increase in aortic regurgitation or death after the procedure or during the follow-up. Twelve patients were discharged 24h after the procedure. Surgical treatment for femoral artery thrombosis was performed in 2 patients. In the follow-up of 33.3±23.6 months, 4 patients developed restenosis and 3 of them were submitted to successful redilatation. CONCLUSION: We conclude that in selected cases, the procedure is safe and effective, and restenosis may be treated by percutaneous balloon redilatation.

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Artigo Original

Reversal of excessive oral anticoagulation

Dayse Maria Lourenço et al. Vânia Maria Morelli Carla Valadares Vignal

PURPOSE: To evaluate the response of 73 patients with antivitamin K (AVK) overdose to 3 different therapeutic regimens. METHODS: Seventy three patients were evaluated in 94 occasions: group A (N=32), consisted of drug withdrawal for 2 days followed by reduced dosage; group B (N=37), drug withdrawal and reassessment within 4 days; group C (N=25), oral administration of vitamin K. Therapeutic range was set between INR-values of 2 and 4. RESULTS: Reversal regimens did not result in differences among 61 patients who had initial INR 4, but 5 of them were bellow 4.5, without increased bleeding risk. There were 10 patients in group C bellow therapeutic range, 6 of them with INR < 1.6, with risk of thromboembolism. Thirteen patients bled, but none required transfusion. CONCLUSION: Reversal of excessive oral anticoagulation can be safely performed by initial withdrawal of the drug, followed by lower doses. Vitamin K administration may lead to INR bellow the therapeutic range. This should be reserved for patients with high INR or in the presence of bleeding.

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Artigo Original

Hemostatic changes in children undergoing heart surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass

Fernanda Maria Rebouças da Costa Silveira et al. Dayse Maria Lourenço Miguel Maluf Werther B. Carvalho … Enio Buffolo Antonio Carlos Carvalho

PURPOSE: We evaluated hemostasic changes in children undergoing open heart surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). METHODS: We studied 17 children before, during surgery, in the immediate, first and between the 4th and 7th postoperative days, measuring hematocrit, prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, fibrinogen, platelet count, factor V and euglobulin lysis time. Children were divided in those with and without excessive bleeding in the postoperative period. RESULTS: We observed significant prolongation of prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time, reduction of fibrinogen and factor V, and shortening of euglobulin lysis time. Six (35%) children bled excessively. Platelet count reduction was greater in the intra operative period in these cases and the duration of CPB was longer in this group. CONCLUSION: Changes in hemostasis during open heart surgery are due to coagulation cascade disorders as well as fibrinolysis. The incidence of excessive bleeding is higher in the pediatric group. Prolonged CPB time and greater reduction in platelet count differentiated both groups.

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Relato de Caso

Stenting for iatrogenic coronary dissection

Ronaldo Tadeu Copini et al. Claudia Maria Rodrigues Alves Francisco de Assis Costa José Augusto Marcondes de Souza João Lourenço Villari Herrmann

Catheter-induced coronary dissection is rare but has a significant mortality and morbidity. The ideal management of acute coronary occlusion, whatever the cause, is the prompt restoration of the vessel patency to limit the extent and duration of ischemia. In the setting of dissection during angiography the usual approach to myocardial salvage has been emergency aortocoronary bypass surgery preceded by insertion of an intra-aortic balloon. The main disadvantages of this approach is the delay in performing emergency surgery, mainly in centers without surgical back-up on site. The authors present a case of an elderly woman with left circumflex artery dissection caused by the catheter during coronary angiography. This problem was successfully managed using an intracoronary stent. This technique has potential advantages in terms of the speed of reperfusion and availability in centers performing diagnostic angiography without surgical back-up on site.

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Relato de Caso

High output heart failure due to a coronary fistula

Orlando Petrucci Jr et al. Pedro Paulo M. de Oliveira Cid de Abreu Leme Jr Otávio Rizzi Coelho … Fernando A. Barca Schellini Eduardo Arantes Nogueira Reinaldo W. Vieira Domingo Marcolino Braile

A 45 year-old woman complaining of heart failure symptoms (New York Heart Association -class III) and a non typical thoracic pain was submitted to a transthoracic echocardiogram which showed a very dilated coronary artery and a fistula to the right atrium. The angiograms confirmed the same findings. She underwent open heart surgery which confirmed the diagnosis. Fistula ligation was then undertaken. She remains symptom-free three years after the operation.

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Artigo Original

Analysis of atrial fibrillation recurrence during therapy with sotalol or quinidine

Henrique Horta Veloso et al. Angelo Amato Vincenzo de Paola

PURPOSE: To analyze the recurrences of atrial fibrillation in patients treated with sotalol or quinidine. METHODS: After conversion to sinus rhythm, 121 patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation were randomized to sotalol (58 patients) or quinidine (63 patients) and followed-up during 6 months. Symptoms and ventricular rates on the 12 lead electrocardiogram of the arrhythmic events were compared between the two groups. Clinical and echocardiographic characteristics were analyzed as predictors of atrial fibrillation recurrence. RESULTS: Seventeen (14%) patients relapsed into atrial fibrillation; 7 (12%) were treated with sotalol and 10 (16%) with quinidine. Recurrence occurred later in the sotalol group (median 69 days) in comparison with the quinidine group (median 10 days) (p=0.04). Symptoms were present in 14 (82%) patients during the initial crisis and in 10 (47%) during recurrence. Recurrence was less symptomatic during antiarrhythmic therapy (p<0.04), with no statistical differences between the two groups. Only patients treated with sotalol had ventricular rates during the recurrences lower than during initial crisis (p<0.02). All variables failed to predict recurrence of atrial fibrillation. CONCLUSIONS: evention of atrial fibrillation. Recurrence was less symptomatic during antiarrhythmic therapy. Patients treated with sotalol relapsed to atrial fibrillation later and had ventricular rates during recurrences significantly lower than during the initial crisis.

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Artigo Original

Cardiorespiratory response during exercise in heart transplant recipients comparated to normal healthy subjects

Ana Fátima Salles et al. Japy Angelini Oliveira Fº Turíbio Leite de Barros Neto Dirceu Rodrigues de Almeida … Antonio Carlos de Camargo Carvalho Yara Juliano Ênio Buffolo Eulógio Emílio Martinez Fº

PURPOSE: To evaluate the cardiorespiratory response of heart transplant (HT) recipients. METHODS: Nine HT recipients (GI) underwent ergospirometric tests and were compared to 9 apparently healthy, sedentary subjects with similar sex, age, weight and height (GII). All were male patients aging 48±12 years, in functional class I (NYHA) an average of 23±21 months after HT. They were receiving cyclosporin, azathioprine, prednisone, dipyridamole and antihypertensive drugs. The tests were symptom-limited and they were interrupted due to exhaustion. RESULTS: During peak exercise, GI had a significantly lower physical performance related to lower VO2, VE, VEO2, HR, endurance time and work load. At the anaerobic threshold, VO2, endurance time and work load levels were also significantly lower in GI. The physical performance was similar between the groups in the 40W load. CONCLUSION: The cardiorespiratory performance in GI was significantly lower at peak exercise and similar to GII in the 40W load, showing the HT benefits cardiac patients during usual activities.

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