1999;72(1) – ABC CARDIOL

PURPOSE: Evaluation of the role of transesophageal echocardiography in percutaneous closure of atrial septal defects (ASD) with the Amplatzer septal occluder. METHODS: Patients were selected for percutaneous closure of ASD by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), which was also used to monitor the procedure, helping to select the appropriate size of the Amplatzer device, to verify its position, and to access the immediate results of the procedure. During the follow-up, TEE was used to evaluate the presence and magnitude of residual shunt (RS), device position, and right cardiac chamber diameters. RESULTS: Twenty-two (40%) of a total of 55 studied patients were selected. Thirteen underwent Amplatzer device implantation, eight are still waiting for it, and one preferred the conventional surgical treatment. All procedures were successful, which was mainly due to proper patient selection. Six (23%) patients acutely developed RS, which spontaneously disapeared at the three-month follow-up examination in three patients. There was a significant reduction in the right ventricle diastolic diameter, from 27mm (average) to 24mm and 20mm, one and three months after the procedure, respectively (p<0.0076). CONCLUSION: With the aid of TEE, percutaneous closure of ASD can be successfully, safely, and effectively performed.

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Updated

Cardiovascular changes and cardiac morbidity of menopause. Effects of hormone replacement therapy

Roberto Bassan

Update

Cardiovascular Changes and Cardiac Morbidity of Menopause. Effects of Hormone Replacement Therapy

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Case Report

Tetralogy of fallot and aortic coarctation. A rare association

Renata Cristina de Santana et al. Vitor Coimbra Guerra Nana Miura Ikari Munir Ebaid

Case Report

Tetralogy of Fallot and Aortic Coarctation.

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Original Article

Neoplastic pericardial disease. Analysis of 26 patients

Helena Nogueira Soufen et al. Fábio Fernandes Barbara Maria Ianni Edmundo Arteaga … Paulo Sampaio Gutierrez Paulo Pego-Fernandes Charles Mady

PURPOSE: To characterize patients with neoplastic pericardial disease diagnosed by clinical presentation, complementary test findings, and the histological type of tumor. METHODS: Twenty-six patients with neoplastic pericardial disease were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: Clinical manifestations and abnormalities in chest roentgenograms and electrocardiograms were frequent, but were not specific. Most patients underwent surgery. There was a high positivity of the pericardial biopsy when associated with the cytological analysis of the pericardial liquid used to determine the histological type of the tumor, particularly when the procedure was performed with the aid of pericardioscopy. CONCLUSION: The correct diagnosis of neoplastic pericardial disease involves suspicious but nonspecific findings during clinical examination and in screen tests. The suspicious findings must be confirmed through more invasive diagnostic approaches, in particular pericardioscopy with biopsy and cytological study.