1/62. Importance of posterior chest leads in patients with suspected myocardial infarction, but nondiagnostic, routine 12-lead electrocardiogram.Criteria for reperfusion therapy in acute myocardial infarction require the presence of ST elevation in 2 contiguous leads. However, many patients with myocardial infarction do not show these changes on a routine 12-lead electrocardiogram and hence are denied reperfusion therapy. Posterior chest leads (V7 to V9) were recorded in 58 patients with clinically suspected myocardial infarction, but nondiagnostic routine electrocardiogram. ST elevation >0.1 mV or Q waves in > or =2 posterior chest leads were considered to be diagnostic of posterior myocardial infarction. Eighteen patients had these changes of posterior myocardial infarction. All 18 patients were confirmed to have myocardial infarction by creatine phosphokinase criteria or cardiac catheterization. Of the 17 patients who had cardiac catheterization, 16 had left circumflex as the culprit vessel. We conclude that posterior chest leads should be routinely recorded in patients with suspected myocardial infarction and nondiagnostic, routine electrocardiogram. This simple bedside technique may help proper treatment of some of these patients now classified as having unstable angina or non-Q-wave myocardial infarction.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = angina, stable (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/62. Postanginal septicaemia with external jugular venous thrombosis: case report.Postanginal septicaemia is a syndrome of anaerobic septicaemia, septic thrombophlebitis of the internal jugular vein, and metastatic infections, that follows a localized infection in the area drained by the large cervical veins. The syndrome was well-known and often fatal in the preantibiotic era. It is now rather rare, presumably as a result of the almost routine use of prophylactic antibiotics. The symptoms are classic, and it should be suspected in any case where septicaemia and metastatic lesions are preceded by a head and neck infection. We report a case that is typical, except that branches of the external jugular vein were thrombosed. To our knowledge this has not been reported previously.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 4.994120613567keywords = angina (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/62. A case of vasospastic angina presenting Brugada-type ECG abnormalities.An electrophysiological study and a provocative test of coronary artery spasm was attempted in a 68-year-old man who was having syncopal attacks and chest pain. His electrocardiogram had the characteristics of brugada syndrome and ventricular fibrillation (VF) was induced by programmed electrical stimulation. ST-segment elevation became exaggerated by procainamide, which could not prevent the induction of VF. coronary angiography revealed no stenotic lesions, and spasm in the left coronary artery was induced by intracoronary administration of acetylcholine with similar chest pain to that experienced before. Under treatment with diltiazem and flecainide, which suppressed the induction of VF, the patient experienced no recurrence of symptoms despite persistent ST-segment elevation. No previous reports have described coronary spasm associated with Brugada-type ECG abnormalities, and patients with syncope should be evaluated carefully.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 3.9952964908536keywords = angina (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/62. plasma endothelin-1 elevation associated with alcohol-induced variant angina.Vasospastic angina as a result of alcohol ingestion has been reported, but the mechanism of alcohol-induced coronary artery spasm is presently unknown. This report presents 2 cases of alcohol-induced variant angina (VA) with elevated levels of plasma endothelin-1 after alcohol ingestion. In case 1, the plasma endothelin-1 concentration was 3.15 pg/ml before drinking (normal <2.30 pg/ml) and increased to 4.09 pg/ml when measured 5 h after alcohol ingestion. After 2 months of abstinence, the plasma endothelin-1 concentration was 2.88 pg/ml and 6 months after abstinence, it decreased to 2.03 pg/ml (normal range). In case 2, the plasma endothelin-1 concentration was 2.44 pg/ml before drinking and increased to 4.36 pg/ml when measured 5 h after alcohol ingestion. After 2 months of abstinence, the plasma endothelin-1 concentration was 3.04 pg/ml and 6 months after abstinence, it decreased to 2.09 pg/ml (normal range). These 2 cases suggest that a relationship may exist between alcohol-induced VA and elevation in the plasma endothelin-1 concentration after alcohol ingestion.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 5.9929447362804keywords = angina (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/62. A young man with a heavy heart.A 34 year old man presented with acute chest pain. His ECG was very abnormal but stable and he was treated with opiate analgesia. When his condition did not improve, chest radiography and cardiac ultrasound were performed. Both revealed metal dense deposits in the heart. On questioning, the patient revealed that he had self injected with mercury 15 years before. Self injection of elemental mercury is rare but well described and normally used by those who are suicidally depressed or who seek to improve sexual or athletic performance. Intravenous mercury may be deposited in the right heart and can result in ECG abnormalities, which may later be mistaken for changes due to coronary or other cardiac disease and result in inappropriate medication and hospitalisation.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.0011758772865938keywords = stable (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/62. nitric oxide successfully used to treat acute chest syndrome of sickle cell disease in a young adolescent.OBJECTIVES: To report a case of acute chest syndrome (ACS) of sickle cell disease treated successfully with nitric oxide and to review the physiologic effects of nitric oxide and its potential ability to improve outcome in ACS. DESIGN: Descriptive case report. SETTING: Eighteen-bed pediatric intensive care unit in a university children's hospital. PATIENT: A 15-yr-old black male with sickle cell disease, bilateral pulmonary infiltrates, refractory hypoxemia, and unstable hemodynamics. INTERVENTION: In addition to exchange transfusion, invasive hemodynamic monitoring, and aggressive ventilatory support, inhaled nitric oxide was administered in the gas mixture in a concentration of 20 ppm for 72 hrs. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: cardiac output, pulmonary arterial pressure, pulmonary artery occlusion pressure, systemic vascular resistance, pulmonary vascular resistance, shunt fraction, and alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient were compared with and without inhaled nitric oxide. Marked reductions in pulmonary arterial pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance were noted. cardiac output improved, and shunt fraction and alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient were markedly reduced. The patient required decreased ventilator and hemodynamic support and rapidly made a complete recovery. CONCLUSIONS: nitric oxide may be beneficial for patients with ACS because of its ability to ameliorate pulmonary hypertension and ventilation/perfusion mismatch. nitric oxide may confer some protection against polymerization of sickle hemoglobin and exert a reversible antiplatelet effect that may be beneficial in ACS. Further study is necessary to determine the safety and efficacy of inhaled nitric oxide as a treatment for ACS.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.0011758772865938keywords = stable (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/62. thyrotoxicosis, unstable angina and normal coronary angiogram.It is well known that thyrotoxicosis may elicit acute myocardial ischemia even in patients with angiographically normal coronary vessels. The involved mechanisms are not clearly defined although some hypothesis have been suggested. We report a case of a 54-year-old woman affected by Graves' disease with thyrotoxicosis which was referred to our Institute because of unstable angina. During hospitalization a two dimensional echocardiogram, performed during chest discomfort, showed left ventricular apical akinesis and impaired global systolic function. A subsequent coronary angiography revealed normal epicardial vessels. She was successfully treated with high-dose methimazole and propranolol and a repeat echocardiogram evaluation showed normalization of left ventricular systolic function. Six months later, because of the appearance of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, the patient underwent total thyroidectomy and a substitutive therapy with L-T4 (100 micrograms/die) was started. The authors review the possible mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of myocardial ischemia during thyrotoxicosis.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 5keywords = angina, stable (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/62. Alteration of coronary flow velocity during spontaneous angina in a patient with microvascular angina.Phasic coronary flow velocity in the left and right coronary artery was recorded in a patient with microvascular angina. Coronary flow velocity during anginal attack was characterized by diminished systolic forward velocity, the appearance of systolic flow reversal, increase in diastolic flow velocity and its rapid deceleration. It was also accompanied with abnormal coronary flow reserve. These findings completely recovered at follow-up examination. A subgroup of patients with microvascular angina may show unique and reversible coronary flow abnormalities during chest pain.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 10.987065349847keywords = angina (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/62. Coexistence of giant aneurysm of sinus of valsalva and coronary artery aneurysm associated with idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome.Aneurysms of the coronary sinuses of Valsalva and coronary artery aneurysms are uncommon cardiac anomalies, and cases in which these two uncommon lesions occur at the same time are extremely rare. A case of a woman with unstable angina who had a giant aneurysm of the left coronary sinus and multiple coronary artery aneurysms associated with an idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome is presented. Her sustained eosinophilia, elevated eosinophilic cationic protein concentration, and pathological findings of eosinophil infiltration of the aortic wall suggested the association of eosinophilia induced vascular injury as the cause of these aneurysms. This is the first such case to survive following surgical treatment.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = angina, stable (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/62. spinal cord infarction mimicking angina pectoris.Severe chest pain resembling angina pectoris in a 42-year-old man preceded the development of neurologic signs, distracting from recognition of the acute infarction of the cervical spinal cord responsible for his pain. Consistent with a spinal origin of chest pain were the absence of any evidence of cardiac disease and the demonstration of infarction at C6-7. This segmental level coincides with the convergence of ascending afferent traffic entering the central nervous system from the cardiac plexus. Spinal stroke affecting the lower cervical level can thus mimic the pain of myocardial ischemia.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 4.994120613567keywords = angina (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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