SummaryThe purpose of the study was to evaluate alterations of the hemostatic system and the effect of anticoagulant therapy in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. A set of molecular hematologic markers was measured prospectively in 69 patients with atrial fibrillation and 28 age-matched patients in sinus rhythm. Significantly elevated levels of thrombin-antithrombin III complex (8.5 ± 1.6 vs. 2.5 ± 0.3 αg/1; p <0.001), fibrin monomers (27.1 ± 3.2 vs. 13.4 ± 3.7 nM; p <0.001), D-dimers (788 ± 76 vs. 405 ± 46 αg/l; p <0.005), and tissue-type plasminogen activator (9.6 ± 0.5 vs. 7.2 ± 0.5 αg/l; p <0.05) were observed in patients with atrial fibrillation compared to those in sinus rhythm. In a subgroup of patients in whom anticoagulant therapy with oral coumadin or standard intravenous heparin was established after the initial study, hemostatic activation decreased significantly. In conclusion, molecular hematologic markers indicate a hypercoagulable state in atrial fibrillation which may characterize a group of patients at elevated risk for thromboembolic disease.
SUMMARYA coronary artery-to-left ventricular fistula is a rare finding; to the best of our knowledge, a total of only 35 cases have been reported. Only 5 cases of a generalized arterio-systemic fistula with three vessel involvement have been reported in the literature. We describe another case involving all major coronary arteries. A review of the literature is presented and the data of the reported cases are analyzed.A 55 year old woman was examined because of recurrent chest pain which had persisted for 2 years. On physical examination, the only abnormal finding was a fourth heart sound. Exertional chest pain, a positive exercise stress test, and the results of a lactate extraction study suggested severe myocardial ischemia. Thallium myocardial scintigraphy showed no evidence of a perfusion defect. Cardiac catheterization revealed an irregular left ventricular endocardial pattern (Thebesian veins). Selective coronary angiography showed communicating fistulae of all three major coronary arteries with the left ventricular cavity. We assume that this vascular anomaly causes a coronary steal phenomenon and subsequent myocardial ischemia.
AdditionalIndexing Words: Coronary artery-to-left ventricular fistula Myocardial ischemia Clinical assessment ONGENITAL anomalies of the coronary arteries are a well-known clinical finding.1)-3) Coronary arterial fistulae are no longer considered a rare anomaly.4)-8) The majority of these anomalies are arteriovenous con-
Ventricular ectopia leading to fibrillation accounts for the lethal outcome of caffeine poisoning in anesthetized rats and can be antagonized by treatment with propranolol or verapamil.
Summary: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) has various manifestations with respect to the localization of the hypertrophy. In this study we report clinical, electrocardiographic (ECG), echocardiographic (echo), and hemodynamic findings in midventricular obstruction (MO), an uncommon form of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) in 9 patients. The prevalence of systolic anterior motion of anterior mitral leaflet (SAM) in MO, an echocardiographic diagnostic hallmark in HOCM, was another purpose of this study. All patients had complete clinical, ECG, echo, and hemodynamic workup, including left ventricular (in 4 patients simultaneous biventricular, SBVA) and coronary angiograms. All patients had dyspnea and palpitations, chest pain, 2 had syncope. In the ECG, atrial fibrillation was present in 2 , and left ventricular hypertrophy in 9 patients. Septa1 and left ventricular free wall thickening was significantly present in all patients in echo, and SAM in 1 patient. The intraventricular gradient (IVG) was 40-1 76 mmHg, in I case 40 mmHg by provocation, Brockenbrough was positive in all patients. Two patients had right ventricular IVG. A positive beta-blocking agent effect was present in 6 cases. The best localization of the obstruction was possible with SBVA and 2D-echo. We conclude that M O has all the signs of HOCM, but S A M in echocardiography is uncommon. S A M is occasionally present and is not a necessary factor to pro-
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.