Complete heart block complicating bacterial endocarditis

Bacterial endocarditis with ruptured sinus of Valsalva and aorticocardiac fistula

A case is presented of bacterial endocarditis with a ruptured sinus of Valsalva and formation of an aorticocardiac fistula from the right coronary sinus into the right atrium and right ventricle. The pathologic, clinical and surgical aspects of bacterial endocarditis complicated by a ruptured sinus of Valsalva and an aorticocardiac fistula are analyzed. This complication of bacterial endocarditis is still uncommon, but alertness to its diagnosis makes possible early and successful surgical treatment.

Hemodynamic changes during ventricular pacing in patients with complete heart block and aortic and mitral valvular heart disease

Increasing the heart rate to near normal in patients with complete heart block (CHB) and slow ventricular rates may lead to greater improvement in ventricular function than when the heart rate is increased from normal to more rapid heart rates. Improvement in ventricular function is usually manifested by a decrease in left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) and volume and by an increase in contractility. In patients with both CHB and valvular heart disease improvement in ventricular function during pacing may be modified by the nature of the valvular disease. Hemodynamic data from six patients with both valvular heart disease and CHB were compared with those from ten patients with CHB and normal cardiac valves. Hemodynamic studies were performed at slow or idioventricular rates and again after increasing the heart rate to more nearly normal levels by ventricular pacing. When obstruction to left ventricular inflow (mitral stenosis) co-existed with CHB, increasing the heart rate resulted in a reduction of an elevated LVEDP to normal. This resulted in only a small increase in left atrial pressure in spite of a striking increase in the mean left atrial-ventricular gradient. When obstruction to left ventricular outflow prevailed (aortic stenosis), improvement in cardiac function was manifested mainly by a decrease in LVEDP and was accompanied by a decrease in left ventricular stroke work. When a large regurgitant volume (aortic insufficiency) was added to a ventricle which has enlarged subsequent to CHB, there was striking elevation in ventricular filling pressures which returned to more nearly normal levels when the heart rate was increased. This was accompanied by a reduction in regurgitant stroke volume in the patient in whom it was measured. Thus, an increase in heart rate may be especially beneficial to those patients with CHB who also have valvular lesions which contribute to an increase in LVEDP and end-diastolic volume. Careful hemodynamic evaluation is helpful in determining appropriate therapy in these patients.