Med Klin
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The most recent WHO/ISFC classification of cardiomyopathies (1995) describes as cardiomyopathies all heart muscle diseases, which demonstrate a disturbance of cardiac function. It distinguishes primarily according to hemodynamic criteria the following 5 forms: 1. dilated (DCM), 2. hypertrophic (HCM), 3. restrictive (RCM) from 4. arrhythmogenic right ventricular (ARVCM) and assembles in 5. non-classified cardiomyopathies (NKCM) the non-classifiable forms. When compared to the 18-year-old former classification several points have been altered: 1. ⋯ Hypertensive cardiomyopathy corresponds to left ventricular hypertrophy in hypertensive patients, valvular cardiomyopathy identifies cardiomegaly, which cannot sufficiently be explained by the valvular dysfunction (stenoses or insufficiency) alone. For the first time the term inflammatory cardiomyopathy has been used and defined as acute or chronic myocarditis associated with cardiac dysfunction, for which etiological and pathogenetic factors, e.g. viral or microbial infection or autoimmune processes have been made responsible. Two ISFC task forces have just recently clarified in consensus conferences the immunohistopathological criteria for chronic myocarditis or dilated cardiomyopathy with inflammation (DCMi: > 14 lymphocytes or macrophages/mm3) and set standards for molecular and virological diagnoses in endomyocardial biopsies.
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Local vascular complications after transfemoral cardiac catheterization occur with an incidence of 5%. Most commonly these lesions are pseudoaneurysms, av-fistulas, arterial dissections or direct vascular injuries. Undiagnosed vascular lesions can lead to fatal consequences especially in patients with chronic heart failure by av-fistula with significant shunt volume. ⋯ The suspicion of a vascular lesion after vascular catheterization should immediately lead to color Doppler ultrasound. Noninvasive duplexsonography will lead to early diagnosis of vascular complications and prompt further surgical or conservative intervention with reduction of long-term sequela and morbidity.
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Ten patients with adult onset of Still's disease (AOSD) were examined one to nine years after the established diagnosis. Clinical symptoms, laboratory parameters and the outcome of the cases are presented and compared to international literature and to Yamagushi's in 1992 proposed diagnostic criteria. Nine patients were reexamined in our out-patient clinic. The chart of one additional patient, who died 10 month after the initial symptoms was also available for data analysis. Retrospectively, it was investigated whether any parameters were predictive for a chronic or severe form of the disease. ⋯ Predicting parameters for a chronic course of the disease could not be found. Each patient's diagnosis retrospectively could be confirmed using the Yamagushi's diagnostic criteria. Thus, these criteria appear helpful in the difficult diagnostic process of this disease.