OBJECTIVE: To assess the short- and long-term results of the use of streptokinase (SK) for the treatment of thromboses in cardiac valvular prostheses. METHODS: Seventeen patients with cardiac prosthetic thrombosis diagnosed by clinical, echocardiographic, and radioscopic findings underwent fibrinolytic treatment with a streptokinase bolus of 250,000 U followed by 100.000 U/hour. Short- and long-term results were assessed by radioscopy and echocardiography. RESULTS: Of the 17 patients, 12 had mechanical double-disk prostheses (4 aortic, 6 mitral, 2 tricuspid), 4 had single-disk prostheses (2 aortic, 1 mitral, and 1 tricuspid), and 1 had a tricuspid bioprosthesis. The success rate was 64.8%, the partial success rate was 17.6%, and the nonsuccess rate was 17.6%. All patients with a double-disk prosthesis responded, completely or partially, to the treatment. None of the patients with a single-disk prosthesis had complete resolution of the thrombosis. The time of streptokinase infusion ranged from 6 to 80 hours (mean of 56 h). The mortality rate due to the use of streptokinase was 5.8% and was secondary to cerebral bleeding. During streptokinase infusion, 3 (17.6%) embolic episodes occurred as follows: 1 cerebral, 1 peripheral, and 1 coronary. The rethrombosis index was 33% in a mean follow-up of 42 months. CONCLUSION: The use of fibrinolytic agents was effective and relatively safe in patients with primary thrombosis of a double-disk prosthesis. A fatal hemorrhagic complication occurred in 1 (5.8%) patient, and embolic complications occurred in 3 (17.6%) patients. In a mean 42-month follow-up, 67% of the patients were free from rethrombosis.

Procuranco saber qual a evolução a longo prazo daqueles pacientes submetidos a comissurotomia mitral há mais de 14 anos, analisamos 100 pacientes, operados entre 1962 e 1975 e que tiveram seu acompanhamento no Instituto Dante Pazzanese de Cardiologia. Muitos pacientes foram operados nesse intervalo, mas não tiveram seu seguimento em nossa Instituição e não foram considerados. Setenta e seis eram do sexo feminino e 24 do masculino, com idades variando de 11 a 50 anos, com média de 30,8 anos. Sessenta e cinco pacientes foram reoperados, sendo que em 18 ocasiões realizou-se outra comissurotomia, em um fez-se a revascularização, em um substituição da valva tricúspide; em 45 vezes a valva foi substituída (43 próteses biológicas e duas metálicas). O tempo médio entre a primeira e a segunda cirurgias foi de 13,6 anos. Não houve óbitos na reoperação. Trinta e cinco pacientes continuam em evolução da primeirs cirurgia, com um tempo médio de 17,2 anos, com um mínimo de 14 anos e um máximo de 27 anos. Dez estão no grupo funcional I, 17 no II, sete no III e um no grupo IV. Desta forma, dos 100 pacientes iniciais, 52 ainda estão com suas valvas naturais, mostrando que, apesar de a evolução da doença poder levar a alterações nas valvas operadas, a comissurotomia mitral consegue uma boa evolução a longo prazo.

To evaluate a longterm evolution of patients who were submitted to an open mitral commissurotomy, we studied 100 patients who were operated upon between 1962 and 1975. They have had follow-up in the Instituto Dante Pazzanese de Cardiologia for the minimum of 14 years. Sixty-six were women and 24 were men. Their ages ranged from 11 to 50 years, and the media was 30.8 years. Sixty-five patients were reoperated and 18 of them were submitted to a new commissurotomy; in one a revascularization was done; in one the replacement of tricuspide valve; and in 45 times the valve was replaced (43 biological prosthesis and 2 metalics). The medium time among he first and the second surgery was 13.6 years. There wasn't any death among the reoperations. Thirty five patients keep in evolution of the first surgery, the medium time is 17.2 years (minimun 14 years and maximum 27 years). Ten are in the NYHA functional class I, 17 in II, seven in III and one in class IV. After this time of evolution, 52 patients are with their natural valves, showing good evolution of the mitral commissurotomy.