[Surgery of endomyocardial fibrosis. Apropos of 32 cases]

From 1971 to 1984, 32 patients with endomyocardial fibrosis (EMF) were treated by endocardial resection (decortication) and valve replacement. The population consisted in 20 men and 12 women (age ranged from 8 to 64); 19 patients were european and 13 african. All were symptomatic, 78 p. 100 in stages III or IV of the NYHA. Hypereosinophilia was detected in 21 patients and its cause was determined in 11 cases. Cardiac involvement was biventricular in 22 patients and monoventricular in 10 patients. Six patients died in the immediate postoperative period and 6 late deaths were observed, owing to extracardiac causes in 4. There were no recurrence of EMF. Despite a high mortality rate, the authors suggest that all symptomatic EMF should benefit from endocardial resection.