[Comparative evaluation of the ultrastructure of the left atrium before and after mitral commissurotomy]

The left atrium myocardium of patients with mitral stenosis was subjected to electron microscopy with quantitative analysis of the pictures prior to and 10-15 minutes following mitral commissurotomy. The control was served by the left atrium myocardium of a man free from mitral disease, the specimen being obtained during surgery for an anterior mediastinum lypoma. In the left atrium myocardium of patients with mitral stenosis changes were revealed that demonstrated a severe decompensation of both the energy and contractile apparatus of the cardiac myocytes. Following mitral commissurotomy the activity of the bioenergy apparatus of the cardiac cells normalizes.