[Relationship between age and inflammatory reaction following mitral commissurotomy]

Out of 347 patients who underwent mitral commissurotomy 204 (59 per cent) developed post-operative pleural effusions which were not evident any more at 83 patients (24 per cent) in the second to third week after the operation. 79 patients (23 per cent) had, during this period, still light angular and/or interlobular effusions, 42 patients (16 per cent) showed pneumonical processes during the early phase after the operation. 122 patients (35 per cent) presented in the course of the clinical rehabilitation pleurisical and/or pericardial rubbing, 62 patients (18 per cent) heavy leukocytosis and 25 patients (10 per cent) chest pains and arthralgias. Upon subdividing the patients into five groups of age, there will be obvious that these phenomena were much more frequent with older patinets. With growing age, also rose the portion of those patients who were treated for months by prednisolon for persistent inflammatory reaction tendency.