ABSTRACT
Small calcific deposits occur commonly in the left ventricular papillary muscles of elderly persons, presumably a part of the aging process, and these small deposits do not appear to be related to coronary arterial disease. These small deposits are limited to the apices of the papillary muscles, and they are usually not discernible by currently available noninvasive techniques. Much larger calcific deposits occur on rare occasion in the left ventricular free wall and/or ventricular septum at sites of healed myocardial infarction. These larger calcific deposits in these locations may be detected by radiographic means during life. In 1989, the authors first developed video endoscopic transthoracic sympathectomy for palmar hyperhidrosis. To study the postsympathectomy effects on the heart autonomic function of these patients, they studied their heart rate variability before and after sympathectomy with a 24-hour ambulatory electrocardiogram recorder (Holter recordings).
