RESUMO
Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is the most common type of inter-atrial shunt, with prevalence as high as 30%. Detection of PFO has implications in patients with stroke, peripheral embolism, decompression illness, and other conditions. Transesophageal echo (TEE) with saline contrast injection is the current standard for PFO detection, but even with TEE, PFOs are sometimes missed. With advances in percutaneous PFO closure therapies and proven long-term benefit of closure, accurate PFO detection takes on cardinal importance. Various provocative maneuvers to enhance PFO detection are in clinical use and have been studied. The Valsalva maneuver has long-held position as the ideal provocation to unmask PFO, but other maneuvers such as cough, sniff, Müller's, and more have gained relevance. In this article, we will examine various maneuvers and discuss their utility in PFO detection.
Assuntos
Tosse , Ecocardiografia Transesofagiana/métodos , Forame Oval Patente/diagnóstico por imagem , Manobra de Valsalva/fisiologia , Forame Oval/diagnóstico por imagem , Forame Oval/fisiopatologia , Forame Oval Patente/fisiopatologia , HumanosRESUMO
The HELEX septal occluder (W.L. Gore & Associates, Newark, DE, USA) is a popular closure device for patent foramen ovale (PFO) and secundum atrial septal defect (ASD). Composed of a versatile polymer and a wire frame, it has been used for nearly a decade. A 50-year-old African American man with a PFO repaired 5 years previously with the HELEX was admitted to our hospital with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia. A transesophageal echocardiogram demonstrated large mobile vegetations on the left and right atrial aspects of the occluder. Cardiothoracic surgery was consulted for removal of the vegetations and device, but hesitated owing to concurrent foot osteomyelitis and concern for re-infection of a potential replacement device. The patient was persistently bacteremic, his course complicated by septic pulmonary and cerebral emboli, but eventually cleared his infection on antibiotic therapy. Seventy days since admission, the patient was discharged to a rehabilitation facility. The case illustrates that infection is possible years after PFO/ASD closure despite a theoretical neoendothelialization within 6 months of implantation. Furthermore, it accentuates the success of timely and aggressive medical treatment, thereby averting high-risk open cardiac surgery.
RESUMO
The AngioVac is a vacuum-based device introduced in 2012 to percutaneously remove undesirable material from the intravascular system. In scattered reports, the AngioVac has been used for removal of device-led vegetations and right-sided thrombi. In this article, we describe three cases of right-sided endocarditis treated with AngioVac: a mobile mass extending from the vena cava into the right atrium, large native tricuspid vegetations, and bioprosthetic tricuspid vegetations. This device shows benefit in reducing vegetation load, decreasing septic lung embolization, and reducing reinfection in active intravenous drug users. These cases exhibit the AngioVac's arrival as a new and exciting tool in endocarditis treatment, providing an alternative to open surgery and accessorizing antimicrobial treatment.