＜Editors' Choice＞ Very long-term clinical outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention for complex vs non-complex lesions: 10-year outcomes following sirolimus-eluting stent implantation.

Few studies have reported the long-term outcomes (>10 years) following first-generation drug-eluting stent implantation. In this single-center retrospective study, we investigated the very long-term clinical outcomes after first-generation sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) implantation in patients with complex lesions. The study included 383 consecutive patients who underwent initial SES implantation between July 2004 and January 2006; 84 and 299 of these patients reported a history of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for complex and noncomplex lesions, respectively. Complex PCI was defined as having at least one of the following features: left main trunk PCI, implantation of ≥3 stents, bifurcation lesions with implantation of 2 stents, total stent length >60 mm, or chronic total occlusion. The target lesion revascularization (TLR) rate was significantly higher in the complex PCI than in the noncomplex PCI group (29.4% vs 13.0%, P=0.001), and we observed a significant intergroup difference in the late TLR (>1 year) rates (21.6% vs 9.5%, P=0.008). Late TLR continued over 10 years at a rate of 2.4%/year in the complex PCI and 1.1%/year in the noncomplex PCI group. Cox regression analysis revealed that complex PCI was related to TLR both over 10 years (hazard ratio 2.29, P=0.003) and beyond 1 year (hazard ratio 2.32, P=0.01). Cardiac death was more common in the complex PCI than in the noncomplex PCI group, particularly 4 years after PCI (15.8% vs 7.5%, P=0.031). Sudden death was the major cause of cardiac death beyond 4 years in the complex PCI group. These data indicate that long-term careful follow-up is essential for patients implanted with SES, especially those treated for complex lesions.

Coronary Drug-Eluting Stent Infection Complicated by Coronary Artery Aneurysm and Purulent Pericarditis: Complete Resolution Without Surgery.

Coronary stent infection is considered to be a rare but catastrophic complication of percutaneous coronary intervention. In this report, we present a 72-year-old man who developed a coronary stent infection complicated by coronary aneurysm and purulent pericarditis. Coronary artery aneurysm resolved over a period of 8 months following the successful management of infection with intensive antibiotic therapy alone. This case suggests that conservative therapy can be a therapeutic option in patients with high operative risks.

Refractory ventricular fibrillation caused by caffeine intoxication.

A 30-year-old female with no history of cardiac or systemic disease presented with incessant ventricular fibrillation (VF) after an intake of 12 g of over-the-counter caffeine tablets for a suicidal purpose. Her VF was refractory, and repeated defibrillations were needed to attain a recovery of sinus rhythms. We then performed percutaneous cardiopulmonary support and therapeutic hypothermia to stabilize her circulation and prevent anoxic brain damage, respectively. A blood examination revealed an extremely high concentration of caffeine (172 mg/L). She fully recovered 16 days after her admission. Our findings reveal the potentially lethal arrhythmogenic nature of caffeine. .

Temporary adjunctive cilostazol vs clopidogrel loading for ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: Clopidogrel loading is a standard method to achieve rapid platelet inhibition and prevent thrombotic events. At the current time, little information is available to determine the effect of adjunctive cilostazol compared with clopidogrel loading. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 212 patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention with drug-eluting stents for ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction. All patients were administered aspirin (100 mg once a day) and clopidogrel (75 mg once a day). The patients were divided into two groups according to the presence (loading group, n = 100) or absence (cilostazol group, n = 112) of clopidogrel loading (300 mg). Patients in the cilostazol group were administered adjunctive cilostazol (100 mg twice a day) in place of clopidogrel loading. Patient characteristics, medications, and 30-day clinical outcomes were examined. RESULTS: The mean duration of cilostazol administration in the cilostazol group was 6.2 ± 4.9 days from the time of primary coronary intervention. No significant difference was observed in major adverse cardiac events (cardiac death, definite stent thrombosis, and non-fatal myocardial infarction) between the loading group and the cilostazol group (9/100; 9.0 vs. 8/112; 7.1%, p = 0.62). Definite stent thrombosis was observed for two patients in the loading group and one patient in the cilostazol group. The occurrence ratio of bleeding events did not differ significantly between the two groups (9.0 vs. 5.4%, p = 0.30). CONCLUSION: There was no significant difference in the incidence of major adverse cardiac events between temporary adjunctive cilostazol treatment and clopidogrel loading in ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction patients. Our findings suggest one potential of cilostazol.

Accelerated decline in renal function after acute myocardial infarction in patients with high low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol ratio.

High low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (L/H) ratio is associated with progressions of coronary arteriosclerosis and chronic kidney disease. On the other hand, renal function markedly declined after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The aims of the present study were (1) to identify what type of patients with AMI would have high L/H ratio at follow-up and (2) to evaluate whether decline in renal function after AMI had accelerated or not in patients with high L/H ratio. The 190 eligible AMI patients who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and received atorvastatin (10 mg) were divided into one of two groups according to the L/H ratio at 6-month follow-up: L/H >2 group (n = 81) or L/H ≤2 group (n = 109). The characteristics on admission in the two groups were examined. Furthermore, changes in serum creatinine (sCr) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) during 1- and 6-month follow-up were compared between the two groups. L/H >2 group were significantly younger and had greater body mass index (BMI) and worse lipid profile on admission compared with L/H ≤2 group. Percentage increase in sCr and percentage decrease in eGFR during 1-month follow-up in L/H >2 group tended to be greater than in L/H ≤2 group, and those during 6-month follow-up were significantly greater (16.5 ± 2.77 vs. 9.79 ± 2.23 %, p = 0.03 and 11.8 ± 1.93 vs. 2.75 ± 3.85 %, p = 0.04, respectively). In AMI patients undergoing primary PCI, those who were young and had large BMI and poor lipid profile on admission were likely to have a high L/H ratio at follow-up despite statin therapy. In addition, the decline in renal function after AMI had significantly accelerated in patients with high L/H ratio.

Influence of the false lumen status on clinical outcomes in patients with acute type B aortic dissection.

OBJECTIVE: Clinical outcomes in acute type B aortic dissection patients with partial thrombosis of the false lumen have not been clearly elucidated. The purpose of this study was to investigate long-term mortality and incidence of surgical treatment by focusing on the status of the false lumen including partial thrombosis. METHODS: One hundred three patients (69 males, mean age 67 ± 13 years) with acute type B aortic dissection were enrolled. Patients were divided into three groups according to the status of the false lumen on enhanced computed tomography image (complete thrombosis, n = 55; partial thrombosis, n = 25; patent, n = 23). RESULTS: Requirement of surgical (open or endovascular) treatment during initial hospitalization was significantly less frequent in patients with complete thrombosis (0% in complete thrombosis, 16% in partial thrombosis, and 26% in patent). The long-term mortality (mean follow-up term, 1143 ± 933 days) did not differ among the three groups. Long-term surgical treatment-free rate was significantly lower in patients with patent false lumen. Cox regression analysis revealed that age (P < .01) and male sex (P = .013) were significant predictive factors of long-term mortality. CONCLUSIONS: In acute type B aortic dissection, the incidence of surgical treatment was higher in patients with patent false lumen during long-term follow-up, whereas status of the false lumen did not influence long-term mortality.

Coronary subclavian steal from a left internal thoracic artery coronary bypass graft due to ipsilateral subclavian artery stenosis and an arteriovenous graft in a hemodialysis patient with left vertebral artery occlusion.

Coronary subclavian steal syndrome is an unusual cause of myocardial ischemia, secondary to a reversed blood flow in patients with patent internal thoracic artery coronary bypass grafts. The causes of coronary subclavian steal are either ipsilateral subclavian artery stenosis or upper extremity arteriovenous hemodialysis fistula formation or both. This report involves a 68-year-old woman with left vertebral artery occlusion who developed severe coronary steal in the absence of vertebral subclavian steal due to left subclavian artery stenosis and an arteriovenous hemodialysis graft.

Open reduction for intra-articular calcaneal fractures: evaluation using computed tomography.

Radiographic and computed tomography features of unilateral intra-articular calcaneal fractures after open reduction and internal fixation were compared with late functional outcomes to identify prognostic factors. Sixty-one of 67 patients treated between 1997 and 2002 could walk painlessly postoperatively (average, 19.7 months). Functional results (Laasonen's criteria) were excellent or good in 92.5%. Factors associated with better functional results were lower age (p = .0227), greater Böhler angle at the time of injury (p < .0001), lower Sanders' grade (p = .0497), increased height of fractured regions (p = .0249), better reduction of the posterior facet (p = .0126), and better reduction of the calcaneocuboid joint (p = .0023). Only the latter two were found to be surgical prognostic factors.