Eicosapentaenoic Acid and the Outcomes in Older Patients Undergoing Atrial Fibrillation Ablation.

BACKGROUND: A lower serum eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) to arachidonic acid (AA) ratio (EPA/AA) level correlates with cardiovascular events. Nevertheless, elevated serum EPA levels increase the risk of new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) in older patients. The relationship between the EPA/AA and outcomes post-AF ablation remains unclear. This study investigated the impact of the EPA/AA on AF recurrence and cardiovascular events after AF ablation in older patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: This retrospective cohort study examined consecutive patients with AF aged ≥65 years who underwent a first-time AF ablation. We compared the 3-year AF recurrence and 5-year major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE) rates between patients divided into high and low EPA/AA levels defined as above and below the median EPA/AA value before ablation. MACE was defined as heart failure hospitalizations, strokes, coronary artery disease, major bleeding, and cardiovascular death. Among the 673 included patients, the median EPA/AA value was 0.35. Compared with the low EPA/AA group, the high EPA/AA group had a significantly higher cumulative incidence of AF recurrence (39.3% versus 27.6%; log-rank P=0.004) and lower cumulative incidence of MACE (13.8% versus 25.5%, log-rank P=0.021). A high EPA/AA level was determined as an independent predictor of AF recurrence (hazard ratio [HR], 1.75 95% CI, 1.24-2.49; P=0.002) and MACE (HR, 0.60 [95% CI, 0.36-0.99]; P=0.046). CONCLUSIONS: The EPA/AA was associated with AF recurrence and MACE after ablation in patients with AF aged ≥65 years.

Pre-procedural Stratification by the Endothelial Function in Patients with Heart Failure Undergoing Atrial Fibrillation Ablation.

BACKGROUND: Endothelial dysfunction (ED), a well-established risk marker of cardiovascular events, is associated with heart failure (HF) and atrial fibrillation (AF). Its relationship with cardiovascular events in patients with HF undergoing AF ablation remains unclear. We aimed to elucidate the association between ED and the outcomes after AF ablation in patients with HF. METHODS: This prospective cohort study included patients with HF who underwent an endothelial function assessment using the peripheral vascular reactive hyperemia index (RHI) before first-time AF ablation. We defined AF recurrence according to the following types: the conventional form (AF≥30 seconds) and persistent form (requiring cardioversion). An RHI<2.1 indicated ED. Those with and without ED were compared in terms of the 3-year incidence of AF recurrence and cardiovascular events after AF ablation. RESULTS: Among 421 patients with HF (69 ± 9 years and 38% females), 343 (81.5%) had ED. Although the incidence of the conventional form of AF recurrence was similar between the groups, that of the persistent form was significantly higher in the ED group (25.7% vs. 15.3%, log-rank P = 0.028). The ED group also had a significantly higher rate of cardiovascular events (14.8% vs. 3.6%, log-rank P = 0.028). Pre-procedural ED was identified as an independent predictor of a persistent form of AF recurrence (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 2.31, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.05-5.07, P = 0.037) and that of cardiovascular events (adjusted HR 4.21, 95% CI 1.02-17.5, P = 0.048), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The endothelial function assessment enabled the risk stratification of clinically problematic outcomes after AF ablation in patients with HF.

Prognostic Impact of the Early Use of Tolvaptan in Elderly Patients with Acute Decompensated Heart Failure.

The number of elderly patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) is increasing, and it is often difficult to treat. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of using tolvaptan early after hospitalization in elderly patients with ADHF and the prognosis one year after hospitalization. This study enrolled 185 patients with ADHF who were admitted for the first time. Tolvaptan was administered within 24 h after admission. These patients were assigned to two groups: over 80 years old (n = 109) and under 80 years old (n = 76). There were no significant differences between the two groups in the occurrence of MACCE within one year (25% vs. 20%, p = 0.59). All-cause mortality was significantly higher in the over-80 group (12% vs. 2%, p = 0.01). There were no significant differences in the incidence of worsening renal failure (11% vs. 7%, p = 0.46) and hypernatremia (5% vs. 9%, p = 1.0), and in the duration of hospitalization (19.2 days vs. 18.8 days, p = 0.8). Tolvaptan might be effective and safe in elderly patients with ADHF, and there was no difference in the incidence of MACCE within one year.

Radical prostatectomy trends between 2010 and 2020 in Ehime, Japan, identified using data from the Medical Investigation Cancer Network (MICAN) study.

OBJECTIVES: The use of radical prostatectomy is increasing with the rising incidence of prostate cancer. We assessed the surgical trends related to radical prostatectomy using data from a multi-center, retrospective cohort study, the MICAN (Medical Investigation Cancer Network) study, which was conducted in all the urology-related medical facilities in Ehime Prefecture, Japan. METHODS: We compared data from the MICAN study with prostate biopsy registry data collected in Ehime between 2010 and 2020 and recorded the surgical trends. RESULTS: There was a significant increase in the mean age of patients with positive biopsies, and the positivity rate increased from 46.3% in 2010 to 60.5% in 2020, while the number of biopsies obtained decreased. The number of radical prostatectomies performed increased over the years, with robot-assisted radical prostatectomy becoming the predominant procedure. In 2020, robot-assisted radical prostatectomies accounted for 96.0% of the surgeries performed. The age at surgery also gradually increased. Of the registered patients aged ≤75 years, 40.5% underwent surgery in 2010, compared with 83.1% in 2020. The prevalence of surgery also increased from 4.6% to 29.8% in patients aged >75 years. There was a gradual increase in the proportion of high-risk cases, from 29.3% to 44.0%, but a decrease in that of low-risk cases, from 23.8% in 2010 to 11.4% in 2020. CONCLUSIONS: We have shown that the number of radical prostatectomies performed in Ehime is increasing in patients aged both ≤75 and >75 years. The proportion of low-risk cases has decreased, while that of high-risk cases has increased.

Fulminant myocarditis after the second dose of COVID-19 mRNA vaccination.

Myocarditis is an adverse event associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mRNA vaccination. A 50-year-old man presented with dyspnea and resting chest pain after receiving the second dose of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine and developed cardiogenic shock. Fulminant myocarditis was diagnosed by endomyocardial biopsy and treated with intravenous corticosteroids.

[Case of renal subcapsular hematoma caused by flexible transurethral lithotripsy].

A 39-year-old man with macroscopic hematuria was admitted to our hospital. A stone, 5 mm in diameter was detected in the right ureteropelvic junction after abdominal computed tomography and plain abdominal radiography. We performed flexible transurethral lithotripsy (f-TUL) and crushed the stone and extracted almost all stone fragments without any complications. However, almost immediately after the operation, the patient began to complain about pain in the right back. In the results of abdominal plain computed tomography right renal subcapsular hematoma was detected. Because active bleeding was not observed in the results of enhanced computed tomography, only conservative treatment was performed. The patient was discharged from the hospital on day 11 of hospitalization. One month after the operation, plain computed tomography was performed and diminished subcapsular hematoma was detected. Renal subcapsular hematoma is assumed to be a unique complication of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy. This is the first report of a case of renal subcapsular hematoma caused by f-TUL. The onset of renal subcapsular hematoma following f-TUL could have been caused either because the laser fiber thrust into the renal lithiasis unintentionally or because the internal pressure of the renal pelvis increased substantially during the operation.

[A case of metastatic tumor of the spermatic cord from gastric cancer].

A 52-year-old man underwent distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer in November, 2007. In November, 2009, he visited our department with chief complaint of swelling of right intrascrotum and an inguinal mass. The tumor was suspected to be a primary tumor of the spermatic cord or metastasis of the gastric cancer. An operation was performed and histopathological examination revealed adenocarcinoma in the spermatic cord. Microscopic appearance of the surgical specimen of the right spermatic code demonstrated a CK7＋/ CK20- expression pattern, which is the same as that of past gastric cancer. These results suggested that the spermatic cord tumor was a metastatic lesion from the gastric cancer. The patient died 12 months later. Metastatic tumor of the spermatic cord resulting from gastric cancer is rare. We should take metastatic tumor into consideration the possibility of tumor of the spermatic code or tumor in the scrotum particularly when the patient has had an operation for cancer of the digestive system.

[Amyloidosis of the urethra: a case report].

A 26-year-old man was introduced to our hospital with a complaint of macrohematuria. Endoscopic examination showed a small tumor in the anterior urethra. Microscopic examination of a biopsy specimen taken under lumbar anesthesia showed amyloid deposition in the urethral submucosa. On Congo red staining, amyloid was visualized as orange material, showing characteristic birefringence under polarized light. Amyloidosis of the urethra was diagnosed. Because the patient refused to undergo duodenal or rectal biopsy, the possibility of systemic amyloidosis could not be completely excluded. No recurrence has been noted since the endoscopic examination, and no further symptoms have been reported.