Resolution of an acute aortic syndrome with aortic valve insufficiency post-PCI.

BACKGROUND: Acute aortic syndrome is the modern term that includes aortic dissection, intramural hematoma, and symptomatic aortic ulcer. Iatrogenic coronary artery dissection extending to the aorta during percutaneous coronary intervention is a very rare but life-threatening complication. Despite some reports of spontaneous recovery, most of these patients are treated surgically as a spontaneous aortic dissection, especially if there is a complication of the aortic lesion. CASE REPORT: A 52-year-old white female was submitted to an angioplasty in the right coronary without success and the procedure was complicated by a dissection in aortic root with progressive extension to the ascending aorta. This lesion deformed the aortic valve, leaving it with an acute moderate regurgitation. Because of current use of clopidogrel and clinical stability of the patient, the local Heart Team decided to withdrawn this antiplatelet for 5 days before surgery despite the risk related to the aortic syndrome. A new echocardiogram 3 days later showed that the hematoma was reabsorbed with improvement of the aortic insufficiency. An angiotomography confirmed the reabsorption of the hematoma. The surgery was canceled and the patient was maintained in a conservative treatment and discharged. Seventeen months later, she was re-evaluated and was still asymptomatic without aortic regurgitation in the echocardiogram and showing progressive regression of the aortic hematoma in the tomography. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the conservative treatment, this case of iatrogenic aortic dissection complicated by an acute aortic regurgitation had a good evolution in a follow-up of 17 months.

Comunicaçäo interventricular após infarto do miocárdio: análise ecocardiográfica de pacientes submetidos a pressäo expiratória final positiva / Ventricular septal defect following myocardial infarction ­ echocardiographic analysis of patients submitted to positive final expiratory pressure

Comunicaçäo interventricular (CIV) como complicaçäo do infarto agudo do miocárdio (IAM) ocorre em 0,5 a 1,0% dos pacientes e freqüentemente resulta em falência biventricular. Avaliamos os efeitos ecocardiográficos da pressäo expiratória final positiva (PEEP) sobre as dimensöes dos ventrículos direito (VD) e esquerdo (VE) em três pacientes que desenvolveram CIV pós-infarto, complicado com insuficiência respiratória aguda. Em todos os casos houve súbito aumento nas dimensöes do VD e, provavelmente através da interdependência ventricular, uma proporcional diminuiçäo nas dimensöes do VE. Concluímos que a terapia com PEEP neste grupo de pacientes näo teve efeito benéfico comprovado e provavelmente acentuou a dilataçäo ventricular direita

Interventricular septal rupture is a life-threatening complication occuring in 0,5 to 1,0% of patients following acute myocardial infarction and often results in right and left ventricular failure. This study aimed at evaluating the echocardiographic effects of PEEP on right (RV) and left (LV) ventricular dimension in three patients who developed a postinfarction septal defect and in whom acute respiratory failure was a preterminal event. The effects of PEPP on the heart remain controversial. We observed in all three patients a sudden large increase in RV dimensions and hence, probably through ventricular interdependence, a proportional decrease in LV dimensions. The progressive leftward septal displacement with increasing levels of PEEP probably contributed to reduce LV compliance. We concluded that PEEP therapy in this group of patients had no proven beneficial effects and probably contributed to further RV dilatation and failure