Primary thrombosis of the anterior descending in a patient with antiphospholipid antibody syndrome / Trombosis primaria de la descendente anterior en un paciente con síndrome de anticuerpos antifosfolípidos

Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome is a heterogeneous clinical and biochemical entity. We present the case of a young male with history of venous thromboembolism. This time he presents because of chest ischemic pain associated with ST segment elevation. He was taken to the cath lab to perform a primary percutaneous coronary intervention and a total occlusion of the left anterior descending artery was noted. Successful thrombus aspiration was performed. No stent was deployed. He was taken to the cath lab for a second look angiography and no atherosclerotic lesions were observed, which was confirmed by intravascular ultrasound.

El síndrome de anticuerpos antifosfolípidos es una situación clínica y bioquímica heterogénea. Presentamos el caso de un varón joven con antecedente de tromboembolia venosa que se presentó en esta ocasión por dolor precordial, con elevación del ST en el electrocardiograma. Fue llevado a sala de angiografía para realizar angioplastia primaria y se observó una oclu- sión total ostial de la descendente anterior. Se realizó aspiración manual del trombo. No se realizó angioplastia con balón ni stent. En la angiografía de control a las 48 horas se observó ausencia de trombo y de placas aterosclerosas, lo cual se co- rroboró mediante ultrasonido intracoronario.

[Aortic valve calcification prevalence and association with coronary risk factors and atherosclerosis in Mexican population]. / Prevalencia y asociación de la calcificación valvular aórtica con factores de riesgo y aterosclerosis coronaria en población mexicana.

OBJETIVE: The prevalence of aortic valve calcification (AVC), strongly influenced by ethnicity, is unknown in Mexican population. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of AVC and its associations with cardiovascular risk factors and coronary artery calcification (CAC), in Mexican subjects. METHODS: In 1,267 subjects (53% women) without known coronary heart disease, aged 35 to 75 years, AVC and CAC were assessed by multidetector-computed tomography using the Agatston score. Cardiovascular risk factors were documented in all participants. The associations of AVC with CAC and risk factors were assessed by multivariable logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of AVC and CAC was 19.89% and 26.5%, respectively. AVC and CAC increased with age and were found more frequently in men (25.5% and 37.1%, respectively) than in women (14.9% and 13.0%, respectively). AVC was observed in only 8.5% of subjects without CAC, while those with CAC 1-99, 100-399, and >400 Agatston units had AVC prevalences of 36.8%, 56.8%, and 84.0%, respectively. The multivariable logistic regression analyses, adjusted for age, gender, obesity, physical inactivity, hypertension, dyslipidemia and high insulin levels, showed that the presence of CAC (OR [CI95%]: 3.23 [2.26-4.60]), obesity (1.94 [1.35-2.79]), male gender (1.44 [1.01-2.05]) and age (1.08 [1.03-1.10]), were significant independent predictors of AVC. CONCLUSION: Prevalence of AVC is high and significantly associated with atherosclerotic risk factors and CAC in this Mexican population.

Angiographic study of upper limb vascularization in a large cohort of hemodialysis patients with critical hand ischemia.

BACKGROUND: Critical hand ischemia (CHI) is a not rare condition in patients with end-stage-renal-disease on hemodialysis (HD), and presents devastating consequences due to its impact on life quality. In HD patients CHI may be related to three main conditions: obstruction of the big upper limb arteries, obstruction of the small hand and finger arteries, and the steal effect of a hemodialysis access. The aim of this study was to describe the angiographic pattern of upper limb vascularization and associated cardiovascular risk factors, in a large cohort of consecutive HD patients with CHI studied in our center. METHODS: In our center 114 HD consecutive patients (age 64±10 years) with a total of 132 upper limbs affected by CHI (21 with rest pain and 93 with tissue loss) underwent angiography in our center. The majority of them were diabetic males. We computed the prevalence of obstructive disease for each vascular segment of the upper limb. RESULTS: Above-the-elbow arteries were mostly spared, while below-the-elbow and hand arteries were extensively affected. We found a stenosis or occlusion in humeral artery (2.3%), radial (61.4%) or ulnar (90.1%) arteries, deep palmar arch (51.5%), superficial palmar arch (58.3%) and digital arteries (72.4%). In 42.4% of cases an ipsilateral functioning arteriovenous fistula was present. CONCLUSIONS: CHI in HD patients is a result of below-the-elbow and hand vessel obstruction and is not primarily related to dialysis access.

Radiological anatomy of upper limb arteries and their anatomical variability: implications for endovascular treatment in critical hand ischemia.

Critical hand ischemia (CHI) is a quite uncommon but highly disabling condition, generally caused by chronic occlusive arterial disease. For a correct approach to the endovascular treatment of these patients, good knowledge of the normal vascular anatomy and of the most frequently encountered vascular anatomical variations is of paramount importance. In the present paper a description of the normal vascular anatomy of the upper limb and of the most commonly encountered anatomical variations is provided, focusing on the implications for endovascular treatment of patients with CHI. Moreover, data of 151 patients with 172 critically ischemic hands treated at our institution between 2004 and 2016 are presented.

Fatty liver largely explains associations of subclinical hypothyroidism with insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and subclinical coronary atherosclerosis.

BACKGROUND: The association of subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) with insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome (MS), and coronary atherosclerosis is uncertain. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of increased intrahepatic fat in the association of SCH with insulin resistance, MS, and coronary atherosclerosis. DESIGN, PATIENTS, AND METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study in a sample of 753 subjects (46% males) aged 35-70 years with no history of diabetes, renal, hepatic, thyroid, or coronary heart disease, and were participants of the Genetics of Atherosclerotic Disease study. SCH was defined as a high serum TSH level with normal free thyroxine concentration. Fatty liver (FL), coronary artery calcification (CAC), and abdominal visceral adipose tissue were assessed by computed tomography. Cross-sectional associations of SCH with and without FL, with MS, insulin resistance, and subclinical atherosclerosis defined as a CAC score >0, were examined in logistic regression models. RESULTS: SCH was observed in 17.7% of the population studied. The prevalence of FL was similar in both euthyroid and SCH subjects (31.8 vs 27.8%, P=0.371). SCH plus FL subjects were heavier and had more metabolic abnormalities compared with SCH plus normal liver subjects. In multivariate-adjusted logistic regression analyses, SCH plus FL was associated with MS (odds ratio (OR): 2.73, 95% CI: 1.26-5.92), insulin resistance (OR: 4.91, 95% CI: 1.63-14.75), and CAC score >0 (OR: 3.05, 95% CI: 1.20-7.76). SCH without FL showed no associations. CONCLUSION: SCH with FL is associated with increased odds of MS, insulin resistance, and CAC, independent of potential confounders.

Prevalencia y asociación de la calcificación valvular aórtica con factores de riesgo y aterosclerosis coronaria en población mexicana / Aortic valve calcification prevalence and association with coronary risk factors and atherosclerosis in Mexican population

Resumen: Objetivo: La prevalencia de calcificación valvular aórtica (CVA) tiene influencia importante de la etnia y se desconoce en población mexicana. Nuestro objetivo fue investigar la prevalencia de CVA y sus asociaciones con factores de riesgo cardiovascular y calcificación arterial coronaria (CAC). Método: En 1,267 sujetos (53% mujeres) sin enfermedad coronaria conocida y con edad de 35 a 75 años, la CVA y la CAC se evaluaron mediante tomografía computada multidetector, utilizando el método de Agatston. Los factores de riesgo cardiovascular se documentaron en todos los participantes. Las asociaciones de CVA con CAC y factores de riesgo se estimaron usando el análisis de regresión logística múltiple. Resultados: La prevalencia global de CVA y CAC fue del 19.89% y del 26.5%, respectivamente. Ambas condiciones aumentaron con la edad y se encontraron con mayor frecuencia en hombres (25.5 y 37.1%, respectivamente) que en mujeres (14.9 y 13%, respectivamente). La CVA se observó en únicamente el 8.5% de los sujetos sin CAC, mientras que en aquellos con CAC 1-99, 100-399 y > 400 unidades Agatston, las prevalencias fueron del 36.8, 56.8 y 84%, respectivamente. El análisis de regresión logística múltiple ajustado por edad, género, obesidad, inactividad física, hipertensión, dislipidemia y valores altos de insulina, mostró que la presencia de CAC (RM [IC95%]: 3.23 [2.26-4.60]), obesidad (1.94 [1.35-2.79]), género masculino (1.44 [1.01-2.05]) y edad (1.08 [1.03-1.10]), fueron predictores independientes y significativos de la CVA. Conclusiones: La prevalencia de CVA es alta y se asocia significativamente con factores de riesgo aterosclerótico y CAC en población mexicana.

Abstract: Objetive: The prevalence of aortic valve calcification (AVC), strongly influenced by ethnicity, is unknown in Mexican population. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of AVC and its associations with cardiovascular risk factors and coronary artery calcification (CAC), in Mexican subjects. Methods: In 1,267 subjects (53% women) without known coronary heart disease, aged 35 to 75 years, AVC and CAC were assessed by multidetector-computed tomography using the Agatston score. Cardiovascular risk factors were documented in all participants. The associations of AVC with CAC and risk factors were assessed by multivariable logistic regression analyses. Results: The overall prevalence of AVC and CAC was 19.89% and 26.5%, respectively. AVC and CAC increased with age and were found more frequently in men (25.5% and 37.1%, respectively) than in women (14.9% and 13.0%, respectively). AVC was observed in only 8.5% of subjects wit-hout CAC, while those with CAC 1-99, 100-399, and > 400 Agatston units had AVC prevalences of 36.8%, 56.8%, and 84.0%, respectively. The multivariable logistic regression analyses, adjusted for age, gender, obesity, physical inactivity, hypertension, dyslipidemia and high insulin levels, showed that the presence of CAC (OR [CI95%]: 3.23 [2.26-4.60]), obesity (1.94 [1.35-2.79]), male gender (1.44 [1.01-2.05]) and age (1.08 [1.03-1.10]), were significant independent predictors of AVC. Conclusion: Prevalence of AVC is high and significantly associated with atherosclerotic risk factors and CAC in this Mexican population.