A reliable fossa ovalis impedance mapping for safer transseptal puncture: A new vision beyond voltage.

INTRODUCTION: Transseptal puncture (TSP) is widely used in clinical practice but is negatively affected by a nonneglectable rate of complications and X-ray exposure. To address these problems, we investigated whether or not impedance mapping could correctly identify fossa ovalis (FO) and safely guide TSP. METHODS AND RESULTS: Electroanatomic mapping was performed with CARTO 3 system version 7 and a ThermoCool® SmartTouch® mapping catheter was employed. In each patient, an impedance map and a bipolar voltage map of the whole interatrial septum were collected, acquiring at least 150 points with a contact force ≥2 g and using the pattern matching filter. Thirty-five patients were enrolled. A low impedance area was clearly identified in 34 of them. In 30 patients (88%), the FO was located in the low impedance area. The map was obtained in sinus rhythm in 17 cases (50%); in 15 of these (88%), the TSP site, the patent foramen ovale, or the FO tenting area fell inside the low impedance area. The same numbers were observed when mapping during atrial fibrillation. CONCLUSION: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that provides the reliability and reproducibility of impedance mapping in identifying FO, an affordable and feasible tool that could be potentially introduced into clinical practice.

Drug-coated balloon: Long-term outcome from a real world three-center experience.

OBJECTIVES: In-stent restenosis (ISR) and diffuse small vessel disease still represent challenging subsets for percutaneous coronary interventions, also in the new-generation DES era. We aim at reporting on the long-term clinical outcome of drug-coated balloons (DCB) in all-comers population. METHODS: Consecutive patients treated with DCB between January 2011 and December 2014 were retrospectively studied in three centers of northern Italy. The measured end-points were cardiac death, myocardial infarction (MI), target lesion revascularization (TLR), and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) defined as combination of cardiac death, MI, and TLR. RESULTS: We included 143 patients. Of the 167 lesions treated, 41 (24.5%) were de novo lesions in small coronary vessels (<2.5 mm) and 126 (75.4%) were ISR. Among ISR lesions, 78.5% were DES-ISR, 32.5% were focal, 15.8% multifocal, 30.1% diffuse, 18.2% proliferative, and 3.1% were total occlusions. Procedural success was achieved in 94.6% of cases. Overall survival free from MACEs was 91.6% at 12 months, and 75.3% at 48 months, with a total of 3 cardiac deaths, 8 MI, and 27 TLR. No thrombotic event occurred in the treated segments. There were no differences in MACESs between the ISR and de novo lesions groups. At multivariate analysis, acute coronary syndromes, previous MI, previous surgical revascularization, peripheral arterial disease and diabetes were independent predictors of MACEs at long-term follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: DCB proved a valid revascularization strategy in an all-comers population of patients with ISR and de novo lesions in small vessels, with an acceptable rate of cardiac events up to 48 months follow-up.

Drug eluting balloon for the treatment of patients with coronary artery disease: Current perspectives.

Despite the improvement of outcomes after the introduction of bare metal and drug eluting stents for the treatment of CAD, certain type of patients have still an increased risk of stent failure. An alternative is represented by drug-eluting balloons (DEB). This innovation could give potential benefits in particular for the in-stent restenosis (ISR) and the de-novo lesions. In the first setting DEB have shown results superior to those with plain-balloon angioplasty and similar to those with first generation DES. Their performance seems to be more evident in BMS-ISR than in DES-ISR, showing a reliable effectiveness in those cases of recalcitrant ISR or when dual antiplatelet therapy is not indicated. In the context of de-novo lesions the use of DEB as unique strategy results more safe and feasible than a strategy with combined BMS implantation. The results are comparable to DES in lesions limited to small coronary vessels. Other particular scenarios, like bifurcations, acute myocardial infarction and diffuse disease, have been approached with DEB resulting in very heterogeneous outcomes. At present, given the high efficacy of last generation DESs, DEBs should be considered where clinical and angiographic conditions require the avoidance of stent implantation.

Ajmaline Challenge To Unmask Infrahisian Disease In Patients With Recurrent And Unexplained Syncope, Preserved Ejection Fraction, With Or Without Conduction Abnormalities On Surface ECG.

Background: Pharmacological challenge with class I antiarrhythmic drug is a recommended diagnostic test in patients with unexplained syncope only in the presence of bundle branch block, when non-invasive tests have failed to make the diagnosis. Its role in patients with minor or no conduction disturbances on 12-leads ECG has not been evaluated yet. It is also not clear which are the values of His-Ventricular interval to be considered diagnostic. We sought to evaluate the role of ajmaline challenge in unmasking the presence of an infrahisian disease in patients with recurrent and unexplained syncope, regardless of the existence of conduction disturbances on surface ECG. Materials And Methods: Patients with history of recurrent syncope, preserved EF and a negative first level workup were enrolled. Conduction disturbances on ECG were not considered as an exclusion criteria. During EPS, basal HV conduction was determined. In the presence of a HV >70 msec the study was interrupted and the patient was implanted with a pacemaker. If the HV was ≤ 70 msec, ajmaline was infused and HV was reassessed. The maximum value of HV was considered. A prolongation ≥ 100 msec was considered as diagnostic and indicative of conduction disease, and the patient underwent pacemaker implantation. Patients with an HV <100 msec were implanted with an ILR. Results: Sixteen consecutive patients were studied (age 76±5.2 years). Nine patients had conduction disturbances at baseline ECG (group ECG+). Among them, 5 had a basal diagnostic HV interval and 4 had a non-diagnostic HV interval. In the latter group, abnormal response to ajmaline was observed in 3 patients. In this group only one patient was implanted with an ILR, 8 patients were implanted with a pacemaker. Among the seven patients without conduction disturbances (group ECG-), no one had a diagnostic basal HV interval. After drug administration, 4 patients had a non-diagnostic response and were implanted with an ILR, while 3 patient had a pathological response and were implanted with a pacemaker. No difference was found in the values of maximum HV interval prolongation after ajmaline between the two groups (P = 0.89). During a mean follow up of 13±3 months, no patient has developed a syncopal episode. One patient in group ECG- and negative drug test was implanted after 3 months with a permanent pacemaker because of a two to one asymptomatic AV block at ILR interrogation. Conclusions: Ajmaline challenge is a useful tool to unmask the presence of a infrahisian disease in patients with preserved EF, unexplained syncope and negative workup, even in the absence of conduction disturbances on 12-leads ECG. It is a simple and safe test that may disclose the detection of the disease. In these patients, an earlier pacemaker implantation of a pacemaker, may avoid the consequences of a syncopal recurrence. Values of HV interval > 70 msec in basal conditions and ≥ 100 msec after ajmaline administration seem appropriate to unmask infrahisian disease. Larger population is required to validate this hypothesis.

Very high-pressure dilatation for undilatable coronary lesions: indications and results with a new dedicated balloon.

AIMS: Calcific coronary lesions impose a rigid obstacle to optimal balloon and stent expansion and the 20 to 30 atm limit that non-compliant (NC) balloons reach can be insufficient. The aim of our study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a new dedicated super high-pressure NC balloon (OPN NC®; SIS Medical AG, Winterthur, Switzerland). METHODS AND RESULTS: We retrospectively evaluated a consecutive series of 91 lesions in which conventional NC balloons at maximal pressure failed to achieve an adequate post-dilatation luminal gain and were therefore treated with an OPN NC balloon up to 40 atm. Angiographic success was defined as residual angiographic diameter stenosis <30%. MLD and %DS were measured at baseline, after NC balloon, OPN NC balloon and stent implantation. Angiographic success was achieved in 84 lesions (92.3%). All of the remaining lesions received rotational atherectomy with the exception of two cases in which rotational atherectomy was not attempted because of small vessel size and excessive tortuosity. MLD and acute gain were significantly greater and %DS was significantly lower post OPN NC balloon compared with conventional NC balloon inflation (p<0.001). No coronary perforations occurred. No acute or 30-day follow-up MACE was reported. CONCLUSIONS: When conventional NC balloons fail, the new OPN NC dedicated high-pressure balloon provides an effective and safe alternative strategy for the dilatation of resistant coronary lesions.

Absorb vs. DESolve: an optical coherence tomography comparison of acute mechanical performances.

AIMS: The aim of the study was to compare retrospectively the acute mechanical performance of the Absorb vs. DESolve scaffolds in terms of appropriate deployment with OCT. METHODS AND RESULTS: Final post-deployment OCT pullbacks of consecutive patients treated with either Absorb or DESolve were reviewed. The following parameters were calculated and compared: mean and minimal lumen area (MLA), residual in-scaffold area stenosis (RAS), incomplete strut apposition (ISA), tissue prolapse area, eccentricity index, asymmetry index, strut fracture and edge dissection. A total of 72 patients were included. The Absorb group consisted of 35 patients treated with 63 Absorb scaffolds and was compared to a well-matched group of 37 patients treated with 50 DESolve scaffolds. Baseline characteristics did not differ significantly between the two groups. Procedural characteristics were different with respect to maximal balloon inflation pressure (Absorb vs. DESolve: 21.5±0.4 atm vs. 16.8±3.8 atm, p<0.01) and mean NC balloon diameter used for post-dilatation (Absorb vs. DESolve 3.3±0.4 mm vs. 3.5±0.4 mm, p<0.01). OCT analysis showed similar MLA (Absorb vs. DESolve: 5.8±1.9 mm2 vs. 6.1±2.6 mm2, p=0.43) and mean luminal area (Absorb vs. DESolve: 7.1±2.2 mm2 vs. 7.2±1.9 mm2, p=0.77). The mean eccentricity index was 0.85±0.05 with Absorb and 0.80±0.05 with DESolve, p<0.01. There was no difference in the incidence of overall ISA. A smaller prolapse area was found with Absorb (Absorb vs. DESolve 1.0±1.1 mm2 vs. 3.6±6.2 mm², p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The two scaffolds showed similar MLA while there was a trend towards a lower RAS and a larger maximum and minimum scaffold diameter with DESolve. The DESolve scaffold was more eccentric as compared to the Absorb. These results might be related to the DESolve's unique expansion properties or they may reflect baseline and procedural differences which cannot be excluded in a retrospective study. Randomised studies are needed to address this aspect.

Five-year outcomes of chronic total occlusion treatment with a biolimus A9-eluting biodegradable polymer stent versus a sirolimus-eluting permanent polymer stent in the LEADERS all-comers trial.

BACKGROUND: Few data are available on long-term follow-up of drug-eluting stents in the treatment of chronic total occlusion (CTO). The LEADERS CTO sub-study compared the long-term results in CTO and non-CTO lesions of a Biolimus A9™-eluting stent (BES) with a sirolimus-eluting stent (SES). METHODS: Among 1,707 patients enrolled in the prospective, multi-center, all-comers LEADERS trial, 81 with CTOs were treated with either a BES (n = 45) or a SES (n = 36). The primary endpoint was the occurrence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE): cardiac death, myocardial infarction (MI) and clinically-indicated target vessel revascularization (TVR). RESULTS: At 5 years, the rate of MACE was numerically higher in the CTO group than in the non-CTO group (29.6% vs. 23.3%; p = 0.173), with a significant increase in the incidence of target lesion revascularization (TLR) (21.0 vs. 12.6; p = 0.033), but no difference in stent thrombosis (ST). Patients with CTO receiving a BES demonstrated a lower incidence of MACE (22.2% vs. 38.9%; p = 0.147) with a significant reduction in TLR compared to patients receiving a SES (11.1% vs. 33.3%, p = 0.0214) with an incidence similar to that observed in the non-CTO group treated with BES (11.6%). Definite ST at 5 years nearly halved in the BES group (4.4% vs. 8.3%, p = 0.478) with no ST in the BES group after the first year (0% vs. 8.3%, p for interaction = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS: The use of a BES showed a reduction in MACE, TVR, TLR, and ST over time in the CTO subset with similar outcome as for non-CTO lesions.

Effect of gender on results of percutaneous edge-to-edge mitral valve repair with MitraClip system.

Knowledge regarding gender-specific results of percutaneous edge-to-edge mitral valve repair is scarce. The aim of this study was to investigate gender differences in outcomes in a cohort of patients treated with MitraClip implantation. A multicenter registry of 173 patients treated with MitraClip prostheses from 2009 to 2012 at 3 experienced centers was performed. One hundred nine patients (63%) were men. Men were younger (mean age 73 ± 10 vs 79 ± 9 years, p = 0.001) and had a higher prevalence of previous coronary bypass graft surgery (34% vs 13%, p = 0.002), previous myocardial infarction (46% vs 20%, p = 0.001), and diabetes mellitus (26% vs 11%, p = 0.020). There were no differences regarding New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class before the intervention (NYHA class III or IV in 95% of men vs 97% of women, p = 0.472) or the cause of mitral regurgitation (MR) (functional in 58% of men vs 48% of women, p = 0.233). Men exhibited significantly larger ventricles (mean indexed left ventricular end-systolic diameter 2.4 ± 0.8 vs 2.0 ± 1.6 cm/m(2), p = 0.002, and mean indexed left ventricular end-diastolic volume 92.7 ± 46.1 vs 59.9 ± 24.6 ml/m(2), p <0.001). At 1 month, there were no differences between groups in the reduction of MR or NYHA functional class (MR grade ≤2+ in 98.2% of men vs 96.8% of women, p = 0.586, and NYHA class ≤II in 78.3% of men vs 77% of women, p = 0.851). At 6 months, results were maintained (MR grade ≤2+ in 89.5% of men vs 96.8% of women, p = 0.414, and NYHA class ≤II in 73.1% of men vs 74.2% of women, p = 0.912). After a mean follow-up period of 16.1 ± 11.1 months, no difference was found between groups in the incidence of death or admission for heart failure (log-rank p = 0.798). In conclusion, MitraClip implantation seems to be an equally safe and effective treatment of MR in men and women.

Effect of advanced chronic kidney disease in clinical and echocardiographic outcomes of patients treated with MitraClip system.

BACKGROUND: Data regarding the influence of different levels of renal dysfunction on clinical and echocardiographic results of MitraClip therapy are scarce. We aimed to evaluate the impact of baseline advance renal failure in the outcomes of a cohort of patients treated with MitraClip. METHODS AND RESULTS: We analyzed data from a multicenter registry of 173 patients treated with MitraClip between 2009 and 2012. Patients were classified as advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD, creatinine clearance [CrCl] <30 ml/min, group 1, n=20), moderate CKD (CrCl 30-60 ml/min, group 2, n=78) and normal renal function (CrCl >60 ml/min, group 3, n=75). Twenty patients (11.5%) presented advanced CKD. Procedural success was equal in the 3 groups (95.0% group 1, 100% in group 2 and 96.0% in group 3, p=0.180). Post-procedural MR and NYHA class at 1 month (MR ≥ 3+5.0% vs. 0% vs. 4.0% p=0.190 and NYHA>II 40.0% vs. 21.0% vs. 18.3%, p=0.101) and 6 months (MR ≥ 3+0% vs. 13.0% vs. 2.7%, p=0.330; and NYHA class>II 54.5% vs. 26.9% vs. 25.6%, p=0.298) did not differ between groups. However, patients in group 1 experienced higher frequency of the composite end-point of mortality or readmission at 16.2 ± 11.1 months of follow-up (HR 4.8, CI 95% 1.1-21.3). CONCLUSION: Advanced CKD is linked to an excess of cardiac adverse events. This should be judiciously taken into account when selecting patients for MitraClip.

The role for adjunctive image in pre-procedural assessment and peri-procedural management in chronic total occlusion recanalisation.

Non invasive coronary angiography with multislice computed tomography has exquisite sensitivity to detect calcium and even the faintest late contrast filling of the distal vessel. Calcium burden and occlusion length are still valuable markers of duration, complexity and success of the recanalisation procedure. The ability to visualise the vessel also in the occluded segment, especially if calcified, can also help the operator to understand where to pierce the proximal cap in stumpless occlusions and to predict unusual courses, especially in very tortuous arteries. Imaging side by side CT images and angiography during the recanalisation procedure is an established practice in many active CTO laboratories and algorithms for co-registration are designed to overcome the challenges of systo-diastolic and respiratory motion. Intravascular ultrasound is used in almost all cases by the experienced Japanese CTO operators but most of the times its main use is a better identification of the diseased segment after predilatation to ensure complete stent cover and appropriate stent expansion, an application similar to other complex non occlusive lesions. The specificity of IVUS during CTO recanalisation is the identification of the vessel path in stumpless occlusions and the guidance of wire reentry especially during reverse Controlled Retrograde Anterograde Tracking. Optical coherence tomography has limitations in the setting of CTO recanalisation because of the need of forceful contrast flushing to clear blood, contraindicated in the presence of anterograde dissections, and the limited penetration. The variability in the use of both non-invasive and invasive imaging during CTO recanalisation is immense, going from more than 90% in Japan to less than 20% in Europe and intermediate penetration in the USA. Probably the explanation is almost only in availability and cost because all countries see a progressive increase of use suggesting that these methods are becoming an established tool for guidance of CTO recanalisation.

Intracoronary optical coherence tomography: a review of clinical applications.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a light-based technology that provides very high spatial resolution images. OCT has been initially employed as a research tool to investigate plaque morphology and stent strut coverage. The introduction of frequency domain OCT allowing fast image acquisition during a prolonged contrast injection via the guiding catheter has made OCT applicable for guidance of coronary interventions. In this manuscript, the various applications of OCT are reviewed, from assessment of plaque vulnerability and severity to characteristics of unstable lesions and thrombus burden to stent optimization and evaluation of late results.

ABSORB biodegradable stents versus second-generation metal stents: a comparison study of 100 complex lesions treated under OCT guidance.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to compare the acute performance of the PLLA ABSORB bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS) (Abbott Vascular, Santa Clara, California) with second-generation metal drug-eluting stents (DES) in complex coronary artery lesions. BACKGROUND: Thick polymer-based BVS have different mechanical properties than thin second-generation DES. Data on the acute performance of BVS are limited to simple coronary lesions treated in trials with strict inclusion criteria. METHODS: Fifty complex coronary lesions (all type American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association B2-C) treated with a BVS undergoing a final optical coherence tomography (OCT) examination were compared with an equal number of matched lesions treated with second-generation DES. The following stent performance indexes were assessed with OCT: mean and minimal area, residual area stenosis (RAS), incomplete strut apposition (ISA), tissue prolapse, eccentricity index, symmetry index, strut fracture, and edge dissection. RESULTS: One hundred lesions from 73 patients were analyzed. A higher balloon diameter/reference vessel diameter ratio was used for predilation in the BVS group (p < 0.01). Most of the BVS and DES were post-dilated with short noncompliant (NC) balloons of similar diameter. OCT showed in the BVS group a higher tissue prolapse area (p = 0.08) and greater incidence of ISA at the proximal edge (p = 0.04) with no difference in the overall ISA. The RAS was 20.2% in the BVS group and 21.7% in the DES group (p = 0.32). There was no difference in the eccentricity index. The minimal and mean lumen areas were similar in the 2 groups. Two cases of strut fractures occurred after the BVS, whereas none was observed in the DES. CONCLUSIONS: Based on OCT, the BVS showed similar post-procedure area stenosis, minimal lumen area, and eccentricity index as second-generation DES. The different approach for lesion preparation and routine use of OCT guidance during BVS expansion may have contributed to these results.

Incomplete stent apposition causes high shear flow disturbances and delay in neointimal coverage as a function of strut to wall detachment distance: implications for the management of incomplete stent apposition.

BACKGROUND: Lack of re-endothelialization and neointimal coverage on stent struts has been put forward as the main underlying mechanism leading to late stent thrombosis. Incomplete stent apposition (ISA) has been observed frequently in patients with very late stent thrombosis after drug eluting stent implantation, suggesting a role of ISA in the pathogenesis of this adverse event. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of different degrees of ISA severity on abnormal shear rate and healing response with coverage, because of its potential implications for stent optimization in clinical practice. METHODS AND RESULTS: We characterized flow profile and shear distribution in different cases of ISA with increasing strut-wall detachment distance (ranging from 100 to 500 µm). Protruding strut and strut malapposed with moderate detachment (ISA detachment distance <100 µm) have minimal disturbance to blood flow as compared with floating strut that has more significant ISA distance. In vivo impact on strut coverage was assessed retrospectively using optical coherence tomography evaluation on 72 stents (48 patients) sequentially at baseline and after 6-month follow-up. Analysis of coverage revealed an important impact of baseline strut-wall ISA distance on the risk of incomplete strut coverage at follow-up. Malapposed segments with an ISA detachment <100 µm at baseline showed complete strut coverage at follow-up, whereas segments with a maximal ISA detachment distance of 100 to 300 µm and >300 µm had 6.1% and 15.7% of their struts still uncovered at follow-up, respectively (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Flow disturbances and risk of delayed strut coverage both increase with ISA detachment distance. Insights from this study are important for understanding malapposition as a quantitative, rather than binary phenomenon (present or absent) and to define the threshold of ISA detachment that might benefit from optimization during stent implantation.

Optical coherence tomography characteristics of in-stent restenosis are different between first and second generation drug eluting stents.

AIMS: Characterization of neointimal tissue is essential to understand the pathophysiology of in-stent restenosis (ISR) after drug eluting stent (DES) implantation. Using optical coherence tomography (OCT), we compared the morphologic characteristics of ISR between first and second generation DES. METHODS AND RESULTS: OCT was performed in 66 DES-ISR, defined as > 50% angiographic diameter stenosis within the stented segment. Patients with ISR of first generation sirolimus-eluting stents (SES), paclitaxel eluting stents (PES) and second generation zotarolimus-eluting stents (ZES), everolimus-eluting stents (EES) and biolimus-eluting stents (BES) were enrolled. Quantitative and qualitative ISR tissue analysis was performed at 1-mm intervals along the entire stent, and categorised as homogeneous, heterogeneous and neo-atherosclerosis. The presence of microvessels and peri-strut low intensity area (PSLIA) was determined in all ISR. Neoatherosclerosis was identified by lipid, calcium and thin-cap fibro-atheroma (TCFA) like lesions. We compared the two DES generations at both early (< 1 year) and late (> 1 year) follow-ups.In second generation DES a heterogeneous pattern was prevalent both before and after 1 year (57.1% and 58.6% respectively). Neo-atherosclerosis was more common in the early period in first generation DES (19.4% vs 11.7%, p < 0.01), but after one year was more prevalent in second generation DES (7.0% vs 19.3%, p < 0.01). Similar prevalence of TCFAs was observed in both groups in all comparisons. CONCLUSIONS: When ISR restenosis occurs in second generation DES, the current data suggest a different time course and different morphological characteristics from first generation. Future prospective studies should evaluate the relationship between ISR morphology, time course and clinical events.

Increase in J-CTO lesion complexity score explains the disparity between recanalisation success and evolution of chronic total occlusion strategies: insights from a single-centre 10-year experience.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether treatment of lesions of greater complexity is now undertaken and to assess the rates of procedural success per class of lesion complexity. DESIGN: Observational study. SETTING: Despite impressive progress in treatment strategies and equipment, the success rate of percutaneous coronary intervention for chronic total occlusion (CTO) has remained relatively stable. PARTICIPANTS: 483 patients consecutively treated with CTO from 2003 to 2012. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The Multicenter CTO Registry of Japan (J-CTO) score was used to classify lesion complexity. The study population was subdivided into an early (period 1, n=288) and a late (period 2, n=195) period according to the routine implementation of novel techniques and advanced equipment. RESULTS: Period 2 was marked by more 'difficult' and 'very difficult' lesions (J-CTO grades 2 and 3) being attempted, with procedural success increasing from 68.4% to 88.1% (p<0.001) and from 42.0% to 78.9% (p<0.001), respectively. 'Easy' and 'intermediate' lesions (J-CTO grades 0 and 1) were less common, but with similarly high success rates (89.1% vs 96.6% (p=0.45) for easy, and 86.3% vs 86.1% (p=0.99) for intermediate). Period 2 was characterised by a trend for more successful procedures overall (by 6.1%, p=0.09). Procedural complications were similarly low in both periods. J-CTO score and technical era were identified as independent correlates of success in the total population by logistic regression analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Advanced CTO techniques and equipment have resulted in an increase in the successful treatment of highly complex lesions. Total success rate did not substantially improve, as it was counterbalanced by the increased rate at which complex lesions were attempted.

Intracoronary imaging using attenuation-compensated optical coherence tomography allows better visualisation of coronary artery diseases.

PURPOSE: To allow an accurate diagnosis of coronary artery diseases by enhancing optical coherence tomography (OCT) images of atheromatous plaques using a novel automated attenuation compensation technique. BACKGROUND: One of the major drawbacks of coronary OCT imaging is the rapid attenuation of the OCT signal, limiting penetration in tissue to only few millimetres. Visualisation of deeper anatomy is however critical for accurate assessment of plaque burden in-vivo. METHODS: A compensation algorithm, previously developed to correct for light attenuation in soft tissues and to enhance contrast in ophthalmic OCT images, was applied to intracoronary plaque imaging using spectral-domain OCT. RESULTS: Application of the compensation algorithm significantly increased tissue contrast in the vessel wall and atherosclerotic plaque boundaries. Contrast enhancement allows a better differentiation of plaque morphology, which is particularly important for the identification of lipid rich fibro atheromatous plaques and to guide decision on treatment strategy. CONCLUSION: The analysis of arterial vessel structure clinically captured with OCT is improved when used in conjunction with automated attenuation compensation. This approach may improve the OCT-based interpretation of coronary plaque morphology in clinical practice.

Echocardiographic and clinical outcomes of central versus noncentral percutaneous edge-to-edge repair of degenerative mitral regurgitation.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess the clinical and echocardiographic results of MitraClip implantation in noncentral degenerative mitral regurgitation (dMR) compared with central dMR. BACKGROUND: It is unknown whether the use of MitraClip therapy in noncentral dMR is as safe and effective as in central dMR. METHODS: We analyzed a multicenter registry of 173 patients treated with the MitraClip and compared results of central and noncentral dMR. RESULTS: Seventy-nine patients (age 79.2 ± 8.0 years, 58.2% men) had dMR. Forty-nine patients (62%) had central dMR, with the remainder classified as noncentral dMR (n = 30, 38%). Patients with noncentral dMR had a wider pre-procedural vena contracta (8.5 ± 2.0 mm vs. 6.9 ± 2.2 mm, p = 0.039) and higher systolic pulmonary pressure (57.9 ± 18.0 vs. 47.3 ± 13.0 mm Hg, p = 0.019). Procedural success was the same in both groups (95.5% central vs. 96.7% noncentral, p = 0.866). Post-procedural MR and New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class at 1 month (MR ≤2, 96.0% vs. 96.6%, p = 0.866, and NYHA functional class ≤II, 81.6% vs. 90.0%, p = 0.335) and 6 months (95.2% central vs. 91.7% noncentral, p = 0.679; and NYHA functional class >II, 21.1% vs. 0%, p = 0.128) did not differ between groups. There were also no differences in serious post-procedural adverse events: partial clip detachment (central n = 1 [2.0%] vs. noncentral n = 1 [3.3%], p = 1.000), death (5.4% central vs. 13.0% noncentral, p = 0.298), or heart failure admission (10.8% central vs. 8.7% noncentral, p = 0.791). CONCLUSIONS: In experienced centers, MitraClip treatment can be performed safely and effectively in both central and noncentral dMR.