Bilateral lung lesions: when the eyes deceive the brain!

We report a clinic case of patient in whom angiosarcoma of the heart presents as bilateral pulmonary nodular infiltrates. The cardiac tumor was clinically silent, the electrocardiogram was normal and the cough was the only symptom. Chest CT scan (Fig. 1) showed bilateral diffuse nodular infiltrates ranging. Clinical clues, the results of laboratory tests and all of the cultures obtained excluded an infectious etiologies; the findings of CT-guided needle biopsy was inconclusive for a definitive diagnosis. Thus, the patient was scheduled for a thoracoscopic biopsy. Surprisingly, the pre-operatory echocardiogram showed a soft tissue mass fixed to the posterior wall of the right atrium. On retrospective reviewing of chest CT scan, a tumor was evident in the right atrium, but it was missed initially. In theory, the lung lesions attract the attention of the observer who had not taken into account anything else as to say: "the brain knows what the eyes want". The diagnosis ofpulmonary metastases was obtained by means ofpleural biopsy during right thoracoscopy. Immunoistochemical staining revealed a CK-, CK7-, EMA-, ESA-, CEA-, TTF1-, Vimentina+, CD31+, CD117+ lesion. Because at the time of diagnosis our patient already had lung metastases, he underwent chemotherapy.

Surgery for prosthetic valve endocarditis: a retrospective study of a national registry.

OBJECTIVES: We described clinical-epidemiological features of prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) and assessed the determinants of early surgical outcomes in multicentre design. METHODS: Data regarding 2823 patients undergoing surgery for endocarditis at 19 Italian Centers between 1979 and 2015 were collected in a database. Of them, 582 had PVE: in this group, the determinants of early mortality and complications were assessed, also taking into account the different chronological eras encompassed by the study. RESULTS: Overall hospital (30-day) mortality was 19.2% (112 patients). Postoperative complications of any type occurred in 256 patients (44%). Across 3 eras (1980-2000, 2001-08 and 2009-14), early mortality did not significantly change (20.4%, 17.1%, 20.5%, respectively, P = 0.60), whereas complication rate increased (18.5%, 38.2%, 52.8%, P < 0.001), consistent with increasing mean patient age (56 ± 14, 64 ± 15, 65 ± 14 years, respectively, P < 0.001) and median logistic EuroSCORE (14%, 21%, 23%, P = 0.025). Older age, female sex, preoperative serum creatinine >-2 mg/dl, chronic pulmonary disease, low ejection fraction, non-streptococcal aetiology, active endocarditis, preoperative intubation, preoperative shock and triple valve surgery were significantly associated with mortality. In multivariable analysis, age (OR = 1.02; P = 0.03), renal insufficiency (OR = 2.1; P = 0.05), triple valve surgery (OR = 6.9; P = 0.004) and shock (OR = 4.5; P < 0.001) were independently associated with mortality, while streptococcal aetiology, healed endocarditis and ejection fraction with survival. Adjusting for study era, preoperative shock (OR = 3; P < 0.001), Enterococcus (OR = 2.3; P = 0.01) and female sex (OR = 1.5; P = 0.03) independently predicted complications, whereas ejection fraction was protective. CONCLUSIONS: PVE surgery remains a high-risk one. The strongest predictors of early outcome of PVE surgery are related to patient's haemodynamic status and microbiological factors.

Mid-term results of aortic valve surgery in redo scenarios in the current practice: results from the multicentre European RECORD (REdo Cardiac Operation Research Database) initiative†.

OBJECTIVES: Although commonly reported as single-centre experiences, redo aortic valve replacement (RAVR) has overall acceptable results. Nevertheless, trans-catheter aortic valve replacement has recently questioned the efficacy of RAVR. METHODS: Early-to-mid-term results and determinants of mortality in 711 cases of RAVR from seven European institutions were assessed in the entire population and in selected high-risk subgroups [elderly >75 years, urgent/emergent procedures, preoperative New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional Class IV and endocarditis]. RESULTS: Hospital mortality was 5.1%, major re-entry cardiovascular complications (MRCVCs) 4.9%, low cardiac output syndrome (LCOS) 15.3%, stroke 6.6%, acute respiratory failure (ARF) 10.6%, acute renal insufficiency (ARI) 19.3% and need for continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) 7.2%, transfusions 66.9% and for permanent pacemaker (PMK) 12.7%. Mid-term survival, freedom from acute heart failure (AHF), reinterventions, stroke and thrombo-embolisms were 77.2 ± 2.7, 84.4 ± 2.6, 97.2 ± 0.8, 97.2 ± 0.9 and 96.3 ± 1.2%, respectively; 87.5% of patients were in NYHA functional Class I-II. Preoperative left ventricular ejection fraction of <30% [odds ratio (OR) 8.7, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.1-35.6], MRCVCs (OR 20.9, 95% CI 5.6-78.3), cardiopulmonary bypass time (OR 1.1, 95% CI 1.0-1.1), perioperative LCOS (OR 17.2, 95% CI 5.1-57.4) and ARI (OR 5.1, 95% CI 1.5-18.1) predicted hospital death. Endocarditis (OR 7.5, 95% CI 2.9-19.1), preoperative NYHA functional Class IV (OR 4.7, 95% CI 1.0-24.0), combined RAVR + mitral surgery (OR 5.1, 95% CI 1.5-17.3) and AHF at follow-up (OR 2.8, 95% CI 1.3-6.0) predicted late death at the Cox proportional hazard regression model. Elderly >75 years had similar hospital mortality (P = 0.06) and major morbidity, except for a higher need for PMK (P = 0.03), as well as comparable mid-term survival (P = 0.89), freedom from AHF (P = 0.81), reinterventions (P = 0.63), stroke (P = 0.21) and thrombo-embolisms (P = 0.09). Urgent/emergent indication resulted in higher hospital death, LCOS, transfusions, MRCVCs, intra-aortic balloon pumping (IABP), stroke, prolonged (>48 h) ventilation, pneumonia, ARI, CRRT, lower mid-term survival and freedom from AHF (P ≤ 0.03). Preoperative NYHA functional Class IV correlated with higher LCOS, IABP, prolonged ventilation, pneumonia, ARF, ARI, CRRT and MRCVCs and lower mid-term survival, freedom from AHF, reinterventions and stroke (P ≤ 0.02). Endocarditis demonstrated higher hospital mortality, MRCVCs, LCOS, IABP, stroke, ARF, prolonged intubation, pneumonia, ARI, CRRT, transfusions and PMK and lower mid-term survival and freedom from AHF and reinterventions (P ≤ 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: RAVR achieves overall satisfactory results. Baseline risk factors and perioperative complications strongly affect outcomes and mandate improvements in perioperative management. New emerging strategies might be considered in selected high-risk cases.

Glucose metabolism and coronary heart disease in patients with normal glucose tolerance.

CONTEXT: Several investigations as well as prospective studies have shown a significant correlation between glucose metabolism and atherosclerosis in patients without diabetes, but differences in parameters of glucose metabolism among the various degrees of coronary disease in such patients have not been specifically evaluated. OBJECTIVE: To investigate glucose metabolism in patients with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) and coronary heart disease (CHD). DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Cross-sectional study of 234 men (mean [SD] age, 56.2 [6.1] years) with NGT and suspected CHD who were admitted from January 1 through June 30, 2001, to an academic medical center in Italy for coronary angiography. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Correlation of glucose metabolic factors and extent of atherosclerosis determined by coronary angiography. Factors included levels of fasting and postload glucose and insulin, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and lipids, as well as insulin resistance measured by homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR). RESULTS: Patients were divided into 4 groups based on coronary angiography: no significant stenosis (n = 42), 1-vessel disease (n = 72), 2-vessel disease (n = 64), and 3-vessel disease (n = 56). Simple correlation analysis showed that the factors correlated with the extent of atherosclerosis were levels of postload glucose (r = 0.667), HbA1c (r = 0.561), postload insulin (r = 0.221), and fasting insulin (r = 0.297), as well as HOMA-IR (r = 0.278) (P<.001 for all). Multiple stepwise regression analysis suggested that the factors independently associated with the number of stenosed coronary arteries were levels of postload plasma glucose (r = 0.572), HbA1c (r = 0.413), postload insulin (r = 0.267), and fasting insulin (r = 0.174), as well as HOMA-IR (r = 0.250) (P<.001 for all). Similar results were obtained after grouping patients by Duke Myocardial Jeopardy Score. CONCLUSIONS: For patients with NGT and different extents of atherosclerotic disease, postload glycemia and HbA1c level are not equally distributed but are significantly higher in those with more severe disease. This suggests that the glycemic milieu correlates with the cardiovascular risk according to a linear model.

Outcome of redo surgical aortic valve replacement in patients 80 years and older: results from the Multicenter RECORD Initiative.

BACKGROUND: Octogenarians undergoing surgical aortic valve replacement (AVR) after prior cardiac surgery are expected to be at high risk of adverse events. This finding has recently popularized transcatheter AVR in this cohort. METHODS: This multicenter study includes 744 patients (99 were 80 years or older) who underwent surgical AVR after prior cardiac surgery. The outcome of octogenarians was compared with younger patients in the entire cohort and in a propensity score-matched population. RESULTS: Octogenarians and younger patients had similar immediate outcome (in-hospital mortality, 3.0% versus 5.9%; p=0.34; stroke, 5.1% versus 6.7%; p=0.66; dialysis, 9.1% versus 6.5%; p=0.34), as confirmed also in 84 propensity score-matched pairs. Octogenarians and younger patients had similar late survival (5-year survival, 83.1% versus 78.0%; p=0.68; propensity score-adjusted relative risk [RR], 0.23; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.59 to 1.88). Octogenarians and younger patients had similar freedom from heart failure episodes (at 5 years, 84.5% versus 89.2%; p=0.311; propensity score-adjusted RR, 1.37; 95% CI, 0.62 to 3.04) and from reoperation (at 5 years, 94.9% versus 97.9%; p=0.51; propensity score-adjusted RR, 1.93; 95% CI, 0.35 to 10.56). However, octogenarians had poorer freedom from late stroke (at 5 years, 89.8% versus 97.5%; p=0.016; propensity score-adjusted RR, 6.137; 95% CI, 1.776 to 21.208) and peripheral thromboembolism (at 5 years, 90.0% versus 98.2%; p=0.003; propensity score-adjusted RR, 4.00; 95% CI, 1.07 to 15.00). CONCLUSIONS: Octogenarians undergoing surgical AVR after prior cardiac surgery have similar immediate postoperative outcome as younger patients, and their 5-year outcome is excellent. These data suggest that indications to undergo transcatheter AVR should not rely only on coexistence of advanced age and history of prior cardiac surgery.

Tight glycemic control may increase regenerative potential of myocardium during acute infarction.

AIMS: We analyzed the effects of tight glycemic control on regenerative potential of myocardium during acute myocardial infarction. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Seventy-five patients with their first acute myocardial infarction undergoing coronary bypass surgery were studied: 25 patients with glycemia below 140 mg/dl served as the control group; hyperglycemic patients (glucose>140 mg/dl) were randomized to intensive glycemic control (IGC; n=20; glucose goal, 80-140 mg/dl), conventional glycemic control (CGC; n=20; glucose goal, 180-200 mg/dl), or glucose-insulin-potassium (GIK; n=10; glucose goal, 180-200 mg/dl) for almost 3 d before surgery, using insulin infusion followed by sc insulin treatment. During surgery, myocyte precursor cells (MPC) (c-kit/MEFC2/GATA4-positive cells), oxidation of MPC DNA (c-kit/8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine-positive cells), senescent MPC (c-kit/p16INK4a-positive cells), and cycling cardiomyocytes (Ki-67-positive cells) were analyzed in biopsy specimens taken from the peri-infarcted area. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Before surgery, plasma glucose reduction was greater in the IGC group than in the CGC and GIK groups (P<0.001 for both). IGC patients had higher MPC (P<0.01) and cycling myocytes (P<0.01), as well as less oxidized (P<0.01) and senescent MPC (P<0.01) in peri-infarcted specimens compared with both CGC and GIK patients. Tight glycemic control, by reducing senescent MPC, may increase regenerative potential of the ischemic myocardium.