Takotsubo syndrome: an overview of pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment with emphasis on cancer patients.

Takotsubo syndrome is a disease of great clinical importance that remains underdiagnosed. It is a form of acute heart failure characterized by a transient wall motion abnormality of the left ventricular apex typically triggered by emotional or physical stress. Takotsubo syndrome is commonly associated with cancer and results in poor outcomes. Therefore, early recognition and prompt therapy are essential to improve prognosis. The aim of this manuscript is to review the consequences of the association between cancer and Takotsubo to summarize the available evidence to guide physicians to improve the management of these patients.

Intensive care management of patients with COVID-19: a practical approach.

SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is responsible for the largest pandemic facing humanity since the Spanish flu pandemic in the early twentieth century. Since there is no specific antiviral treatment, optimized support is the most relevant factor in the patient's prognosis. In the hospital setting, the identification of high-risk patients for clinical deterioration is essential to ensure access to intensive treatment of severe conditions in a timely manner. The initial management of hypoxemia includes conventional oxygen therapy, high-flow nasal canula oxygen, and non-invasive ventilation. For patients requiring invasive mechanical ventilation, lung-protective ventilation with low tidal volumes and plateau pressure is recommended. Cardiovascular complications are frequent and include myocardial injury, thrombotic events, myocarditis, and cardiogenic shock. Acute renal failure is a common complication and is a marker of poor prognosis, with significant impact in costs and resources allocation. Regarding promising therapies for COVID-19, the most promising drugs until now are remdesivir and corticosteroids although further studies may be needed to confirm their effectiveness. Other therapies such as, tocilizumab, anakinra, other anti-cytokine drugs, and heparin are being tested in clinical trials. Thousands of physicians are living a scenario that none of us have ever seen: demand for hospital exceed capacity in most countries. Until now, the certainty we have is that we should try to decrease the number of infected patients and that an optimized critical care support is the best strategy to improve patient's survival.

Acute coronary syndrome due to an invasive thymoma with blood supply by circumflex artery-a case report.

Thymomas are usually tumors with a good prognosis but with potential to invade nearby structures. We report a case of a 56-year-old woman previously diagnosed with an invasive thymoma that came to the emergence room with symptoms of acute coronary syndrome. After a coronary computed tomography angiography, it was seen that the tumor was invading the myocardial and it was irrigated by the left circumflex coronary and its branches. Considering her poor prognosis, it was decided not to make further interventions. This case highlights a unique and rare case of an unresectable thymoma that was invading the myocardium and it was irrigated by the left circumflex coronary and its branches, causing typical angina due to compromised coronary blood flow by the mass causing ischemia.

Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases during the COVID-19 Pandemic. / Câncer e Doenças Cardiovasculares na Pandemia de COVID-19.

The challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic cretead to the healthcare system have made it necessary to adapt routines and services, with the objectives of controlling the spread of the virus and preserving health. Safe and correct management of patients in risks groups, such as elderly patients, patients with cardiovascular diseases, and patients with cancer, has become even more important. Thus, cardio-oncology has gained a new dimension, with the aim of adapting to patients' needs during the pandemic by restructuring the system of care in a manner that offers quality and safety in healthcare.

O desafio imposto ao sistema de saúde pela pandemia da COVID-19 faz com que haja uma necessidade de readequações de rotinas e serviços de saúde, com os objetivos de controlar a disseminação do vírus e preservar a saúde. Torna-se ainda mais importante o manejo seguro e correto dos pacientes dos grupos de risco, como os pacientes idosos, os portadores de doenças cardiovasculares e os pacientes com câncer. Dessa forma, a cardio-oncologia ganha novo dimensionamento, no intuito de se adequar às necessidades dos pacientes diante de uma pandemia, reestruturando o sistema de atendimento de forma a oferecer qualidade e segurança na assistência à saúde.

The Heart and COVID-19: What Cardiologists Need to Know. / O Coração e a COVID-19: O que o Cardiologista Precisa Saber.

In face of the pandemic of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the management of patients with cardiovascular risk factors and/or disease is challenging. The cardiovascular complications evidenced in patients with COVID-19 derive from several mechanisms, ranging from direct viral injury to complications secondary to the inflammatory and thrombotic responses to the infection. The proper care of patients with COVID-19 requires special attention to the cardiovascular system aimed at better outcomes.

Frente à pandemia da doença causada pelo novo coronavírus (COVID-19), o manejo do paciente com fator de risco e/ou doença cardiovascular é desafiador nos dias de hoje. As complicações cardiovasculares evidenciadas nos pacientes com COVID-19 resultam de vários mecanismos, que vão desde lesão direta pelo vírus até complicações secundárias à resposta inflamatória e trombótica desencadeada pela infecção. O cuidado adequado do paciente com COVID-19 exige atenção ao sistema cardiovascular em busca de melhores desfechos.

Cardiovascular Manifestations of Erdheim-Chester's Disease: A Case Series.

Erdheim-Chester Disease is a rare entity, classified as an inflammatory myeloid neoplasm, with an unknown incidence, occurring preferentially in men after 50 years of age. Classically, it has a multisystemic presentation, with the skeletal system being the most frequently affected (90% of the patients), followed by genitourinary involvement in 60% of cases and central nervous system in the pituitary and diabetes insipidus in 25% of the cases. Cardiovascular manifestations are present in more than half of the patients, with aortic infiltration and atrial pseudotumor being the most common forms.

Câncer e Doenças Cardiovasculares na Pandemia de COVID-19 / Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Resumo O desafio imposto ao sistema de saúde pela pandemia da COVID-19 faz com que haja uma necessidade de readequações de rotinas e serviços de saúde, com os objetivos de controlar a disseminação do vírus e preservar a saúde. Torna-se ainda mais importante o manejo seguro e correto dos pacientes dos grupos de risco, como os pacientes idosos, os portadores de doenças cardiovasculares e os pacientes com câncer. Dessa forma, a cardio-oncologia ganha novo dimensionamento, no intuito de se adequar às necessidades dos pacientes diante de uma pandemia, reestruturando o sistema de atendimento de forma a oferecer qualidade e segurança na assistência à saúde.

Abstract The challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic cretead to the healthcare system have made it necessary to adapt routines and services, with the objectives of controlling the spread of the virus and preserving health. Safe and correct management of patients in risks groups, such as elderly patients, patients with cardiovascular diseases, and patients with cancer, has become even more important. Thus, cardio-oncology has gained a new dimension, with the aim of adapting to patients' needs during the pandemic by restructuring the system of care in a manner that offers quality and safety in healthcare.

O Coração e a COVID-19: O que o Cardiologista Precisa Saber / The Heart and COVID-19: What Cardiologists Need to Know

Resumo Frente à pandemia da doença causada pelo novo coronavírus (COVID-19), o manejo do paciente com fator de risco e/ou doença cardiovascular é desafiador nos dias de hoje. As complicações cardiovasculares evidenciadas nos pacientes com COVID-19 resultam de vários mecanismos, que vão desde lesão direta pelo vírus até complicações secundárias à resposta inflamatória e trombótica desencadeada pela infecção. O cuidado adequado do paciente com COVID-19 exige atenção ao sistema cardiovascular em busca de melhores desfechos.

Abstract In face of the pandemic of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the management of patients with cardiovascular risk factors and/or disease is challenging. The cardiovascular complications evidenced in patients with COVID-19 derive from several mechanisms, ranging from direct viral injury to complications secondary to the inflammatory and thrombotic responses to the infection. The proper care of patients with COVID-19 requires special attention to the cardiovascular system aimed at better outcomes.

Cardiovascular Manifestations of Erdheim-Chester's Disease: A Case Series / Manifestações Cardiovasculares da Doença de Erdheim-Chester: Uma série de Casos

Abstract Erdheim-Chester Disease is a rare entity, classified as an inflammatory myeloid neoplasm, with an unknown incidence, occurring preferentially in men after 50 years of age. Classically, it has a multisystemic presentation, with the skeletal system being the most frequently affected (90% of the patients), followed by genitourinary involvement in 60% of cases and central nervous system in the pituitary and diabetes insipidus in 25% of the cases. Cardiovascular manifestations are present in more than half of the patients, with aortic infiltration and atrial pseudotumor being the most common forms.

Resumo A doença de Erdheim-Chester é uma entidade rara classificada como neoplasia mielóide inflamatória, com incidência desconhecida que ocorre preferencialmente em homens após os 50 anos de idade. Classicamente apresenta-se de forma multissistêmica, sendo sistema esquelético o mais frequentemente comprometido (90% dos pacientes), seguido do sistema geniturinário em 60% dos casos e sistema nervoso central em hipófise e diabetes insipidus em 25% dos casos. As manifestações cardiovasculares estão presentes em mais da metade dos pacientes, sendo a infiltração da aorta e o pseudotumor atrial as formas mais encontradas.

Radioterapia e cardiotoxicidade / Radiotherapy and cardiotoxicity

Os avanços da radioterapia aumentaram a taxa de sobrevida dos pacientes em tratamento oncológico em até 90% em alguns casos. A prevalência acumulada de doença cardíaca relacionada com a radioterapia é estimada em 10% a 30% de 5 a 10 anos após o tratamento e é dose-dependente. A dose acumulada e seu fracionamento podem determinar os efeitos cardíacos agudos e crônicos da radioterapia. Além disso, a progressão da doença cardíaca induzida pela radiação a curto e longo prazo em cada paciente ainda não é completamente compreendida. Sabe-se que o dano cardíaco está relacionado com o dano endotelial que acomete a micro e a macrovasculatura, e o acompanhamento dos pacientes expostos deve seguir recomendações.

Advances in radiotherapy have increased the survival rate of cancer patients by up to 90% in some cases. The cumulative prevalence of radiotherapy-related heart disease is estimated at 10% to 30% five to ten years after treatment, and is dose-dependent. The accumulated dose and its fractionation may result in acute and chronic cardiac effects of radiotherapy. In addition, the progression of short- and long-term radiation-induced heart disease in each patient is still not fully understood. It is known that heart damage is related to endothelial damage, which affects the micro and macro vasculature, and the follow-up to these exposed patients should follow the recommendations

Systolic pressure variation as diagnostic method for hypovolemia during anesthesia for cardiac surgery.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: An accurate predictor of effective intravascular volume is of paramount importance for patients submitted to major surgical procedures. A new method to evaluate intravascular volume based on systolic blood pressure variations (SPV), (difference between the maximum and minimum systolic values during controlled respiratory cycle) and its variable delta down (dDown) has shown to be a sensitive indicator of ventricular preload. As SPV is not routinely used in clinical practice our purpose was to evaluate the accuracy of this parameter in evaluating volume status of patients submitted to cardiac surgery. METHODS: As from specially developed software, blood pressure variation was transmitted in real time from operating room monitor to a network-connected computer. After the adaptation of this system, nine patients submitted to cardiac surgery were evaluated. Variables were recorded in two moments: T0 (before volume replacement) and TP (after volume replacement). At the same time, conventional hemodynamic parameters were also studied and compared to systolic pressure variation. RESULTS: Primary study results have shown that SPV (systolic pressure variation), in its dDown component, presents the best variation consistency after volume replacement with starch. Remaining hemodynamic parameters evaluated, although pointing to clear cardiovascular improvement after replacement, are highly variable among the patients and even on expander's response. CONCLUSIONS: Results have shown that SPV is a sensitive method to evaluate intravascular volume status in patients under mechanical ventilation, when correlated to central venous pressure, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure and systolic index variations.

Variação da pressão sistólica como método diagnóstico da hipovolemia durante anestesia para cirurgia cardíaca / Systolic pressure variation as diagnostic method for hypovolemia during anesthesia for cardiac surgery

JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS: A estimativa acurada do volume intravascular efetivo é de grande importância em pacientes submetidos a procedimentos cirúrgicos de grande porte. A avaliação da volemia, baseada na variação da pressão sistólica (VPS), (diferença entre os valores sistólicos máximos e mínimos durante um ciclo respiratório controlado mecanicamente) e sua variável delta down (dDown) tem se mostrado um indicador sensível da pré-carga, quando cotejados com parâmetros hemodinâmicos convencionais. Como a VPS não é um parâmetro utilizado rotineiramente para avaliação da volemia, este trabalho teve como objetivo introduzir a técnica da medida da VPS e verificar sua validade em pacientes submetidos à anestesia para cirurgia cardíaca. MÉTODO: A partir de programa de computador especialmente desenvolvido, transmitiu-se em tempo real a variação da pressão arterial a partir do monitor da sala cirúrgica para microcomputador conectado em rede. Após a adaptação deste sistema, foram estudadas as variações da pressão sistólica em nove pacientes submetidos à revascularização do miocárdio. As variáveis foram registradas em dois momentos, utilizando-se a expansão volêmica como indicador: M0 (antes da expansão volêmica) e M1 (após a expansão volêmica). Também foram estudados alguns parâmetros hemodinâmicos convencionais, confrontados com a variação da pressão sistólica. RESULTADOS: Os principais resultados deste estudo mostram que a VPS, em seu componente dDown, é a que apresenta maior consistência de variação após a expansão volêmica com amido.Os demais parâmetros hemodinâmicos estudados, embora apontem para nítida melhora cardiovascular após a expansão, possuem alta variabilidade entre os pacientes e mesmo quanto à resposta ao expansor. CONCLUSÕES: Os resultados obtidos mostram que a VPS se comporta como um sensível indicador da volemia, em pacientes sob ventilação mecânica, quando correlacionada às variações da pressão venosa central, pressão capilar pulmonar e índice sistólico.