Epidemiology, outcomes and prognosis of infective endocarditis in Northern Morocco.

INTRODUCTION: Infective endocarditis is a rare but potentially severe disease, associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Our study aims to describe the epidemiology and management aspects of endocarditis in northern Morocco and compare it with international management guidelines. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective study involving all patients hospitalized in the cardiology department of the University Hospital of Tangier for infective endocarditis over a period of 4 years and 7 months, from May 2019 to February 2024. RESULTS: Eighty patients were hospitalized for IE during the study period. The average age of the patients was 46 years, with an even sex ratio. IE concerned native valves in 77% of cases, mechanical prostheses in 19% of cases, and on bio prostheses in 4%. The average diagnostic delay was 25 days. Blood cultures were negative in 59% of cases. The predominant infective microorganism was the bacteria Staphylococcus (65.6%). Imaging results showed vegetations in 76.3% of cases, predominantly on the mitral valve (39.3%), followed by the aortic valve (21.3%). The main complications included heart failure (51.2%), peripheral arterial embolisms (22.5%) and splenic infarction (17.5%). Management wise, the most commonly used antibiotic therapy was a combination of ceftriaxone and gentamicin. Clinical and biological improvement was observed in 70% of cases, with a mortality rate of 12.5%. Twelve patients underwent surgery (15%). Urgent surgery was indicated in 66,7% of the operated patients. CONCLUSION: Our study highlights the challenges in managing infective endocarditis in northern Morocco. The prognosis of infective endocarditis can be improved through multidisciplinary management within the implementation of an Endocarditis Team.

Comparison of the long-term reproducibility of the walk test and of exercise peak oxygen consumption in patients with preserved exercise capacity.

Short-term and long-term reproducibility of the cardiopulmonary (CPX) exercise test have been established. Though short and mid-term reproducibility of the walk test has been ascertained, this was not extensively done for the long-term reproducibility. The aim of the study was to examine the long-term reproducibility of distance walked in an allotted time and to check the stability of the relationship between walked distance and exercise peak VO2 (pVO2). METHODS: Forty six subjects (33 men; 57 ± 14 years), referred for functional capacity assessment, were studied twice by CPX and walking test. On the same day, CPX was performed on a bicycle or a treadmill and walk test in a corridor as required by specific guidelines. We performed a 12-minute walk test and the distance covered in six minutes was systematically taken down. A free time interval of 1.5 hours was observed between the exercise tests. Distance walked in the allotted time and pVO2 were analysed. Reproducibility was assessed according to Bland and Altman plots and intra-class coefficient correlation (ICC). The relationship between distance ambulated and pVO2 was analysed by the Spearman coefficient correlation. RESULTS: The time interval between the two evaluations was 290 ± 10 days. During this meantime, for those subjects having drug treatment, no change was recorded in their regimen. BMI remained stable for the entire studied population (28 ± 5 kg/m2). Minute walked distance was respectively 522 ± 83 and 527 ± 76 m in six minutes, 1033 ± 182 and 1041 ± 153 m in 12 minutes. pVO2 was 21 ± 7 and 22 ± 7 ml/kg/min (all p = NS). The walk test was reproducible in the long-term, regardless of the modality (6 or 12-minute walk) as shown by the Bland-Altman plots and the high ICC of .89. Spearman's rho coefficient between distance ambulated and pVO2 was modest and remained stable over time whatever the allotted time: Spearman's r = .54; p = .0011 (1st evaluation) and Spearman's r = .51; p = .0019 (2nd evaluation) between 6-minute distance walked and pVO2. CONCLUSIONS: The walking distance in an allotted time seems highly reproducible in the long-term. Its relationship with pVO2 remains stable over time. It could be of value for repeated assessment of patients' exercise capacity in a first step. Further evaluation in a larger population is needed to confirm our result and its usefulness in clinical practice.

Effects of cortisol on the heart: characterization of myocardial involvement in cushing's disease by longitudinal cardiac MRI T1 mapping.

PURPOSE: Cushing's disease (CD) is associated with alterations in cardiac geometry and function, shown to be reversible after treatment. Our aim was to study cortisol-related changes in myocardial content in CD at baseline and after treatment using MR myocardial T1 times. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a longitudinal study performed in 10 patients with active CD matched with 10 hypertensive and 10 healthy controls. All subjects had MR after CD diagnosis and 6 months after cortisol normalization. The 1.5 Tesla MR protocol included left ventricular geometry and function assessment and MOLLI sequences before and after contrast injection as well as late gadolinium enhancement. RESULTS: At baseline, native myocardial T1 was significantly higher in CD patients compared with controls and the hypertensive group (1056 ± 139 ms versus 929 ± 80 ms, P = 0.023; 1056 ± 139 ms versus 952 ± 51, P = 0.049). After treatment, native and postcontrast myocardial T1 decreased in CD patients versus controls (1056 ± 139 ms versus 832 ± 78, P = 0.006 and 483 ± 69 ms versus 395 ± 39 ms, P = 0.010) reaching values even lower than found in controls (P = 0.038 and P = 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSION: Native myocardial T1 is increased in Cushing's disease independently from hypertension and notably decreases after effective treatment, highlighting its potential to detect subclinical diffuse myocardial involvement in this condition. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 2 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2017;45:147-156.

Challenges in diagnosis and management of aortobronchial fistula: a case report.

Background: Aortobronchial fistulas (ABFs) are rare but potentially life-threatening conditions, often presenting with haemoptysis. They can develop following various thoracic aortic conditions or procedures. Case Presentation: A 70-year-old patient with a history of descending aorta replacement and ischaemic stroke presented with chest pain and upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Imaging revealed a fistula between the aortic prosthesis and the lung, along with other cardiovascular abnormalities. Despite the indication for anticoagulant therapy, tranexamic acid was initiated due to bleeding risk. The patient showed clinical improvement with tranexamic acid treatment but experienced recurrence of bleeding after discontinuation. Endovascular treatment for the contained rupture at the proximal stent anastomosis was indicated. Discussion: Haemoptysis is the primary symptom of ABFs, often recurring until the fistula enlarges. Postoperative aortic fistulas into the airways are uncommon and can occur years after surgery. Thoracic endovascular aortic repair has become the primary treatment for high-risk patients with thoracic aortic disease. Various diagnostic modalities can visualize a fistula tract, but practical visualization is rare. Untreated ABFs invariably lead to death. Conclusion: This case highlights the challenges in diagnosing and managing ABFs, emphasizing the need for a multidisciplinary approach and regular follow-up. Patient education and prompt reporting of symptoms are essential. Early intervention upon suspicion of recurrence is crucial for optimizing patient outcomes.

Can we obtain a noninvasive and continuous estimation of cardiac output? Comparison between three noninvasive methods.

Cardiac output (CO) is often desirable for assessing the hemodynamic condition of a patient, especially in critically ill cardiac patients. Various noninvasive methods are available for this purpose. Inert gas rebreathing (IGR) and 2D-Doppler echocardiography methods have been validated. Based on the relationship between pulse wave transit time and stroke volume, the VISMO® provides an estimated continuous cardiac output (esCCO) measurement using only an electrocardiogram, pulse oximeter wave, and cuff arterial blood pressure. Doppler echocardiography is being currently used in every day practice in this setting and IGR is a validated method, thus we wanted to assess the agreement between these 3 methods for noninvasive CO calculation and reproducibility of esCCO. Patients followed in our cardiology department received on the same day a CO analysis by esCCO, Doppler echocardiography and IGR. Thirty-four patients were included (16 women, mean age 65 ± 15 years). Bland and Altman plots showed a good agreement between IGR and 2D-Doppler echocardiography (bias = 0.31 L/minute). Though there was also an agreement between esCCO and the other 2, the bias was rather large: 1.18 L/minute with IGR and 1.51 L/min with 2D-Doppler echo. The intraclass correlation coefficient was poor whatever the methods. However, esCCO had a satisfactory reproducibility and accuracy compared rather well with the other 2. This method could be suitable for patient screening and monitoring.