Spontaneous coronary artery rupture presenting as an acute coronary syndrome evolved in pseudoaneurysm and cardiac tamponade: Case report and literature review.

Spontaneous coronary artery rupture is a rare disorder that may develop early into a sudden death due to the abrupt evolution of the associated cardiac tamponade. In some cases the rupture is contained and a false aneurysm develops with slower evolution of clinical signs. The correct diagnosis of spontaneous coronary artery rupture deserves a high level of suspicion; frequently it may be missed because the time window of its evolution seems to be very short or signs of acute coronary syndrome sometimes can prevail, leading to delays in diagnosis or to misdiagnosis. We report the case of a patient presenting a giant pseudoaneurysm of the right coronary artery due to spontaneous coronary artery rupture without any underlying disease. Moreover we present a review of the few cases in the literature, offering a pathophysiological hypothesis linking the site of rupture and clinical presentation.

IRAD experience on surgical type A acute dissection patients: results and predictors of mortality.

Type A acute aortic dissection (TAAD) is a disease that has a catastrophic impact on a patient's life and emergent surgery represents a key goal of early treatment. Despite continuous improvements in imaging techniques, medical therapy and surgical management, early mortality in patients undergoing TAAD repair still remains high, ranging from 17% to 26%. In this setting, the International Registry of Acute Aortic Dissection (IRAD), the largest worldwide registry for acute aortic dissection, was established to assess clinical characteristics, management and outcomes of TAAD patients. The present review aimed to evaluate and comment on outcomes of TAAD surgery as reported from IRAD series.

Surgical treatment of impending paradoxical embolization associated with pulmonary embolism in a patient with heterozygosis of factor V Leiden.

We report an unusual case of impending paradoxical embolization in a 69-year-old woman heterozygote carrier of factor V Leiden mutation. The patient presented to the emergency room with the clinical scenario of massive pulmonary embolism. Serial echocardiographic examinations revealed a large thrombus in the right atrium floating via a patent foramen ovale into the left atrium. Anticoagulation therapy was started. After 72 h, due to the unresolved thrombus, the patient underwent surgical treatment consisting of complete excision of the thrombus, closure of the foramen ovale, and pulmonary embolectomy. No in-hospital complications were noted. At 1-year follow-up, the patient is doing well on long-term anticoagulation treatment free of thromboembolic events.

Intramural aortic hematoma: no flap no warning?

We report a case of type A intramural aortic hematoma (IMH) occurred in a 78 years old female. The clinical scenario (medical history of hypertension, severe substernal chest pain, early diastolic decrescendo murmur as for aortic insufficiency), the laboratory results (no significant troponin level), ECG and transthoracic echocardiography findings (no signs of myocardial ischemia) shifted the initial diagnostic suspicion from acute coronary syndrome to the acute aortic syndrome (AAS) and triggered further imaging tests. Computed tomography revealed an aneurismatic dilatation with thickening of the wall of the ascending aorta without intimal flap. No particular "warning message" for evidence of AAS was sent to the clinician on call. Subsequently, due to the persisting high clinical suspicion transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) was performed. TEE confirmed the aneurysm of the ascending aorta and highlighted an extended and marked aortic wall thickness, consisting with the diagnosis of type A IMH. Patient underwent urgent cardiac surgery that confirmed the diagnosis.

Valve surgery in octogenarians: in-hospital and long-term outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Global population aging and greater age-related incidence of ischemic, degenerative and calcific valve disease have led to an increasing number of very elderly patients being referred for valve surgery. However, their preoperative risk factors, and in-hospital and long-term outcomes have not been thoroughly investigated. METHODS: Three hundred seven consecutive patients 80 years and older (60% female; mean age 83+/-2.4 years) attending three major Italian cardiac centres to undergo valve surgery were evaluated. Seventy-nine patients underwent mitral valve surgery (isolated n=30, combined n=49) and 228 underwent aortic valve surgery (isolated n=134, combined n=94). RESULTS: The most frequent in-hospital complications were atrial arrhythmias, need for inotropic support for more than 48 h, renal insufficiency, congestive heart failure, respiratory failure, and stroke or transient ischemic attack. The in-hospital mortality rate was 9.7% (30 of 307). Multivariate logistic regression identified the following clinical variables as predictors of in-hospital death: New York Heart Association functional class IV, diabetes, hypertension, renal insufficiency at presentation, rheumatic etiology and left ventricular ejection fraction of less than 45%. Late mortality occurred in 45 of 277 patients (16.2%), but there was a substantial improvement in the New York Heart Association functional class of the 232 long-term survivors (from 3.0+/-0.7 to 1.7+/-0.6; P<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Surgery seems to be an effective therapeutic option for selected symptomatic octogenarians with valve disease, associated with good long-term survival and an improved functional class. Operative mortality is related more to patients' preoperative clinical status and increased comorbidity than the type of surgery per se.