Temporal Trends in Self-Expandable Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement in South America: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to estimate temporal trends in clinical presentation and short-term outcomes of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with self-expandable prostheses in South America through a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational data. METHODS: We comprehensively searched for articles published in peer-reviewed medical journals and for abstracts presented in medical conferences of the region from September 1, 2008, to June 29, 2020. We included single-center studies on self-expandable TAVR populations with ≥ 10 patients from South America. RESULTS: A total of 28 cohorts from 6 countries pooling 1780 patients were included in a random-effects meta-analysis. Pooled estimates of age changed during time (period 2011-2015, 81.6 years; 95% confidence interval [CI] 80.7-82.4; period 2016-2018, 80.6 years; 95% CI 79.8-81.3; period 2019: 78.5 years; 95% CI 77.0-80.0; P = .0003); no other temporal trends in patient characteristics were ascertained. Temporal trends in short-term mortality pooled estimates were in-hospital mortality (11.8% [95% CI 8.2-16.7] for the period 2011-2015, 6.6% [95% CI 4.5-9.6] for the period 2016-2018, and 4.4% [95% CI 1.9-9.8] for the period 2019 [P = .007]) and 30-day mortality (12.8% [95% CI 7.7-20.4], 9.7% [95% CI 7.0-13.3], and 5.7% [95% CI 2.8-11.3], respectively [P =.044]). These associations between reporting year of the study and lower mortality remained after adjusting by age and surgical risk (multivariate meta-regression). CONCLUSIONS: In studies reported between 2011 and 2019 in South America, we demonstrated a clear time trend toward reduction of short-term mortality after self-expandable TAVR, independently of age and surgical risk of populations. These findings are relevant to the local reassessment of cost-effectiveness of TAVR.

A Rare Cause of Dyspnea: Undifferentiated Pleomorphic Sarcoma in the Left Atrium.

Primary cardiac tumors are a rare entity. The presence of a mass in the left atrium suggests myxoma as a first differential diagnosis. Here we present a rare case of a woman with exertional dyspnea with a large tumor in the left atrium. The patient was extensively studied with echocardiography, cardiac MRI, coronary angiography and computed tomography. Extracardiac neoplastic involvement was ruled out. The patient underwent surgery, the mass was removed, and the final diagnosis was an undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma.

Life-saving percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty on a pregnant woman with refractory cardiogenic shock.

Pregnancy increases body blood volume and cardiac output. These changes can exacerbate mitral stenosis symptoms. Symptomatic mitral stenosis during pregnancy has been successfully treated with percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty (PMV). We present the case of a 35-year-old white female who developed cardiogenic shock due to severe mitral stenosis at the 22nd week of gestation and it was successfully treated with emergent PMV. This case illustrates the ability of PMV to be life-saving in such extreme conditions.

[Cardiac myxoma. Clinical-pathological correlation]. / Mixomas cardíacos: correlación anatomoclínica.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Myxomas are the most common type of primary cardiac tumors. The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical forms of presentation of cardiac myxoma, the postoperative evolution, and the possibility of recurrence and tumoral embolism. PATIENTS AND METHOD: From July 1992 to March 1999, 31 patients with myxoma were studied. Cell cycles (ploidy pattern of the tumoral DNA) were studied in 12 patients to evaluate the risk of recurrence and tumoral embolism. RESULTS: The most frequent clinical manifestations were constitutional symptoms (74%), dyspnea (45%), and embolism (41%). Smaller-diameter myxomas correlated independently with tumoral embolism (45%). The in-hospital mortality was 3.2%, no deaths were observed during follow-up (mean: 4.8 years). No patients had clinical or echocardiographic signs of tumoral recurrence. Patients with tumoral embolism (n = 8) were compared with patients without embolism (n = 4). Patients who suffered embolism had higher S phase > 7 and/or DNA index > 1.2 (4/4 patients [100%], p= 0.061) than patients without embolism (2/8 patients [25%]). Cytometry of the only recurrent tumor (second operation) revealed a diploid tumor with a significantly more frequent S phase (10%) than in sporadic myxomas (4.27 2.32%, p = 0.039). CONCLUSIONS: Constitutional symptoms, dyspnea, and tumor embolism were the most frequent clinical manifestations. Clinical and anatomopathologic characteristics and the cell cycle were not significantly related to tumoral embolism, but there was a tendency toward a higher proportion of cells in S phase and a higher DNA index in tumors associated with embolism. The S phase was significantly more frequent in the only case of recurrent myxoma and could be a potential marker of recurrence.

Resultados intrahospitalarios y del seguimiento en pacientes tratados con aterectomía coronaria direccional / Directional intracoronary atherectomy in hospital and follow-up results

La aterectomía coronaria direccional demostró su utilidad en ciertos tipos de obstrucciones complejas. El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar los resultados y seguimiento de los pacientes tratados con aterectomía coronaria direccional. Se trataron 223 pacientes. Se analizaron como eventos mayores: muerte,infarto de miocardio y necesidad de nueva revascularización. El éxito del procedimiento fue 95,1 por ciento. La incidencia de complicaciones fue 4,9 por ciento. La sobrevida libre de infarto agudo de miocardio y nueva revascularización fue 76 ñ 3,4 por ciento a 33 meses. Se concluye que la aterectomía coronaria direccional es una técnica con alto porcentaje de éxitos y baja incidencia de complicaciones. En el seguimiento se observa baja tasa de eventos mayores o necesidad de nueva revascularización

Resultados de la angioplastia coronaria con balón en pacientes con angina inestable refractaria versus no refractaria al tratamiento médico / Coronary angioplasty in patients with unstable angina

Se compararon retrospectivamente los resultados intrahospitalarios de la angioplastia coronaria en 63 pacientes con angina inestable refractaria a tratamiento médico (con anticoagulación, antiagregación, betabloqueantes y nitritos) con los 362 pacientes con angina inestable pero sin angor en las 72 horas previas a la angioplastia. Si bien el éxito por lesión tratada y por procedimiento fue similar en ambos grupos, se observó que los pacientes estabilizados tuvieron tendencia a menos complicaciones mayores, menor mortalidad y menor empleo de balón de contrapulsación