AngioVac system guided removal of vegetations from pacemaker lead-related infective endocarditis.

The AngioVac aspiration system is a catheter-based technique that has been used for removal of unwanted intravascular material in growing numbers of institutions around the world since 2013. It provides an alternative and a less invasive approach for the treatment of venous thromboembolism and intrinsic or cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED)-related infective endocarditis. This system uses venous cannulas and extracorporeal filtering mechanisms to effectively remove thrombi or vegetations resulting in less invasion and minimal blood loss. We present a case of a woman in her mid-50s who underwent successful AngioVac-guided removal of lead vegetations followed by percutaneous CIED removal.

Left anterior descending artery myocardial bridge manifesting as episodic, symptomatic exertional non-sustained ventricular tachycardia.

A 48-year-old man presented to the emergency department (ED) with exertional chest pressure associated with palpitations and lightheadedness. He was found to have non-sustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT) in the ED, which resolved spontaneously. Given his history of hyperlipidaemia, unknown family history due to being adopted and episode of NSVT in the ED, he underwent cardiac catheterisation, which showed non-obstructive coronary artery disease and distal left anterior descending artery myocardial bridge (MB). The patient subsequently underwent ECG treadmill stress test with reproduction of chest pressure and NSVT. The patient was referred to cardiac surgery for definitive management of symptomatic MB and underwent resection of MB.

Oxaliplatin-associated sarcoid-like reaction masquerading as recurrent colon cancer.

A 54-year-old man with stage IV B metastatic colorectal cancer with liver and peritoneal metastasis was treated with cytoreductive surgery (extended left colectomy, right partial hepatectomy, resection of right diaphragm nodule) and perioperative oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy. The patient was cancer-free for 6 months, at which point a surveillance positron emission tomography-CT scan showed metabolically active hepatosplenic lesions and mediastinal and bilateral hilar lymph nodes. An endobronchial ultrasound bronchoscopy-guided fine needle aspiration of the mediastinal and hilar lymph nodes revealed non-necrotising granulomas. The workup was negative for bacterial, fungal or mycobacterial infection, cancer or autoimmune disease. Carcinoembryonic antigen and COLVERA (a circulating tumour DNA liquid biopsy test for the detection of recurrent colon cancer) tests were negative. Subsequently the rare diagnosis of a sarcoidosis-like reaction from oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy was made. Repeat imaging after 3 months showed resolution of the hepatosplenic lesions and lymphadenopathy, alike.