Pulmonary tumor thrombotic microangiopathy due to early gastric carcinoma in a patient with no antemortem findings suggestive of primary malignancy.

Pulmonary tumor thrombotic microangiopathy (PTTM) is a rare and critical malignancy-related disease characterized by acute progressive pulmonary hypertension (PH). In most cases of PTTM, the cancer can be diagnosed in advance. Identification of the primary cancer is valuable for PTTM diagnosis. Here, we present the case of a patient with PTTM due to early gastric carcinoma in whom the diagnosis of malignant cancer was not revealed until macroscopic autopsy findings. This case highlights the importance of recognizing causative occult early gastric cancer leading to PTTM in cases of acute progressive PH.

Development of Pericardial Fat Count Images Using a Combination of Three Different Deep-Learning Models: Image Translation Model From Chest Radiograph Image to Projection Image of Three-Dimensional Computed Tomography.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: Pericardial fat (PF)-the thoracic visceral fat surrounding the heart-promotes the development of coronary artery disease by inducing inflammation of the coronary arteries. To evaluate PF, we generated pericardial fat count images (PFCIs) from chest radiographs (CXRs) using a dedicated deep-learning model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed data of 269 consecutive patients who underwent coronary computed tomography (CT). We excluded patients with metal implants, pleural effusion, history of thoracic surgery, or malignancy. Thus, the data of 191 patients were used. We generated PFCIs from the projection of three-dimensional CT images, wherein fat accumulation was represented by a high pixel value. Three different deep-learning models, including CycleGAN were combined in the proposed method to generate PFCIs from CXRs. A single CycleGAN-based model was used to generate PFCIs from CXRs for comparison with the proposed method. To evaluate the image quality of the generated PFCIs, structural similarity index measure (SSIM), mean squared error (MSE), and mean absolute error (MAE) of (i) the PFCI generated using the proposed method and (ii) the PFCI generated using the single model were compared. RESULTS: The mean SSIM, MSE, and MAE were 8.56 × 10-1, 1.28 × 10-2, and 3.57 × 10-2, respectively, for the proposed model, and 7.62 × 10-1, 1.98 × 10-2, and 5.04 × 10-2, respectively, for the single CycleGAN-based model. CONCLUSION: PFCIs generated from CXRs with the proposed model showed better performance than those generated with the single model. The evaluation of PF without CT may be possible using the proposed method.

Treatment Strategy for Fatal Arrhythmias in Ebstein's Anomaly Combined With Leadless Pacemaker and S-ICD Implantations.

The management of heart rhythm disorders in patients with adult congenital heart disease and limited vascular access is challenging. We present the case of a 38-year-old woman with Ebstein's anomaly who underwent implantation of a combination of a leadless pacemaker and a subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator to manage fatal arrhythmias. (Level of Difficulty: Intermediate.).

Severe Functional Tricuspid Stenosis Due to Phosphoglyceride Crystal Deposition Disease in Right Atrium.

This case report concerns a 72-year-old-female with severe functional tricuspid stenosis due to phosphoglyceride crystal deposition disease and a history of atrial septum closure and tricuspid valvuloplasty. Phosphoglyceride crystal deposition disease is extremely rare, and percutaneous transcatheter biopsy under intracardiac echocardiographic guidance proved to be useful for its diagnosis. (Level of Difficulty: Advanced.).

Complete resolution of severe secondary mitral regurgitation accompanying eosinophilic myocarditis due to immunosuppressive treatment.

Eosinophilic myocarditis (EM) is an under-diagnosed inflammatory heart disease that often leads to severe left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. Meanwhile, severe secondary mitral regurgitation (MR) with valve disruption, possibly requiring mitral valve repair, is rarely concomitant with EM. We present the case of a 64-year-old female diagnosed with heart failure with severe LV dysfunction and localized asynergy. Echocardiography revealed severe secondary MR with mitral valve disruption. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) showed transmural late-gadolinium enhancement localized in the anterior wall and diffuse high-signal areas on T2-weighted images, suggesting non-ischemic and inflammatory heart disease. Although the peripheral eosinophil count was not elevated on admission, it gradually increased during hospitalization. These findings encouraged us to perform endomyocardial biopsy, which confirmed myocardial eosinophilic infiltration with mild fibrosis and necrosis, leading to the diagnosis of EM. Immunosuppressive treatment with oral corticosteroids improved LV dysfunction and completely resolved severe secondary MR. The current case highlighted that comprehensive assessment of laboratory, imaging, and pathological examinations including CMR is crucial to develop the appropriate therapeutic strategy for refractory heart failure. Immunosuppressive treatment should be considered as the first therapeutic option even in EM cases with severe secondary MR, possibly requiring mitral valve repair. .

Successful catheter ablation of postoperative atrial tachycardia with conduction disturbances: Assessment by late-gadolinium enhancement magnetic resonance imaging and high-resolution electro-anatomical mapping.

Atrial tachycardia (AT) in the right atrium often occurs following open-heart surgery. Catheter ablation for these AT is challenging and can lead to unintended conduction block. We performed late-gadolinium enhancement magnetic resonance imaging (LGE-MRI) prior to catheter ablation and predicted wavefront propagation during SR as well as the slow conduction zone during tachycardia. LGE-MRI may assist predicting the conduction disturbance and reducing the risk of unexpected sinus exit block.

Normative Aortic Valvar Measurements in Adults Using Cardiac Computed Tomography　- A Potential Guide to Further Sophisticate Aortic Valve-Sparing Surgery.

BACKGROUND: A thorough understanding of the anatomy of the aortic valve is necessary for aortic valve-sparing surgery. Normal valvar dimensions and their relationships in the living heart, however, have yet to be fully investigated in a 3-dimensional fashion.Methods and Results:In total, 123 consecutive patients (66±12 years, Men 63%) who underwent coronary computed tomographic angiography were enrolled. Mid-diastolic morphology of the aortic roots, including height of the interleaflet triangles, geometric height, free margin length of each leaflet, effective height, and coaptation length were measured using multiplanar reconstruction images. Average height of the interleaflet triangle, geometric height, free margin length, effective height, and the coaptation length were 17.3±1.8, 14.7±1.3, 32.6±3.6, 8.6±1.4, and 3.2±0.8 mm, respectively. The right coronary aortic leaflet displayed the longest free margin length and shortest geometric height. Geometric height, free margin length, and effective height showed positive correlations with aortic root dimensions. Coaptation length, however, remained constant regardless of aortic root dimensions. CONCLUSIONS: Diversities, as well as characteristic relationships among each value involving the aortic root, were identified using living-heart datasets. The aortic leaflets demonstrated compensatory elongation along with aortic root dilatation to maintain constant coaptation length. These measurements will serve as the standard value for revealing the underlying mechanism of aortic regurgitation to plan optimal aortic valve-sparing surgery.

Living Anatomy of the Ventricular Myocardial Crescents Supporting the Coronary Aortic Sinuses.

The aortic valvar sinuses are supported, in part, by ventricular myocardium, so-called myocardial crescents. We elucidated individual variation in the extent of the myocardial support. We assessed the extent of the crescents in 84 patients who underwent cardiac computed tomography. We measured their maximal width, their extent within the circumference of the aortic root, and the influence of rotation of the root itself within the ventricular base. The maximal widths, and rotational locations, of the crescents supporting the base of the left coronary aortic sinus were significantly smaller than those supporting the right coronary aortic sinus (2.9 ± 0.8 mm vs 6.4 ± 1.2 mm, P < 0.001; 54.2 ± 12.0° vs 70.4 ± 13.5°, P < 0.001, respectively). Overall, 42.7 ± 4.3% of the circumference of the virtual basal ring was supported by myocardium as opposed to fibrous tissue. Clockwise rotation of the aortic root was correlated with a decrease in the extent of myocardial crescent supporting the left coronary aortic sinus, but an increase in the myocardial support of the right coronary aortic sinus (R2 = 0.3899 and R2 = 0.2752, P < 0.001). Clockwise rotation of the root was correlated in negative fashion with the ratio of its myocardial as opposed to fibrous support (R2 = 0.0527, P = 0.0356). The extent of myocardial support of the left coronary aortic sinus, on average, is less than that of the right coronary aortic sinus. This difference becomes greater when the aortic root is rotated in clockwise fashion.

Optimal reconstruction of left ventricular outflow tract obstruction before surgical myectomy in a case with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy.

We present optimally reconstructed three-dimensional computed tomography images of left ventricular outflow obstruction, comprehensive left ventriculography, and comparable intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography, as well as serial operative pictures, to facilitate the understanding of live-heart anatomy of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy. As shown in this case, detailed morphological analysis around the left ventricular outflow tract using preoperative computed tomography would be feasible and useful. The present case highlights the importance of obtaining complete three-dimensional information present in the acquired computed tomography dataset because computed tomography is not entirely noninvasive or free of radiation exposure and contrast material.

Late Restenosis After Paclitaxel-Coated Balloon Angioplasty Occurs in Patients With Drug-Eluting Stent Restenosis.

BACKGROUND: There are currently inadequate data on whether "late restenosis" occurs after paclitaxel-coated balloon (PCB) angioplasty for in-stent restenosis (ISR) lesions. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the long-term safety and efficacy of PCB angioplasty, we investigated serial clinical and angiographic outcomes after PCB angioplasty for ISR lesions. METHODS: Between September 2008 and December 2012, PCB angioplasty was performed in 468 patients with 550 ISR lesions (bare-metal stent restenosis [BMS-ISR]: 114 lesions, drug-eluting stent restenosis [DES-ISR]: 436 lesions). Two serial angiographic follow-ups were routinely planned for the patients (at 6 and 18 months after the procedure). RESULTS: Early follow-up (6 months) angiography was performed for 488 lesions (89%), and recurrent restenosis occurred in 13 lesions (13.0%) in the BMS-ISR group and in 82 lesions (21.1%) in the DES-ISR group. Target lesion revascularization was performed for 7 lesions (7.0%) in the BMS-ISR group and 54 lesions (13.9%) in the DES-ISR group. Late follow-up (18 months) angiography was performed for 377 (88%) of the remaining 427 lesions (excluding target lesion revascularization lesions), and late restenosis was found in 2 lesions (2.5%) in the BMS-ISR group and 50 lesions (16.8%) in the DES-ISR group. Delayed late lumen loss was significantly larger in the DES-ISR group. Previous stent size ≤2.5 mm, percentage diameter stenosis after the procedure, and in-stent occlusion lesion were independent predictors of early restenosis. DES-ISR, percentage diameter stenosis at early follow-up, and hemodialysis were independent predictors of late restenosis. CONCLUSIONS: Late restenosis occurs after PCB angioplasty for DES-ISR lesions.