Cardiac lymphoma as a cause of dyspnea in an immunosuppressed patient: the importance of the endomyocardial biopsy.

A 69-year-old man who underwent a liver transplant in 2014 due to hepatitis C virus hepatopathy was evaluated for dyspnea on exertion and chest pain.

The BALTO Registry: Long-term results of percutaneous BALloon pericardioTomy in oncological patients.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to analyze the efficacy and safety of percutaneous balloon pericardiotomy (PBP) in oncological patients who present with a malignant pericardial effusion (MPE). BACKGROUND: The use of PBP as a treatment for MPE is not standardized due to the limited evidence. Furthermore, the performance of a second PBP for a recurrence after a first procedure is controversial. METHODS: The BALTO Registry (BALloon pericardioTomy in Oncological patients) is a prospective, single-center, observational registry that includes consecutive PBP performed for MPE from October 2007 to February 2022. Clinical and procedural, characteristics, as well as clinical outcome were analyzed. RESULTS: Seventy-six PBP were performed in 61 patients (65% female). Mean age was of 66.4 ± 11.2 years. In 15 cases, a second PBP procedure was performed due to recurrence despite the first PBP. The procedure could be performed effectively in all cases with only two serious complications. Ninety-five percent of cases were discharged alive from the hospital. During a median follow-up of 6.3 months (interquartile range [IQR], 0.9-10.8), MPE recurred in 24.5% cases although no recurrences were reported after the second procedure. No evidence of malignant pleural effusion developed on follow-up. The median overall survival time was 5.8 months (IQR, 0.8-10.2) and the time to recurrence after the first PBP was 2.4 months (IQR, 0.7-4.5). CONCLUSIONS: PBP is a safe and effective treatment for MPE. It could be considered an acceptable therapy in most MPE, even in those who recur after a first procedure.

Pseudo-aortic dissection after sudden cardiac death in coronary angiography a case report: Pearls and pitfalls in false aortic dissection artifacts.

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Various artifacts mimicked aortic dissection, such as streak artifacts generated by high-attenuation material, high-contrast interfaces, cardiac motion, periaortic structures, aortic wall motion, and normal aortic sinuses, have been described in the literature. Most artifacts that simulate ascending aortic dissection occur frequently on conventional CT. Their position is predictable and is related to systolic aortic motion. However, so far, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first pseudo-aortic dissection reported during coronary angiography in cardiac arrest. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case of a middle-aged man transferred to our hospital after an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. The coronary angiography revealed non-obstructive coronary arteries and an image of probable aortic dissection was observed. Given the persistent asystole despite a prolonged advance cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the possibility of aortic dissection, a prompt in-room heart team discussion was performed. It was decided to stop and withdraw potentially life-sustaining treatment due to futility. The necropsy study revealed the aorta with some mild atherosclerotic plaques but without either aneurysm or thrombosis. The coronary arteries were reported as with patency, but in the proximal left anterior descending artery (LAD), the intima layer presented a thickness that decreased 50 % of the luminal area without signs of complicated acute plaques. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: In this case, the systolic aortic motion theory cannot explain the false-aortic dissection image in the coronary angiography because the patient was under cardiac arrest. Studies with arterial and venous pressures devices recording in cardiac arrest, demonstrated an abnormal hemodynamic flow, suggesting that the hemodynamic flow might be backward during cardiopulmonary resuscitation Therefore, in the setting of this abnormal hemodynamic flow, the injection of contrast may have an abnormal distribution and flow in the aorta creating an image of pseudo-aortic dissection. CONCLUSION: Although the exact mechanism of this false-positive aortic dissection in cardiac arrest remains unknown, operators should be aware of this entity during coronary angiography in the setting of cardiac arrest with mechanical chest compressions to avoid diagnostic errors in clinical practice.

6-Month Outcomes of the TricValve System in Patients With Tricuspid Regurgitation: The TRICUS EURO Study.

BACKGROUND: Severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is frequently associated with significant morbidity and mortality; such patients are often deemed to be at high surgical risk. Heterotopic bicaval stenting is an emerging, attractive transcatheter solution for these patients. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the 30-day safety and 6-month efficacy outcomes of specifically designed bioprosthetic valves for the superior and inferior vena cava. METHODS: TRICUS EURO (Safety and Efficacy of the TricValve® Transcatheter Bicaval Valves System in the Superior and Inferior Vena Cava in Patients With Severe Tricuspid Regurgitation) is a nonblinded, nonrandomized, single-arm, multicenter, prospective trial that enrolled patients from 12 European centers between December 2019 and February 2021. High-risk individuals with severe symptomatic TR despite optimal medical therapy were included. The primary endpoint was quality-of-life (QOL) improvement measured by Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire score and New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class improvement at 6-month follow-up. RESULTS: Thirty-five patients (mean age 76 ± 6.8 years, 83% women) were treated using the TricValve system. All patients at baseline were in NYHA functional class III or IV. At 30 days, procedural success was 94%, with no procedural deaths or conversions to surgery. A significant increase in QOL at 6 months follow-up was observed (baseline and 6-month Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire scores 42.01 ± 22.3 and 59.7 ± 23.6, respectively; P = 0.004), correlating with a significant improvement in NYHA functional class, with 79.4% of patients noted to be in functional class I or II at 6 months (P = 0.0006). The rates of 6-month all-cause mortality and heart failure hospitalization were 8.5% and 20%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The dedicated bicaval system for treating severe symptomatic TR was associated with a high procedural success rate and significant improvements in both QOL and functional classification at 6 months follow-up.

Calcium Signaling Pathway Is Involved in the Shedding of ACE2 Catalytic Ectodomain: New Insights for Clinical and Therapeutic Applications of ACE2 for COVID-19.

The angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is a type I integral membrane that exists in two forms: the first is a transmembrane protein; the second is a soluble catalytic ectodomain of ACE2. The catalytic ectodomain of ACE2 undergoes shedding by a disintegrin and metalloproteinase domain-containing protein 17 (ADAM17), in which calmodulin mediates the calcium signaling pathway that is involved in ACE2 release, resulting in a soluble catalytic ectodomain of ACE2 that can be measured as soluble ACE2 plasma activity. The shedding of the ACE2 catalytic ectodomain plays a role in cardiac remodeling and endothelial dysfunction and is a predictor of all-cause mortality, including cardiovascular mortality. Moreover, considerable evidence supports that the ACE2 catalytic ectodomain is an essential entry receptor for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Additionally, endotoxins and the pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1ß and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) all enhanced soluble catalytic ectodomain ACE2 shedding from the airway epithelia, suggesting that the shedding of ACE2 may represent a mechanism by which viral entry and infection may be controlled such as some types of betacoronavirus. In this regard, ACE2 plays an important role in inflammation and thrombotic response, and its down-regulation may aggravate COVID-19 via the renin-angiotensin system, including by promoting pathological changes in lung injury. Soluble forms of ACE2 have recently been shown to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection. Furthermore, given that vitamin D enhanced the shedding of ACE2, some studies reported that vitamin D treatment is associated with prognosis improvement in COVID-19. This is an updated review on the evidence, clinical, and therapeutic applications of ACE2 for COVID-19.

Longitudinal Stent Deformation: Precise Diagnosis With Optical Coherence Tomography.

Longitudinal stent deformation is a recognized complication of coronary angioplasty; however, it is difficult to detect angiographically. This case illustrates the value of OCT to identify and correctly diagnose longitudinal stent deformation.

Percutaneous balloon pericardiotomy: Treatment of choice in patients with advanced oncological disease and severe pericardial effusion.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Malignant pericardial effusion has a high recurrence rate after pericardiocentesis. We sought to confirm the efficacy and feasibility of percutaneous balloon pericardiotomy (PBP) as the initial treatment of choice for these effusions. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of the clinical, echocardiographic, and follow-up characteristics of a consecutive series of PBP carried out in a single-center in patients with advanced cancer. RESULTS: Forty PBPs were performed in 35 patients with a mean age of 61.8years (55% females). Thirty-four patients had pathologically confirmed metastatic neoplastic disease (26 patients with tumoral cells in the pericardial liquid), 7 had previously required pericardiocentesis, and in the remaining patients PBP was the first treatment for the effusion. All patients had a severe circumferential effusion (29mm by mean on transthoracic echocardiography [TTE]), and most presented evidence of hemodynamic compromise on TTE. In all cases, the procedure was successful, there were no acute complications, and it was well tolerated at the first attempt. There were no infectious complications during follow-up. One patient developed a pseudoaneurysm in the right ventricle, even though no further treatment was required. Eight patients needed a new pericardial procedure: 3 had elective pericardial window surgeries and 5 had a second PBP. Eighty percent of patients died during follow-up (57days by mean from the PBP) regarding their oncological disease. CONCLUSION: PBP is a simple and safe technique that can be effective in the prevention of recurrence in many patients with severe malignant pericardial effusion. The characteristics of this procedure make it particularly useful in this group of patients to avoid more aggressive, poorly tolerated approaches, since they have a very poor prognosis regarding to their oncological disease.

Prognostic impact of decisions taken by the heart team in patients evaluated for transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze long-term survival and predictors of mortality in patients evaluated for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) depending on the decision taken by the heart team. METHODS: All patients with severe aortic stenosis and high surgical risk evaluated for TAVI between June 2008 and June 2012 were included. Patients were grouped according to the therapeutic strategy decided by the heart team. Mean follow-up was 16.6 months (maximum 55.3). RESULTS: A total of 149 patients were evaluated: 79 were accepted for TAVI, 12 had no current indication for valve replacement and were deferred, 13 were redirected to conventional surgery and 45 received medical treatment. The evaluated patients had a mean age of 83.7 years and a mean EuroSCORE of 19.8±12.3. Median survival free from all-cause death was 34.7 months (95% CI 27.1-42.3) in the TAVI group, 47.4 months (95% CI 0-97.4) in the deferred intervention group, not available in the surgery group and 8.2 months (95% CI 5.6-10.9) in the medical treatment group (log-rank p<0.001). After multivariable adjustment, only treatment group remained as an independent predictor of mortality. Considering the TAVI group as the reference category, the adjusted hazard ratio for all-cause death was 0.70 (95% CI 0.24-2.04) for the deferred intervention group, 0.16 (95% CI 0.02-1.19) for the surgery group and 2.47 (95% CI 1.46-4.18) for the medical treatment group. CONCLUSION: The decision taken by the heart team on potential candidates for TAVI has a decisive prognostic significance, as those who are unsuitable for any kind of valve replacement have a significantly higher mortality.

Immediate and mid-term clinical course after percutaneous closure of paravalvular leakage.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Percutaneous closure of paravalvular leakage is an alternative to surgery in high-risk patients, but its use has been limited by a lack of specific devices. More appropriate devices-like the Amplatzer Vascular Plug III-have recently been developed, but information about their efficacy and safety is still scarce. The objective of the present study was to assess the mid-term results of paravalvular leakage closure with this device. METHODS: We analyzed the clinical and echocardiographic course both in-hospital and mid-term (13 [9] months) in a series of 20 consecutive patients (age, 68 years; logistic EuroSCORE, 29) with paravalvular leakage and attempted percutaneous closure. RESULTS: Closure was attempted for 23 leaks (17 mitral and 6 aortic) during 22 procedures in 20 patients. Implantation was successful in 87% of the leaks and the procedure was successful in 83%-with success being defined as a reduction in regurgitation of ≥ 1 degree. Survival at 1 year was 64.7% and survival free of the composite event of death/surgery was 58.8%. The degree of residual regurgitation was not associated with mortality but was associated with functional status. Survivors showed significant improvement in functional class. CONCLUSIONS: Percutaneous closure of leakage with the Amplatzer Vascular Plug III is safe and efficient in the mid-term. However, mortality among high-risk patients is high independently of the degree of residual regurgitation, indicating that these procedures are performed when heart disease has reached an advanced stage.

Percutaneous balloon pericardiotomy as the initial and definitive treatment for malignant pericardial effusion.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Malignant pericardial effusion has a high recurrence rate after pericardiocentesis. We sought to confirm the efficacy of percutaneous balloon pericardiotomy as the initial treatment of choice for these effusions. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of the clinical, echocardiographic, and follow-up characteristics of a consecutive series of percutaneous balloon pericardiotomies carried out in a single center in patients with advanced cancer. RESULTS: Seventeen percutaneous balloon pericardiotomies were performed in 16 patients with a mean age of 66.2 (15.2) years. Fourteen patients had pathologically confirmed metastatic neoplastic disease, 3 had previously required pericardiocentesis, and in the remaining patients percutaneous balloon pericardiotomy was the first treatment for the effusion. All patients had a severe circumferential effusion, and most presented evidence of hemodynamic compromise on echocardiography. In all cases, the procedure was successful, there were no acute complications, and it was well tolerated at the first attempt. There were no infectious complications during follow-up (median, 44 [interquartile range, 36-225] days). One patient developed a large pleural effusion that did not require treatment. Three patients needed a new pericardial procedure: 2 had elective pericardial window surgeries and 1 had a second percutaneous balloon pericardiotomy. CONCLUSIONS: Percutaneous balloon pericardiotomy is a simple, safe technique that can be effective in the prevention of recurrence in many patients with severe malignant pericardial effusion. The characteristics of this procedure make it particularly useful in this group of patients to avoid more aggressive, poorly tolerated approaches.

Update in pharmacological management of coronary no-reflow phenomenon.

The no-reflow phenomenon (NRP) is defined as the lack of adequate myocardial tissue perfusion despite a patent epicardial coronary artery. The incidence of NRP varies between 2-5% of elective percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) and 30% in primary PCI. Clinically, it is an independent predictor of myocardial infarction, in-hospital mortality, and long-term mortality. It may be categorized in interventional (after PCI, especially in saphenous venous grafts) or reperfusion NRP (after re-opening of a totally occluded coronary artery, usually during primary PCI or thrombolysis). There are many physiopathological factors implicated: distal microembolization, interstitial and intracellular edema, coronary spasm and capillary plugging. Although reperfusion and no reflow is a field of intense research, no single mechanical or pharmacological therapy has demonstrated a clear efficacy against NRP, probably due to its multifactorial nature. Once established, the treatment of NRP is based on vasodilators like adenosine, verapamil, nitroprusside or nicorandil. However, the efficacy of these measures is poor, so every effort should be made to prevent the apparition of NRP. The objective of this report is to provide an update of the pharmacological armamentarium available for the prevention and treatment of NRP, and suggest a systematic approach of the management of NRP according to the different possible clinical scenarios.

Periprocedural (30-day) risk of myocardial infarction after drug-eluting coronary stent implantation: a meta-analysis comparing cobalt-chromium and stainless steel drug-eluting coronary stents.

AIMS: Because of the reduction in the rate events related with in-stent restenosis, most events after drug-eluting stent implantation occur shortly after coronary stenting. Cobalt-chromium alloys allow to reduce strut thickness and improve flexibility and deliverability of coronary stent platforms, and thus could be associated with lower short-term events after stenting. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that drug-eluting coronary stents with a cobalt-chromium platform reduce the incidence of periprocedural (30-day) myocardial infarction in comparison with stainless steel drug-eluting coronary stents. METHODS AND RESULTS: A meta-analysis from nine randomised trials comparing cobalt-chromium and stainless steel drug-eluting coronary stents that overall included 11,313 patients was performed. The incidence of myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis, and cardiac death at 30 days was compared between both types of stents. At 30 days, the incidence of acute myocardial infarction was significantly lower in patients allocated to cobalt-chromium drug-eluting stents (2.3% vs. 3.9%, respectively; p=0.006; odds ratio 0.72, 95% confidence interval 0.58-0.91), due to a significant reduction in the rate of non-Q-wave myocardial infarction (odds ratio 0.67, 95% confidence interval 0.51-0.88). The incidence of stent thrombosis was similar between both groups of patients, (0.5% vs. 0.5%, p=0.76; odds ratio 1.09, 95% confidence interval 0.63-1.89). CONCLUSIONS: Drug-eluting coronary stents that use cobalt-chromium stent platforms have a better safety profile at 30 days in comparison with stainless steel drug-eluting stents, due to a significant reduction in the rate of myocardial infarction.

Atrial septal defect with severe pulmonary hypertension in elderly patients: usefulness of transient balloon occlusion.

In patients with an atrial septal defect and severe pulmonary hypertension, it is important to determine whether the latter is reversible before percutaneous or surgical closure. In addition to determining pulmonary resistance, one simple technique is to transiently occlude the septal defect using a balloon catheter and to evaluate the hemodynamic response. We defined a positive response as a > or = 25% reduction in mean pulmonary artery pressure during occlusion relative to the basal level, without a fall in systemic pressure or an increase in ventricular end-diastolic pressure. The study included five patients aged over 60 years with an atrial septal defect and severe pulmonary hypertension who were referred for percutaneous closure. In one patient, the test gave a negative result and closure of the atrial septal defect was not performed. In the remaining four, closure was indicated. In three patients, closure was performed percutaneously, while the fourth underwent surgery. The drop in pulmonary pressure observed during the test was maintained over the long term at a mean follow-up time of 22 months.

Safety and efficacy of drug-eluting stents versus bare-metal stents in saphenous vein grafts lesions: a meta-analysis.

AIMS: Controversy exists about the safety and efficacy of drug-eluting stents (DES) in saphenous vein bypass grafts (SVGs). The aim of this study was to perform a meta-analysis of all published studies comparing DES and bare-metal stents (BMS) in patients with SVGs disease. METHODS AND RESULTS: We included 22 studies comparing DES versus BMS in 5,543 patients with SVGs disease. The primary efficacy endpoint was target vessel revascularisation (TVR). The primary safety endpoint was mortality. Other outcomes of interest were cardiac mortality, myocardial infarction, target lesion revascularisation (TLR), stent thrombosis and a combined of major adverse cardiac events (MACE). DES significantly reduced the risk of TVR, OR=0.56 (95% CI, 0.41-0.76, p=0.0003) and TLR, OR=0.58 (95% CI, 0.41-0.81; p=0.001). Total mortality and cardiac mortality were significantly lower in DES versus BMS, OR=0.69 (95% CI, 0.49-0.98, p=0.04) and OR=0.71 (95% CI, 0.51-0.99; p=0.04), respectively. The overall risk of stent thrombosis, and myocardial infarction were not significantly different for patients receiving DES vs. BMS. Total MACE were significantly lower in patients receiving DES, OR=0.55 (95% CI, 0.42-0.71; p<0.00001). CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis suggests that the use of DES in patients with SVG lesions is associated with a reduction of the need of reintervention and mortality compared with BMS.

[Implantation of aortic valvular prosthesis via transfemoral catheter. Evaluation of candidates undergoing the procedure]. / Implantación de prótesis valvulares aórticas por vía transfemoral. Evaluación de pacientes candidatos al procedimiento.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: In recent years, techniques for implantation of aortic prosthesis via catheter have been developed as a therapeutic alternative in patients with severe aortic stenosis rejected for surgery. The correct selection of candidates is one of the more complex aspects of this treatment. We analyzed the acceptance rate in our environment for transcatheter aortic valve implantation in patients referred to our hospital for evaluation as possible candidates, describing the exclusion reasons. PATIENTS AND METHOD: 30 patients with severe aortic stenosis and rejected for surgical aortic valve replacement were referred to our hospital to evaluate transcatheter aortic valve implantation. The patients first underwent clinical evaluation and were studied with echocardiography, angiography and computed tomography. RESULTS: Of the 30 patients, 18 were rejected for the procedure (60%): 4 patients with non-severe aortic stenosis, 2 asymptomatic patients, 2 patients who finally underwent surgery because of a low-surgical-risk, 5 patients with contraindications for the procedure, 2 patients who finally did not want to undergo the procedure and 3 patients were further rejected because the vascular access was inappropriate. Of the remaining 12 patients initially accepted, 3 died before the procedure was performed. Finally, only 9 patients (30%) underwent transcatheter aortic valve implantation. CONCLUSIONS: Of the patients referred for transcatheter aortic valve implantation, only 40% were accepted. The mortality rate during the evaluation process of this procedure is high, showing that these patients are terminally ill.

[Percutaneous implantation of aortic valve prosthesis in patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis rejected for surgical valve replacement]. / Implantación percutánea de prótesis valvulares aórticas en pacientes con estenosis aórtica severa sintomática rechazados para cirugía de sustitución valvular.

Percutaneous implantation of aortic valve prostheses has recently emerged as a therapeutic option for patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis for whom surgical valve replacement is not suitable. We describe our initial experience with this technique at our institution. Percutaneous implantation of an Edwards Sapiens aortic prosthesis was performed using the transfemoral approach in four patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis for whom surgery was not suitable (mean EuroSCORE, 23%). The procedure was successful in all patients, with optimal implantation of the prosthesis and no complications. By 1 month of follow-up, no patient had experienced an event and all had improved their functional class.