A guidewire-free approach for percutaneous closure of left ventricular pseudoaneurysm.

A 78-year-old male patient with a history of coronary artery disease (he had undergone coronary artery bypass surgery 4 years ago), heart failure with mildly reduced ejection fraction, diabetes mellitus, and transient ischemic attack presented to the emergency department with complaints of dyspnea (New York Heart Association Class 4) despite the optimal medical therapy.

Lessons Learned From Intermittent Dysfunction of Mechanical Heart Valve.

BACKGROUND: Intermittent malfunction is a rare but potentially serious complication of prosthetic heart valve replacement. This study aimed to describe the clinical features and etiologic causes of patients with intermittent mechanical prosthetic heart valve dysfunction. METHODS: Between 2010 and 2021, 16 patients who were evaluated in the echocardiography laboratory of Kosuyolu Training and Research Hospital with the diagnosis of intermittent malfunction of prosthetic valves were included in the study. RESULTS: The evaluated patients consisted of 12 bi-leaflet mitral valve replacements and 2 mono-leaflet mitral valve replacements. The underlying causes of intermittent malfunction were classified as follows: residual chord (n=4), obstructive thrombus (n=2), non-obstructive thrombus (n=2), vegetation (n=2), pannus and obstructive thrombus coexistence (n=1), and solely pannus (n=1). One of the patients with mono-leaflet mitral valve replacements had pannus and obstructive thrombus. In the other patient with mono-leaflet mitral valve replacement, a stuck valve was observed in 1 of 12 beats secondary to arrhythmia. There were also 2 patients with aortic valve replacements. One patient had moderate aortic regurgitation due to prominent calcification and the other had moderate obstruction due to pannus. In the patient with pannus, a stuck leaflet was observed in 1 of 6 beats and moderate aortic regurgitation arose in 1 of 2 beats in the patient with calcification. CONCLUSIONS: The intermittent stuck valve may have catastrophic outcomes. When making a treatment decision in these patients, assessing the degree of regurgitation or stenosis is essential. In particular, the frequency of entrapment should be taken into consideration when deciding the optimal therapy for intermittent prosthetic heart valve dysfunction.

Thrombolysis or Surgery in Patients With Obstructive Mechanical Valve Thrombosis: The Multicenter HATTUSHA Study.

BACKGROUND: Prosthetic valve thrombosis (PVT) is one of the life-threatening complications of prosthetic heart valve replacement. Due to the lack of randomized controlled trials, the optimal treatment of PVT remains controversial between thrombolytic therapy (TT) and surgery. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to prospectively evaluate the outcomes of TT and surgery as the first-line treatment strategy in patients with obstructive PVT. METHODS: A total of 158 obstructive PVT patients (women: 103 [65.2%]; median age 49 years [IQR: 39-60 years]) were enrolled in this multicenter observational prospective study. TT was performed using slow (6 hours) and/or ultraslow (25 hours) infusion of low-dose tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) (25 mg) mostly in repeated sessions. The primary endpoint of the study was 3-month mortality following TT or surgery. RESULTS: The initial management strategy was TT in 83 (52.5%) patients and surgery in 75 (47.5%) cases. The success rate of TT was 90.4% with a median t-PA dose of 59 mg (IQR: 37.5-100 mg). The incidences of outcomes in surgery and TT groups were as follows: minor complications (29 [38.7%] and 7 [8.4%], respectively), major complications (31 [41.3%] and 5 [6%], respectively), and the 3-month mortality rate (14 [18.7%] and 2 [2.4%], respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Low-dose and slow/ultraslow infusion of t-PA were associated with low complications and mortality and high success rates and should be considered as a viable treatment in patients with obstructive PVT.

Evaluation of the potential predictors of embolism in patients with left atrial myxoma.

INTRODUCTION: Cardiac myxomas are the most common primary intracardiac tumors. Although myxomas are histologically benign, they are potentially dangerous due to potential risk of systemic and cerebral embolism. In this study, we aimed to investigate the potential predictors of embolism in patients with left atrial myxoma. METHODS: This single-center retrospective study enrolled 93 patients (mean age: 52.9 ± 15.3 years, female: 70 [75.3%]) with left atrial myxomas between 2014 and 2018. The patients were classified into two groups (embolic vs nonembolic) to investigate possible predictors of embolism. Demographic, laboratory, and echocardiographic parameters were recorded into a dataset and compared between patients with and without embolism. RESULTS: The study population was composed of 13 (14%) patients in embolic (11 cerebrovascular and 2 peripheral) and 80 (86%) patients in nonembolic group. Demographic and laboratory parameters were similar between the groups. Tumor sizes were significantly higher in the embolic group than in the nonembolic group (5.59 ± 1.08 vs 4.29 ± 0.61; P = 0.001). By multivariate analysis, increased tumor size, increased left atrial diameter, and the presence of atrial fibrillation and irregular tumor surface were identified as independent predictors of embolism. In ROC curve analyses, tumor size above 4.6 cm predicted embolism with a sensitivity of 77% and a specificity of 73% (AUC: 0.858; 95% CI: 0.752-0.964; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The presence of atrial fibrillation, irregular tumor surface, increased tumor size, and increased left atrial diameter is associated with increased risk of embolism in patients with left atrial myxoma. Early surgery should be scheduled for such patients due to increased potential for embolism.

Assessment of Relationship Between C-Reactive Protein to Albumin Ratio and Coronary Artery Disease Severity in Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome.

The association of coronary artery disease (CAD) severity with increased C-reactive protein (CRP) and decreased albumin levels has been reported. However, to our knowledge, no study has investigated the usefulness of the CRP to albumin ratio (CAR) in predicting intermediate-high SYNergy between Percutaneous Coronary Intervention with TAXus and cardiac surgery (SYNTAX) score (SS) and high SS II. Consecutive patients (n = 344) treated with percutaneous coronary intervention comprised the study population. The study population was divided into 2 groups according to SS >22 and mean SS II values, respectively. Patients with intermediate-high SS and high SS II had higher CAR than patients with low SS and SS II. History of diabetes mellitus, decreased albumin, lower left ventricular ejection fraction, and elevated CAR (odds ratio [OR]: 1.020; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.009-1.031; P < .001) were independent predictors of high SS. The presence of hypertension, decreased hemoglobin and albumin levels, and increased CAR (OR: 1.014; 95% CI, 1.004-1.023; P < .001) were independent predictors of SS II. In receiver operating characteristic curve comparison, CAR was superior to CRP and albumin in prediction of intermediate-high SS, but only CRP in prediction of high SS II. The CAR calculated from the admission blood samples could be a useful parameter for predicting CAD severity using SS and SS II.

Successful treatment of massive thrombosis in different locations with prolonged thrombolytic therapy: A life-saving intervention.

Venous thrombosis is recognized as one of the most important complications of nephrotic syndrome (NS). In patients with NS, venous thrombosis may develop in the renal veins, the deep veins of the lower limb, and the inferior vena cava. Here, we describe a case report of an NS patient with multiple venous thrombosis in the right renal vein, the left iliac vein, the vena cava inferior, the right atrium, and the pulmonary arteries. Moreover, we describe the successful treatment of multiple venous thrombosis with prolonged thrombolytic treatment in spite of an increased risk of bleeding due to renal biopsy.

Usefulness of The C-Reactive Protein/Albumin Ratio for Predicting No-Reflow in ST-elevation myocardial infarction treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

BACKGROUND: The ratio of serum C-reactive protein (CRP) to albumin has been proven to be a more accurate indicator than albumin and CRP levels alone in determining the prognosis of patients with cancer and critical illness. The aim of this study was to determine whether the CRP/albumin ratio (CAR) can be linked to imperfect reperfusion that can worsen the prognosis of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in patients treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 1217 consecutive STEMI patients who achieved epicardial vessel patency with pPCI were recruited to this study. RESULTS: The study population was divided into 2 groups: reflow (n = 874) and no-reflow (NR) (n = 343) groups. The white blood cell count (WBC), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and CAR (0.03 [0.01-0.04] vs 0.06 [0.03-0.12] (P < .001) were significantly higher in the NR group than in the reflow group, and these factors were found to be independent predictors of NR development. The best cut-off value of CAR predicting NR was 0.59 with a sensitivity of 54.7% and specificity of 86.7. The predictive power of CAR surpassed that of CRP, albumin, WBC count and NLR in the receiver operator curve (ROC) curve comparison. CONCLUSION: No-reflow can be predicted by systemic inflammation markers including WBC count, NLR and CAR measured from the blood sample obtained on admission. CAR has a higher clinical value than CRP, albumin level, WBC count and NLR in NR prediction.

Assessment of the relationship between reperfusion success and T-peak to T-end interval in patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction treated with percutaneous coronary intervention.

OBJECTIVE: T-peak-T-end (TPE) interval, which represents the dispersion of repolarization, is defined as the interval between the peak and end of the T-wave, and is associated with increased malignant ventricular arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death (SCD) in patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Although prolonged TPE interval is associated with poor short- and long-term outcomes, even in patients with STEMI treated with successful primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI), clinical, angiographic, and laboratory parameters that affect TPE remain to be elucidated. The aim of our study was to evaluate the potential relationship between prolonged TPE interval and reperfusion success using ST segment resolution (STR) in patients with STEMI undergoing pPCI. METHODS: In the current study, 218 consecutive patients with STEMI who underwent pPCI were enrolled; after exclusion, 164 patients were included in the study population. RESULTS: Patients were divided into two groups according to the presence of complete (STR%≥70) or incomplete (STR%<70) STR. Preprocedural corrected TPE (cTPEPRE;116±21 ms vs. 108±21 ms; p=0.027), postprocedural TPE (TPEPOST; 107±16 ms vs. 92±21 ms; p<0.001), and postprocedural cTPE (cTPEPOST; 119±19 ms vs. 102±17 ms; p<0.001) intervals were significantly longer in patients with incomplete STR than in patients with complete STR, whereas there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of pre- and postprocedural and corrected QT intervals. cTPEPRE and cTPEPOST were found to be independent predictors for incomplete STR. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first study that evaluated the relationship between TPE interval and no-reflow defined by STR in patients with STEMI who were treated with pPCI.

Association of Syntax Score II with Contrast-induced Nephropathy and Hemodialysis Requirement in Patients with ST Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Undergoing Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is a common complication of primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) and is associated with high mortality and morbidity and long hospital stay in patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The Syntax Score (SS) has previously been studied in STEMI patients, and it was associated with increased CIN development and long-term mortality. This study investigates a possible relationship between CIN development and Syntax Score II (SSII) and compares SS and SSII by assessing CIN risk in STEMI patients treated with pPCI. METHODS: A total of 1,234 patients who underwent pPCI were divided into 2 groups according to CIN development. Patients with CIN were further divided into 2 groups according to whether or not they required hemodialysis. Reclassification tables, net reclassification improvement, and integrated discriminative improvement methods were used to assess the additive predictive value of SSII for predicting CIN. RESULTS: In the present study, 166 patients (13.5%) had CIN. Although both SS and SSII were significantly higher in CIN patients, only SSII was an independent predictor of CIN (odds ratio [OR], 1.031; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.012-1.051; p<0.001) and hemodialysis requirement (OR, 1.078; 95% CI, 1.046-1.078; p<0.001). When comparing SSII and SS in their ability to determine CIN risk, we found SSII to have a reclassification improvement of 27.59% (p<0.001) and an integrated discrimination improvement of 9.1% (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The combination of clinical and anatomic variables can more accurately identify patients who are at high risk for CIN after pPCI. While SSII is harder to calculate than SS, it provides better prediction for CIN and hemodialysis requirement than SS.

Association of the SYNTAX Score II with cardiac rupture in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction undergoing a primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

BACKGROUND: Despite advances in reperfusion strategies, medical therapy, and emergent surgery, cardiac rupture (CR) is still a major lethal complication. Numerous parameters have been found to be associated with CR development after a primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI). SYNTAX Score (SS) and SYNTAX Score II (SSII) have been studied in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients, and higher scores have been associated with higher mortality. However, the relationship between CR and SSII is unclear. This study investigates the possible relationship between CR and SS, SSII in STEMI patients treated with pPCI. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We enrolled 1663 consecutive STEMI patients treated with pPCI, who were divided into two groups according to CR development and compared with each other. Patients were further stratified into the three groups according to their SSII values. RESULTS: In this study, 33 (1.98%) patients developed CR. Both SS and SSII of those with CR were significantly higher than those without (19.27±4.0 vs. 16.40±4.55; P<0.001 and 49.40±16.54 vs. 30.92±11.80; P<0.001, respectively). It was also observed that CR increased gradually according to increasing SSII tertiles. SSII was found to be an independent predictor for CR (odds ratio=1.043, 95% confidence interval: 1.012-1.074; P=0.006). In the long-term follow-up, all-cause mortality was significantly higher in patients with CR than those without (60.6 vs. 8.8%; P<0.001). CONCLUSION: This study shows that SSII is an independent predictor for CR. Furthermore, patients with CR were associated with a poor prognosis. Closer follow-up of patients with high SSII may be useful in the early detection and treatment of this fatal complication.

Evaluation of Aortic Paravalvular Leak: A Special Reference for Anatomical Localization.

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY: Paravalvular leakage (PVL) remains an unavoidable complication of heart valve surgery and in its severe forms may lead to heart failure and hemolysis. The study aim was to evaluate the echocardiographic, clinical, surgical and laboratory characteristics of patients with aortic PVL. METHODS: A total of 77 aortic PVL patients underwent transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography examinations. Clinical, echocardiographical and surgical findings were also recorded. RESULTS: Among the 77 patients, 21 (27.3%) had mild, 33 (42.8%) had moderate and 23 (29.9%) had severe aortic PVL. Seventeen patients (22.1%) had moderate-to-severe hemolysis and had a higher incidence of multiple PVL compared to those with no or mild hemolysis. Moderate- to-severe PVL was more frequent between the non-coronary and the left coronary sinus annuli, especially adjacent to the left main coronary artery ostium. Percutaneous closure was performed in five patients. Eleven patients underwent surgical repair, and the localizations of PVL were in accordance with echocardiographic findings. CONCLUSIONS: Aortic PVL occurs more frequently between the non-coronary sinus and the left coronary sinus annuli, which may be associated with multiple factors. Difficulties in seating the prosthesis due to the steep angulation of the commissure and annulus, the avoidance of deep sutures, and focal annular calcification may make this region prone to injury and leakage.

Histopathological and Immunohistochemical Evaluation of Pannus Tissue in Patients with Prosthetic Valve Dysfunction.

BACKGROUND: Prosthetic valve dysfunction due to pannus formation is a rare but serious complication. Currently, limited data are available concerning the pathogenesis and immunohistochemical properties of pannus. The study aim was to investigate the morphological, histopathological and immunohistochemical characteristics of pannus formation in patients with prosthetic valve dysfunction. METHODS: A total of 35 patients (10 males, 25 females; mean age 44 ± 16 years) who had undergone re-do valve surgery due to prosthetic valve obstruction was enrolled in the study. Immunohistochemical studies were aimed at evaluating the expression of alphasmooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and desmin in myofibroblasts and smooth muscle cells; epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) in epithelial cells; and CD34, Factor VIII and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in endothelial cells. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) -2 and -9, and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-ß) were used to demonstrate cytokine release from macrophages, leukocytes, fibroblasts and myofibroblasts. RESULTS: Pannus appeared as a tough and thick tissue hyperplasia which began from outside the suture ring in the periannular region and extended to the inflow and outflow surfaces of the prosthetic valves. Histopathological analysis showed the pannus tissue to consist of chronic inflammatory cells (lymphocytes, plasma cells, macrophages and foreign body giant cells), spindle cells such as myofibroblasts, capillary blood vessels and endothelial cells laying down the lumens. Calcification was present in the pannus tissue of 19 explanted prostheses. Immunohistochemical studies revealed positive α-SMA expression in all patients, whereas 60.5% of patients were positive for desmin, 50% for EMA, 42.1% for VEGF, 39.5% for TBF-ß, 42.1% for MMP-2, 86.8% for CD34, and 97.4% for Factor VIII. MMP-9 was negative in all patients. CONCLUSIONS: Pannus tissue appears to be formed as the result of a neointimal response in periannular regions of prosthetic valves that consist of periannular tissue migration, myofibroblast and extracellular matrix proliferation with vascular components. It is a chronic active process in which mediators such as TGF-ß, VEGF and MMP-2 play roles in both matrix formation and degradation.

A global perspective on mechanical prosthetic heart valve thrombosis: Diagnostic and therapeutic challenges.

Prosthetic valve thrombosis is one of the major causes of primary valve failure, which can be life-threatening. Multimodality imaging is necessary for determination of leaflet immobilization, cause of underlying pathology (thrombus versus pannus or both), and whether thrombolytic therapy attempt in the patient would be successful or surgery is needed. Current guidelines for the management of prosthetic valve thrombosis lack definitive class I recommendations due to lack of randomized controlled trials, and usually leave the choice of treatment to the clinician's experience. In this review, we aimed to summarize the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management of mechanical prosthetic valve thrombosis.

Fragmented QRS for Risk Stratification in Patients Undergoing First Diagnostic Coronary Angiography / QRS Fragmentado para Estratificação de Risco em Pacientes Submetidos à Primeira Angiografia Diagnóstica

Abstract Background: Only a small proportion of patients referred for coronary angiography with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) have the diagnosis of obstructive CAD confirmed by the exam. For this reason, further strategies for risk stratification are necessary. Objective: To investigate the relationship of the presence of fragmented QRS (fQRS) on admission electrocardiogram with angiographically detected CAD and CAD severity in patients without known vascular diseases and myocardial fibrosis, undergoing first diagnostic coronary angiography. Methods: We enrolled 336 consecutive patients undergoing coronary angiography for suspected CAD. The patients were divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of fQRS on admission. We compared the groups regarding the presence and severity of CAD. Results: Seventy-nine (23.5%) patients had fQRS on admission. There was not a statistically significant difference between patients with fQRS (41.8%) and non-fQRS (30.4%), regarding the presence of CAD (p = 0.059). However, there was a statistically significant difference between patients with fQRS and non-fQRS regarding the presence of stenotic CAD (40.5% vs. 10.5%, p<0.001) and multi vessel disease (25,3% vs. 5.1%, p<0.001). The frequency of fQRS was significantly higher in patients with SYNTAX score >22 compared to patients with SYNTAX score ≤22. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that fQRS may be an indicator of early-stage myocardial damage preceding the appearance of fibrosis and scar, and may be used for risk stratification in patients undergoing first diagnostic coronary angiography

Resumo Fundamento: Somente uma pequena proporção dos pacientes com suspeita de doença arterial coronariana (DAC), encaminhados para realizarem angiografia coronária, tem o diagnóstico de DAC obstrutiva confirmado pelo exame. Por isso, outras estratégias de estratificação de risco são necessárias. Objetivo: Investigar a relação da presença de QRS fragmentado (QRSf) no eletrocardiograma na admissão com DAC detectada por angiografia e gravidade da DAC em pacientes sem diagnóstico de doenças vasculares, ou fibrose miocárdica, submetidos à primeira angiografia coronária de diagnóstico. Métodos: Recrutamos 336 pacientes consecutivos que se submeteram à angiografia coronária por suspeita de DAC. Os pacientes foram divididos em dois grupos de acordo com a presença ou ausência de QRSf na admissão. Nós comparamos os grupos quanto à presença e gravidade de DAC. Resultados: Setenta e nove (23,5%) pacientes apresentaram QRSf na admissão. Não houve diferença estatisticamente significativa entre pacientes com QRSf (41.8%) e sem QRSf (30,4%) (p = 0,059) quanto à presença de DAC. No entanto, houve uma diferença estatisticamente significativa entre pacientes com e sem QRSf quanto à presença de DAC (40.5% vs. 10.5%, p < 0,001) e de doença de múltiplos vasos (25,3% vs. 5,1%, p < 0,001). A frequência de QRSf foi significativamente maior em pacientes com escore SYNTAX > 22 em comparação a pacientes com escore SYNTAX ≤ 22. Conclusões: Nossos achados sugerem que o QRSf pode ser um indicador de danos iniciais no miocárdio antecedendo o aparecimento de fibrose e cicatrização, e pode ser usado para estratificação de risco em pacientes submetidos à primeira angiografia coronária de diagnóstico.

Increased Glycated Hemoglobin Level is Associated With SYNTAX Score II in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

SYNTAX score II (SS II) uses 2 anatomical and 6 clinical variables for the prediction of mortality after coronary artery bypass graft and percutaneous coronary intervention. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting blood glucose (FBG), postprandial glucose (PPG), and SYNTAX Score (SS) and SS II in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease (CAD). We enrolled 215 consecutive diabetic patients with stable angina pectoris who underwent coronary angiography. The SS II was calculated using a nomogram that was based on the findings of a previous study. There was a moderate correlation between HbA1c and SS (r = .396, P < .001), but there was a good correlation between HbA1c and SS II (r = .535, P < .001). There was also a weak correlation between FBG (r = .270, P = .001), PPG (r = .177, P = .027), and SS, but there was a weak-moderate correlation between FBG (r = .341, P < .001), PPG (r = .256, P = .001), and SS II. A better correlation has been detected between HbA1c and SS II compared to the correlation between HbA1c and SS.

Sixty-Four-Section Cardiac Computed Tomography in Mechanical Prosthetic Heart Valve Dysfunction: Thrombus or Pannus.

BACKGROUND: Distinguishing pannus and thrombus in patients with prosthetic valve dysfunction is essential for the selection of proper treatment. We have investigated the utility of 64-slice multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) in distinguishing between pannus and thrombus, the latter amenable to thrombolysis. METHODS AND RESULTS: Sixty-two (23 men, mean age 44±14 years) patients with suspected mechanical prosthetic valve dysfunction assessed by transesophageal echocardiography were included in this prospective observational trial. Subsequently, MDCT was performed before any treatment was started. Periprosthetic masses were detected by MDCT in 46 patients, and their attenuation values were measured as Hounsfield Units (HU). Patients underwent thrombolysis unless contraindicated, and those with a contraindication or failed thrombolysis underwent surgery. A mass which was completely lysed or surgically detected as a clot was classified as thrombus, whereas a mass which was surgically detected as tissue overgrowth was classified as pannus. A definitive diagnosis could be achieved in 37 patients with 39 MDCT masses (22 thrombus and 17 pannus). The mean attenuation value of 22 thrombotic masses was significantly lower than that in 17 pannus (87±59 versus 322±122; P<0.001). Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.96 (95% confidence interval: 0.91-0.99; P<0.001), and a cutoff point of HU≥145 provided high sensitivity (87.5%) and specificity (95.5%) in discriminating pannus from thrombus. Complete lysis was more common for masses with HU<90 compared with those with HU 90 to 145 (100% versus 42.1%; P=0.007). CONCLUSIONS: Sixty-four slice MDCT is helpful in identifying masses amenable to thrombolysis in patients with prosthetic valve dysfunction. A high (HU≥145) attenuation suggests pannus overgrowth, whereas a lower value is associated with thrombus formation. A higher attenuation (HU>90) is associated with reduced lysis rates.

An unusual mass of tricuspid valve in an adult patient: blood-filled cyst.

Blood-filled cysts (BFC) within the heart are common findings at postmortem examinations of fetuses and infants. However, such cysts are very rare entities in adolescents and adults. We report here an adult case of BFC attached to the posterior leaflet of the tricuspid valve, demonstrating the importance of multimodal diagnostic imaging combining both echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging.

Evaluation of p53 Polymorphism in Patients with Pannus-Derived Prosthetic Dysfunction.

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY: Prosthetic valve dysfunction (PVD) due to pannus formation is considered to occur due to a bioreaction to prosthetic material. The p53 gene plays a critical role in apoptosis and cell proliferation. p53 Arg72Pro polymorphism has been found to be associated with coronary stent restenosis, but has not yet been studied in prosthetic heart valve dysfunction. The study aim was to evaluate the association between pannus-derived PVD and p53 G72C(Arg72Pro) polymorphism. METHODS: This single-center, prospective study included 25 patients (20 females, five males; mean age 45.6 +/- 12.5 years; group 1) who underwent redo valve surgery due to PVD, and 49 age- and gender-matched control patients (44 females, five males; mean age 47.3 +/- 12.2 years; group 2) with normofunctional prostheses. The prostheses were examined using transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography. Analyses of p53 G72C(Arg72Pro) polymorphism were performed using Roche LightCyler 2.0 Real-time polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: The most common location of replaced valves was the mitral position in both groups (88% and 89.8%, respectively). In group 1, normal alleles (GG) were observed in 12 patients (48%), while one patient (4%) showed a homozygous mutation (GC) and 12 patients (48%) showed a heterozygous mutation (CC). In group 2, 21 patients (42.9%) had normal alleles (GG), while four (8.2%) had a homozygous mutation (CC) and 24 (48.9%) had a heterozygous mutation (GC). No significant difference was observed between the groups with regards to p53 Arg72Pro polymorphism (p = 0.769). CONCLUSION: In patients with prosthetic valves, the underlying mechanism behind pannus formation is unrelated to p53 Arg72Pro polymorphism.