Cardiac arrest in takotsubo syndrome: results from the InterTAK Registry.

AIMS: We aimed to evaluate the frequency, clinical features, and prognostic implications of cardiac arrest (CA) in takotsubo syndrome (TTS). METHODS AND RESULTS: We reviewed the records of patients with CA and known heart rhythm from the International Takotsubo Registry. The main outcomes were 60-day and 5-year mortality. In addition, predictors of mortality and predictors of CA during the acute TTS phase were assessed. Of 2098 patients, 103 patients with CA and known heart rhythm during CA were included. Compared with patients without CA, CA patients were more likely to be younger, male, and have apical TTS, atrial fibrillation (AF), neurologic comorbidities, physical triggers, and longer corrected QT-interval and lower left ventricular ejection fraction on admission. In all, 57.1% of patients with CA at admission had ventricular fibrillation/tachycardia, while 73.7% of patients with CA in the acute phase had asystole/pulseless electrical activity. Patients with CA showed higher 60-day (40.3% vs. 4.0%, P < 0.001) and 5-year mortality (68.9% vs. 16.7%, P < 0.001) than patients without CA. T-wave inversion and intracranial haemorrhage were independently associated with higher 60-day mortality after CA, whereas female gender was associated with lower 60-day mortality. In the acute phase, CA occurred less frequently in females and more frequently in patients with AF, ST-segment elevation, and higher C-reactive protein on admission. CONCLUSIONS: Cardiac arrest is relatively frequent in TTS and is associated with higher short- and long-term mortality. Clinical and electrocardiographic parameters independently predicted mortality after CA.

Pericardiocentesis Complicated by Pneumopericardium.

This report presents the case of pneumopericardium with trapped air in the pericardial sac occurring after a pericardiocentesis, probably caused by air leakage secondary to a defect in the drainage system and/or accidental removal of the pericardial tube. This condition is very rare and should be considered in case of hemodynamic worsening despite complete evacuation of the pericardial effusion, since immediate recognition and treatment are crucial. (Level of Difficulty: Intermediate.).

Imaging-based tricuspid valve anatomy by computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, two and three-dimensional echocardiography: correlation with anatomic specimen.

Interest on tricuspid valve (TV) (and hence in TV anatomy) has increased in the last two decades with the awareness that functional tricuspid regurgitation (FTR) is an insidious disease progressively leading to untreatable right heart failure and eventually to death. Medical therapy may alleviate symptoms, while surgical therapy may improve outcome but it is associated with high mortality and recurrence of significant regurgitation. Nowadays, an increasing number of left valve diseases are successfully treated through a percutaneous transcatheter approach. The negative impact that the untreated FTR may have in these patients has highlighted the necessity of developing transcatheter solutions also for FTR and numerous catheter devices for treating FTR are currently under evaluation. The essential pre-requisite for an effective and safe surgical or transcatheter therapy is a deep knowledge of the normal TV anatomy. In this review, we describe the anatomy of TV and surrounding structures as revealed by computed tomography, cardiac magnetic resonance, 2D/3D transthoracic echocardiography, and 2D/3D transoesophageal echocardiography emphasizing strengths and weaknesses of each of these imaging tools. To confirm the anatomical fidelity of these imaging modalities, where appropriate, the non-invasive images where presented, side-by-side, with corresponding images from anatomic specimens.

Long-Term Prognosis of Patients With Takotsubo Syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Prognosis of Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) remains controversial due to scarcity of available data. Additionally, the effect of the triggering factors remains elusive. OBJECTIVES: This study compared prognosis between TTS and acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients and investigated short- and long-term outcomes in TTS based on different triggers. METHODS: Patients with TTS were enrolled from the International Takotsubo Registry. Long-term mortality of patients with TTS was compared to an age- and sex-matched cohort of patients with ACS. In addition, short- and long-term outcomes were compared between different groups according to triggering conditions. RESULTS: Overall, TTS patients had a comparable long-term mortality risk with ACS patients. Of 1,613 TTS patients, an emotional trigger was detected in 485 patients (30%). Of 630 patients (39%) related to physical triggers, 98 patients (6%) had acute neurologic disorders, while in the other 532 patients (33%), physical activities, medical conditions, or procedures were the triggering conditions. The remaining 498 patients (31%) had no identifiable trigger. TTS patients related to physical stress showed higher mortality rates than ACS patients during long-term follow-up, whereas patients related to emotional stress had better outcomes compared with ACS patients. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, TTS patients had long-term outcomes comparable to age- and sex-matched ACS patients. Also, we demonstrated that TTS can either be benign or a life-threating condition depending on the inciting stress factor. We propose a new classification based on triggers, which can serve as a clinical tool to predict short- and long-term outcomes of TTS. (International Takotsubo Registry [InterTAK Registry]; NCT01947621).