[Transcatheter aortic valve thrombosis]. / Thrombose de valve post-TAVI.

GOALS: Transcatheter aortic valve or leaflets thrombosis are mainly misapprehended. It negatively impacts the long-term efficiency of such prosthesis. Moreover, its incidence is presumably higher than previously described. EPIDEMIOLOGY: Recently reported subclinical leaflet thrombosis, occurring between first to third months after implantation, is about 10to 15%. All prosthesis are concerned by potential thrombosis. DIAGNOSIS: Transcatheter aortic valve thrombosis is usually detected on the basis of increased transvalvular pressure gradients or symptoms at routine follow-up. Main causes of post-TAVI thrombosis are: elderly patients, incomplete TAVI expansion, incomplete TAVI apposition to the aortic wall, areas of diminished blood flow and stagnation around the prosthesis. Main risk-factors of thrombosis are: large valves, patients with ejection fraction lower than 35%, valve-in-valve implantation, males, patients with large sinus of Valsalva, patients without anticoagulants. TREATMENT: Post-TAVI anti thrombotic regimen remains empirical. It is based on aspirin alone or dual antiplatelet therapy for 1-6months, followed by aspirin for life. Symptomatic patients with thrombus-based valve dysfunction are to be treated by oral anticoagulation (i.e., VKA or new oral anticoagulants NOAC). This treatment allows the restoration of normal leaflet motion in patients with a median time of 14 days.

[Myocardial ischaemia detection in women]. / Recherche de l'ischémie myocardique chez les femmes.

Screening of myocardial ischemia refers to the use of one or more diagnostic tests for coronary heart disease with a dual objective of appropriateness and promptness. In women, as compared to men, the accuracy of the different tests is worse. Thus, to overcome this sex-related penalty, we must define a diagnosis strategy based on risk stratification, enabling the identification of patients requiring invasive investigations. This review discusses various non-invasive diagnostic tests focusing on a female-specific approach and defines the use of numerous diagnostic tests with respect to both risk stratification and symptoms.

[Thromboaspiration in the treatment of ST segment elevation myocardial infarction]. / Un cas, une revue : thromboaspiration dans la prise en charge du SCAST.

Routine manual thrombectomy during primary percutaneous coronary intervention might be intuitively justified. While older registers reported contradictory results, interventional cardiologists remained interested in using such devices during the mechanical treatment of acute myocardial infarction. The first studies were congruent to demonstrate a significant relationship between thromboaspiration and significant improvement of ST-segment elevation, lower distal embolization, despite TAPAS was the only to significantly reduce the mortality. Later studies were unable to confirm these promising data, avoiding routine manual thrombectomy prior to primary angioplasty to decrease cardiovascular mortality, recurrent myocardial infarction, cardiogenic shock or severe heart failure. Moreover, thrombectomy was associated with an increased rate of stroke. Should thrombectomy therefore be conclusively overlooked? It is presumably required to define which patient is eligible for thrombectomy, to define how to perfectly perform manual thrombectomy, to specify how to gently move towards the thrombus, the optimal pharmacological environment, the number of aspirations and the criterion to stop or to repeat aspiration. Indeed, while thrombectomy is nowadays scientifically downgraded, it remains of potential interest in numerous interventional cardiologists.