[Echocardiography in patent foramen ovale]. / Forame ovale pervio: quali informazioni fornisce l'ecocardiografia.

Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is a flap-like opening between the primum and secundum atrial septum at the level of the fossa ovalis that may persist after birth. There is increasing evidence that PFO is the culprit in paradoxical embolic events in patients with ischemic stroke. Although medical or percutaneous treatment of PFO remains controversial, nowadays percutaneous treatment is widespread in clinical practice. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is the gold standard in the diagnosis of PFO. This article describes how PFO is detected and how it needs to be properly described by echocardiography. PFO dimensions and the degree of right-to-left shunt should be measured. Moreover, septum primum and septum secundum characteristics, the association with an aneurysm of a fossa ovalis or with other atrial defects should be described as well as the presence of an atrial thrombus, a Chiari network or an Eustachian valve. Such information is of extreme value to predict embolic events and may influence further management.

Dissecting intramyocardial hematoma masquerading as a pseudoaneurysm of left ventricular free wall: an unusual case of myocardial rupture.

This report presents a case of left ventricular intramyocardial dissection masquerading as a ventricular pseudoaneurysm. Only serial echocardiograms could lead to the correct diagnosis, and left ventricular angiography could appropriately direct further testing and treatment.

Effect of dexamethasone-eluting stents on systemic inflammatory response in patients with unstable angina pectoris or recent myocardial infarction undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

The effect of treatment with steroid-eluting stents on systemic inflammatory response was investigated in patients with unstable angina pectoris or recent myocardial infarction who underwent percutaneous intervention. Compared with controls, dexamethasone-eluting stents significantly reduced C-reactive protein peak levels 48 hours after the procedure; this effect persisted for 7 days and was particularly evident in patients with elevated (>/=3 mg/L) preprocedural C-reactive protein values. Patients receiving a dexamethasone-eluting stent had lower adverse events during follow-up.

New echocardiographic diameter for Amplatzer sizing in adult patients with secundum atrial septal defect: preliminary results.

Anatomical atrial septal defect (ASD) diameter measured by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) underestimates the Amplatzer septal occluder (ASO) size for ASD closure. The aim of this study is to investigate whether a new echocardiographic diameter (procedural ASD diameter) may enable precise measurements of ASO device size. Fifty adult patients with secundum ASD were evaluated by TEE for percutaneous closure. The procedural ASD diameter was measured using the steadier rim borders where thickness was 2.5 mm. Out of the 50 patients, 12 were considered unsuitable for Amplatzer device closure. The other 38 patients underwent percutaneous closure. The mean anatomical ASD diameter was 14.8 +/- 7.0 mm, the mean procedural ASD diameter measured 19.5 +/- 8.1 mm, and the mean stretched balloon diameter (SBD) was 20.0 +/- 8.0 mm. ASO device size was 20.1 +/- 8.0 mm. At linear regression analysis, a high correlation (r = 0.99) was found between procedural ASD diameter and SBD. Procedural ASD diameter correlates with SBD and may allow reliable prediction of Amplatzer device in an adult population undergoing percutaneous ASD closure.

Gender differences in the outcome of interventional cardiac procedures.

Prior studies have reported significant gender differences in the procedural outcomes after elective percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). Many of these differences have been explained by the presence of more comorbidities and worse clinical characteristics such as older age, unstable angina, congestive heart failure, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension in women than in men. Moreover, women have a smaller vessel diameter, more coronary tortuosity and different plaque composition compared to men that can lead to a higher dissection rate and a greater number of procedural complications. Although early data on PTCA suggested worse immediate results in women than in men, more recent data suggest that this difference is less marked. The introduction of stents with a low profile and a higher tractability and pushability has allowed the extensive application of these devices even in small and tortuous vessels improving the outcome of PTCA. This improvement has been higher in women than in men leading to the equalization of the immediate outcome in the two sexes, even if the baseline characteristics remain worse in women. In particular, mortality and the need for urgent surgical revascularization have become extremely low without any differences between sexes. However, some authors have still found a higher incidence of complications in the first period after the procedure due to stent thrombosis in the stenting era. For this reason, meticulous antiplatelet treatment should be prescribed and drugs such as glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors may also be considered advisable to reduce the excess risk in the female population particularly in women with prothrombotic risk factors such as diabetes. At 6 and 12 months similar rates of death, late myocardial infarction, and repeated revascularization have been shown in the two sexes. Coronary stenting and the use of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors have also improved the immediate results in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) undergoing primary PTCA. Studies comparing the outcome differences between women and men with AMI and treated with primary PTCA are limited but all suggest that women benefit more than men from this procedure. The in-hospital mortality in patients with AMI is significantly higher in the female than in the male population with a higher incidence of intracranial hemorrhage in women among tissue-type plasminogen activator-treated patients. Vice versa, women and men have a similar or a slightly higher in-hospital mortality after primary PTCA without intracranial bleeding complications. For this reason, an earlier diagnosis of AMI, an earlier hospital admission and an earlier primary PTCA should be the aims of management in order to improve the outcome in women with AMI and to equalize the procedural results in the two sexes.

Intracoronary beta-radiation for the treatment of patients at very high risk for recurrence of in-stent restenosis: a single center experience.

BACKGROUND: Intracoronary brachytherapy has significantly reduced the recurrence of in-stent restenosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility, safety and efficacy of intracoronary beta-radiation in patients at very high risk for recurrence of in-stent restenosis. METHODS: We analyzed 42 patients with 50 lesions submitted to catheter-based beta-radiation (Beta-Cath System, Novoste Corporation, Norcross, GA, USA) for in-stent restenosis. Thirty-eight lesions were at the second restenosis, 8 at the third, and 4 at the fourth; a diffuse pattern was present in 78%. RESULTS: Balloon angioplasty was performed for 30 lesions (60%) and the cutting balloon technique for 20 (40%). In 12 lesions further 14 stents had to be deployed (28%). The delivery catheter was successfully positioned in 96% of the procedures. The mean dwell time was 179 +/- 50 s with a radiation dose ranging from 18.4 to 25.3 Gy, depending on the vessel size. A complete angiographic success without coronary dissection and without any additional stenting after radiation delivery was achieved in 86%. At follow-up (7.2 +/- 2.1 months), the overall restenosis rate was 30.4% (14 lesions). A recurrence was detected in 1/11 lesions with initial focal pattern and in 13/39 lesions with initial diffuse pattern. The restenosis rate was higher in patients in whom a geographic miss had occurred (p < 0.05 vs lesions without geographic miss) and in those in whom a new stent had been deployed (p < 0.05 vs lesions treated without a stent). CONCLUSIONS: Brachytherapy reduces the in-stent restenosis rate in patients who are at very high risk of recurrence. The restenosis pattern, geographic miss and new stent deployment seem to be negative prognostic factors for recurrence of restenosis.

Immediate and late results of coronary angioplasty in patients with severe left ventricular dysfunction.

BACKGROUND: Severe coronary artery disease in patients with a markedly depressed left ventricular function is associated with a poor prognosis. Even though coronary angioplasty (PTCA) has been offered as an alternative to bypass surgery, the role of PTCA in the treatment of patients with severe left ventricular dysfunction has not been well defined. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the immediate and long-term results in patients with severe left ventricular dysfunction < or = 35% who underwent PTCA. METHODS: One hundred and twenty-five patients with a left ventricular ejection fraction < or = 35% who underwent PTCA were analyzed. RESULTS: The mean left ventricular ejection fraction was 29.7%. Eighty-seven patients (69.6%) had multivessel disease and 41 (32.8%) had previous coronary artery bypass graft. Intra-aortic balloon pumping was used in 12% of cases. Angiographic success was achieved in 96% of patients. Complete revascularization was achieved in 56 patients (44.8%). Major complications occurred in 4% of the population and 2 patients died (1.6%). During the long-term follow-up re-PTCA due to angiographic restenosis was performed in 41 patients (34%); 12 patients (10.4%) died. The only parameter which significantly correlated with death was the presence of an occluded left anterior descending coronary artery not recanalized neither with PTCA nor with coronary artery bypass graft. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that PTCA may be an effective treatment for coronary artery disease in patients with left ventricular dysfunction and is associated with high procedural success rate and low complications; however, the long-term follow-up seems not to be influenced by the PTCA procedure.

Elective stenting in small coronary arteries: results of the Italian prospective multicenter registry MICROSCOPE.

BACKGROUND: The role of stent implantation in small coronary arteries is still controversial. The MICROSCOPE study (Ministenting in small coronary arteries, a prospective evaluation) is a multicenter registry addressed to prospectively evaluate the immediate and mid-term clinical and angiographic results of elective stenting of lesions located in coronary arteries with an angiographic reference diameter < or = 2.75 mm. METHODS: A total of 146 patients (160 lesions) were included in the study. The percentage of complex lesions (B2 and C lesions) was 49.3%. The clinical indications for stent implantation were: stable angina (55.0%), unstable angina (24.6%), and clinical evidence of myocardial ischemia in asymptomatic patients (20.4%); 60% of patients had multivessel disease. Stent deployment could be performed in 96.2% of lesions. The baseline reference diameter was 2.12 +/- 0.36 mm. In all cases the Ministent (Cordis, a J&J Company, Miami, FL, USA), specifically designed for small coronary arteries, was employed. The stent was pre-mounted on low profile balloons available in three different diameters (2.25, 2.50 and 2.75 mm) and three different lengths (11, 15 e 26 mm). RESULTS: The primary endpoint of successful stent-assisted angioplasty in all study vessels without major adverse cardiac events was achieved in 95.8% of the patients. The minimal lumen diameter increased from 0.64 +/- 0.24 to 2.02 +/- 0.43 mm and the dimensions of the stenosis (expressed as a percentage of the diameter of the coronary vessel) decreased from 68.6 +/- 10.8 to 16.2 +/- 10.7% (< 30% standard deviation in all cases). After the procedure all the patients received double antiplatelet therapy for 4 weeks. Post-procedural complications were limited to 2 patients (1.3%) who had a non-Q wave myocardial infarction at 6 months of follow-up; 13 patients (11%) required target lesion revascularization. No patient died following the procedure. Angiographic control was performed in 44% of lesions. The minimal lumen diameter decreased to 1.12 +/- 0.47 mm and the percent stenosis increased to 45.9 +/- 23.2%. The incidence of binary restenosis (stenosis > or = 50%) was 41%. CONCLUSIONS: Elective stenting of small coronary arteries with the Ministent can be safely performed and is associated with a low incidence of acute or subacute stent thrombosis. The mid-term results indicate a high rate of angiographic restenosis but a low need of target vessel revascularization. These data suggest that stenting cannot be considered the treatment of choice for unselected lesions located in coronary arteries with a small reference diameter, but represents a safe solution if unsatisfactory results are obtained with balloon angioplasty alone.

Transcatheter closure of secundum atrial septal defects with the Amplatzer occluder in adult patients.

BACKGROUND: Secundum atrial septal defect (ASD) is a common congenital heart disease diagnosed in adulthood. Data regarding the use of the percutaneous occluder device in adult populations are very limited and few studies including the use of the Amplatzer septal occluder (ASO) device in such populations are available. The aim of this study was to evaluAte the immediate and mid-term outcomes of the percutaneous ASD closure with the ASO device in an adult population. METHODS: Between May 1999 and December 2000, 21 adult patients (8 males, 13 females) with a mean age of 44.6 +/- 15.1 years were enrolled for an attempt at ASD closure with the ASO device. RESULTS: Only 18 of the 21 patients underwent implantation of the ASO device, whereas the other 3 patients were submitted to cardiac surgery. The ASO device was successfully implanted in 17 patients (94.4%). The mean maximal ASD transesophageal echocardiography diameter was 14.4 +/- 7.2 mm (range 4-23 mm). The mean stretched defect diameter measured 19.5 +/- 8.4 mm (range 8-34 mm) and the ASO implanted stalk size was 19.8 +/- 8.2 mm (range 8-34 mm). In 2 (11.1%) of the 18 patients a percutaneous transcatheter coronary angioplasty was successfully performed before implantation of the ASO device because of coronary artery disease. At 6 months of follow-up, transesophageal echo examination showed that the device was correctly positioned in all cases. CONCLUSIONS: In adults, transcatheter closure of ASDs with the ASO device is a safe and effective alternative to surgical closure. The immediate and mid-term outcomes are excellent. However, a combined procedure may be necessary.