Angioscopic findings 1 year after percutaneous coronary intervention for chronic total occlusion.

BACKGROUND: Chronic total occlusion (CTO) is a high-risk factor for stent thrombosis, but little is known about the difference in neointimal healing between CTO and non-CTO lesions regarding implanted stents. We investigated factors affecting neointimal healing after stent implantation for CTO and non-CTO lesions using angioscopy. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 106 stents in 85 consecutive patients between March 2016 and July 2020. Their average age was 68 ±â€¯11 years, and participants (73 male and 12 female) underwent follow-up angiography and angioscopy 1 year after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The stents (n = 106) were divided into three groups according to the lesion status at the previous PCI: CTO (n = 17), acute coronary syndrome (ACS) (n = 35), and stable coronary artery disease without CTO or non-CTO (n = 54). RESULTS: The neointimal stent coverage grade was significantly lower in the CTO and ACS groups than in the non-CTO group (0.4 ±â€¯0.5, 0.9 ±â€¯0.8, and 1.4 ±â€¯0.8, respectively, p < 0.001). Thrombi were significantly more frequent in CTO and ACS than in non-CTO (71 %, 51 %, and 15 %, respectively, p < 0.001). The yellow grade in CTO was comparable to that in ACS but significantly higher in CTO than in non-CTO (CTO vs. ACS vs. non-CTO 1.5 ±â€¯0.7, 1.4 ±â€¯0.6, and 0.9 ±â€¯0.7, respectively, p = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: Delayed healing occurs in stents implanted for CTO lesions. Longer dual-antithrombotic therapy may be beneficial.

Adjunctive Catheter-Directed Thrombolysis during Primary PCI for ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction with High Thrombus Burden.

BACKGROUND: High coronary thrombus burden has been associated with unfavorable outcomes in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), the optimal management of which has not yet been established. METHODS: We assessed the adjunctive catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT) during primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with STEMI and high thrombus burden. CDT was defined as intracoronary infusion of tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA; monteplase). RESULTS: Among the 1849 consecutive patients with STEMI, 263 had high thrombus burden. Moreover, 41 patients received t-PA (CDT group), whereas 222 did not receive it (non-CDT group). No significant differences in bleeding complications and in-hospital and long-term mortalities were observed (9.8% vs. 7.2%, p = 0.53; 7.3% vs. 2.3%, p = 0.11; and 12.6% vs. 17.5%, p = 0.84, CDT vs. non-CDT). In patients who underwent antecedent aspiration thrombectomy during PCI (75.6% CDT group and 87.4% non-CDT group), thrombolysis in myocardial infarction grade 2 or 3 flow rate after thrombectomy was significantly lower in the CDT group than in the non-CDT group (32.2% vs. 61.0%, p < 0.01). However, the final rates improved without significant difference (90.3% vs. 97.4%, p = 0.14). CONCLUSIONS: Adjunctive CDT appears to be tolerated and feasible for high thrombus burden. Particularly, it may be an option in cases with failed aspiration thrombectomy.

Microvascular resistance in response to iodinated contrast media in normal and functionally impaired kidneys.

Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is considered to result from intrarenal vasoconstriction, and occurs more frequently in impaired than in normal kidneys. It was hypothesized that iodinated contrast media would markedly change renal blood flow and vascular resistance in functionally impaired kidneys. Thirty-six patients were enrolled (32 men; mean age, 75.3 ± 7.6 years) undergoing diagnostic coronary angiography and were divided into two groups based on the presence of chronic kidney disease (CKD), defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of < 60 mL/min per 1.73 m(2) (CKD and non-CKD groups, n = 18 in both). Average peak velocity (APV) and renal artery resistance index (RI) were measured by Doppler flow wire before and after administration of the iodinated contrast media. The APV and the RI were positively and inversely correlated with the eGFR at baseline, respectively (APV, R = 0.545, P = 0.001; RI, R = -0.627, P < 0.001). Mean RI was significantly higher (P = 0.015) and APV was significantly lower (P = 0.026) in the CKD than in the non-CKD group. Both APV (P < 0.001) and RI (P = 0.002) were significantly changed following contrast media administration in the non-CKD group, but not in the CKD group (APV, P = 0.258; RI, P = 0.707). Although renal arterial resistance was higher in patients with CKD, it was not affected by contrast media administration, suggesting that patients with CKD could have an attenuated response to contrast media.