Echocardiographic findings in patients with acute coronary syndrome and normal angiogram.

Coronary angiograms performed at the time of an acute coronary syndrome typically present vessel occlusions, ruptured plaques or thrombotic lesions that require reperfusion therapy. However, occasionally, no coronary artery stenoses are detected. Myocardial ischemia frequently causes left ventricular wall motion abnormalities that can be seen easily by echocardiography. In our study we aimed to analyze echocardiographic findings in patients with acute coronary syndrome and normal angiogram. After standardized risk stratification, a total of 897 patients were classified as an acute coronary syndrome and underwent a coronary angiography immediately. In 76/897 patients angiography excluded coronary macroangiopathy. Routine echocardiographic assessment in patients with normal angiogram showed in 21.1% a reduced left ventricular systolic function and 32.9% presented with segmental wall motion abnormalities. In summary, by detection of segmental wall motion abnormalities in 1/3 of patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome and normal angiogram, obviously, an echocardiographic evaluation in this patient population is of clinical relevance. Recommendations for performing echocardiography in patients with suspected acute coronary syndromes independent of angiographic findings are strongly supported. Further analyses should implement echocardiographic techniques as contrast and tissue doppler imaging.

[Off-label use of drug-eluting coronary stents]. / Verwendung von Medikamente freisetzenden Koronarstents in Off-Label-Situationen.

Current recommendations of the German Cardiac Society on percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) summarise the database available for the use of drug-eluting stents (DES) for the treatment of symptomatic coronary artery stenoses. This analysis concludes that the safety and efficacy of drug-eluting stent platforms have been shown in on- and off-label situations. However, stenting with DES should be critically examined and evaluated in each patient. The decision to use a DES depends on the analysis of the individual morbidity, history of cardio-vascular disease and the specific coronary morphology. Patients characterised by a high risk of restenosis following PCI benefit in particular from DES use. In these cases, the off-label implantation of DES is indicated and necessary.

Patient-prosthesis mismatch and left ventricular remodelling after implantation of Shelhigh SuperStentless aortic valve prostheses.

AIM: Aortic valve replacement is a standard procedure for the treatment of severe aortic valve stenosis. Due to lower flow velocities stentless valves are associated with a more effective regression of left ventricular hypertrophy in comparison to stented valves. However, mismatch between body surface area and valve size supports unfavourable hemodynamic results. The aim of the study was to analyze hemodynamic parameters by echocardiography after implantation of the Shelhigh SuperStentless bioprosthesis and to analyze the occurrence of patient-prosthesis mismatch and left ventricular remodelling in this specific valve type. METHODS: A total of 20 patients with severe aortic stenosis underwent implantation of a Shelhigh Super Stentless prosthesis. Clinical and echocardiographic assessment was done prior to, immediate after and six months after surgery. RESULTS: All surgical procedures were successful, no surgery-related complication was documented perioperatively. One patient died after development of multiorgan failure. Echocardiography during the first eight days after surgery showed mean gradients of 16 mmHg, mean valve orifice areas of 1.8 cm(2) and indexed effective orifice areas at 0.95 cm(2)/m(2). Six-months follow-up data were obtained in 19/20 patients. There were no relevant changes in echocardiographic hemodynamic findings at the time of follow-up measurements. Significant regression of left ventricular hypertrophy was shown (P=0.0088). A patient-prosthesis mismatch occurred in one patient (0.54 cm(2)/m(2)). No recurrent symptoms were documented. CONCLUSION: Patient-prosthesis mismatch after implantation of SuperStentless Shelhigh prosthesis is rare. A significant regression of left ventricular hypertrophy could be shown after six months. Hemodynamic valve function assessed by echocardiography may be predicted early after surgery.

[Angiographic assessment of functionally insignificant left main coronary artery stenoses: reliability compared to intracoronary pressure measurement]. / Angiographische Beurteilung funktionell nicht signifikanter Hauptstammstenosen--Zuverlässigkeit im Vergleich zur intrakoronaren Druckmessung.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Left main coronary artery disease (LMCA) is still a widely accepted indication for coronary artery bypass surgery. Intermediate LMCA disease, however, often cannot be evaluated reliably on the basis of clinical and angiographic information alone. The deferral of surgical revascularization based on fractional flow reserve (FFR) measurements has been shown to be safe and feasible when taking an FFR value of (3) 0.75 as cutoff. This study was performed to compare the accuracy of visual angiographic assessment of intermediate LMCA stenoses by experienced interventional cardiologists with functional assessment by FFR in a patient population with excellent long-term outcome after deferral of surgery on the basis of FFR measurements. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 24 of 51 consecutive patients with intermediate LMCA disease were deferred from surgery based on an FFR value of > or = 0.75. Each angiogram was retrospectively reviewed independently by three experienced interventional cardiologists. Reviewers were blinded to initial FFR results, clinical data, and clinical outcome and asked to classify each lesion as SIGNIFICANT (FFR < 0.75), NOT SIGNIFICANT (FFR > or = 0.75), or UNSURE if the observer was unable to make a decision based on the angiogram. RESULTS: Mean follow-up was 29 +/- 13.6 months. No death or myocardial infarction was observed, event-free survival was 69 %. When taking the "unsure" classifications into consideration the individual reviewers achieved correct lesion classification with respect to FFR results on average in 58 % to 82 % of cases. Interobserver variability resulted in only 46 % of cases in concordant lesion classification (3 agreements or 2 agreements and 1 "unsure" evaluation). The number of concordant agreements between the individual pairs of reviewers did not exceed the rate of coincidental agreements that could be expected to result from simple guessing (mean KAPPA coefficient 0.04). More than 50 % of patients with excellent long-term outcome after deferral of surgery would potentially have undergone operative revascularization if consensual decision making had been solely based on angiographic lesion assessment. CONCLUSION: The functional significance of intermediate or equivocal LMCA lesions should not be based on visual assessment alone, even when performed by experienced interventional cardiologists.

Normal angiogram in acute coronary syndrome-preangiographic risk stratification, angiographic findings and follow-up.

BACKGROUND: Coronary angiographies performed during acute coronary syndrome show different coronary morphologies-vessel occlusions, thrombi and various types of stenoses. In a few cases of acute coronary syndrome, angiography reveals normal coronary arteries. It is the purpose of this study to analyze this specific subset of patients who presented with an acute coronary syndrome but had a normal coronary angiogram with respect to the preangiographic diagnostics, risk stratification and clinical follow-up. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 897 coronary angiographies were performed as an emergency procedure in our institution. The majority of patients (n = 821) presented with coronary artery disease and the majority was treated by mechanical revascularization (86.3%). In 76 patients (8.5%), no coronary artery stenosis was documented. However, according to the preangiographic risk stratification, coronary artery disease was expected in these patients. Observations documented angiographically included coronary spasms (6.6%) and muscle bridges (5.3%). During a mean follow-up of 11.2 +/- 6.4 months, one patient developed an acute myocardial infarction requiring coronary intervention. All other patients were free of any cardiac event. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, we have to consider that coronary angiography may not always detect the cause of myocardial ischemia in every patient. There is a small group of patients with normal coronary angiograms during acute coronary syndrome. Additional diagnostic procedures like intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) or the assessment of intracoronary physiological parameters may increase the diagnostic value of angiography.

Access-site complications after rescue percutaneous coronary intervention during thrombolysis for acute myocardial infarction.

Aggressive antithrombotic medical therapy may increase the rate of access-site complications after percutaneous coronary intervention. Frequently, emergency coronary interventions have to be performed in a situation when thrombolysis therapy was administered as the first-line therapeutic approach in acute myocardial infarction but failed to achieve stable conditions. We analyzed the rate of femoral bleeding complications after emergency coronary intervention in 76 consecutive patients with unsuccessful thrombolysis in acute myocardial infarction. All invasive procedures were performed in a time period no longer than eight hours after thrombolysis was administered. Additional antithrombotic therapy with heparin and glycoprotein IIb/IIIa-inhibitors was given during intervention in 100% and 38.2% of patients, respectively. In three patients (3.9%) femoral hematomas without therapeutic consequences were documented; one patient (1.3%) developed a hematoma requiring blood transfusion. A pseudoaneurysm, fistula or surgical vascular intervention did not occur. Coronary interventional procedures in rescue situations can be performed with excellent safety with respect to access-site bleeding complications even under conditions of ongoing thrombolysis therapy and aggressive antithrombotic medical regimens.

[Recanalization by percutaneous coronary intervention in occlusion of all coronary vessels]. / Diabetiker mit Verschluss aller Koronarien. Gibt es Alternativen zum Bypass?

The utility of coronary intervention in the treatment of multivessel coronary disease with complex morphology and damage to the myocardium remains controversial. What is certain is that drug treatment is often not adequate and surgical revascularization not always possible. A patient with occlusion of all coronary vessels who underwent a multivessel intervention is presented. Multivessel intervention can improve the left ventricular function and appreciably increase the performance of the patient. In similar cases, consideration should be given to percutaneous coronary intervention as an alternative to bypass surgery.

Coronary artery stenting in diabetes mellitus--unfavourable clinical outcome due to increased rate of myocardial ischemia and percutaneous interventions.

Diabetes mellitus is one of the major risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study was to analyze if diabetic patients, compared to nondiabetic patients, have a worse angiographic and clinical success rate and a reduced clinical and angiographic outcome at three-months follow-up after coronary artery stenting according to postprocedural complications, recurrent angina, myocardial ischemia, restenosis and revascularization. A total of 307 unselected patients with coronary artery disease and myocardial ischemia who underwent intracoronary stenting were included in this study. Diabetes was present in 49 patients. Morphological criteria, angiographic results and clinical in-hospital outcome did not differ significantly between both groups. At follow-up diabetics presented significantly more often recurrent angina and myocardial ischemia. The rate of restenosis and target lesion revascularization was not different. Among diabetics, the rate of percutaneous coronary interventions because of different lesions was significantly increased. Diabetes does not reduce the angiographic result initially and at follow-up after coronary artery stenting. Diabetes mellitus limits the clinical outcome because of recurrent angina, myocardial ischemia and the need of coronary interventions.

Efficacy and safety of ticlopidine monotherapy versus ticlopidine and aspirin after coronary artery stenting: follow-up results of a randomized study.

A combined antiplatelet treatment with ticlopidine and aspirin has been accepted as standard pharmacological regimen after coronary artery stenting. No data of a randomized trial are available on ticlopidine monotherapy. This prospective, randomized monocenter trial investigates the role of ticlopidine monotherapy versus combined antiplatelet therapy with ticlopidine and aspirin in unselected patients undergoing coronary artery stenting. After successful placement of 378 coronary artery stents, two hundred and forty-three consecutive patients were randomly assigned to receive antiplatelet therapy with 2 x 250 mg ticlopidine (121 patients) or a combination of 2 x 250 mg ticlopidine plus 100 mg aspirin (122 patients) daily. The primary endpoint included the absence of death, cardiac events and vascular access-site complications during the in-hospital phase. Angiographic and clinical assessment was repeated at the 3-month follow-up exam. Two hundred and thirty-seven patients (97.5%) were free from cardiac and non-cardiac events. Stent thromboses were seen in 2 patients of the combined treatment group, while none were observed in the monotherapy group. No statistically significant differences were found between the 2 groups regarding the primary endpoint. Angiography performed in 210 patients (86.4%) at follow-up revealed a restenosis rate of 29.4% in the combined treatment group and 27.8% in the monotherapy group. Monotherapy with ticlopidine is as safe and effective as a combined regimen of ticlopidine plus aspirin after coronary artery stenting in an unselected patient population. These results need to be confirmed in a larger multicenter trial.

[Minimally invasive percutaneous contrast-ultrasound guided thrombin occlusion of iatrogenic pseudoaneurysm]. / Die perkutane Kontrast-ultraschallgesteuerte Thrombin-Injektion zur minimal-invasiven Therapie des iatrogen entstandenen Pseudoaneurysma.

BACKGROUND: Complicating femoral artery puncture aneurysms may occur resulting in the need for surgical or newer, non- or minimal-invasive therapy: A new minimal-invasive method is the percutaneous occlusion injecting bovine thrombin. The high thrombogenous potential of thrombin bears the risk of iatrogenic artery occlusion by artificial intravascular instillation. AIM: Is the contrast-ultrasound guided thrombin injection safe and effective in occluding femoral aneurysms? METHODS: During 1/99 to 12/00, 33 femoral artery aneurysms as a complication coronary catheterization were diagnosed. In 32 patients the aneurysm (mean dimensions 32 x 35 x 24 mm) was punctured during ultrasound guidance. By injecting ultrasound contrast medium, the flow pattern perfusing the aneurysm was documented. In the canula position where no contrast medium exited the aneurysm thrombin was injected. RESULTS: Complete occlusion of the aneurysm was achieved in 96.9% (31 out of 32) of the patients by contrast-ultrasound guided thrombin occlusion. Follow-up for up to 3 months after the procedure revealed complete occlusion and no clinical or sonographical complications. In one case, a large aneurysm (50 mm x 62 mm x 27 mm) had already led to skin alterations and was only partly occluded by thrombin injection. CONCLUSIONS: Contrast-ultrasound guided thrombin occlusion of femoral artery aneurysms is safe and highly effective.

Hyperfibrinogenemia increases the risk of cardiac events after coronary artery stenting.

Primary success rates, and the angiographic and clinical outcome after percutaneous coronary intervention, are influenced by many different factors. Clinical features and morphologic characteristics of the target lesion are important. Also, interventionally caused endothelial trauma may trigger atherogenetic and procoagulatory factors leading to intraluminal thrombosis. The study population consisted of 228 consecutive, unselected patients with symptomatic coronary artery disease or exercise-induced myocardial ischemia and coronary artery stenoses eligible for percutaneous intervention. We analyzed different clinical, morphological, and laboratory (total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, triglycerides, fibrinogen) features in those patients with adverse cardiac events (stent thrombosis, myocardial infarction, urgent target vessel revascularization, death) after primary successful coronary artery stenting, compared with a control group without adverse events. In the group with adverse cardiac events we found a significantly higher level of fibrinogen compared with the control group. Other laboratory data and clinical characteristics were not significantly different between the two groups. The study shows a possible association between hyperfibrinogenemia and adverse cardiac events after intracoronary stenting. In clinical practice, the potential role of elevated levels of fibrinogen in an unfavorable outcome after percutaneous coronary interventions should be considered when planning coronary artery stenting.

Comparison of the efficacy and safety of aspirin alone with coumadin plus aspirin after provisional coronary stenting: final and follow-up results of a randomized study.

BACKGROUND: The antithrombotic benefit of the conventional treatment with coumadin after coronary stenting is limited by bleeding complications. However, the superiority of an antiplatelet therapy with aspirin alone compared with coumadin plus aspirin has not been proven by randomized studies. The efficacy and safety of treatment with aspirin alone in comparison to coumadin plus aspirin were evaluated in this randomized study. METHODS: Out of 164 patients aged 59.7 +/- 9.2 years, 79 patients were randomly assigned to receive 100 mg aspirin daily (group A) and 85 patients randomly assigned to coumadin plus aspirin (group CA) after provisional coronary stenting with a high-pressure technique. The primary end point was defined as the absence of death, subacute closure of the target vessel, myocardial infarction, urgent coronary bypass surgery, repeated coronary angioplasty, and peripheral vascular complications requiring transfusion or surgery. High-pressure inflation technique was used, but ultrasound guidance was not. RESULTS: During hospitalization (median 8 days), 135 patients (82. 3%) were free of events (A, 84.8%; CA, 80.8%; P =.42). Eleven (6.7%) subacute closures occurred (A, 10.1%; CA, 3.5%; P =.09); 2 of them were lethal in the aspirin group. Emergency bypass surgery was performed in 1 patient in each group. Peripheral vascular complications were observed in 13 patients (7.9%) (A, 1.3%; CA, 14. 1%; P <.01). At 3-month follow-up, 15 (9.1%) elective revascularization procedures (A, 7.6%; CA, 10.6%; P =.51) were performed. CONCLUSION: Aspirin alone at the low dose of 100 mg administered or the combination of coumadin and aspirin after high-pressure coronary stenting does not prevent adverse clinical events when ultrasound guidance is not used.

High Pressure Coronary Stenting: Efficacy and Safety of Aspirin Versus Coumadin Plus Aspirin Ñ Preliminary Results of a Randomized Study.

The efficacy and safety of treatment after coronary stenting was examined with aspirin alone, 100 mg daily, as compared to coumadin plus aspirin. Data from the first 101 patients, 73 men and 28 women, aged 59.2 +/- 9.3 years, of a prospective randomized study are presented in this preliminary report. Forty-eight patients suffered from one-vessel disease, 32 had two- and 21 three-vessel disease. Indications for stenting were stable angina in 65 patients, unstable angina in 16, threatening myocardial infarction in 4 and restenosis in 16 patients. The stents were implanted by high pressure balloon inflation (14.5 +/- 2.2 atm), 55 of them were Palmaz-Schatz, 31 Micro, 10 Gianturco-Roubin, 2 Wiktor and 3 combined stents. Intravascular ultrasonographic guidance was not performed. The primary end point was defined as the absence of the following events: death, subacute coronary artery closure, acute myocardial infarction, emergency coronary bypass surgery, repeated PTCA, major bleeding or arterio-venous aneurysms needing transfusion or surgery. Eighty out of 101 patients (79.2%), 41 out of 47 (87.2%) in the aspirin group and 39 out of 54 (72.2%) in the coumadin plus aspirin group (p = 0.06) were free of events during hospitalization (9.5 +/- 5.7 days, median: 8 days). Forty-five out of 47 patients (95.7%) in the aspirin and 51 out of 54 (94.4%) in the coumadin plus aspirin group (p = 0.8) were without subacute closure. One death occurred in the aspirin group due to stent abscess two weeks after an angiographically successful stent recanalization. All 7 arterio-venous aneurysms with surgical interventions occurred in the coumadin group (p = 0.01). No emergency bypass surgery had to be performed. If these preliminary results will be confirmed by the final analysis, the combination of coumadin with aspirin does not show more efficacy or safety as compared with aspirin alone in the treatment after high-pressure coronary stenting during the hospital stay.