CAR-T Therapy in Lymphoma Patients With Coexisting Cardiomyopathy or Cardiac Lymphomatous Involvement.

Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy has revolutionized the management of aggressive hematologic malignancies. However, its role in patients with lymphoma and cardiac metastasis or cardiomyopathy remains undefined due to potentially life-threatening complications such as ventricular rupture, cardiac tamponade, and circulatory failure. We present a case series of patients with lymphoma and cardiomyopathy or cardiac metastasis managed with chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy. (Level of Difficulty: Advanced.).

Advancing Cardio-Oncology in Asia.

Cardio-oncology is an emerging multi-disciplinary field, which aims to reduce morbidity and mortality of cancer patients by preventing and managing cancer treatment-related cardiovascular toxicities. With the exponential growth in cancer and cardiovascular diseases in Asia, there is an emerging need for cardio-oncology awareness among physicians and country-specific cardio-oncology initiatives. In this state-of-the-art review, we sought to describe the burden of cancer and cardiovascular disease in Asia, a region with rich cultural and socio-economic diversity. From describing the uniqueness and challenges (such as socio-economic disparity, ethnical and racial diversity, and limited training opportunities) in establishing cardio-oncology in Asia, and outlining ways to overcome any barriers, this article aims to help advance the field of cardio-oncology in Asia.

An intervention strategy to improve genetic testing for dilated cardiomyopathy in a heart failure clinic.

PURPOSE: Despite its clinical implications in screening and therapy, genetic testing in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is underused. This study evaluated implementing a practice intervention in a heart failure clinic to automate and streamline the process of genetic testing. METHODS: Eligible patients with DCM were compared for frequency of pretest genetic education and testing during pre- and postintervention periods. The intervention comprised automated prescheduling of a cardiovascular genomics e-consult that served as a placeholder for downstream, pretest education, testing, and post-test review of genetic results. RESULTS: Patients with DCM were more likely to undergo pretest genetic education after intervention than before intervention (33.5% vs 14.8%, P < .0001). Similarly, patients with DCM were more likely to undergo genetic testing after intervention than before intervention (27.3% vs 13.0%, P = .0006). The number of patients who were diagnosed to have likely pathogenic or pathogenic genetic variants were 2 of 21 (9.5%) and 6 of 53 (11.1%) before and after intervention, respectively, and variants were present in the following genes: FLNC, TTN, DES, LMNA, PLN, and TNNT2. CONCLUSION: An intervention strategy in a heart failure clinic to increase the rates of pretest genetic education and testing in eligible patients with DCM was feasible and efficacious and may have important implications for the management of DCM.

Micronodular Thymoma with Lymphoid Stroma: A Mediastinal Mass Masquerading as a Pericardial Mass.

A 61-year-old man presented to the emergency room with lower extremity edema. Physical exam was only remarkable for a diastolic murmur in the right carotid area and left lower extremity edema. Venous Doppler revealed a deep venous thrombosis in the left lower extremity. Chest computed tomography (CT) with intravenous contrast ruled out pulmonary embolism but showed a mediastinal mass adjacent to the pericardium. Further imaging with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) and cardiac CT angiography (CCTA) enabled localization and evaluation of the structural characteristics of the mass. The decision was made to excise the mass due to increasing size compared with its measurements on prior chest CTs and a high degree of vascularization seen on CMR and CCTA, which was concerning for an enlarging arteriovenous malformation or a hemangioma. However, histopathologic analysis of the mass revealed it to be a micronodular thymoma.

Melding a High-Risk Patient for Continuous Flow Left Ventricular Assist Device into a Low-Risk Patient.

The model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) has been used as a predictor of mortality after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) placement. However, improvement or worsening of MELD and how those changes affect outcomes is unknown. We performed a retrospective analysis of 244 patients implanted with a continuous flow (CF) LVAD. Patients were dichotomized at admission into low- or high-risk categories using a cutoff of MELD ≥ 19, and they were reclassified at day of implant forming four groups: Group LL (low to low, remained low risk), LH (low to high, worsened to high risk), HH (high to high, remained high risk), and HL (high to low, improved to low risk). Patients who improved to a low risk (group HL) had the same 1 year survival as those that remained low risk (group LL; 80% vs. 77%; p = 0.6). However, patients who were initially classified as low risk and worsened to a high risk (group LH) had a survival that was worse than those that were consistently high risk (group HH; 55% vs. 10%; p = 0.01). Model for end-stage liver disease reclassification after adjusting for commonly attributed risk factors remained an independent predictor for mortality, including patients classified as Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support (INTERMACS) 1 and 2. In conclusion, our MELD score reclassification is an independent and powerful predictor of mortality in patients undergoing LVAD implantation.