Association between vessel-specific coronary Aggregated plaque burden, Agatston score and hemodynamic significance of coronary disease (The CAPTivAte study).

Background: CT coronary angiography (CTCA) is a guideline-endorsed assessment for patients with stable angina and suspected coronary disease. Although associated with excellent negative predictive value in ruling out obstructive coronary disease, there are limitations in the ability of CTCA to predict hemodynamically significant coronary disease. The CAPTivAte study aims to assess the utility of Aggregated Plaque Burden (APB) in predicting ischemia based on Fractional Flow Reserve (FFR). Methods: In this retrospective study, patients who had a CTCA and invasive FFR of the LAD were included. The entire length of the LAD was analyzed using semi-automated software which characterized total plaque burden and plaque morphological subtype (including Low Attenuation Plaque (LAP), Non-calcific plaque (NCP) and Calcific Plaque (CP). Aggregated Plaque Burden (APB) was calculated. Univariate and multivariate analysis were performed to assess the association between these CT-derived parameters and invasive FFR. Results: There were 145 patients included in this study. 84.8 % of patients were referred with stable angina. There was a significant linear association between APB and FFR in both univariate and multivariate analysis (Adjusted R-squared = 0.0469; p = 0.035). Mean Agatston scores are higher in FFR positive vessels compared to FFR negative vessels (371.6 (±443.8) vs 251.9 (±283.5, p = 0.0493). Conclusion: CTCA-derived APB is a reliable predictor of ischemia assessed using invasive FFR and may aid clinicians in rationalizing invasive vs non-invasive management strategies. Vessel-specific Agatston scores are significantly higher in FFR-positive vessels than in FFR-negative vessels. Associations between HU-derived plaque subtype and invasive FFR were inconclusive in this study.

Coronary perforation incidence, outcomes and temporal trends (COPIT): a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Coronary perforation is a potentially life-threatening complication of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We studied incidence, outcomes and temporal trends following PCI-related coronary artery perforation (CAP). METHODS: Prospective systematic review and meta-analysis including meta-regression using MEDLINE and EMBASE to November 2020. We included 'all-comer' PCI cohorts including large PCI registries and randomised controlled trials and excluding registries or trials limited to PCI in high-risk populations such as chronic total occlusion PCI or cohorts treated only with atheroablative devices. Regression analysis and corresponding correlation coefficients were performed comparing perforation incidence, mortality rate, tamponade rate and the rate of Ellis III perforations against the midpoint (year) of data collection to determine if a significant temporal relationship was present. RESULTS: 3997 studies were screened for inclusion. 67 studies met eligibility criteria with a total of 5 568 191 PCIs included over a 38-year period (1982-2020). The overall pooled incidence of perforation was 0.39% (95% CI 0.34% to 0.45%) and remained similar throughout the study period. Around 1 in 5 coronary perforations led to tamponade (21.1%). Ellis III perforations are increasing in frequency and account for 43% of all perforations. Perforation mortality has trended lower over the years (7.5%; 95% CI 6.7% to 8.4%). Perforation risk factors derived using meta-regression were female sex, hypertension, chronic kidney disease and previous coronary bypass grafting. Coronary perforation was most frequently caused by distal wire exit (37%) followed by balloon dilation catheters (28%). Covered stents were used to treat 25% of perforations, with emergency cardiac surgery needed in 17%. CONCLUSION: Coronary perforation complicates approximately 1 in 250 PCIs. Ellis III perforations are increasing in incidence although it is unclear whether this is due to reporting bias. Despite this, the overall perforation mortality rate (7.5%) has trended lower in recent years. Limitations of our findings include bias that may be introduced through analysis of multidesign studies and registries without pre-specified standardised perforation reporting CMore research into coronary perforation management including the optimal use of covered stents seems warranted. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42020207881.

Early-onset post-cardiotomy severe constrictive pericarditis: a case report.

Background: Constrictive pericarditis (CP) can be one of the most challenging conditions to diagnose within cardiovascular medicine. Iatrogenic causes of CP are increasingly recognized in higher income countries. This case provides insight into the need for clinical suspicion when diagnosing this relatively under recognized clinical entity as well as the need for multimodality imaging combined with invasive haemodynamic assessment. Case summary: A 68-year-old man presented with decompensated heart failure 4 weeks after open-heart surgery. A diagnosis of early-onset post-cardiotomy CP was made using multimodality imaging and invasive haemodynamic assessment, which demonstrated the cardinal features of constrictive physiology. Surgical intervention with two pericardiectomy procedures was pursued given the aggressive and recalcitrant nature of his presentation. Our patient died shortly after his second surgery due to progressive multi-organ dysfunction. Conclusion: Constrictive pericarditis is a challenging but important clinical entity to diagnose. Differentiating CP from restrictive cardiomyopathy is important as there are key differences in management and prognosis. Our case supports the clinical utility of multimodality imaging combined with invasive haemodynamic assessment in patients with suspected CP.