Inadvertent misplacement of pacemaker lead presented with acute ischemic stroke.

If a permanent pacemaker lead is misplaced in the left ventricle (LV), the lead may interfere with normal functioning of the heart leading various complications, including heart rhythm problems and blood clots. In our case, the LV lead that passed through the patent foramen ovale and was misplaced into the LV was detected in a 78-year-old patient who presented with embolic stroke. Thrombus regression was achieved with anticoagulation, and then the lead extraction was planned. The lead extraction is a priority in acute cases; but it is not the primary approach in long-term leads that were misplaced into the LV. A patient-based individual approach should be preferred in such cases.

Comparison of outcomes between single long stent and overlapping stents: a meta-analysis of the literature.

OBJECTIVES: There is no consensus on whether to treat diffuse coronary artery lesions with a single long stent (SLS) or by overlapping two or more stents (OLS). The goal of this review was to compare the outcomes of these two approaches through a meta-analysis of the literature. METHODS: We searched for relevant studies in MEDLINE, Scopus, EMBASE, Google Scholar, and the Cochrane Library. Our meta-analysis included 12 studies (n = 6414) that reported outcomes during the follow-up period. RESULTS: Individuals who received OLS had a greater risk of cardiac mortality and target lesion revascularization (TLR) than those who received SLS (RR: 1.51, CI: 1.03-2.21, p = 0.03, I2 = 0% and RR: 1.64, CI: 1.02-2.65, p = 0.04, I2 = 38%, respectively). The fluoroscopy period in the OLS group was longer than in the SLS group (SMD: 0.35, CI: 0.25-0.46, p < 0.01, I2 = 0%). more contrast volume was sued for the OLS group; however, there was substantial variability in the pooled analysis (I2 = 95%). In terms of all outcomes, there were no differences between stent generation types. CONCLUSION: In the first meta-analysis of mainly observational data comparing OLS vs. SLS for long coronary lesions, OLS had higher rates of cardiac mortality and TLR as well as longer fluoroscopy times compared to SLS.

Evaluation of electrocardiographic P wave parameters in predicting long-term atrial fibrillation in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

BACKGROUND: Electrocardiographic parameters, such as P wave peak time (PWPT), P wave duration (PWD), and P wave amplitude in lead DI, have been utilized to assess left atrial anomalies linked to the development of atrial fibrillation (AF) in different cohort settings. OBJECTIVE: To compare electrocardiographic parameters, such as P waves, in predicting long-term AF risk in acute ischemic stroke cases. METHODS: The data of 231 consecutive acute ischemic stroke cases were retrospectively collected. Two independent cardiologists interpreted the electrocardiography recordings for PWPT, PWD, and P wave amplitude in lead DI. The median follow-up study period was 16 (interquartile range [IQR]: 11-24) months. RESULTS: In total, AF was detected in 43 (18.6%) cases. All studied P wave parameters were found to be statistically significant in cases with AF. Based on multivariable logistic regression analysis, dementia, left atrium volume index, PWD (razão de chances [RC]: 1.11; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.058-1.184; p = 0.003), PWPT in lead DII (RC: 1.030; 95%CI: 1.010-1.050; p = 0.003), and advanced interatrial block morphology were independent predictors of long-term AF. P wave duration had the highest area under the curve value, sensitivity, and specificity for long-term AF in such cases compared with the other P wave parameters. CONCLUSIONS: Our head-to-head comparison of well-known P wave parameters demonstrated that PWD might be the most useful P wave parameter for long-term AF in acute ischemic stroke cases.

ANTECEDENTES: Parâmetros eletrocardiográficos, como tempo de pico da onda P (PWPT, na sigla em inglês), duração da onda P (PWD, na sigla em inglês) e amplitude da onda P na derivação DI, têm sido utilizados para avaliar anomalias atriais esquerdas ligadas ao desenvolvimento de fibrilação atrial (FA) em diferentes cenários de coortes. OBJETIVO: Comparar os parâmetros eletrocardiográficos destas ondas P na predição do risco de FA de longo prazo em casos de acidente vascular cerebral (AVC) isquêmico agudo. MéTODOS: Os dados de 231 casos consecutivos de AVC isquêmico agudo foram coletados retrospectivamente. Dois cardiologistas independentes interpretaram os registros eletrocardiográficos para PWPT, PWD e amplitude da onda P na derivação DI. O período médio do estudo de acompanhamento foi de 16 (intervalo interquartil [IQR, na sigla em inglês]: 11­24) meses. RESULTADOS: No total, FA foi detectada em 43 (18,6%) casos. Todos os parâmetros da onda P estudados foram considerados estatisticamente significativos nos casos com FA. Com base na análise de regressão logística multivariável, demência, índice de volume do átrio esquerdo, PWD (razão de chances [RC]: 1,112; intervalo de confiança [IC] 95%: 1,058­1,184; p = 0,003), PWPT na derivação DII (RC: 1,030; IC95%: 1,010­1,050; p = 0,003) e avançada morfologia do bloqueio interatrial foram preditores independentes de FA de longo prazo. A PWD teve a maior área sob o valor da curva, sensibilidade e especificidade para FA de longo prazo em tais casos em comparação com os outros parâmetros da onda P. CONCLUSõES: Nossa comparação direta de parâmetros da onda P bem conhecidos demonstrou que a PWD pode ser o parâmetro da onda P mais útil para FA de longa duração em casos de AVC isquêmico agudo.

Evaluation of electrocardiographic P wave parameters in predicting long-term atrial fibrillation in patients with acute ischemic stroke / Avaliação dos parâmetros eletrocardiográficos da onda P na predição de fibrilação atrial de longa duração em pacientes com acidente vascular cerebral isquêmico agudo

Abstract Background Electrocardiographic parameters, such as P wave peak time (PWPT), P wave duration (PWD), and P wave amplitude in lead DI, have been utilized to assess left atrial anomalies linked to the development of atrial fibrillation (AF) in different cohort settings. Objective To compare electrocardiographic parameters, such as P waves, in predicting long-term AF risk in acute ischemic stroke cases. Methods The data of 231 consecutive acute ischemic stroke cases were retrospectively collected. Two independent cardiologists interpreted the electrocardiography recordings for PWPT, PWD, and P wave amplitude in lead DI. The median follow-up study period was 16 (interquartile range [IQR]: 11-24) months. Results In total, AF was detected in 43 (18.6%) cases. All studied P wave parameters were found to be statistically significant in cases with AF. Based on multivariable logistic regression analysis, dementia, left atrium volume index, PWD (razão de chances [RC]: 1.11; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.058-1.184; p = 0.003), PWPT in lead DII (RC: 1.030; 95%CI: 1.010-1.050; p = 0.003), and advanced interatrial block morphology were independent predictors of long-term AF. P wave duration had the highest area under the curve value, sensitivity, and specificity for long-term AF in such cases compared with the other P wave parameters. Conclusions Our head-to-head comparison of well-known P wave parameters demonstrated that PWD might be the most useful P wave parameter for long-term AF in acute ischemic stroke cases.

Resumo Antecedentes Parâmetros eletrocardiográficos, como tempo de pico da onda P (PWPT, na sigla em inglês), duração da onda P (PWD, na sigla em inglês) e amplitude da onda P na derivação DI, têm sido utilizados para avaliar anomalias atriais esquerdas ligadas ao desenvolvimento de fibrilação atrial (FA) em diferentes cenários de coortes. Objetivo Comparar os parâmetros eletrocardiográficos destas ondas P na predição do risco de FA de longo prazo em casos de acidente vascular cerebral (AVC) isquêmico agudo. Métodos Os dados de 231 casos consecutivos de AVC isquêmico agudo foram coletados retrospectivamente. Dois cardiologistas independentes interpretaram os registros eletrocardiográficos para PWPT, PWD e amplitude da onda P na derivação DI. O período médio do estudo de acompanhamento foi de 16 (intervalo interquartil [IQR, na sigla em inglês]: 11-24) meses. Resultados No total, FA foi detectada em 43 (18,6%) casos. Todos os parâmetros da onda P estudados foram considerados estatisticamente significativos nos casos com FA. Com base na análise de regressão logística multivariável, demência, índice de volume do átrio esquerdo, PWD (razão de chances [RC]: 1,112; intervalo de confiança [IC] 95%: 1,058-1,184; p = 0,003), PWPT na derivação DII (RC: 1,030; IC95%: 1,010-1,050; p = 0,003) e avançada morfologia do bloqueio interatrial foram preditores independentes de FA de longo prazo. A PWD teve a maior área sob o valor da curva, sensibilidade e especificidade para FA de longo prazo em tais casos em comparação com os outros parâmetros da onda P. Conclusões Nossa comparação direta de parâmetros da onda P bem conhecidos demonstrou que a PWD pode ser o parâmetro da onda P mais útil para FA de longa duração em casos de AVC isquêmico agudo.

Evaluating the systemic immune-inflammation index for in-hospital and long-term mortality in elderly non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction patients.

INTRODUCTION: This investigation aimed to evaluate the predictive value of the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) for in-hospital and long-term mortality in elderly patients with non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). METHODS: This retrospective investigation included 314 consecutive elderly NSTEMI patients in a tertiary center. SII is computed as (neutrophils × platelets)/lymphocytes. Based on the increased SII values, we classified the research sample into three tertile groups as T1, T2, and T3. The in-hospital and long-term mortality were defined as the primary outcomes. RESULTS: Patients in the T3 group had lower chances of survival in the in-hospital and long-term periods compared with those in the T2 and T1 groups. According to the multivariable Cox regression models, SII independently related with in-hospital (hazard ratio (HR): 1.001, 95% CI: 1.000-1.1003, p = 0.038) and long-term mortality (HR: 1.004, 95% CI: 1.002-1.006, p < 0.001). To predict long-term mortality, the optimal SII value was > 2174 with 80% sensitivity and 85.4% specificity. SII had a slightly lower but statistically non-inferior discriminative ability for long-term mortality compared with the Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) in the receiver operating characteristic curve comparison (AUC: 86.2 vs. AUC: 890, p > 0.05). Additionally, combining SII with traditional risk factors and the CCI revealed a significant improvement in C-statistics. CONCLUSION: This investigation may be the first to demonstrate that SII is independently linked with in-hospital and long-term mortality in elderly NSTEMI patients.

The association between whole blood viscosity and high thrombus burden in patients with non-ST elevation myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: Prior studies showed that patients with elevated whole blood viscosity (WBV) had a higher risk of arterial thrombosis, acute stent thrombosis, and left ventricular apical thrombus presence after acute coronary syndrome. This investigation aimed to determine the association between WBV and high thrombus burden (HTB) in non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) patients treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS: This retrospective cohort investigation included data from consecutive 290 NSTEMI patients who received PCI at a tertiary institution. Patients with grade 1-3 thrombus burden were categorized as having low thrombus burden (LTB) (n = 178), whereas those with grade 4-5 thrombus burden were classified as having HTB (n = 112). WBV at high shear rate (HSR) and low shear rate (LSR) were estimated using hematocrit (HTC) and total protein levels. RESULTS: Patients with HTB had higher WBV at both LSR and HSR. In HTB patients, the frequency of infarct-related artery (IRA) reference vessel diameter, distal embolization, and no-reflow was also higher. Multivariable logistic regression models indicated that WBV at LSR (odds ratio [OR], 1.028; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.014-1.043; P < 0.001) and HSR (OR, 1.606; 95% CI, 1.334-1.953; P < 0.001) were independent predictors of HTB in NSTEMI patients. Notably, the area under the curve value of WBV at both shear rates was greater than that of its components, including total protein and HTC. CONCLUSION: This is the first study showing that WBV at both shear rates is a significant predictor of HTB in NSTEMI patients.

One-year outcomes of invasively managed acute coronary syndrome patients with COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: There is a limited data about the one-year outcomes of patients diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). OBJECTIVES: To assess one-year mortality of invasively managed patients with ACS and COVID-19 compared to ACS patients without COVID-19. METHODS: In our investigation, we defined the study time period as April 30 through September 1, 2020. The control groups consisted of ACS patients without COVID-19 at the same time period and ACS patients prior to the pandemic, within the same months as those of the study. COVID-19 infection was confirmed in all participants utilizing real-time polymerase chain reaction testing. RESULTS: This investigation examined 721 ACS participants in total. Among the participants, 119 patients were diagnosed with ACS and COVID-19, while 149 were diagnosed with ACS and without COVID-19. The other 453 ACS participants were diagnosed before the outbreak of the pandemic, within the same months as those of the study. One-year mortality rates were higher in the ACS participants with COVID-19 than in the ACS participants without COVID-19 and the pre-COVID-19 ACS participants (21.3% vs. 6.5% vs. 6.9%, respectively). An ACS along with COVID-19 was the only independent predictor of one-year mortality (HR=2.902, 95%CI=1.211-6.824, P = 0.018). According to the Kaplan-Meier survival curves, patients with ACS and COVID-19 had a lower chance of survival in the short-term and one-year periods. CONCLUSION: This is believed to be the first study to report that ACS patients with COVID-19 had higher one-year risk of mortality compared to ACS patients without COVID-19.

Association of whole blood viscosity with thrombus presence in patients undergoing transoesophageal echocardiography.

Whole blood viscosity (WBV) is considered as a reasonable proxy measure of blood flow, and it has been investigated in different cohort settings, including in patients with deep venous thrombosis, arterial thrombosis, acute stent thrombosis, and left ventricular apical thrombus formation following acute coronary syndrome. To determine the association between WBV and the presence of thrombus in the left atrium (LA) or left atrial appendage (LAA) in individuals who had transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE). The clinical data from 262 consecutive patients who had TEE at our facility were included in this retrospective cohort study. WBV was determined at both a high shear rate (HSR) and low shear rate (LSR) using hematocrit and total protein levels. In 22 cases (8.3%), the thrombus was detected. According to multivariable analyses, WBV at HSR and LSR were independently linked with thrombus detection in TEE. In a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, the area under curve (AUC) values of WBV at HSR and LSR were 0.77 and 0.76, respectively. To predict the presence of thrombus in TEE; the ideal value of WBV at HSR was > 16.6 with 81% sensitivity and 69% specificity and the ideal value of WBV at LSR was > 51.4 with 81% sensitivity and 70% specificity. This was the first study to indicate that significantly higher levels of WBV at both the HSR and LSR were linked to the presence of thrombus in the LA and LAA in cases who underwent TEE.

The predictive value of the MELD-XI score for short- and long-term mortality in elderly patients with non-ST elevation myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: In this study, we investigated the utility of the Model for End-stage Liver Disease excluding INR (MELD-XI) score in predicting short- and long-term mortality in elderly patients with non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) who underwent coronary angiography (CAG). METHODS: In total, we analyzed 228 elderly NSTEMI patients above the age of 75. We used the modified 5-item frailty index and the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) to assess the comorbidities. The MELD-XI score was calculated using the logarithmic relationship between the serum creatinine and total bilirubin. RESULTS: The median long-term follow-up was 530 [interquartile range (IQR) = 303-817] days and the short- and long-term mortality rates were 11.8% (n = 27) and 16.4% (n = 33), respectively. Patients who did not survive had a substantially higher MELD-XI score than those who did [10.1 (IQR = 7.8-15.1) vs. 4.5 (IQR = 1.9-6.9), p < 0.001, respectively]. Multivariable Cox regression analyses indicated that the MELD-XI score predicted both short- and long-term mortality independently. When the MELD-XI score, serum creatinine, and total bilirubin area under the curve (AUC) values were compared to predict long-term mortality, the MELD-XI score had the highest value (AUC: 0.833), followed by the serum creatinine (AUC: 0.741), and the total bilirubin (AUC: 0.723). The accuracy of the MELD-XI score was further tested with the GRACE risk score, which demonstrated noninferiority. CONCLUSION: This was the first investigation which indicated that elderly NSTEMI patients with a high MELD-XI score had poor prognosis in the short- and long-term period.

The relation between left ventricular systolic function parameters and preceding or prepreceding beat-to-beat distance in patients with atrial fibrillation: an echocardiographic study.

We aimed at investigating the relation between left ventricle (LV) systolic parameters and beat-to-beat distances and also whether this relation is different in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). The relation between peak velocity in left ventricular outflow (VLVOT), left atrioventricular plane displacement (LAVPD) or peak systolic tissue Doppler velocity of lateral mitral annulus (Lateral S') and preceding beat-to-beat distance (RR1) or prepreceding beat-to-beat distance (RR2) were analyzed by linear regression analysis. From this analysis, three parameters were obtained: slope of regression line, constant of regression line, and square of regression coefficient (r2) of linear relation. In the group with HFrEF, the slope and r2 values of the regression line showing the relationship between the RR1 interval and VLVOT, LAVPD, and Lateral S' values were higher and the constants were lower. In the Kendall rank correlation analysis, the slope, constant, and r2 values of the regression analysis between RR1 interval and VLVOT or Lateral S' were in significant correlation with LVEF. The r2 of VLVOT-RR1 analysis, slope of this analysis, and slope of Lateral S'-RR1 regression line values were mostly predictive for detecting HFrEF. It was concluded that the novel parameters obtained by linear regression analysis between LV systolic function parameters and RR1 interval, but not RR2, might be beneficial for evaluating systolic heart failure in patients with AF. They might have potential for future research about the physiopathology of heart and prognosis in patient with AF.

Atrial fibrillation as a preoperative risk factor predicts long-term mortality in elderly patients without heart failure and undergoing hip fracture surgery.

OBJECTIVE: Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) constitute a significant portion of hip fracture patients, and both diseases tend to present more frequently in older age. Our goal was to evaluate the long-term mortality of patients with AF who were free from heart failure undergoing hip fracture surgery. METHODS: This observational, retrospective study was done in a single research and training hospital setting. Hospital electronic health record data, National Health Registry data, and National Death Registry System data for 233 consecutive patients who were above 65 years of age and were planned to undergo surgery for hip fracture were retrieved and analyzed. An experienced cardiologist evaluated the patients prior to surgery. Each member of the research cohort was categorized into one of the two groups based on their survival status (survivor and non-survivor groups). RESULTS: Of the 233 cases, 89 (38.2%) who were included in the investigation died during the follow-up period. The median long-term follow-up period was 34 (12-42) months. The frequency of AF was significantly higher in the non-survivor group. In multivariable Cox regression analysis, AF (HR: 2.195, 95%CI 1.365-3.415, p<0.001), advanced age, and blood urea level were determined as independent predictors for all-cause long-term mortality. CONCLUSIONS: AF is an independent predictor for long-term death in hip fracture cases above 65 years of age who were free from heart failure.

Cough-induced bubbles formation in the heart: Is it related with a poor prognosis?

In current practice, it is not well-known whether the development of air bubbles spontaneously in the heart during routine transthoracic echocardiography examination has a clinical consequence. Even though there have been published case reports regarding the formation of air bubbles due to iatrogenic reasons, we could not find a case of a patient demonstrating spontaneous air bubbles formation due to only coughing. Thus, in this report, we present a case of an adult patient who had unexpected air bubbles in the heart after coughing. Furthermore, the patient experienced a catastrophic cerebrovascular accident after diagnosing such an event in the same day. We thought that spontaneously occurring air bubbles in the heart might have resulted in cerebrovascular accident by passing through patent foramen ovale, which we have diagnosed after we had seen that the spontaneously occurred air bubbles had also appeared in left chambers. To our knowledge, this might be the first case of such a patient in the literature. .

The significance of the morphology-voltage-P-wave duration (MVP) ECG score for prediction of in-hospital and long-term atrial fibrillation in ischemic stroke.

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common preventable cause of stroke. Diagnosis of new AF is frequent after acute ischemic stroke (AIS). We aimed to evaluate the predictive value of the recently developed morphology-voltage-P-wave duration (MVP) ECG risk score for in-hospital and long-term AF diagnosis following AIS. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this observational investigation, we evaluated the ability of the MVP ECG risk score to predict AF in 266 consecutive patients with AIS. The study population was divided into three groups according to their calculated MVP ECG risk score on admission electrocardiography. The groups were compared in terms of their predictive value for in-hospital and long-term AF diagnosis. RESULTS: After adjustment for confounding baseline variables, MVP ECG risk score 5-6 group had 13.2 times higher rates of in-hospital AF compared to MVP ECG risk score 0-2 group, which was used as the reference group. For long-term follow-up, MVP ECG risk score 5-6 group had 5.2 times higher rates of long-term AF compared to MVP ECG risk score 0-2 group. A ROC analysis showed that the optimal cut-off value of the MVP ECG risk score to predict in-hospital AF was 4 with 78% sensitivity and 76% specificity (AUC: 0.80; 95% CI: 0.64-0.96; p < 0.001), the optimal cut-off value of the MVP ECG risk score to predict long-term AF was 3 with 85% sensitivity and 59% specificity (AUC: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.76-0.86; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The MVP ECG risk score, which can be easily calculated from a surface ECG, can be used to guide who needs stricter monitoring for the diagnosis of long-term AF in patients with AIS.

Is prognostic nutritional index a predictive marker for estimating all-cause in-hospital mortality in COVID-19 patients with cardiovascular risk factors?

BACKGROUND: This study examined the possible association between the prognostic nutritional index (PNI) and in-hospital mortality rates in cases with a high cardiovascular risk burden and hospitalized with the diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). MATERIAL AND METHODS: This retrospective and cross-sectional study included 294 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in a tertiary referral pandemic center. The study cohort was grouped into tertiles based on the initial PNI values as T1, T2, and T3. The PNI was calculated for each case and the prognostic value of this index was compared to CURB-65 and 4C mortality risk scores in predicting in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: Patients stratified into the T1 tertile had a lower lymphocyte count, serum albumin level, and PNI values. In a multivariate analysis, the PNI (OR: 0.688,%95CI: 0.586-0.808, p < 0.001) was an independent predictor for all-cause in-hospital death. After adjusting for confounding independent parameters, patients included in the T1 tertile were found to have 11.2 times higher rates of in-hospital mortality compared to the T3 group, which was presumed as the reference group. In addition, we found that the area under curve (AUC) value of PNI was significantly elevated than that of serum albumin level and total lymphocyte counts alone. [(AUC):0.79 vs AUC:0.75 vs AUC:0.69; respectively). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that the PNI is independently related with in-hospital mortality in patient with COVID-19 and cardiovascular risk factors. The power of the PNI was also validated using well-accepted risk scores of COVID-19 such as CURB-65 and 4C mortality risk scores.

Acute External Iliac Artery Occlusion as an Uncommon Complication Encountered during Coronary Angiography.

A 40-year-old female patient presented to our cardiology department with typical angina of 1 month's duration. The patient was on a combination of valsartan and hydrochlorothiazide for the treatment of hypertension. Electrocardiography showed a normal sinus rhythm with T-wave negativity in the anterior precordial leads. A cardiovascular stress test with the Bruce protocol revealed 2 mm horizontal ST-segment deviation in the inferior and lateral leads. Therefore, the patient was scheduled to undergo coronary angiography (CAG). Before CAG, she was anxious and stressed; hence, intravenous diazepam was administered. CAG, performed via the right femoral artery, demonstrated an insignificant muscular bridge in the mid-portion of the left anterior descending artery (Figure 1A). Twenty minutes after the procedure, the patient felt numbness in her right lower leg and had difficulties in her movements. On physical examination, there was no pulse in the right lower extremity. Because of the presence of the signs and symptoms of acute lower extremity ischemia, an urgent peripheral angiography via the left femoral artery was performed. It illustrated an acute occlusion in the external iliac artery (EIA) (Figure 1B and Video 1). Afterward, intravenous nitroglycerin and unfractionated heparin (5000 U) were given through the right diagnostic catheter. Following this therapy, antegrade blood flow was achieved in the EIA and the signs and symptoms of acute limb ischemia disappeared (Figure 1C and Video 2). Arterial duplex ultrasonography just after this procedure revealed a retrograde arterial dissection flap without significant stenosis (Figure 1D-E and Video 3). In addition, a triphasic blood-flow pattern was observed in the EIA (Figure 1E). During coronary intensive care, intravenous low-dose nitroglycerin and unfractionated heparin were administered for 48 hours. The in-hospital follow-up of the patient was uneventful, and there were no signs and symptoms of peripheral embolism. Arterial duplex ultrasonography, performed 2 weeks after hospital discharge, showed that there was no residual stenosis and that the dissection flap was sealed. Arterial dissection is an infrequent clinical entity encountered during CAG. Remarkably, even though vasospasm and compression to the access site were other contributing factors, acute EIA occlusion due to retrograde dissection is an extremely rare event. As was shown in our case, medical therapy, including intravenous nitroglycerin and unfractionated heparin, could potentially allow the resolution of the total occlusion of the EIA without necessitating percutaneous transluminal angioplasty or stenting.