Role of serial 18F-fludeoxyglucose positron emission tomography in determining the therapeutic efficacy of immunosuppression and clinical outcome in patients with cardiac sarcoidosis.

BACKGROUND: Myocardial inflammation and perfusion defects detected by 18F-fludeoxyglucose (FDG) and Rubidium-82 positron emission tomography (PET) may be associated with ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) in cardiac sarcoidosis (CS). The role of serial quantitative PET in determining the effect of treatment on myocardial inflammation and clinical outcomes is yet to be defined. METHODS: Newly diagnosed CS patients with active myocardial inflammation (maximum standardised uptake value (SUVmax) ≥ 2.5) were treated with immunosuppression, then underwent repeat FDG-PET, Rubidium-82, and echocardiographic imaging 6-12 months later. Serial changes in SUVmax, SUVmean, inflammatory extent, perfusion defect (PD) extent, metabolism/perfusion mismatch extent, global cardiac metabolic activity, and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) were assessed. The primary endpoint was a composite of all-cause mortality, serious VA and heart-failure (HF) hospitalisation. Event data were recorded from the date of the second FDG-PET. RESULTS: The study population consisted of 113 patients (66% male, age: 55 ± 11 years, LVEF: 54 ± 13%). SUVmax reduced from 4.5 (interquartile range: 3.3-7.1) to 2.7 (2.2-3.6). Overall, 94 (83%) patients saw serial reduction in SUVmax, with 42 (37%) demonstrating complete response (SUVmax <2.5). Following a median of 46 (25-57) months, 28 (25%) patients reached the endpoint (8 deaths, 17 VAs, and 3 HF hospitalisations). PD extent (Hazard ratio 1.03, 95% confidence interval: 1.01-1.05; p = 0.035) was a significant predictor of outcome following treatment, even after accounting for LVEF and change in SUVmean. The risk of adverse events was the greatest in those with a pre-treatment or post-treatment PD extent of >10%. CONCLUSION: In our cohort with active CS, following a treatment-induced reduction in myocardial inflammation, PD extent was the main predictor of adverse events.

Outcomes of chronic total occlusion percutaneous coronary intervention from the RAIAN (RAjaie - Iran) registry.

OBJECTIVE: While most of the evidence in CTO interventions emerge from Western and Japanese studies, few data have been published up today from the Middle East. Objective of this study was to evaluate technical success rates and clinical outcomes of an Iranian population undergoing CTO PCI in a tertiary referral hospital. Moreover, we sought to evaluate the efficacy of our CTO teaching program. METHODS: This is a retrospective single-center cohort study including 790 patients who underwent CTO PCI performed by operators with different volumes of CTOs PCI performed per year. According to PCI result, all patients have been divided into successful (n = 555, 70.3 %) and unsuccessful (n = 235, 29.7 %) groups. Study endpoints were Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events and Health Status Improvement evaluated using the Seattle Angina Questionnaire at one year. RESULTS: A global success rate of 70 % for antegrade and 80 % for retrograde approach was shown despite the lack of some CTO-dedicated devices. During the enrollment period, the success rate increased significantly among operators with a lower number of CTO procedures per year. One-year MACE rate was similar in both successful and unsuccessful groups (13.5 % in successful and 10.6 % in unsuccessful group, p = 0.173). One year patients' health status improved significantly only in successful group. CONCLUSIONS: No significant differences of in-hospital and one-year MACE were found between the successful and unsuccessful groups. Angina symptoms and quality of life significantly improved after successful CTO PCI. The RAIAN registry confirmed the importance of operator expertise for CTO PCI success.

Hyperacute Sapien Aortic Valve thrombosis in a patient with Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS).

In this case we briefly describe the case of an old woman presenting with acute exertional dyspnea due to hyperacute Sapien Valve thrombosis.

The SALINE Technique for the Treatment of the No-Reflow Phenomenon during Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in STEMI.

BACKGROUND: Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) performed for STEMI may be complicated by the "no-reflow" phenomenon. AIMS: A super-selective intracoronary injection of saline solution through a thrombus aspiration catheter (SALINE technique), was investigated for the treatment of no-reflow as compared with the standard care of therapy (SCT). METHODS: Among the 1471 patients with STEMI undergoing pPCI between May 2015 and June 2020, 168 patients developed no-reflow. Primary endpoints were the incidence of ST-segment resolution (STR) ≥ 70% at 90 min after PCI and the rate of flow restoration (TIMI flow grade 3 with an MBG > 1). The secondary endpoint was the incidence of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events at 3 years follow-up. RESULTS: After propensity score matching analysis, patients treated with SALINE showed STR ≥ 70% in twelve out of the sixteen patients (75.0%), compared to only three patients out of the sixteen in the SCT control group (19.0%), (p < 0.004). SALINE was associated with a higher probability of final TIMI flow grade 3 with an MBG > 1, as shown in fourteen out of sixteen patients (87.5%), as compared to only seven out of sixteen patients in the SCT group (43.8%), (p < 0.03). MACCE at 3 years follow-up occurred in only one patient (6.3%) in the SALINE group, as compared to eight patients (50%) in the SCT group (p = 0.047). CONCLUSIONS: The SALINE technique showed to be a safe and effective strategy to reduce "no-reflow" in STEMI patients as assessed by significant STR, improvement of TIMI flow grade, and better 3-year outcomes.

Dual guidewire balloon antegrade fenestration and re-entry technique for coronary chronic total occlusions percutaneous coronary interventions.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the experience of coronary chronic total occlusions (CTOs) percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) using antegrade fenestration and re-entry (AFR) technique with a dedicated dual guidewire balloon (DGB). BACKGROUND: Antegrade dissection and re-entry (ADR) techniques has been emphasized in recent worldwide CTO consensus documents. We investigated the feasibility and safety of DGB as a dedicated device to perform guidewire-based AFR. METHODS AND RESULTS: Fourteen consecutive patients with complex CTO (J-CTO score: 3.1 ± 0.9) underwent DGB-AFR in the years 2020-2021. DGB-AFR consists in advancing the DGB over a guidewire that reached the vessel distal to the CTO in an extra plaque fashion, inflating/deflating the DGB to create fenestration between subintimal space and the true lumen and advancing a proximal re-entry guidewire through fenestration in the true lumen. DGB-AFR alone was successful in 10 of 14 (71%) cases, a rescue wire-based ADR was needed in two cases for re-entry into the true lumen with a total success rate in 12 of 14 (86%) cases. Among all DGB-AFR cases, four (28%) were performed as a first-line strategy while the remaining 10 (71%) cases were performed as a bail-out strategy after failure of other antegrade crossings for 30 min of procedural time. No DGB-related complications were observed. CONCLUSIONS: DGB-AFR is a user-friendly reliable strategy for the treatment of many CTO lesions. It can be used as bail-out after failure of conventional antegrade wiring techniques, achieving high procedural success rate and low occurrence of procedural adverse events.

Electrocardiographic abnormalities, preclinical carotid atherosclerosis and cardiovascular risk in an apparently healthy real-world population. Data from the "No Stroke, No Infarction" project of the Rotary International - district 2110 (Sicily and Malta).

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) represent important causes of morbidity and mortality. Our study aimed to evaluate cardiovascular risk using the EuroSCORE, ECG and carotid ultrasound for prevention purpose in a population of companions aged 50-70 years, asymptomatic and without CVD. METHODS: History of CVD, risk factors (RF), ECG and carotid ultrasound were evaluated. Intima-media thickness (IMT) was defined as wall thickness >0.9 mm, while focal thickening ≥1.5 mm protruding into the lumen as asymptomatic carotid plaque (ACP). RESULTS: Totally, 1860 subjects were screened. 393 (21.1%) had no RF, 780 (42%) hypertension, 571 (30.7%) hypercholesterolemia, 557 (29.9%) diabetes, 474 (25.5%) smoking, 648 (34.8%) overweight, 300 (16.1%) obesity and 184 (9.9%) metabolic syndrome. Carotid atherosclerosis was detected in 903 (48.5%) subjects, 821 (44.1%) had IMT and 547 (29.4%) ACP, and was significantly related to diabetes, hypertension and hypercholesterolemia. Atrial fibrillation was found in 29 subjects (1.6%) and Brugada pattern in one. Using EuroSCORE, 220 subjects resulted at low (11.8%), 1338 at moderate (71.9%), 292 at high (15.7%) and 10 at very-high risk (0.5%). Adding ACP, the percentages were: low 159 (8.54%), moderate 1020 (54.83%), high 663 (35.64%) and very-high risk 18 (0.96%). CONCLUSIONS: A total of 302 (16.2%) subjects were at least at high risk for CV events according to the EuroSCORE, increasing to 681 (36.61%; P<0.001) adding ACP. The combination of EuroSCORE with ECG may be a useful tool in primary prevention. Carotid ultrasound furtherly increases the power of stratification of asymptomatic patients suitable for pharmacological treatment.

A case of extensive biatrial clot straddling the patent foramen ovale.

Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is a common abnormality that occurs in about 25% of the adult population. In most cases is a benign finding, but sometimes the communication between the right and the left atria can be a conduit for thrombi.