Health status and clinical outcomes in older adults with chronic coronary disease: the ISCHEMIA trial

BACKGROUND: Whether initial invasive management in older vs younger adults with chronic coronary disease and moderate or severe ischemia improves health status or clinical outcomes is unknown. OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to examine the impact of age on health status and clinical outcomes with invasive vs conservative management in the ISCHEMIA (International Study of Comparative Health Effectiveness with Medical and Invasive Approaches) trial. METHODS: One-year angina-specific health status was assessed with the 7-item Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ) (score range 0-100; higher scores indicate better health status). Cox proportional hazards models estimated the treatment effect of invasive vs conservative management as a function of age on the composite clinical outcome of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or hospitalization for resuscitated cardiac arrest, unstable angina, or heart failure. RESULTS: Among 4,617 participants, 2,239 (48.5%) were aged <65 years, 1,713 (37.1%) were aged 65 to 74 years, and 665 (14.4%) were aged ≥75 years. Baseline SAQ summary scores were lower in participants aged <65 years. Fully adjusted differences in 1-year SAQ summary scores (invasive minus conservative) were 4.90 (95% CI: 3.56-6.24) at age 55 years, 3.48 (95% CI: 2.40-4.57) at age 65 years, and 2.13 (95% CI: 0.75-3.51) at age 75 years (Pinteraction = 0.008). Improvement in SAQ Angina Frequency was less dependent on age (Pinteraction = 0.08). There were no age differences between invasive vs conservative management on the composite clinical outcome (Pinteraction = 0.29). CONCLUSIONS: Older patients with chronic coronary disease and moderate or severe ischemia had consistent improvement in angina frequency but less improvement in angina-related health status with invasive management compared with younger patients. Invasive management was not associated with improved clinical outcomes in older or younger patients. (International Study of Comparative Health Effectiveness with Medical and Invasive Approaches [ISCHEMIA]; NCT01471522).

Health Status and Clinical Outcomes in Older Adults With Chronic Coronary Disease: The ISCHEMIA Trial.

BACKGROUND: Whether initial invasive management in older vs younger adults with chronic coronary disease and moderate or severe ischemia improves health status or clinical outcomes is unknown. OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to examine the impact of age on health status and clinical outcomes with invasive vs conservative management in the ISCHEMIA (International Study of Comparative Health Effectiveness with Medical and Invasive Approaches) trial. METHODS: One-year angina-specific health status was assessed with the 7-item Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ) (score range 0-100; higher scores indicate better health status). Cox proportional hazards models estimated the treatment effect of invasive vs conservative management as a function of age on the composite clinical outcome of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or hospitalization for resuscitated cardiac arrest, unstable angina, or heart failure. RESULTS: Among 4,617 participants, 2,239 (48.5%) were aged <65 years, 1,713 (37.1%) were aged 65 to 74 years, and 665 (14.4%) were aged ≥75 years. Baseline SAQ summary scores were lower in participants aged <65 years. Fully adjusted differences in 1-year SAQ summary scores (invasive minus conservative) were 4.90 (95% CI: 3.56-6.24) at age 55 years, 3.48 (95% CI: 2.40-4.57) at age 65 years, and 2.13 (95% CI: 0.75-3.51) at age 75 years (Pinteraction = 0.008). Improvement in SAQ Angina Frequency was less dependent on age (Pinteraction = 0.08). There were no age differences between invasive vs conservative management on the composite clinical outcome (Pinteraction = 0.29). CONCLUSIONS: Older patients with chronic coronary disease and moderate or severe ischemia had consistent improvement in angina frequency but less improvement in angina-related health status with invasive management compared with younger patients. Invasive management was not associated with improved clinical outcomes in older or younger patients. (International Study of Comparative Health Effectiveness with Medical and Invasive Approaches [ISCHEMIA]; NCT01471522).

Impact of Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair on Preprocedural and Postprocedural Hospitalization Rates.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to determine the effect of transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVr) on hospitalization rates by assessing pre- and postprocedural hospitalization patterns. BACKGROUND: TMVr has emerged as the treatment of choice for selected patients with mitral regurgitation, but the impact of these procedures on hospital utilization remains unclear. METHODS: All patients who underwent TMVr in Ontario, Canada, between 2011 and 2017 were included in this observational study using population-based data. Hospitalization person-year rates were assessed in the years before and after TMVr and 4 predefined intervals: 1 to 30, 31 to 90, 91 to 182, and 183 to 365 days. Main outcomes of interest were all-cause and heart failure (HF) hospitalizations. Poisson regression models were used to compare incidence rates across all time periods. RESULTS: The study cohort included 523 patients. In the year preceding TMVr, 66.2% of patients were hospitalized compared with 47.4% in the year following. There were stepwise increases in both all-cause and HF hospitalization rates in the periods preceding the index procedure, and all postprocedural periods had significantly lower hospitalization rates. The adjusted rate ratios for all-cause and HF-related hospitalization in the year after TMVr were 0.65 (95% CI: 0.56-0.76) and 0.38 (95% CI: 0.29-0.51), respectively. All time periods had significant reductions in all-cause and HF hospitalization in the adjusted analysis. CONCLUSIONS: In this population-based study, significant reductions were observed in both all-cause and HF-related hospitalizations in all time periods after TMVr compared with the year prior. This suggests that TMVr has a sustained effect on hospitalization rates despite a high-risk population.

Outcomes of Participants With Diabetes in the ISCHEMIA Trials.

BACKGROUND: Among patients with diabetes and chronic coronary disease, it is unclear if invasive management improves outcomes when added to medical therapy. METHODS: The ISCHEMIA (International Study of Comparative Health Effectiveness with Medical and Invasive Approaches) trials (ie, ISCHEMIA and ISCHEMIA-Chronic Kidney Disease) randomized chronic coronary disease patients to an invasive (medical therapy + angiography and revascularization if feasible) or a conservative approach (medical therapy alone with revascularization if medical therapy failed). Cohorts were combined after no trial-specific effects were observed. Diabetes was defined by history, hemoglobin A1c ≥6.5%, or use of glucose-lowering medication. The primary outcome was all-cause death or myocardial infarction (MI). Heterogeneity of effect of invasive management on death or MI was evaluated using a Bayesian approach to protect against random high or low estimates of treatment effect for patients with versus without diabetes and for diabetes subgroups of clinical (female sex and insulin use) and anatomic features (coronary artery disease severity or left ventricular function). RESULTS: Of 5900 participants with complete baseline data, the median age was 64 years (interquartile range, 57-70), 24% were female, and the median estimated glomerular filtration was 80 mL·min-1·1.73-2 (interquartile range, 64-95). Among the 2553 (43%) of participants with diabetes, the median percent hemoglobin A1c was 7% (interquartile range, 7-8), and 30% were insulin-treated. Participants with diabetes had a 49% increased hazard of death or MI (hazard ratio, 1.49 [95% CI, 1.31-1.70]; P<0.001). At median 3.1-year follow-up the adjusted event-free survival was 0.54 (95% bootstrapped CI, 0.48-0.60) and 0.66 (95% bootstrapped CI, 0.61-0.71) for patients with diabetes versus without diabetes, respectively, with a 12% (95% bootstrapped CI, 4%-20%) absolute decrease in event-free survival among participants with diabetes. Female and male patients with insulin-treated diabetes had an adjusted event-free survival of 0.52 (95% bootstrapped CI, 0.42-0.56) and 0.49 (95% bootstrapped CI, 0.42-0.56), respectively. There was no difference in death or MI between strategies for patients with diabetes versus without diabetes, or for clinical (female sex or insulin use) or anatomic features (coronary artery disease severity or left ventricular function) of patients with diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: Despite higher risk for death or MI, chronic coronary disease patients with diabetes did not derive incremental benefit from routine invasive management compared with initial medical therapy alone. Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT01471522.

Short Durations of Radial Hemostatic Device After Diagnostic Transradial Cardiac Catheterization: The PRACTICAL-2 Randomized Trial.

BACKGROUND: Radial artery occlusion (RAO) is the most common complication following transradial approach (TRA) for cardiac catheterisation. Our aim was to assess if decreasing radial hemostatic device (RHD) time reduces the risk of RAO among individuals receiving small sheath sizes with no adjunctive heparin. METHODS: We randomised 450 individuals undergoing diagnostic cardiac catheterization via TRA to 3 durations of RHD time: 10, 20, or 30 minutes. After these time periods, the RHD was gradually released over 20 minutes. The primary efficacy end point was forearm hematoma grade ≥ 2 (5-10 cm) and the primary safety end point was RAO (as determined by Doppler ultrasound) 1 hour after RHD removal (before discharge). RESULTS: The mean age was 66 years and 64% were male. Five-French sheaths were used in all patients. Hematoma grade ≥ 2 occurred in only 1 patient, who was in the 20-minute group (P = 0.39). RAO occurred in 6.7% of patients in the 10-minute group, 10.7% in the 20-minute group and 6% in the 30-minute group (P = 0.26). CONCLUSIONS: Among patients receiving small-caliber sheaths without adjunctive heparin, the incidence of forearm hematoma and RAO are low. Shorter durations of RHD time did not further reduce the risk of these complications.

Morbidity in Pregnant Women with a Prosthetic Heart Valve.

BACKGROUND: Women with a prosthetic heart valve are perceived to be at higher risk for adverse outcomes, but their absolute and relative risk of experiencing maternal morbidity and cardiac complications is largely unknown. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to determine the risk of maternal morbidity and cardiac complications in women with a prior heart valve replacement, compared with matched counterparts without known cardiac disease. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective population-based matched cohort study was completed in the province of Ontario, Canada, where there is universal health care. Included were all women of child-bearing age who had bioprosthetic or mechanical replacement of the mitral or aortic valve, April 1994 to March 2016 (valve replacement group). Those in the valve replacement group, and who had at least 1 birth, were 1:4 matched to a community comparison group without heart disease and who also had at least 1 birth. Matching was by maternal age at cohort entry, year of cohort entry, geographic area, income level, and age at first birth. Maternal outcomes included severe maternal morbidity, all-cause mortality, and cardiac morbidity as well as a prolonged hospital length of stay >7 days. Relative risks and 95% confidence intervals were further adjusted for age at birth and immigration status. RESULTS: There were 90 live births among the 64 women in the valve replacement group and 404 live births among the 253 women in the matched community comparison group. There were no stillbirths. Severe maternal morbidity occurred in 13 pregnancies (14.4%) in the valve replacement group and 6 (1.5%) in the community comparison group (adjusted relative risk, 9.73, 95% confidence interval, 3.70-25.59); there were no maternal deaths. The corresponding rates of prolonged hospital length of stay were 37.8% and 18.8% (adjusted relative risk, 2.33, 95% confidence interval, 1.48-3.67). CONCLUSION: Pregnant women who had aortic or mitral valve replacement were more likely to experience severe maternal morbidity, as well as prolonged hospital length of stay, than matched counterparts without heart disease. This information can enhance shared decision making about the timing of valve replacement and pregnancy planning in young and middle-aged women. To determine the absolute and relative risk of maternal morbidity and cardiac complications in women with prior heart valve replacement, a retrospective population-based matched cohort study was completed in the province of Ontario, Canada, where there is universal health care. Included were all women of child-bearing age who had bioprosthetic or mechanical replacement of the mitral or aortic valve, April 1994 to March 2016 (valve replacement group). Those in the valve replacement group, and who had at least one birth, were 1:4 matched to a community comparison group without heart disease and who also had at least 1 birth. There were 90 live births among the 64 women in the valve replacement group and 404 live births among the 253 women in the matched community comparison group. Severe maternal morbidity occurred in 13 pregnancies (14.4%) in the valve replacement group and 6 (1.5%) in the community comparison group (adjusted relative risk, 9.73); there were no maternal deaths. The corresponding rates of prolonged hospital length of stay were 37.8% and 18.8% (adjusted relative risk, 2.33). In summary, pregnant women who had an aortic or mitral valve replacement were more likely to experience severe maternal morbidity, as well as prolonged hospital length of stay, than matched counterparts without heart disease.

Same-Day Discharge After Elective Percutaneous Coronary Interventions in Ontario, Canada.

Background To manage overcrowding and bed shortages in Canadian hospitals, same-day discharge (SDD) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has emerged as a solution to improve resource utilization. However, limited information exists regarding current trends, hospital variation, and safety of SDD PCI in Canada. Methods and Results We evaluated outpatients undergoing elective PCI in Ontario, Canada, from October 2008 to March 2016. SDD was defined when patients were discharged on the day of PCI, and non-SDD was defined as those patients who had 1 overnight stay. The primary outcome was 30-day all-cause death or hospitalization for acute coronary syndrome. Inverse probability of treatment weighting with propensity score was used to account for differences in baseline and clinical characteristics between SDD and non-SDD groups. Among 35 972 patients who underwent elective PCI at 17 PCI centers in Ontario, 10 801 patients (30%) had SDD PCI and 25 121 patients (70%) had non-SDD PCI. Substantial hospital variation for SDD PCI was observed, ranging from 0% to 87% during the study period. In the propensity-weighted cohort, SDD patients had no significant difference in 30-day rates of death or hospitalization for acute coronary syndrome (1.3% versus 1.6%; hazard ratio: 0.84 [95% CI, 0.65-1.08]; P=0.17) compared with non-SDD patients. SDD and non-SDD patients also had no significant difference in 30-day rates of mortality or coronary revascularization. Conclusions In this large population-based cohort of elective PCI patients, we demonstrated the safety of SDD PCI. Increased adoption of this strategy could lead to improved bed-flow efficiency and substantial savings for the Canadian healthcare system without comprising outcomes.

Attained pregnancy among women with a prosthetic heart valve.

BACKGROUND: Women with prosthetic heart valves are at higher risk for adverse outcomes during pregnancy. The rates of achieved pregnancy, regardless of the pregnancy outcome, are largely unknown in this group of women. OBJECTIVE: To determine the rate of pregnancy in women with prior heart valve replacement, and compare that to women without known heart disease. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective matched population-based cohort study was done between April 1994 and March 2017, in Ontario, Canada, where universal health care is available. Administrative healthcare databases were used to identify study participants, exposures and outcomes. Each woman of child-bearing age who had a bioprosthetic or mechanical mitral or aortic valve replacement (valve replacement group) was matched to four women without heart disease (community comparison group) -- by age, year of cohort entry, any recent prior pregnancy, geographic area of residence and income level. Starting after the date of cohort entry (defined as the date valve replacement date in the valve replacement group), participants were assessed for a recognized pregnancy, namely, a livebirth, stillbirth, miscarriage or induced abortion. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were further adjusted for age, immigrant status and comorbid medical conditions. RESULTS: 1596 women with a valve replacement were matched with 6378 women in the community comparison group. After a median (interquartile range, IQR) duration of follow-up of 3.1 (1.0-5.6) and 2.7 (1.0-6.0) years, respectively, 98 women in the valve replacement group achieved a recognized pregnancy (0.63 per 100 person-years), compared to 607 women in the community comparison group (0.88 per 100 person-years) - an adjusted HR of 0.72 (95% CI 0.57-0.89). Within the valve replacement group, those with a mechanical valve were less likely to achieve a recognized pregnancy than those with a bioprosthetic valve (adjusted HR 0.57, 95% CI 0.38-0.87). CONCLUSION: Women who undergo aortic or mitral valve replacement are less likely to achieve a pregnancy than matched counterparts without heart disease. This information, and the reasons for why this is so, can inform decisions about the timing of valve replacement and pregnancy planning.

Infective Endocarditis Hospitalizations and Antibiotic Prophylaxis Rates Before and After the 2007 American Heart Association Guideline Revision.

BACKGROUND: In 2007, the American Heart Association recommended antibiotic prophylaxis for the prevention of infective endocarditis (IE) for only the highest-risk patients. Whether this change affected the use of antibiotic prophylaxis and the incidence of IE is unclear. METHODS: IE-related hospitalizations were identified from 2002 to 2014 among all adults and those at high and moderate risk for IE, stratified by age. Prescriptions for antibiotic prophylaxis were obtained from the Ontario Drug Benefit database for adults ≥65 years of age. Outcomes were antibiotic prophylaxis prescription rates and incidence of IE-related hospitalization. Trends in patient and pathogen characteristics were analyzed. Time series analyses were performed with segmented regression and change-point analyses. RESULTS: Prescriptions for antibiotic prophylaxis decreased substantially in the moderate-risk cohort after the guideline revision (mean quarterly prescriptions, 30 680 versus 17 954 [level change, -6,481; P=0.0004] per 1 million population) with a minimal, yet significant, decrease followed by a slow increase in the high-risk group. There were 7551 IE-related hospitalizations among 6884 adults ≥18 years of age. Among adults ≥65 years of age, the mean IE rate increased from 872 to 1385 and 229 to 283 per 1 million population at risk per quarter in the high- and moderate-risk groups, respectively. Change-point analyses indicated that this increase occurred in the second half of 2010 in adults ≥65 years of age, 3 years after the American Heart Association guideline revision. Staphylococcus aureus and streptococcal species accounted for 30.3% and 26.4% of all IE, with a decrease in streptococcal infections over time. CONCLUSIONS: Antibiotic prophylaxis decreased significantly in the moderate-risk group with minimal change in the high-risk group after the American Heart Association guideline revision in 2007. However, IE-related hospitalizations increased among both high- and moderate-risk patients 3 years after the revision. Our study provides support for the cessation of antibiotic prophylaxis in the moderate-risk population.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of short-duration dual antiplatelet therapy with newer drug-eluting stent platforms versus longer-duration dual antiplatelet therapy with a second-generation drug-eluting stent in elective percutaneous coronary intervention.

BACKGROUND: The cost-effectiveness of newer drug-eluting stents (DES) such as biodegradable-polymer or polymer-free stents with shorter dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) duration is unknown. We evaluated the cost-effectiveness of treatment with newer DES that may allow for shorter DAPT duration. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We performed a cost-effectiveness analysis of treatment with newer DES platforms followed by 1 or 3 months of DAPT compared with standard second-generation DES followed by 6 or 12 months of DAPT in patients with stable coronary disease. A Markov model simulated distinct health states over a lifetime. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis and one-way sensitivity analyses were performed. A high-risk bleeding scenario was also evaluated. RESULTS: Among patients with typical bleeding risk, second-generation DES and 6 months of DAPT was less expensive and resulted in marginally higher quality-adjusted life years compared with other strategies. A newer DES platform and 3 months of DAPT was preferred when the risk of fatal bleeding was two times greater than baseline, or when bleeding increased long-term mortality by a factor of 1.5. In a probabilistic sensitivity analysis, second-generation DES and 6 months of DAPT was preferred in 58% of iterations, whereas in a high-risk bleeding patient scenario, a newer DES and 3 months of DAPT was preferred in 52% of iterations. CONCLUSION: A DES that allows 3 months of DAPT without increasing stent-related events is likely to be cost-effective among patients at elevated risk of bleeding, but not in patients with average bleeding risk.

Balancing the risks of bleeding and stent thrombosis: a decision analytic model to compare durations of dual antiplatelet therapy after drug-eluting stents.

BACKGROUND: After coronary stent placement, whether dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) duration should be extended to prevent late stent thrombosis (ST) or adverse cardiovascular events is uncertain. METHODS: To define the reduction in ischemic events required to outweigh increased bleeding with longer-duration DAPT, we developed a decision-analytic Markov model comparing DAPT durations of 6, 12, and 30 months after DES. Separate models were developed for patients presenting with and without an acute coronary syndrome (ACS). We used sensitivity analyses to identify the incremental benefit of longer-duration DAPT on either ST or the composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, and ischemic stroke (major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events [MACCEs]) required to outweigh the increased risk of bleeding associated with longer DAPT. The outcome from each strategy was quantified in terms of quality-adjusted life years. RESULTS: In the non-ACS population, in order for 30 months of DAPT to be preferred over 12 months of therapy, DAPT would have to result in a 78% reduction in the risk of ST (relative risk [RR] 0.22, 3.1 fewer events per 1000) and only a 5% reduction in MACCE (RR 0.95, 2.2 fewer events per 1000) as compared with aspirin alone. For the ACS population, DAPT would have to result in a 44% reduction in the risk of ST (RR 0.56, 3.4 fewer events per 1000) but only a 2% reduction in MACCE (RR 0.98, 2.3 fewer events per 1000) as compared with aspirin alone, for 30 months of DAPT to be preferred for 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: Small absolute differences in the risk of ischemic events with longer DAPT would be sufficient to outweigh the known bleeding risks.

Practice patterns and trends in the use of medical therapy in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention in Ontario.

BACKGROUND: Clinical guidelines emphasize medical therapy as the initial approach to the management of patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD). However, the extent to which medical therapy is applied before and after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in contemporary clinical practice is uncertain. We evaluated medication use for patients with stable CAD undergoing PCI, and assessed whether the COURAGE study altered medication use in the Canadian healthcare system. METHODS AND RESULTS: A population-based cohort of 23 680 older patients >65 years old) with stable CAD undergoing PCI in Ontario between 2003 and 2010 was assembled. Optimal medical therapy (OMT) was defined as prescription for a ß-blocker, statin, and either angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin II receptor blocker in the 90 days before PCI, and the same medications plus thienopyridine 90 days following PCI. Prior to PCI, 8023 (33.9%) patients were receiving OMT, 11 891 (50.2%) were on suboptimal therapy, and 3766 (15.9%) were not prescribed any medications of interest. There was significant improvement in medical therapy following PCI (OMT: 11 149 [47.1%], suboptimal therapy: 11 591 [48.9%], and none: 940 [4.0%], P<0.001). Utilization rate of OMT reduced significantly after the publication of COURAGE (34.9% before versus 32.8% after, P<0.001). Similarly, the rate of OMT following PCI was lower in the period after publication of COURAGE (47.3% before versus 46.9% after, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: OMT was prescribed in about 1 in 3 patients prior to PCI and less than half after PCI. In contrast to the anticipated impact of COURAGE, we found lower rates of medication use in PCI patients after its publication.

Remote ischemic postconditioning during percutaneous coronary interventions: remote ischemic postconditioning-percutaneous coronary intervention randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: Remote ischemic preconditioning may result in reduction in infarct size during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). It is unclear whether remote ischemic postconditioning (RIPost) will reduce the incidence of myocardial injury after PCI, and whether ischemic conditioning of a larger remote organ (thigh versus arm) would provide further myocardial protection. METHODS AND RESULTS: We randomized 360 patients presenting with stable or unstable angina (28% of patients) and negative Troponin T at baseline to 3 groups: 2 groups received RIPost (induced by ischemia to upper or lower limb), and a third was the control group. RIPost was applied during PCI immediately after stent deployment, by three 5-minute cycles of blood pressure cuff inflation to >200 mm Hg in the arm or thigh (20 mm Hg in the control) with 5-minute breaks between each cycle. The primary end-point was the proportion of patients with Troponin T levels >3×ULN postprocedure (at 6 or 18-24 hours), where ULN stands for upper limit of normal. A total of 120 patients were randomized to each group. There were no differences in baseline characteristics between the 3 groups. The primary outcome occurred in 30%, 35%, and 35% of the arm, thigh, and control groups, respectively (P=0.64). There were no differences in creatine kinase or high sensitivity C-reactive protein levels after PCI or in the incidence of acute kidney injury between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: RIPost during PCI did not reduce the incidence of periprocedural myocardial injury. Similar effect was obtained when remote ischemia was induced to the upper or lower limb. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00970827.

Angiographic characteristics of coronary arterial segments progressing to myocardial infarction in patients with and without chronic kidney disease.

BACKGROUND: Individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have high rates of myocardial infarction (MI), but whether the nature of coronary lesions susceptible to plaque rupture is altered and whether the high rate of MI is related to a greater burden of atherosclerotic lesions in individuals with CKD is uncertain. METHODS: We used quantitative coronary angiography to assess atherosclerotic plaque location and characteristics at baseline and at the time of MI in 62 patients with and without CKD. Univariate and multivariable conditional logistic regression models were used to assess whether the association between pre-MI angiographic findings and MI differs in individuals with and without CKD. RESULTS: The risk of MI rose as the distance from the coronary ostium decreased both in patients with CKD (odds ratio per 10 mm 0.92 [95 % CI 0.87-0.99]) and in those without CKD (odds ratio 0.83 [95 % CI 0.75-0.93]). Although tighter degrees of coronary stenosis were associated with increased risks of MI in patients with and without CKD, the majority of MIs (70.9 % in patients with CKD and 89.5 % in those without CKD) occurred in segments with <50 % diameter stenosis at baseline. CONCLUSIONS: The characteristics of lesions progressing to MI are similar in individuals with and without CKD and the majority of events occur in areas with <50 % stenosis at baseline. Given the high burden of non-stenotic lesions in patients with CKD, an interventional strategy aimed solely at sites with high-grade stenosis is unlikely to markedly reduce the risk of MI in patients with CKD.

European Registry of Carotid Artery Stenting: results from a prospective registry of eight high volume EUROPEAN institutions.

BACKGROUND: Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) is the standard revascularization therapy to prevent stroke in patients with carotid artery disease. Carotid artery stenting (CAS) could be considered a potential alternative in patients at high surgical risk. Recent clinical trials have challenged this concept due a relatively high incidence of post-CAS adverse events, which occurred in low volume centers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes associated with neuroprotected CAS in selected high volume centers. METHODS: From January 2007 to December 2007, 1,611 patients underwent neuroprotected CAS in eight European Centers. For each patients, clinical, procedural, and one month follow-up data from all patients have been collected. An independent clinical events committee adjudicated the events. RESULTS: Overall in hospital death was 0.06% (one patient), whereas in-hospital stroke was 0.49% (eight patients). Between hospital discharge and 30 days three additional patients died (0.18%) and 10 patients experienced a stroke (0.67%). Overall 30 days mortality was 0.24% (four patients) and stroke incidence 1.12% (18 patients). The 30 day stroke/death rate was 1.36%. CONCLUSIONS: CAS is a reasonable alternative to CEA to treat carotid artery atherosclerosis in well-experienced high volume centers. These data suggest that future prospective trials comparing CAS and CEA outcomes should include only centers highly experienced in both treatment modalities.

Tumors of the posterior third ventricular region in pediatric patients: The Indian perspective and a review of literature.

BACKGROUND: Diverse tumors in the posterior third ventricular region (TPTVR) frequently occur in children. A decade's experience with pediatric TPTVR is presented, focusing on the Indian perspective. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 25 children (age range: 3-18 years; mean age: 13.32 years; presentation range: 7 days-2.5 years) had clinico-radiological assessment with contrast computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The ventricular/lumbar cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) alpha feto protein (AFP)/beta human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) estimation was done when radiological suspicion of a germ cell tumor was present. Extent of resection was deemed partial when some tumor mass remained at the end of surgery, near total when <10% was retained over vital neurovascular structures, and total when complete resection was attained. RESULTS: Operations included infratentorial supracerebellar approach (n = 12), occipito-transtentorial approach (n = 2), endoscopic biopsy and third ventriculostomy (n = 1), frontal parasagittal craniotomy, interhemispheric transcallosal subchoroidal approach (n = 2), middle temporal gyrus transcortical transventricular approach (n = 1), fronto-temporo-zygomatic combined transylvian and subtemporal approach (n = 1) and right ventriculoperitoneal shunt and stereotactic biopsy (n = 1). Only CSF diversion was performed for five patients with a small TPTVR. CSF diversion was required in 12 (48%) patients. Tumor pathology included pinealoblastoma (n = 4; one with pineocytic differentiation), nongerminomatous germ cell tumor (NGGCT; n = 3), germinoma (n = 3), pilocytic astrocytoma (n = 2), epidermoid (n = 3) and primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET), fibrillary astrocytoma, glioblastoma, teratoma, and meningioma (n = 1, respectively). A patient with neurocysticercosis was diagnosed solely on MRI (four did not undergo biopsy). Fractionated radiotherapy was administered in 13 patients with primary pineal tumors, PNET, NGGCT, fibrillary astrocytoma and glioblastoma. Extent of excision was total in 10 (40%), near total in 5 (20%), partial in 3 (12%) and a biopsy in 2 (8%) patients. CONCLUSIONS: Histopathologic characterization of TPTVR is essential prior to their further management. Benign lesions often have a good prognosis following gross total surgical resection. Pure germinomas are highly susceptible to radiotherapy. NGGCTs often have malignant components that require adjuvant therapy following surgery. The advancements in microsurgical techniques have led to gratifying perioperative results in these deep-seated lesions.

Ewing's sarcoma of the orbit with intracranial extension: A rare cause of unilateral proptosis.

Ewing's sarcoma causing unilateral proptosis along with bifrontal extradural infiltration in a child is an unusual presentation. A female patient presented with features of painless proptosis of the left eye with visual deterioration. Her radiology revealed an infiltrating intraorbital, extraconal tumor with intracranial bifrontal extradural extension causing mass effect. Total excision of the intraorbital and intracranial part of the tumor along with postoperative chemo- and radiotherapy brought about a substantial relief. The clinicoradiological presentation and management of this rare entity are discussed.