First-in-man study of simvastatin-eluting stent in de novo coronary lesions: the SIMVASTENT study.

BACKGROUND: Statins have anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative properties irrespective of their cholesterol-lowering effects. The aim of the present study was to evaluate a simvastatin-eluting stent (SimvES) in the treatment of de novo coronary lesions. METHODS AND RESULTS: Forty-two patients with de novo coronary artery lesions were assigned to SimvES, bare-metal stent (BMS) or everolimus-eluting stent (EES) implantation followed by intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) for neointimal quantitative analysis. Six months later, quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) and IVUS were repeated. QCA showed no binary restenosis, a mean in-stent late loss of 1.05 ± 0.25 mm (BMS, 1.12 ± 0.48 mm; EES, 0.20 ± 0.16 mm) and a diameter stenosis of 33.5 ± 7.1% (BMS, 35.5 ± 15.30%; EES, 7.2 ± 3.12%). Control IVUS showed a mean in-stent obstruction of 18.3 ± 9.4% (BMS, 32.8 ± 19.1%; EES, 9.8 ± 2.4%) and a neointimal volume index of 1.58 ± 0.75 mm(3)/mm (BMS, 2.93 ± 1.76 mm(3)/mm; EES, 0.80 ± 0.16 mm(3)/mm). Thrombus, late incomplete apposition and major adverse cardiac events were not observed. CONCLUSIONS: In this sample of patients with de novo coronary lesions, the use of a SimvES was not related to major adverse cardiac events, but it was associated with a higher level of neointimal proliferation than expected.

Endovascular approach to treat ascending aortic pseudoaneurysm in a patient with previous CABG and very high surgical risk.

Pseudoaneurysm of the ascending aorta is an uncommon pathology and a challenge in high-risk patients who undergo conventional surgery because of high operative morbidity and mortality. Endovascular exclusion of an aortic pseudoaneurysm using an endoprosthesis is a less invasive approach, but few such cases have been reported. Moreover, the use of this approach poses unique therapeutic challenges because there is no specific endoprosthesis for ascending aortic repair, particularly to treat patients with previous coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). We describe the case of a 74-year-old patient who had undergone CABG and later presented with an iatrogenic ascending aortic pseudoaneurysm that occurred during an angiography. This patient was at very high risk for surgical treatment and, therefore, an endovascular approach was adopted: percutaneous coronary intervention for the left main coronary artery, left anterior descending and left circumflex native coronary arteries followed by endovascular endoprosthesis deployment in the ascending aorta to exclude the pseudoaneurysm. Both procedures were successfully performed, and the patient was discharged without complications 4 days later. At 5 months' clinical follow-up, his clinical condition was good and he had no complications.

Thoracic endovascular aortic repair - a Brazilian experience in 255 patients over a period of 112 months.

The aim of this study is to analyze the immediate and late evolution for death and reintervention in a thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) group, over a follow-up period of 112 months. Retrospective data of 255 patients, from 1998 to 2007, were obtained. The most prevalent diseases were thoracic aortic aneurysms (89), thoracic and abdominal aneurysms (85) and thoracic aortic dissections (61). The mean age was 63.2 years and 67.1% were male. Three hundred and three endoprostheses were used. Causes of morbidity, in the immediate postoperative period, were hyperthermia (45.9%), endoleaks (9.8% - being 7.1% type I), vascular complications (5.2%), renal insufficiency (3.1%) and neurological complications (3.1%). There were two (0.8%) hospital deaths and 17 (6.7%) late deaths. Time of follow-up was up to 112 months (mean of 60 months). The Kaplan-Meier curve analysis showed an increase of reintervention, compared with death, after a follow-up period of 42 months. Freedom from death at 36, 60 and 112 months was 96%, 89.1%, 85.1% and for reintervention, for the same periods was 93.6%, 82.7%, 57.2%, respectively. This study showed low incidence of prostheses related morbidity and immediate mortality. After a period of 42 months there was an increase on the percentual tax of reintervention.

[Comparative analysis of the flows of left internal thoracic artery grafts dissected in the pedicled versus skeletonized manner for myocardial revascularization surgery]. / Análise comparativa dos fluxos da artéria torácica interna esquerda dissecada na forma pediculada versus a forma esqueletizada em cirurgia de revascularização do miocárdio.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the free blood flow, caliber, and length of the left internal thoracic artery (LITA), dissected in the pedicled (P) and skeletonized (S) manners, during surgery before and after topical vasodilator (TV) application. METHODS: A randomized, blind, clinical trial was carried out with 50 patients undergoing elective myocardial revascularization to assess the use of the LITA in situ in its pedicled or skeletonized form. The 25 patients in the pedicled group (GP) had NYHA class II or III angina, ejection fraction (EF) of 50.8+/-9.2%, and 16 were of the male sex. The patients in the skeletonized group (SG) had NYHA class II angina, EF of 46.8+/-9.3%, and 19 were of the male sex. The measurements were performed before extracorporeal circulation and divided into 2 phases: phase 1 (before topical papaverine application) and phase 2 (15 min after topical application of papaverine, 2.5 mg/mL, at 37 degrees C). During the measurements, mean blood pressure, central venous pressure, and heart rate were monitored. RESULTS: The phase 1 and 2 results are as follows: 1) PG: blood flow, 46+/-16 and 77+/-28 mL/min; caliber, 1.4+/-0.1 and 1.7+/-0.1 mm, respectively; 2) SG: blood flow, 57+/-27 and 97+/-35 mL/min; and caliber, 1.4+/-0.1 and 1.8+/-0.2 mm, respectively. No significant differences were observed in length. CONCLUSION: The LITA in SG had a significant increase in blood flow and caliber after the use of TV compared with blood flow and caliber in PG (P=0.03 and P=0.01, respectively).

Múltipla recorrência de mixomas cardíacos com embolia pulmonar aguda / Multiple recurrences of cardiac myxomas with acute tumoral pulmonary embolism

We report the case of a 42-year-old female with a second recurrence of cardiac myxoma. Her first diagnosis was at the age of 24 years, when cardiac tumors were withdrawn from her right ventricle and left atrium. Her first recurrence was at the age of 36 years, when tumors were removed from the left and right atria, and the right ventricle. Six years later, the patient was admitted to the Hospital das Clínicas de Porto Alegre complaining of sudden dyspnea, dry cough, and pain in the right hypochondrium, which bore no relation to breathing. The transesophageal echocardiography showed a small tumor in the interatrial septum, close to the superior vena cava, and 2 larger tumors in the right ventricle, 1 close to the outflow tract and the other almost completely obstructing the right branch of the pulmonary artery. The patient was referred to surgery, in which myxomas were removed from the right atrium and ventricle with extension to the right pulmonary artery. The postoperative period was uneventful