Is it the Time to Move Towards Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography-Derived Fractional Flow Reserve Guided Percutaneous Coronary Intervention? The Pros and Cons.

Coronary artery disease is the leading cause of mortality worldwide. Diagnosis is conventionally performed by direct visualization of the arteries by invasive coronary angiography (ICA), which has inherent limitations and risks. Measurement of fractional flow reserve (FFR) has been suggested for a more accurate assessment of ischemia in the coronary artery with high accuracy for determining the severity and decision on the necessity of intervention. Nevertheless, invasive coronary angiography-derived fractional flow reserve (ICA-FFR) is currently used in less than one-third of clinical practices because of the invasive nature of ICA and the need for additional equipment and experience, as well as the cost and extra time needed for the procedure. Recent technical advances have moved towards non-invasive high-quality imaging modalities, such as magnetic resonance, single-photon emission computed tomography, and coronary computed tomography (CT) scan; however, none had a definitive modality to confirm hemodynamically significant coronary artery stenosis. Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) can provide accurate anatomic and hemodynamic data about the coronary lesion, especially calculating fractional flow reserve derived from CCTA (CCTA-FFR). Although growing evidence has been published regarding CCTA-FFR results being comparable to ICA-FFR, CCTA-FFR has not yet replaced the invasive conventional angiography, pending additional studies to validate the advantages and disadvantages of each diagnostic method. Furthermore, it has to be identified whether revascularization of a stenotic lesion is plausible based on CCTA-FFR and if the therapeutic plan can be determined safely and accurately without confirmation from invasive methods. Therefore, in the present review, we will outline the pros and cons of using CCTA-FFR vs. ICA-FFR regarding diagnostic accuracy and treatment decision-making.

Management of High-Grade Coronary Artery Disease and Concomitant Glanzmann Thrombasthenia.

In the present case report, we describe the management of severe coronary artery disease in a patient with Glanzmann thrombasthenia. To the best of our knowledge, there are no established guidelines for revascularization in this setting, and we pose novel discussion points regarding the nuanced care of this patient. (Level of Difficulty: Intermediate.).

Intracardiac Aspergilloma in a Post-Transplant Patient: A Multimodal Approach to Diagnosis.

Cardiac aspergillomas are rare and associated with high mortality. We present a case of right ventricular cardiac aspergilloma in an asymptomatic renal transplant recipient. Intracavitary aspergilloma is an important consideration in evaluation of an intracardiac mass in an immunocompromised patient. (Level of Difficulty: Advanced.).

Prognostic implications of pre-existing medical comorbidity in Takotsubo cardiomyopathy.

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TC) is associated with significant short-term morbidity and mortality. Several risk factors for poor outcomes have been identified; however, the prognostic implications of pre-existing comorbidity in TC are poorly delineated. We sought to assess the association of aggregate pre-existing comorbidity with short-term outcomes in TC. We performed a retrospective observational study of adult subjects diagnosed with TC at two academic tertiary care hospitals between 2005 and 2018. Overall burden of medical comorbidity was estimated using the Charlson comorbidity index (CCI). Multivariable logistic regression was used to test for independent association of CCI with 30-day mortality and severe shock at index presentation. Multivariable poisson regression was performed to assess the association of CCI with duration of hospitalization. Five-hundred and thirty-eight subjects were diagnosed with TC during the study period. The median CCI score of all subjects was 2 (IQR 1-4). Among subjects with physical triggers of TC, the median CCI score was 2 (IQR 1-4) compared to a median CCI score of 1 (IQR 0-1) in subjects with non-physical triggers of TC (P < 0.001). Seventy-six (14%) subjects died within 30 days of index diagnosis and 185 (34%) subjects experienced severe shock. The median duration of hospitalization was 7 days (IQR 3-14 days). In multivariable logistic regression, CCI was not associated with 30-day mortality or severe shock. In multivariable Poisson regression, CCI (IRR 1.17, 95% CI 1.16-1.18, P < 0.001) was associated with duration of hospitalization. Increased burden of pre-existing medical comorbidity was not independently associated with 30-day mortality or severe shock at index presentation, but was associated with increased duration of hospitalization after diagnosis of TC.

Initial changes in peak aortic jet velocity and mean gradient predict progression to severe aortic stenosis.

BACKGROUND: There is significant interindividual variability in the rate of aortic stenosis (AS) progression that is not accounted for in the current surveillance algorithms. We sought to examine the association between changes in peak aortic jet velocity (Vmax) and mean gradient (MG) among patients with mild or moderate AS and risk of progression to severe disease. METHODS: Adult subjects referred for echocardiography at a single academic referral center with a diagnosis of mild or moderate AS and ≥2 additional surveillance echocardiograms were included in the study. Changes in Vmax and MG between the first two echocardiograms were indexed to time and tested for association with future progression to severe AS. RESULTS: Among three hundred and sixty-four subjects, the median time between first and second echocardiograms was 1.3 years and initial changes in Vmax and MG indexed to time were +0.16 m/s per year and +1.44 mmHg per year, respectively. Fifty-three (15%) and fifty-six (15%) subjects progressed to severe AS defined by Vmax and MG, respectively. In multivariable logistic regression, initial increase in Vmax (OR = 4.19, 95% CI 1.93-9.10, p < 0.001) and initial increase in MG (OR = 1.12, 95% CI 1.06-1.18, p < 0.001) were associated with progression to severe AS. CONCLUSIONS: Initial changes in Vmax and MG among patients with mild or moderate AS are strongly associated with risk of progression to severe AS and may help guide individualized surveillance strategies.

Defying the Odds of Sudden Cardiac Death in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.

We report an unusual case of a patient with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy, anomalous aortic origin of a coronary artery, obesity hypoventilation syndrome, and acquired long QT syndrome who was able to defy the odds of sudden cardiac death in the rarest of circumstances. (Level of Difficulty: Advanced.).

Preventing a Catastrophe: Increasing Awareness of Loeys-Dietz Syndrome.

Loeys-Dietz syndrome is a genetic disorder that predisposes patients to aortic aneurysms. If left untreated, the natural history of the associated aortopathy often culminates in fatal aortic dissection. We describe the case of a 21-year-old man who was diagnosed with Loeys-Dietz syndrome after 2 family members died of aortic dissection. This case highlights the importance of increased physician awareness of this syndrome, which can play a crucial role in preventing premature sudden cardiac death caused by aortic catastrophe.

Temporal Pattern and Prognostic Significance of Hypokalemia in Patients Undergoing Targeted Temperature Management Following Cardiac Arrest.

Hypokalemia has been consistently reported as a common occurrence during targeted temperature management (TTM) in comatose survivors of cardiac arrest. We sought to better describe changes in serum potassium throughout the different stages of TTM and to assess for any prognostic significance. We analyzed a prospectively collected cohort of 240 patients treated with TTM following cardiac arrest at a tertiary care hospital between 2007 and 2014. The primary outcome was poor neurologic outcome at hospital discharge, defined as a Cerebral Performance Category score >2. Secondary outcomes included death and recurrent ventricular arrhythmia before hospital discharge. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess for association of hypokalemia and hyperkalemia with the designated outcomes. During all phases of TTM, hypokalemia and hyperkalemia occurred in 207 (86%) and 77 (32%) of patients, respectively. Hypokalemia occurred in 203 (85%) patients at target temperature, and 25 (10%) patients were hyperkalemic following normothermia. In multivariable logistic regression, hypokalemia was not associated with poor neurologic outcomes or recurrent ventricular arrhythmia. Hypokalemia was associated with reduced odds of death before hospital discharge (odds ratio = 0.36, 95% confidence interval 0.13 to 0.97, p = 0.044). Hyperkalemia was not associated with poor neurologic outcomes, death, or recurrent ventricular arrhythmia.

Dazed, confused, and asystolic: possible signs of anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis.

Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor encephalitis is a rare panencephalitis that can present with severe cardiac dysrhythmias. We present a case of a 19-year-old woman with no significant medical history who presented with progressive changes in mental status and profound ictal asystole that necessitated the placement of an external temporary pacemaker. She was diagnosed with and treated for anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis, and she recovered after a prolonged and complicated hospitalization. We review the pathophysiology and management of anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis, as well as its cardiac manifestations.

Cardiovascular complications of radiation exposure.

The cardiovascular sequelae of radiation exposure are an important cause of morbidity and mortality following radiation therapy for cancer, as well as after exposure to radiation after atomic bombs or nuclear accidents. In the United States, most of the data on radiation-induced heart disease (RIHD) come from patients treated with radiation therapy for Hodgkin disease and breast cancer. Additionally, people exposed to radiation from the atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, and the Chernobyl, Ukraine, nuclear accident have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The total dose of radiation, as well as the fractionation of the dose, plays an important role in the development of RIHD. All parts of the heart are affected, including the pericardium, vasculature, myocardium, valves, and conduction system. The mechanism of injury is complex, but one major mechanism is injury to endothelium in both the microvasculature and coronary arteries. This likely also contributes to damage and fibrosis within the myocardium. Additionally, various inflammatory and profibrotic cytokines contribute to injury. Diagnosis and treatment are not significantly different from those for conventional cardiovascular disease; however, screening for heart disease and lifelong cardiology follow-up is essential in patients with past radiation exposure.

Retinal vascular patterns after operative repair of aortic isthmic coarctation.

The retinal arteriolar abnormality that accompanies aortic isthmic coarctation is as distinctive as it is unique but has thus far been virtually ignored. Accordingly, 10 patients (4 men and 6 women) were recruited for a study from the Ahmanson/UCLA Adult Congenital Heart Disease Center Outpatient Clinic. Patient age at enrollment was 35 + or - 4 years (range 25 to 66). The inclusion criterion was postoperative coarctation of the aortic isthmus, simple or complex. Coarctation gradients were absent, mild, or moderate, as determined by standard echocardiographic criteria. Ophthalmic investigations were done > or = 3 years after the last coarctation repair and included visual acuity, intraocular tonometry, slit lamp examination, and dilated funduscopic examination that used either a standard fundus camera or wide-field digital photography. The intraocular pressure and slit lamp examination findings were within normal limits. The retinal vascular patterns were bilaterally similar in all but 2 patients, in whom the left eye was significantly more affected than the right. Mild to severe retinal arteriolar tortuosity was present in 70% of our subjects, 4 of whom also had tortuosity of the retinal venules. Hypertensive retinopathy was absent. In conclusion, the unique retinal arteriolar tortuosity that accompanies coarctation of the aorta persists long after ideal surgical repair and normalization of systemic blood pressure. These retinal patterns were present in 70% of our patients, differing only by degree. A hitherto unrecognized tortuosity of venules was identified but to a lesser extent.

Retinal vascular patterns in adults with cyanotic congenital heart disease.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this report is to describe retinal findings in adults with cyanotic congenital heart disease. METHODS: Four patients, 27 to 47 years of age, with cyanotic congenital heart disease were enrolled from the Outpatient Clinic of the Ahmanson/UCLA Adult Congenital Heart Disease Center. Each patient had a medical history and physical examination by a cardiologist, chest X-ray, electrocardiogram, echocardiogram, complete blood count, and arterial oxygen saturation. In addition, each patient had an ocular examination by a retina specialist, color fundus photography, and fluorescein angiography. RESULTS: The chest X-ray, electrocardiogram, and echocardiogram were diagnostic of cyanotic congenital heart disease (Eisenmenger Syndrome). Mean systemic arterial oxygen saturation was 77% (range 71-81%) and mean hematocrit was 64.5% (range 53.7-69.5%). Eight out of eight eyes had evidence of increased retinal vascular tortuosity, but no patient had ocular symptoms, and all eyes had good visual acuity. CONCLUSIONS: Increased retinal vascular tortuosity appears to be prevalent in adults with cyanotic congenital heart disease and is likely to be in response to hypoxemia and erythrocytosis. This conclusion is consistent with normalization of the retinal vascularity patterns after surgical relief of cyanosis resulting in resolution of hypoxemia and erythrocytosis.

Congenital heart diseases: post-operative appearance on multi-detector CT-a pictorial essay.

Echocardiography is considered as an initial imaging modality of choice in patients with congenital heart disease (CHD), and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is preferred for detailed functional information. Multi-detector computed tomography (CT) plays an important role in clinical practice in assessing post-operative morphological and functional information of patients with complex CHD when echocardiography and MR imaging are not contributory. Radiologists should understand and become familiar with the complex morphology and physiology of CHD, as well as with various palliative and corrective surgical procedures performed in these patients, to obtain CT angiograms with diagnostic quality and promptly recognise imaging features of normal post-operative anatomy and complications of these complex surgeries.

Regional analyses of CNS microdialysate glucose and lactate in seizure patients.

PURPOSE: To correlate glucose (and lactate) results obtained from microdialysate to recent studies suggesting that glucose transporter activity may be significantly altered in seizures. METHODS: We used a fluorometric technique to quantify glucose and lactate levels in microdialysates collected from two to four depth electrodes implanted per patient in the temporal and frontal lobes of a series of four patients. Hour-by-hour and day-to-day changes in brain glucose and lactate levels at the same site were recorded. Additionally we compared regional variations in lactate/glucose ratios around the predicted epileptogenic region. RESULTS: Lactate/glucose ratios in the range of 1-2:1 were the most commonly seen. When the lactate/glucose ratio was <1:1, we typically observed a relative increase in local glucose concentration (rather than decreased lactate), suggesting increased transport, perhaps without increased glycolysis. In some sites, lactate/glucose ratios of 3:1-15:1 were seen, suggesting that a circumscribed zone of inhibition of tricarboxylic acid cycle activity may have been locally induced. In these dialysates, collected from probes closer to the epileptogenic region, the large increase in lactate/glucose ratios was a result of both increased lactate and reduced glucose levels. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that regional variations in brain extracellular glucose concentrations may be of greater magnitude than previously believed and become even more accentuated in partial seizure patients. Data from concomitant assays of microdialysate lactate and glucose may aid in understanding cerebral metabolism.