Cardiovascular and Venous Thromboembolic Events After Hospital Discharge for COVID-19: A Prospective Single Center Study.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with an increase in venous thrombotic and cardiovascular (CV) events has been reported during hospitalization. No systematic ultrasound follow-up to evaluate sequelae was ever that took place carried out prospectively associated with the evaluation of CV morbidity-mortality at 3 months post-discharge. Consecutive patients hospitalized for COVID-19 in the Amiens-Picardie University Hospital between 1st February and 31st August 2020 were included. The primary objective was the thrombosis incidence at 3 months after hospital discharge. Thrombosis was defined as either venous thromboembolism (VTE) or a CV event (CVE: myocardial infarction (MI), stroke or peripheral arterial disease). A secondary objective was to determine the risk factors for thrombotic events. We included 498 patients (279 men; 56%) of median age 66 (55-76) years. The primary composite outcome occurred in 27 patients (5.4%); 19 patients (3.8%) presented a CVE (stroke, n = 5; MI, n = 9; and peripheral arterial disease, n = 5). Two patients (0.8%) presented VTE. Six patients (1.2%) died. In multivariate analysis, a previous CVE was associated with thrombosis (OR 3.11; 95% CI 1.17-8.24). COVID-19 was significantly associated with thrombotic events post hospital discharge. Special attention should be given to CVE in the follow-up of patients with a previous thrombotic event.

Isolated distal deep vein thrombosis: What have we learnt from the OPTIMEV study?

The OPTIMEV (OPTimisation de l'Interrogatoire dans l'évaluation du risque throMbo-Embolique Veineux) study has provided some important and innovative information for the management of lower extremity isolated distal deep vein thrombosis (distal DVT). Indeed, if distal deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) therapeutic management is nowadays still debated, before the OPTIMEV study, the clinical relevance of these DVT itself was questioned. Via the publication of 6 articles, between 2009 and 2022, assessing risk factors, therapeutic management, and outcomes of 933 patients with distal DVT we were able to demonstrate that: - When distal deep veins are systematically screened for suspicion of DVT, distal DVT are the most frequent clinical presentation of the venous thromboembolic disease (VTE). This is also true in case of combined oral contraceptive related VTE. - Distal DVT share the same risk factors as proximal DVT and constitute two different clinical expressions of the same disease: the VTE disease. However, the weight of these risk factors differs: distal DVT are more often associated with transient risk factors whereas proximal DVT are more associated with permanent risk factors. - Deep calf vein and muscular DVT share the same risk factors, short and long-term prognoses. - In patients without history of cancer, risk of unknown cancer is similar in patients with a first distal or proximal DVT. - After 3years and once anticoagulation has been stopped, distal DVT recur twice less as proximal DVT and mainly as distal DVT; However, in cancer patients, prognosis of distal and proximal DVT appear similar in terms of death and VTE recurrence.

Is Hematopoietic Clonality of Indetermined Potential a Risk Factor for Pulmonary Embolism?

Background Unprovoked pulmonary embolism (uPE) is a severe and frequent condition. Identification of new risk factors is mandatory to identify patients that would benefit from a long-term treatment. Clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) is defined by the acquisition of somatic mutations that drive clonal expansion in the absence of cytopenia. Its prevalence is estimated of 5% in the population above 65 years. Since inflammation and endothelial dysfunction may share a pathophysiological pathway(1), we hypothesized that CHIP, may be a risk factor for uPE. Methods We conducted a pilot retrospective observational study. Patients with iPE between 18 to 65 years old were included. PE was considered as unprovoked, when no transient nor persistant risk factor was present and when thrombophilia testing was negative. We excluded documented atherosclerosis, personal or familial history of VTE and presence of cytopenias. CHIP proportion in uPE patients were analyzed using next generation sequencing of the coding sequence of a custom panel composed by DNMT3A, ASXL1, SF3B1, TET2 and TP 53 . Results Upon 61 patients with uPE consecutively included, a total of 19 somatic mutations were found in 12 patients (20%) IC95% [10 - 20]. 15 mutations were found in DNMT3A gene, 3 in ASXL1 and one in TET2 . There was no diference in terms of age, PE location, DVT presence and risk stratification in CHIP carriers and non carriers. Conclusion We report for the first time, the presence of high rates of CHIP in patients presenting with uPE. Thus, CHIP may be a new risk factor for VTE. These results need to be confirmed in an ongoing prospective case-control study including more patients and using a more diverse gene panel to better determine CHIP incidence in uPE.

Epidemiology and risk factors for cancer-associated thrombosis.

Cancer associated thrombosis (CAT) has been demonstrated a long time ago and is a frequent comorbid condition. Some risk factors are well established and related to the treatment of cancer: surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, indwelling catheters. Other risk factors depend on tumour type and patient presentation, in particular pancreatic and brain cancer, bed resting and previous venous thrombosis. With the advances in cancer treatment and care, patients with cancer live longer and experience various therapies, sometimes during a long time. There is a need to better define the incidence and prevalence of CAT in the light of new therapeutic strategies and patient survival. This article focuses on the description of incidence and prevalence of CAT in the literature and on the description of risk factors, traditional but also emerging ones.

[Catatonic melancoly and venous thromboembolism: A risky combination]. / Mélancolie catatonique et maladie thromboembolique veineuse : une association à risque.

Catatonia is defined as a psychiatric syndrome. This syndrome is strongly associated with venous thromboembolism. As a difficult diagnosis in these patients, psychiatrists and vascular physicians should be aware of this association. We report here a clinical case of this association and discuss the diagnosis difficulties and therapeutics options.

[Bacillus cereus endocarditis and a probable cutaneous gateway]. / Endocardite à Bacillus cereus avec probable porte d'entrée cutanée.

BACKGROUND: Bacillus cereus is a ubiquitous telluric organism. B. cereus endocarditis is a rare condition seen mostly in prosthetic heart valves and among intravenous drug users. We report a new case of a patient without risk factors and with a good clinical outcome not requiring valve replacement. CASE REPORT: In October 2014, a 50-year-old woman was referred to the dermatology department of Lille University Hospital for lower-limb wounds developing 6 months earlier. She presented fever without clinical signs of infection, except for the lower-limbs wounds. Blood cultures revealed the presence of B. cereus. Transesophageal echocardiography was performed and revealed two foci of aortic valve vegetation with a diameter of 5mm. After bacterial sensitivity testing, rifampicin and levofloxacin treatment was given for six weeks, with complete remission. A skin graft was performed and good improvement was seen. DISCUSSION: Nineteen cases of B. cereus endocarditis have been described previously, only one of which was without risk factors. We described a case of complete remission after a 6-week course of antibiotics. Our case demonstrates that BC should not be considered as a blood culture contamination, and that treatment may be complex due to antibiotic resistance.

Long term use of metformin in idiopathic cyclic edema, report of thirteen cases and review of the literature.

INTRODUCTION: Idiopathic cyclic edema (ICE) is a rare cause of edema. To date, there is no standard of care. The physiopathology of ICE could be explained by an impairment of capillary permeability. In 1995, a study demonstrated the efficacy of metformin on symptoms and capillary permeability. We evaluated ICE-patients who were treated with metformin in our department. METHODS: We retrospectively included patients diagnosed for ICE between January 1997 and October 2013. ICE was diagnosed in the presence of edema after excluding other etiologies. LANDIS test was used to support ICE diagnosis in all patients. The absence of edema at follow-up was considered as complete response (CR), partial decreased was considered as partial response (PR). Adverse events were recorded. RESULTS: Thirteen patients have accepted to use metformin. The median treatment duration was 28.5 months [8-167] and the median follow-up of treated patients was 40.5 months [14-167]. CR was reached in 10 patients (77%), and PR in 2 patients (15%). Two patients reported side-effects as diarrheas and one of them stopped the treatment due to mild diarrhea. CONCLUSION: We report the interest and tolerance of the long-term use of metformin in ICE. No severe adverse events were noticed. A prospective study is needed to confirm the efficacy of metformin in ICE-patients.