Case Report: Optical Coherence Tomography Usage for Treatment of the Chronically Lost Stent in the Left Main Coronary Artery.

Acute adverse outcomes of a stent loss during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are well described, however, data on long-term consequences are scarce, especially with intravascular imaging. We report a case of a coronary stent loss in the left main and ostial left circumflex artery (LCx) bifurcation and its migration into the LCx ostium during PCI procedures. This rare complication, which was not immediately noticed, was verified and successfully resolved 5 months after using optical coherence tomography and right trans-radial access. Considering the infrequency of this complication, few cases have been reported, however, our case has several distinct specificities. We aim to encourage the crushing technique in cases of chronic stent loss when the retrieval is not an option and highlight the optical coherence tomography (OCT) value in imaging and evaluation of similar complex settings.

Acute Occlusion of the Infarct-Related Artery as a Predictor of Very Long-Term Mortality in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction.

AIM: The survey's aim was to examine the significance of infarct-related artery (IRA) occlusion (verified angiographically) on very long-term outcomes of patients with acute myocardial infarction, within the STEMI and NSTEMI diagnosis. METHODS: A single-center, nonrandomized, registry-based study on patients treated for acute coronary syndrome with percutaneous coronary intervention between June 2011 and December 2016 was conducted. Patients with angiographically proven IRA occlusion (100% stenosis with TIMI flow 0 distal to occlusion) were categorized as occlusive myocardial infarction (OMI) and patients with patent IRA (50-99% stenosis with TIMI 1-3 flow) were categorized as nonocclusive myocardial infarction (NOMI) and very long-term outcomes were analyzed. Data were collected prospectively from the hospital's PCI registry and the database of the Croatian Institute of Public Health. RESULTS: A total of 2450 patients were included in the study. 796 (32.5%) patients had NOMI and 1654 patients (67.5%) had OMI. According to ECG changes, 1534 patients presented with STEMI (62,6%) and 916 with NSTEMI (37,8%). 88% of STEMI patients presented with OMI and 12% with NOMI, while patients with NSTEMI in 33,8% presented with OMI and in 66,81% with NOMI. A median follow-up was 4.7 years. There was no significant difference in cardiovascular mortality between the groups (14.8% vs 13.1%; OMI vs NOMI, respectively; p=0.374) neither in all-cause mortality (19% vs 21.5%; OMI vs NOMI, respectively; p=0.374). Patients with NSTEMI had a significantly higher very long-term mortality (21.6% vs 18.1%; NSTEMI vs STEMI, respectively; p=0.029). CONCLUSION: The main findings of the study are as follows: (1) total IRA occlusion was not associated with higher long-term mortality; (2) NSTEMI was associated with a higher mortality rate compared with STEMI, independent of angiographic presentation (OMI/NOMI); (3) IRA occlusion was not associated with significantly higher mortality rates in patients with STEMI and NSTEMI, respectively.

Provisional focal stenting of complex femoropopliteal lesions using the Multi-LOC multiple stent delivery system - 12-month results from the LOCOMOTIVE EXTENDED study.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate a Multiple Stent Delivery System for provisional focal stenting of the femoropopliteal artery. Patient and methods: The LOCOMOTIVE EXTENDED study (Multi-LOC for flOw liMiting Outcomes after plain old balloon angioplasty and/or drug-coated balloon Treatment in the infrainguinal position with the objectIVE to implant multiple stent segments) is a prospective, single-arm, multicentre observational study. The Multi-LOC Multiple Stent Delivery System (B.Braun, Melsungen, Germany) was used for provisional focal stenting of the femoropopliteal artery. We enrolled 357 patients with 449 femoropopliteal lesions; all had flow-limiting dissections or recoil following angioplasty. Eligibility included Rutherford classification 2 to 5 with a de novo or non-stented restenotic femoropopliteal lesion undergoing plain balloon or drug-coated balloon angioplasty. The 6- and 12-month efficacy endpoints encompassed target lesion revascularisation and primary patency rates. Results: The mean patient age was 71 ± 10 years. The mean lesion length was 16.0 ± 9.7 cm; 44.5% were TASC II C/D lesions and 31.4% were chronic total occlusions. By operator choice, 45% of the patients underwent drug-coated balloon angioplasty. On average, 4.0 stents (each 13 mm long) were placed in each lesion, resulting in a scaffolding proportion of 56% of the total lesion length with a technical success rate of 98.3%. At 6 and 12 months, the freedom from clinically driven target lesion revascularisation was 95.5% and 88.7% and the primary patency rates were 88.7% and 82.3%, respectively. At 12 months, significant improvements were noted in Rutherford categories and ankle-brachial indices. In multiple regression analyses, both diabetes mellitus and no distal run-off vessel showed a trend toward worse TLR, while other factors such as DCB predilation or the lesion length were not predictive. Conclusions: The LOCOMOTIVE EXTENDED study demonstrated the safety and efficacy of the Multi-LOC stent system for focal provisional stenting of complex femoropopliteal lesions.

Impact of intracoronary contrast injection pressure on reperfusion during primary percutaneous coronary intervention in acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: A prospective randomized pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Distal embolization of plaque and thrombotic debris in the infarct-related artery (IRA) may lead to microvascular obstruction resulting in impaired myocardial reperfusion.The aim of the study was to assess the impact of contrast injection pressure in IRA, during primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), on myocardial reperfusion in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). METHODS: This prospective, randomized, open label, pilot trial evaluated acute STEMI patients who underwent primary PCI, with blinded evaluation of end points. Patients were assigned to higher injection pressure group A (550 pound/inch2) or lower injection pressure group B (200 pound/inch2). Primary endpoint was the postprocedural incidence of restored myocardial perfusion defined as myocardial blush grade (MBG) 3. RESULTS: Study included 100 consecutive acute STEMI patients, with median age of 63 (56-72) years (77% men) who were randomized to higher and lower injection pressure group. Baseline demographic, clinical and angiographic characteristics did not differ significantly between the groups. There were no significant differences between the study groups regarding difference in achieved MBG 3 (33 vs 36 patients, p = 0.247) nor regarding the ST-segment deviation score neither immediately after (3 vs 4 mm, p > 0.3) nor 24 h after primary PCI (2 vs 3 mm, p > 0.3). CONCLUSION: There was no impact of lower intracoronary contrast injection pressure in comparison to higher injection pressure, during primary PCI in patients with acute STEMI, on myocardial reperfusion as assessed by MBG or ST segment changes in the ECG.The study was registered at registry ClinicalTrials.gov with the registration number: NCT03445364, on February 26th 2018.

Noninvasive Recanalization of a Coronary Chronic Total Occlusion.

BACKGROUND: Spontaneous recanalization of a chronically occluded artery is rare and reported anecdotally. CASE SUMMARY: We report a case of a patient with a chronically occluded right coronary artery, found on a coronary angiography performed due to acute ST elevation myocardial infarction with an occluded circumflex artery as a culprit lesion. Three months later, a follow-up angiography was performed and a recanalization of the occluded right coronary artery was detected. DISCUSSION: There is a possibility that intrinsic fibrinolytic mechanisms with the additional effect of standard antithrombotic drugs administrated after the acute coronary event led to the recanalization.

Nutritional Considerations of Cardiovascular Diseases and Treatments.

Nutritional considerations of many chronic diseases are not fully understood or taken into consideration in everyday clinical practice. Therefore, it is not surprising that high proportion of hospitalized patients with cardiovascular diseases remains underdiagnosed with malnutrition. Malnourished patients have increased risk of poor clinical outcomes, complications rate, prolonged hospital stay, more frequent rehospitalizations, and lower quality of life. The purpose of this review is to recapitulate recent data on nutritional considerations in cardiovascular medicine.

C-reactive protein, renal function, and cardiovascular outcome in patients with symptomatic peripheral artery disease and preserved left ventricular systolic function.

AIM: To investigate the prognostic role of C-reactive protein (CRP) and renal function for the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients with symptomatic peripheral artery disease (PAD) and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). METHODS: The occurrence of MACE, defined as composite endpoint of acute myocardial infarction, urgent coronary revascularization, stroke, and death was assessed in 319 consecutive PAD patients admitted to the University Hospital between January 2010 and January 2014 (66.5% men, mean [±standard deviation] age 70±10 years, mean ankle brachial index 0.58±0.14) with normal LVEF (>50%). Multivariate Cox regression analysis adjusted for age, sex, traditional cardiovascular risk factors, anemia, polyvascular disease, critical limb ischemia (CLI), statin treatment, CRP (>5 mg/L), and impaired renal function (estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min) was applied to assess the independent predictors of MACE. RESULTS: During median follow-up period of 24 months (interquartile range, 16-34 months), 77 patients (24%) experienced MACE. Compared to patients without MACE, these patients were older, more likely to have CLI, polyvascular disease, anemia, elevated CRP, and impaired renal function. In multivariate regression analysis, age (HR 1.04, 95% CI 1.01-1.07), polyvascular disease (HR 1.95, 95% CI 1.23-3.09), elevated CRP (HR 1.89, 95% CI 1.18-3.02), and impaired renal function (HR 1.68, 95% C 1.01-2.78) remained independent predictors of MACE. Patients with both impaired renal function and high CRP values on admission were 3.59 times more likely to experience MACE than patients with normal CRP and preserved renal function. CONCLUSION: Elevated admission CRP and renal impairment are independent predictors of MACE in symptomatic PAD patients with preserved LVEF.

The association of ventricular tachycardia and endothelial dysfunction in the setting of acute myocardial infarction with ST elevation.

BACKGROUND: Ventricular tachycardia (VT) is frequently seen in ischemic settings like acute myocardial infarction with ST segment elevation (STEMI). Endothelial dysfunction (ED) represents inflammation and the loss of all protective features of the endothelium. We aimed to examine the association between VT and ED in patients with STEMI. MATERIAL/METHODS: The study included 90 subjects (30 with VT and acute STEMI, 30 with STEMI without VT, and 30 controls). Sera of all subjects were tested on ED markers by enzyme immunoassay: sICAM-1 (intracellular adhesive molecule-1), sVCAM-1 (vascular adhesive molecule-1), P- and E-selectins, and VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor). In addition, CRP (C-reactive protein) was detected. RESULTS: Significantly increased values of low-density lipoprotein, triglycerides, leukocytes, creatinine, and the number of cigarettes smoked were observed among patients with VT+STEMI in comparison to controls. The levels of E-selectin were significantly lower in the VT+STEMI group than in the other groups, while the levels of VCAM-1 were significantly higher in the groups with STEMI and VT+STEMI compared to the controls. Lower levels of VEGF were recorded in STEMI and VT+STEMI groups compared to the control group. A significant correlation between CRP and VCAM-1 in patients with VT +STEMI was demonstrated. CONCLUSIONS: We showed that ED may have a role in the immunopathogenesis of VT in patients with STEMI. The role of sE- selectin and correlation of sVCAM-1 with CRP as possible ED predictive markers in patients with VT+STEMI should be further investigated in a large cohort of patients.

Successful management of the superior mesenteric artery occlusion in 86-year-old female: case report.

Chronic superior mesentery ischemia often presents a clinically asymptomatic diffuse atherosclerotic process. There are no compelling recommendations on the benefits of early revascularization strategy besides antithrombotic prophylaxis and statin treatment. Conversely, long-term prevalence of symptomatic cases in surgical patient cohorts is rarely reported in the literature. Acutization of chronic ischemia has a severe clinical course, so timely recognition may be considered lifesaving. We present a case of an 86-year-old woman hospitalized for acutized atherosclerotic narrowing of superior mesenteric artery. The patient was urgently operated on by aorto-mesenteric ring prosthesis revascularization. Postoperative course was uneventful and the patient regained 10 kilograms in the next few months.

Repetitive stent fractures with diffuse coronary artery microaneurysm formation--sirolimus eluting stent hypersensitivity?

While drug eluting stents (DES) are being more widely used in ever more patients receiving DES each day, some new complications may be emerging. Stent fractures and hypersensitivity reactions to stents are among recognized complications that can lead to therapeutic dead end from the interventional cardiologist's point of view. We present a case in which we reached therapeutic dead end with a sirolimus eluting stent, i.e. repetitive stent fractures with diffuse microaneurysms along the implanted DES, possibly due to hypersensitivity reaction to parts of the stent.

Wellens' syndrome in a female patient presenting to emergency room after resolving exercise-induced chest pain.

Wellens' syndrome, also known as the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary T wave syndrome, is a potentially under-recognized syndrome in emergency room, which can have potentially fatal consequences. It usually consists of typical electrocardiography (ECG) finding in precordial leads that represents significant stenosis of the proximal LAD. Although the syndrome is not included in indications for primary percutaneous coronary intervention (patients with typical ECG findings are usually pain free at the time of recording), every patient with suspicion of typical Wellens' syndrome should be seen by interventional cardiologist and considered for emergency cardiac catheterization. A case is reported of a patient with no previous medical history of coronary disease and with only one risk factor for cardiovascular disease that presented to emergency room with typical Wellens' syndrome.

Natural killer cell cytotoxicity and lymphocyte perforin expression in veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on the measures of immune function and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis components, and to determine whether additional life stressors affect measured variables. METHODS: We simultaneously examined the natural killer cell cytotoxicity (NKCC), perforin and glucocorticoid receptor (GCR) expression in natural killer (NK) and cytotoxic T (CD8) cells, as well as serum cortisol concentration in a group of Croatian war veterans with chronic, combat-related PTSD (n=29) and a group of healthy, age-matched men (n=13). PTSD patients were divided into two subgroups: compensation-seeking (n=15) and retired or compensation non-seeking (n=14) subjects. The former includes those involved in the process of getting disability-based army retirement as an additional life stressor. RESULTS: NKCC was decreased in both PTSD groups when compared to controls. Impairment of NKCC could not be attributed to the perforin expression as perforin was not decreased in comparison to controls. Moreover, the increased level of perforin was recorded in NK cells of retired PTSD subjects. Both PTSD groups shared an increased relative quantity of GCR in lymphocytes, whereas no difference between the groups in the baseline levels of serum cortisol was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Diminished NKCC was not accompanied by perforin insufficiency in PTSD subjects, and other causes should be examined. An additional life stressor does not contribute considerably to either immune or endocrine system related changes.

B-type natriuretic peptide as predictor of heart failure in patients with acute ST elevation myocardial infarction, single-vessel disease, and complete revascularization: follow-up study.

AIM: To assess the concentration of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) as a predictor of heart failure in patients with acute ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with successful and complete revascularization. METHODS: Out of a total of 220 patients with acute STEMI admitted to the Sisters of Mercy University Hospital in the period January 1 to December 31, 2007, only patients with acute STEMI undergoing primary PCI who had single vessel disease and were successfully revascularized were included in the study. Selected patients had no history of myocardial infarction or heart failure and a normal or near-normal left ventricular ejection fraction (> or =50%) assessed by left ventriculography at admission. Only 58 patients met the inclusion criteria for the study. Out of those, 6 patients refused to participate in the study, and another 5 could not be followed up, so a total of 47 patients were evaluated. Blood samples were taken for measurement of BNP levels at admission, 24 hours later, and 7 days later. Patients were followed up for 1 year. The primary outcome was reduction in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) to <50% after 1 year. RESULTS: Patients who developed echocardiographic signs of reduced systolic function defined as LVEF<50% had significantly higher values of BNP (> or =80 pg/mL) at 24 hours (P=0.001) and 7 days (P=0.020) after STEMI and successful reperfusion. Patients who had BNP levels > or =80 pg/mL after 7 days were 21 times more likely to develop LVEF<50 (odds ratio, 20.8; 95% confidence interval, 2.2-195.2; P=0.008). CONCLUSION: BNP can be used as a predictor of reduced systolic function in patients with STEMI who underwent successful reperfusion and had normal ejection fraction at admission.