Importance of confirming the underlying diagnosis in patients with myocardial infarction and non-obstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA): a single-centre retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Many patients with myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA) are discharged without a known aetiology for their clinical presentation. This study sought to assess the effect of this 'indeterminate MINOCA' diagnosis on the prevalence of recurrent cardiovascular events and presentations to the Cardiac Emergency Department (CED). METHODS: We retrospectively analysed all patients meeting the diagnostic MINOCA criteria presenting at a large secondary hospital between January 2017 and April 2019. PARTICIPANTS: Patients were divided into the (1) 'indeterminate MINOCA', or (2) 'MINOCA with diagnosis' group. The primary outcome was the occurrence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) defined as the composite of all-cause mortality, non-fatal myocardial infarction, stroke and any revascularisation procedure. Secondary outcomes were all recurrent visits at the CED, and MACE including unplanned cardiac hospitalisation. RESULTS: In 62/198 (31.3%) MINOCA patients, a conclusive diagnosis was found (myocardial infarction, (peri)myocarditis, cardiomyopathy, or miscellaneous). MINOCA patients with a confirmed diagnosis were younger compared to those with an indeterminate diagnosis (56.7 vs. 62.3 years, p = 0.007), had higher maximum troponin-T [238 ng/L vs. 69 ng/L, p < 0.001] and creatine kinase (CK) levels [212U/L vs. 152U/L, p = 0.007], and presented more frequently with electrocardiographic signs of ischaemia (71.0% vs. 47.1%, p = 0.002). Indeterminate MINOCA patients more often showed recurrent CED presentations (36.8% vs. 22.6%, p = 0.048), however the occurrence of cardiovascular events was equal (8.8 vs. 8.1%, p = 0.86). Multivariable analysis showed that elevated levels of troponin-T and CK, ST-segment deviation on electrocardiography, reduced left ventricular ejection fraction, regional wall motion abnormalities, and performance of additional examination methods were independent predictors for finding the underlying MINOCA cause. CONCLUSIONS: Only in one-third of MINOCA patients a conclusive diagnosis for the acute presentation was identified. Recurrent CED visits were more often observed in the indeterminate MINOCA group, while the occurrence of cardiovascular events was similar across groups. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Retrospectively registered.

Design and rationale of ischaemia-driven complete revascularisation versus usual care in patients with non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction and multivessel coronary disease: the South Limburg Myocardial Infarction (SLIM) trial.

AIMS: To compare ischaemia-driven complete coronary revascularisation by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with usual care in patients with non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (non-STEMI) and multivessel disease (MVD). METHODS: The South Limburg Myocardial Infarction (SLIM) trial (NCT03562572) is an investigator-initiated, prospective, multicentre, randomised controlled trial that compares fractional flow reserve (FFR)-guided complete revascularisation during the index procedure with usual care in non-STEMI patients with MVD. A total of 414 patients will be randomised in a 1:1 fashion. The primary endpoint is the composite of all-cause mortality, non-fatal myocardial infarction, and any revascularisation and stroke (MACCE) at 12 months. The secondary endpoints are: MACCE at 24 and 36 months, and the composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, any revascularisation, stroke, major bleeding and left ventricular ejection fraction below 45% at 12, 24 and 36 months. Furthermore, quality of life will be assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and the Short Form (36) Health Survey (SF-36) at 1 and 12 months of follow-up. CONCLUSION: The SLIM trial aims to provide evidence whether FFR-guided complete revascularisation by PCI is superior to usual care with respect to clinical outcomes (major adverse cardiovascular events) in non-STEMI patients with MVD.

Correction to: Guidelines for the management of myocardial infarction/injury with non-obstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA): a position paper from the Dutch ACS working group.

Correction to: Neth Heart J 2019 https://doi.org/10.1007/s12471-019-01344-6 The reference to the term acute coronary syndrome with normal or near-normal (non-obstructive) coronary arteries (ACSNNOCA) from Manolis et al. (2018) was inadvertently omitted to the original published article. Therefore, ….

Guidelines for the management of myocardial infarction/injury with non-obstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA): a position paper from the Dutch ACS working group.

Patients with myocardial infarction and non-obstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA), defined as angiographic stenosis <50%, represent a conundrum given the many potential underlying aetiologies. Possible causes of MINOCA can be subdivided into coronary, myocardial and non-cardiac disorders. MINOCA is found in up to 14% of patients presenting with an acute coronary syndrome. Clinical outcomes including mortality, and functional and psychosocial status, are comparable to those of patients with myocardial infarction and obstructive coronary arteries. However, many uncertainties remain regarding the definition, clinical features and management of these patients. This position paper of the Dutch ACS working group of the Netherlands Society of Cardiology aims to stress the importance of considering MINOCA as a dynamic working diagnosis and to guide the clinician in the management of patients with MINOCA by proposing a clinical diagnostic algorithm.