Characteristics, Antithrombotic Patterns, and Prognostic Outcomes in Claudication and Critical Limb-Threatening Ischemia Undergoing Endovascular Therapy.

PURPOSE: The underlying difference between intermittent claudication (IC) and critical limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) still remains unclear. This prospective multicenter observational study aimed to clarify differences in clinical features and prognostic outcomes between IC and CLTI, and prognostic factors in patients undergoing endovascular therapy (EVT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 692 patients with 808 limbs were enrolled from 20 institutions in Japan. The primary measurements were the 3-year rates of major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE) and reintervention. RESULTS: Among patients, 79.0% had IC and 21.0% had CLTI. Patients with CLTI were more frequently women and more likely to have impaired functional status, undernutrition, comorbidities, hypercoagulation, hyperinflammation, distal artery disease, short single antiplatelet and long anticoagulation therapies, and late cilostazol than patients with IC. Aortoiliac and femoropopliteal diseases were dominant in patients with IC and infrapopliteal disease was dominant in patients with CLTI. Patients with CLTI underwent less frequently aortoiliac intervention and more frequently infrapopliteal intervention than patients with IC. Longitudinal change of ankle-brachial index (ABI) exhibited different patterns between IC and CLTI (pinteraction=0.002), but ABI improved after EVT both in IC and in CLTI (p<0.001), which was sustained over time. Dorsal and plantar skin perfusion pressure in CLTI showed a similar improvement pattern (pinteraction=0.181). Distribution of Rutherford category improved both in IC and in CLTI (each p<0.001). Three-year MACE rates were 20.4% and 42.3% and 3-year reintervention rates were 22.1% and 46.8% for patients with IC and CLTI, respectively (log-rank p<0.001). Elevated D-dimer (p=0.001), age (p=0.043), impaired functional status (p=0.018), and end-stage renal disease (p=0.019) were independently associated with MACE. After considering competing risks of death and major amputation for reintervention, elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (p=0.003) and infrainguinal intervention (p=0.002) were independently associated with reintervention. Patients with CLTI merely showed borderline significance for MACE (adjusted hazard ratio 1.700, 95% confidence interval 0.950-3.042, p=0.074) and reintervention (adjusted hazard ratio 1.976, 95% confidence interval 0.999-3.909, p=0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The CLTI is characterized not only by more systemic comorbidities and distal disease but also by more inflammatory coagulation disorder compared with IC. Also, CLTI has approximately twice MACE and reintervention rates than IC, and the underlying inflammatory coagulation disorder per se is associated with these outcomes. CLINICAL IMPACT: The underlying difference between intermittent claudication (IC) and critical limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) still remains unclear. This prospective multicenter observational study, JPASSION study found that CLTI was characterized not only by more systemic comorbidities and distal disease but also by more inflammatory coagulation disorder compared to IC. Also, CLTI had approximately twice major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE) and reintervention rates than IC. Intriguingly, the underlying inflammatory coagulation disorder per se was independently associated with MACE and reintervention. Further studies to clarify the role of anticoagulation and anti-inflammatory therapies will contribute to the development of post-interventional therapeutics in the context of peripheral artery disease.

Resolution of left ventricular thrombus secondary to tachycardia-induced heart failure with rivaroxaban.

A 42-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of lumbago and tachycardia-induced heart failure. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed impaired left ventricular function and a ball mass of thrombus in the left ventricle (LV). He was found to have systemic embolism in the spleen, kidneys, brain, and limbs. The patient was treated with limb thrombectomy followed by anticoagulation. Seven days after the direct factor Xa inhibitor, rivaroxaban, was initiated, transthoracic echocardiography was repeated, revealing disappearance of the LV thrombus without any clinical signs of cardiogenic embolism. His heart failure responded well and the LV wall motion had improved. This case suggests rivaroxaban has fibrinolytic effects on thrombi even in the LV.

A case of idiopathic giant cell myocarditis with a past history of sarcoidosis.

A 70-year-old woman with back pain and breathlessness was referred to our hospital for suspected myocardial infarction. Coronary angiogram was normal and endomyocardial biopsy showed inflammatory cell infiltrates consisting of eosinophils and multinucleated giant cells. The clinical course was hemodynamically fulminant, but steroid therapy improved the cardiac function. Interestingly, this patient had a past history of sarcoidosis. We diagnosed this case with idiopathic giant cell myocarditis (IGCM) from its clinical course. However, whether IGCM and cardiac sarcoidosis belong to the same histological entity has been debated. This case is important with respect to the pathogenic association between these two disorders. .

Acute effect of sodium nitroprusside on microvascular dysfunction in patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention for acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

Even in the era of thrombus aspiration and distal protection for ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI), microvascular dysfunction does exist and improvement of microvascular dysfunction can improve the prognosis and/or left ventricular dysfunction. We evaluated the acute effects of nitroprusside (NTP) on coronary microvascular injury that occurred after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for STEMI in 18 patients. The final Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction trial (TIMI) flow grade after PCI was 3 in 17 patients and 2 in 1 patient. The index of microcirculatory resistance (IMR) was improved significantly from 76 ± 42 to 45 ± 37 (P = 0.0006) by intracoronary NTP administration. IMR improved to the normal range (IMR < 30) in 9 patients (50%). Higher TIMI flow grade and lower IMR at baseline were observed more frequently in patients whose IMR recovered to normal range after NTP administration. NTP improved the microcirculatory dysfunction at the acute phase in patients who underwent PCI for STEMI and had final TIMI 3 flow in almost all cases.

Sodium bicarbonate for the prevention of contrast-induced nephropathy: the efficacy of high concentration solution.

BACKGROUND: The appropriate dose of sodium bicarbonate to prevent contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) has not been established. METHODS AND RESULTS: To determine the efficacy of high-concentration sodium bicarbonate, 123 consecutive patients with renal dysfunction undergoing coronary angiography with/without intervention were administrated either high-concentration (group H: 833 mEq/L, n = 87) or low-concentration (group L: 160 mEq/L, n = 36) sodium bicarbonate at the rate of 3 mL/kg/h for 1 hour before the contrast exposure, and followed by 1 mL/kg/h for 7 hours. A total of 77 patients (group H, n = 54; group L, n = 23) without prophylactic continuous hemodiafiltration were analyzed in this study. Urine pH (n = 10 for each group and n = 5 for control) was increased by concentration and time-dependent manner in each group. Urine pH at 3 hours after administration of sodium bicarbonate was significantly higher in group H than group L and control (8.50 ± 0.94 vs 6.95 ± 1.17 vs 5.70 ± 0.97, respectively; P<.001). Incidence of CIN (0% vs 17.3%; P=.005) was lower in group H than group L. Percent change in creatinine within 48 hours was significantly lower in group H than group L (-2.65 ± 9.83% vs 9.14 ± 14.0%; P=.001). Percent change in estimated glomerular filtration rate within 48 hours was significantly higher in group H than group L (3.97 ± 11.8 vs -7.43 ± 13.3; P<.001). CONCLUSION: Administration of a higher concentration of sodium bicarbonate was more effective for urine alkalization and prevention of CIN.

Ruptured plaque in a bare-metal stent 8 years after implantation-Comparison of IVUS and OCT findings.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) and intravascular ultrasound tomography (IVUS) findings in a patient with very late in-stent restenosis that was manifested as acute coronary syndrome 8 years after bare-metal stent implantation are presented. This case clearly shows the disruption of thin fibrous cap associated with a white thrombus by OCT. A superficial high signal with deep attenuation by OCT, composing more than half of the plaque, was expressed as heterogeneous tissue, mainly composed of echolucent lesion including outside the struts by IVUS. OCT was very useful, like it is for de novo vulnerable plaques, to evaluate vulnerable plaque that had formed in a previously implanted stent. On the other hand, tissue outside the stent struts could be visualized by IVUS. Combined use of OCT and IVUS was useful for understanding the plaque characteristics of ruptured vulnerable plaque that had formed in a previously implanted bare-metal stent even after stabilization of neointimal hyperplasia.

Late in-stent restenosis after sirolimus-eluting stent implantation is related to thrombus formation-Insight from a case with IVUS, OCT, and histological findings.

We experienced a case of very late in-stent restenosis of a sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) (3.0 mm × 18 mm) in the left anterior descending coronary artery in a 62-year-old man with type 2 diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, and hypertension. Angina pectoris recurred 39 months after the index percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We performed PCI with optical coherence tomography (OCT) and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) guidance. OCT showed very eccentric low signal plaque with a high signal thin cap on the delayed healing stent struts without intimal coverage. IVUS showed that the plaque was eccentric and hypoechogenic with a "black hole appearance." We used a filter wire (Filtrap™, Nipro, Osaka, Japan) to prevent distal embolism. Filter no-reflow occurred after predilatation. We deployed a paclitaxel-eluting stent followed by postdilatation. After aspiration and Filtrap™ withdrawal, thrombolysis in myocardial infarction 3 flow was obtained. Histopathological analysis revealed that the main tissue was composed of fibrin deposits with scarce inflammatory cells and proteoglycans. This case revealed that fibrin formation is related to very late in-stent restenosis and OCT and IVUS characteristics of this case are shown.

Double chambered right ventricle with severe calcification of the tricuspid valve in an elderly woman: a case report.

INTRODUCTION: Double chambered right ventricle is a rare congenital cardiac anomaly in which the right ventricle is divided into two chambers by an anomalous muscle bundle. The diagnosis of this disorder is difficult in adults. Calcification of the tricuspid valve is extremely rare, and very few cases have been reported. Most cases of tricuspid valve calcification had a congenital disorder with high pressure in the right ventricle. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a rare case of a 71-year-old Japanese woman who presented with chest discomfort, and was found to have a double chambered right ventricle with severe calcification of the tricuspid valve. This abnormality was found by echocardiography, and the diagnosis was confirmed by multislice cardiac computerized tomography, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, and cardiac catheterization. Our patient rejected surgical repair, and medical therapy with carvedilol was effective to reduce her symptoms. CONCLUSION: Calcification of the tricuspid valve is extremely rare, and considered to be due to high pressure in the right ventricle. To the best of our knowledge, there are no other reported cases of this combination of double chambered right ventricle and calcification of the tricuspid valve.

Angiographic and clinical characteristics of patients with acetylcholine-induced coronary vasospasm on follow-up coronary angiography following drug-eluting stent implantation.

UNLABELLED: Recent studies have shown that drug-eluting stents (DES) induce vascular endothelial dysfunction in both Cypher and Taxus stents. These studies evaluated coronary vasomotion in the peristent coronary segment for 1 lesion with 1 DES. The angiographic and clinical characteristics of real-world patients with coronary spasm following DES implantation have not been well documented. METHODS AND RESULTS: All patients at our hospital who underwent coronary angiography at follow up after DES deployment (Cypher and Taxus stents) between July 2007 and March 2009 were included. We performed an acetylcholine (ACh) provocation test for diagnosing coronary vasospasm in 3 vessels, except in patients with significant stenosis or contraindications to ACh administration. ACh provocation test was positive in 36/55 of the coronary arteries (65.4%) and in 30/42 of the patients with DES (71.4%). There was no difference in the positive rate between patients with and without symptoms. A total of 13/20 asymptomatic patients (65.0%) also showed positive results. In patients with positive results in the ACh provocation test, vasoconstriction at segments distal to the stent was exaggerated compared with corresponding segments in non-stented vessels (0.46 ± 0.27 versus 0.31 ± 0.20, respectively; p = 0.008). Vessels with positive results had a longer stent length compared with those with negative results (31.6 ± 13.6 mm versus 24.2 ± 11.2 mm, respectively; p = 0.049). CONCLUSION: Coronary vasoconstriction was exaggerated at distal segments in DES-implanted vessels compared to non-stented vessel segments and stent length was longer in the ACh provocation test positive group.

Low incidence of cardiac events in statin-administered patients in CAG study.

AIM: The effect of statins in preventing cardiac events in Japanese coronary artery disease (CAD) patients was studied in a retrospective investigation of 148 patients diagnosed with CAD by coronary angiography (CAG). METHODS: Sixty-five patients received statins within 2 weeks after CAG, and 83 patients did not receive statins after CAG. RESULTS: In the statin group, total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were reduced significantly with statin administration (p<0.01). In the non-statin group, baseline levels of TC, LDL-C and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were not changed significantly at the end of the follow-up period. As for the effect of statin in preventing cardiac events, the incidence of cardiac events was significantly lower (p<0.0003) in the statin group (n=5: 8%) than in the non-statin group (n=28: 34%). In subanalysis of 37 patients whose TC at the time of initial CAG was less than 200 mg/dL, none of the statin group (n=17) suffered a cardiac event. This was significantly lower than the incidence of cardiac events in the non-statin group (n=5: 25%; p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrated that lowering LDL-C of Japanese CAD patients by statin administration is effective to prevent cardiac events, particularly, a second percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for restenosis of a coronary artery following the initial PCI whether or not these patients had hypercholesterolemia.