Femoropopliteal In-stent Restenosis Repair: Midterm Outcomes After Paclitaxel Eluting Balloon Use (PLAISIR Trial).

OBJECTIVE: The aim was to assess 18 month outcomes of the paclitaxel eluting balloon (PEB) in patients with femoropopliteal (FP) in-stent restenosis (ISR). METHODS: In a national prospective and multicentre cohort study, symptomatic patients with femoropopliteal in-stent restenosis were included from January 2012 to June 2013. Patients were treated by paclitaxel eluting balloon angioplasty (In Pact Admiral, Medtronic, Santa Rosa, CA, USA). Clinical and duplex scan follow-up evaluations were performed at 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 18 months. The primary endpoint was freedom from target lesion revascularisation (TLR) at 12 months. Secondary endpoints were major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), Target extremity revascularisation (TER), primary and secondary sustained clinical improvement, recurrent restenosis rate, primary and secondary patency, quality of life assessed by EQ-5D questionnaire, technical success, clinical success, and length of stay RESULTS: A total of 53 patients were enrolled. After a blinded review, 10 patients were defined as protocol violation because restenosis occurred more than 2 years after stent implantation. Procedures were performed in 55 limbs, 48 (87%) for claudication and 7 (13%) for critical limb ischaemia. The mean diameter and length of PEB were 6 ± 0.57 mm and 86 mm ± 32 mm, follow-up was 17 months (range 1-19). At 1 year, the survival rate was 96 ± 2.7% and freedom from TLR and TER were 90.2 ± 4.2% and 85 ± 5%, respectively. Sustained primary and secondary clinical improvements were 78.6 ± 5.7% and 92.0 ± 3.8%, respectively. At 1 year, the primary patency rate was 83.7 ± 5.0%. Prior to the procedure, the mean EQ-5D score was 66 ± 14 and 74 ± 16 at 1 year (p = .10). Two patients died during follow-up; one patient died 33 days after the procedure because of limb ischaemia. CONCLUSION: PEB for the treatment of FP ISR is associated with a low rate of re-interventions and restenosis. Clinical improvement is maintained at 18 months.

[stent thrombosis : A won battle ? (data from the France PCI registry)]. / Thrombose de stent : une bataille gagnée ? (Données du registre France PCI).

GOAL: The aim of the study is to assess the incidence, risk factors and prognosis of definite stent thrombosis (ST) at 1 year in the France PCI multicenter prospective registry. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Only patients who underwent coronary angioplasty with at least one stent implantation between 1st January 2014 and 31 December 2019 were included. The population was separated into 2 groups: the "ST" group with stent thrombosis and the "control" group without stent thrombosis. RESULTS: 35,435 patients were included. 256 patients (0.72%) presented a ST at 1 year. The rate of ST decreased significantly in acute coronary syndrome (1.5% in 2014 vs. 0.73% in 2019; p = 0.05) but not in chronic coronary syndrome (0.46% in 2014 vs 0.40%; p = 0.98). The risk factors are young age (65.8 years vs 68.2; p = 0.002), clinical context (35.27% vs 16.68%; p = 0.0001), diabetes (35.2 % vs 26.4%; p = 0.002), renal failure (11.7% vs 8%; p = 0.009) and history of coronary angioplasty (28.63% vs 21.86%; p = 0.009) and peripheral arterial disease (14.5% vs 10.1%; p = 0.021), LV dysfunction (37% vs 27.5%; p = 0.003), mean length (39.6 mm vs 31, 7mm; p <0.0001) and the mean number of stents per procedure (1.9 vs 1.6; p <0.0001), a TIMI flow ≤1 pre procedure (21.5% vs 12.4%; p <0.0001) and an intrastent restenosis (11% vs 6%; p <0.0001). The 1-year mortality of the ST group was significantly higher than that of the control group (19.14% vs 5.82%; p <0.0001). CONCLUSION: Since 2014, the incidence of ST at 1 year has been decreasing but remains stuck at a floor level of 0.54% in 2019. The battle for ST seems to have been partly won and its risk factors well identified, but its mortality is still high.

Position paper of French Interventional Group (GACI) for TAVI in France in 2018.

Aortic stenosis is a frequent disease in the elderly. Its prevalence is 0.4% with a sharp increase after the age of 65, and its outcome is very poor when the patient becomes symptomatic. The interventional procedure known as TAVI (trans-catheter aortic valve implantation), which was developed in France and carried out for the first time in Rouen by Prof. Alain Cribier and his team in 2002, has proven to be a valid alternative to surgical aortic valve replacement. At first, this technique was shown to be efficient in patients with contra-indications to surgical treatment or deemed to be at high surgical risk. Given the very promising outcomes achieved as a result of close heart team collaboration, appropriate patient selection, simplified procedures and reduced complication rates, transfemoral (TF) TAVI is now preferred in symptomatic intermediate risk patients>75 years old according to the latest ESC guidelines. In 2017, in France, TAVI is currently performed in 50 centers with on-site cardiac surgery. The 2016 TAVI outcomes recorded in the French national TAVI registry (France TAVI) are very encouraging and show that for 7133 patients treated (age 83.4±7 years, logistic Euroscore 14%), 87% of whom via the TF approach, cross-over to surgery was very low (0.5%) with a 3.0% in-hospital mortality rate. The substantial increase in TAVI indications and the improvement of its outcomes may in the near future call for a reconsideration of the number of high volume centers authorized to carry out this technique.

Stent placement compared with balloon angioplasty for small coronary arteries: in-hospital and 6-month clinical and angiographic results.

BACKGROUND: Stenting has been demonstrated to be superior to balloon angioplasty in de novo focal lesions located in large native vessels. However, in small vessels, the benefit of stenting remains questionable. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 381 symptomatic patients with de novo focal lesion located on a small coronary segment vessel (<3 mm) were randomly assigned to either stent implantation (192 patients; 197 lesions) or standard balloon angioplasty (189 patients; 198 lesions). The primary end point was the angiographic restenosis rate at 6 months, as determined by quantitative coronary angiography. On intention-to-treat analysis, angiographic success rate and major adverse cardiac events were comparable: 97.9% and 4.6% versus 93.9% and 5.8% in the stent group and the balloon group, respectively. After the procedure, a larger acute gain was achieved with stent placement (1.35+/-0.45 versus 0.94+/-0.47 mm, P=0.0001), resulting in a larger minimal lumen diameter (2.06+/-0.42 versus 1.70+/-0.46 mm, P=0.0001). At follow-up (obtained in 91% of patients), angiographic restenosis rate was 21% in the stent group versus 47% in the balloon group (P=0.0001), a risk reduction of 55%. Repeat target lesion revascularization was less frequent in the stent group (13% versus 25%, P=0.0006). CONCLUSIONS: Elective stent placement in small coronary arteries with focal de novo lesions is safe and associated with a marked reduction in restenosis rate and subsequent target lesion revascularization rate at 6 months.

Effect of pravastatin on angiographic restenosis after coronary balloon angioplasty. The PREDICT Trial Investigators. Prevention of Restenosis by Elisor after Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to determine whether pravastatin affects clinical or angiographic restenosis after coronary balloon angioplasty. BACKGROUND: Experimental data and preliminary clinical studies suggest that lipid-lowering drugs might have a beneficial effect on restenosis after coronary angioplasty. METHODS: In a multicenter, randomized, double-blind trial, 695 patients were randomized to receive pravastatin (40 mg/day) or placebo for 6 months after successful balloon angioplasty. All patients received aspirin (100 mg/day). The primary angiographic end point was minimal lumen diameter (MLD) at follow-up, assessed by quantitative coronary angiography. A sample size of 313 patients per group was required to demonstrate a difference of 0.13 mm in MLD between groups (allowing for a two-tailed alpha error of 0.05 and a beta error of 0.20). To allow for incomplete angiographic follow-up (estimated lost to follow-up rate of 10%), 690 randomized patients were required. Secondary end points were angiographic restenosis rate (restenosis assessed as a categoric variable, > 50% stenosis) and clinical events (death, myocardial infarction, target vessel revascularization). RESULTS: At baseline, clinical, demographic, angiographic and lipid variables did not differ significantly between groups. In patients treated with pravastatin, there was a significant reduction in total and low density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride levels and a significant increase in high density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. At follow-up the MLD (mean +/- SD) was 1.47 +/- 0.62 mm in the placebo group and 1.54 +/- 0.66 mm in the pravastatin group (p = 0.21). Similarly, late loss and net gain did not differ significantly between groups. The restenosis rate (recurrence > 50% stenosis) was 43.8% in the placebo group and 39.2% in the pravastatin group (p = 0.26). Clinical restenosis did not differ significantly between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Although pravastatin has documented efficacy in reducing clinical events and angiographic disease progression in patients with coronary atherosclerosis, this study shows that it has no effect on angiographic outcome at the target site 6 months after coronary angioplasty.

The French Randomized Optimal Stenting Trial: a prospective evaluation of provisional stenting guided by coronary velocity reserve and quantitative coronary angiography. F.R.O.S.T. Study Group.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to make a prospective comparison of systematic stenting with provisional stenting guided by Doppler measurements of coronary velocity reserve and quantitative coronary angiography. BACKGROUND: Despite the increasing use of stents during percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, it is unclear whether systematic stenting is superior to a strategy of provisional stenting in which stents are placed only in patients with unsatisfactory results or as a bail-out procedure. METHODS: Two hundred fifty-one patients undergoing elective coronary angioplasty were randomly assigned either to provisional stenting (group 1, in which stenting was performed if postangioplasty coronary velocity reserve was <2.2 and/or residual stenosis > or =35% or as bail-out) or to systematic stenting (group 2). The primary end point was the six-month angiographic minimal lumen diameter (MLD). Major adverse cardiac events were secondary end points (death, acute myocardial infarction and target lesion revascularization). RESULTS: Stenting was performed in 48.4% of patients in group 1 and 100% of patients in group 2 (p<0.01). Six months after angioplasty, the MLD did not differ between groups (1.90+/-0.79 mm vs. 1.99+/-0.70 mm, p = 0.39), as was the rate of binary restenosis (27.1% vs. 21.4%, p = 0.37). Among patients with restenosis, 13/32 (40.6%) in group 1 but 100% (25/25) in group 2 had in-stent restenosis (p<0.01). Target lesion revascularization (15.1% vs. 14.4% in groups 1 and 2 respectively, p = 0.89) and major adverse cardiac events (15.1% vs. 16.0%, p = 0.85) were not significantly different. CONCLUSIONS: Systematic stenting does not provide superior angiographic results at six months as compared with provisional stenting.

Clinical and angiographic results of stenting for long coronary arterial atherosclerotic lesions.

A prospective registry of 187 patients who underwent percutaneous coronary angioplasty with attempted long NIR stent delivery was performed. A successful stent delivery was achieved in 93% of cases with a low rate of major cardiovascular events, and 6-month follow-up showed low rates of clinical events, new revascularization procedures, and angiographic restenosis.

Aortopulmonary fistula: an uncommon complication in dystrophic aortic aneurysm.

Wall dissection is a typical complication in the evolution of Marfan aortic aneurysm and usually is associated with valve regurgitation. Formation of a fistula with adjacent structures is very uncommon. We report the case of a 32-year-old man who presented with the typical features of Marfan's syndrome, with chronic aneurysm of the ascending aorta and acute aortopulmonary fistula. Diagnosis was made preoperatively by aortography; operation was performed successfully. A review of the literature only shows a few cases of aortopulmonary fistula in atherosclerotic, syphilitic, or postendocarditis disease.

[Value of echocardiography in the diagnosis of arrhythmias]. / Intérêt de l'échocardiographie dans le diagnostic des troubles du rythme.

Identification of auricular activity is important for the diagnosis of arrhythmias. P waves however are often difficult to recognize. Using M-mode and 2-D echocardiographic techniques, it is often possible to recognize atrial contraction at the level of the atrial septum or of the free wall of the right atrium. Diagnosis can be made in cases of sinus tachycardia, supra ventricular tachycardia with and without aberrancy and ventricular tachycardia with dissociation. Ventricular tachycardia with one to one retrograde conduction or with atrial fibrillation cannot be recognized by this method.

[Thromboses of the right cardiac cavities: echocardiographic diagnosis and therapeutic indications apropos of 2 cases and review of the literature]. / Thromboses des cavités cardiaques droites: diagnostic échocardiographique et indications thérapeutiques à propos de 2 cas et d'une revue de la littérature.

Two cases of pulmonary emboli are reported: a thrombus was detected by echocardiography in the right atrium in the first case and in the right ventricle in the second. Following a review of the 28 cases published to date, criteria are given for distinguishing between those thrombi embolizing from the peripheral veins and those arising in the right cavities of the heart. Therapeutic recommendations are also given.

Coronary artery perforation during coronary angioplasty.

In one patient percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty was complicated by coronary artery perforation of the left anterior descending coronary artery with light pericardial effusion. The outcome was favorable without either pericardiocentesis or emergency surgery.

Role of coronary spasm in the genesis of myocardial infarction: study of a case treated by isosorbide dinitrate in situ then by transluminal angioplasty.

We report the observation of a 62-year-old patient who was admitted for unstable angina. A prolonged chest pain (more than two hours) with a major electrocardiographic lesion in the posterior leads needed an urgent coronary arteriography in order to attempt a recanalization. Antecedents of arteriopathy of the lower limbs with aortobifemoral bypass required an axillary artery right side approach. A selective right coronary opacification showed complete occlusion at the junction of segments 1 and 2. An intracoronary injection of isosorbide dinitrate relieved a coronary spasm and allowed a complete visualization of the right coronary artery. This appeared to be very atherosclerotic with several severe narrowings, and a subocclusive lesion at the site of the initial occlusion. Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasties (PTCA) were performed and led to real 'restructuring' of the right coronary artery. The clinical outcome was excellent without recurrent angina pectoris. An angiographic control performed 6 months after PTCA demonstrated the persistence of the coronary recanalization and an evident improvement of the segmental contractility. This report emphasizes the role of coronary spasm in the genesis of myocardial infarction and shows that PTCA may be performed as a first approach at the acute phase of myocardial infarction; to our knowledge it is the first PTCA performed by an axillary approach at the acute stage of myocardial infarction.

Nicardipine does not significantly affect serum digoxin concentrations at the steady state of patients with congestive heart failure.

Twenty patients in a stable condition suffering from congestive heart failure were treated with digoxin for at least three weeks and then with nicardipine concomitantly for five days. No statistically significant variation in serum digoxin concentrations determined at seven control times during a 24-hour period or in its mean concentration was found in the two groups of values examined before and after the concurrent nicardipine treatment. The mean increase of 6.8% in the AUC0----24h was not significant either. Since the maximum increase in serum digoxin concentrations at the steady state never exceeded 0.5 ng/ml, a toxic effect is not likely to occur in patients whose digoxin levels are normally monitored.

[Transluminal dilatation of occluded coronary arteries. Value of retrograde opacification of the occluded vessel by the contralateral artery]. / Dilatation endoluminale d'artères coronaires occluses. Intérêt de l'opacification rétrograde du vaisseau occlus par l'artère controlatérale.

The authors report the results of 8 cases of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty of occluded arteries: the artery concerned was the proximal segment of the left anterior descending artery in 5 cases and the proximal segment of the right coronary artery in 3 cases. All patients had unstable angina with a very positive exercise stress test. The conservation of viable myocardium was the result of an excellent collateral circulation from the controlateral vessel in all patients. In 7 out of the 8 cases, the guide wire and dilating balloon were correctly positioned by opacifying the distal segments of the occluded artery by injection of contrast into the controlateral artery. Almost simultaneous injection of the occluded and controlateral vessels allowed evaluation of the length of the occlusion. Controlateral opacification disappeared immediately after adequate recanalisation to reappear during inflation of the balloon. These cases show that in patients with chronic coronary occlusion, opacification of its distal segments by injection of contrast into the controlateral vessel seems to be helpful and without risk to the patient.

[Acute myocardial infarction in myocardial bridge treated by coronary stent]. / Infarctus du myocarde aigu sur pont myocardique traité par l'implantation d'endoprothèses. Résultats immédiats et suivi à long terme.

The authors report the case of a symptomatic myocardial bridge treated in the acute phase of anterior wall myocardial infarction by classical stenting of the mid and distal left anterior descending artery. One and a half months later, intrastent restenosis at the two dilated sites, led to another angioplasty procedure with implantation of sirolimus-eluding stents. The outcome was good with no recurrence of angina at 16 months and control coronary angiography was totally normal at the 8th month.

[Biochemical markers of myocardial damage after high-energy radiofrequency ablation of atrial flutter. Value of troponin I]. / Marqueurs biochimiques de souffrance myocardique après ablation du flutter auriculaire par radiofréquence de haute énergie. Intérêt de la troponine I.

Creatinine phosphokinase and its MB iso-enzyme do not allow assessment of the degree of tissue necrosis after radiofrequency ablation. Cardiac Troponin I and myoglobin, new markers of myocardial lesions, are rarely used in this indication. The aim of this prospective study was to measure and compare serum markers of myocardial damage after high energy radiofrequency ablation of atrial flutter with an 8 mm distal electrode catheter. The authors measured serum cardiac Troponin I, myoglobin, creatinine phosphokinase and its MB iso-enzyme levels before and 4, 12 and 24 hours after radiofrequency ablation of common atrial flutter in 23 consecutive patients. The same markers were also measured in a control group of 9 patients undergoing electrophysiological investigation without radiofrequency ablation. All ablation procedures were simple with an average of 12.6 +/- 6 applications of radiofrequency. Bidirectional isthmic block was obtained in 22 of the 23 patients. The mean Troponin I levels were 0.01 microgram/l before ablation, 0.87 +/- 0.77 at the 4th hour (p < 0.001 versus control), 1.16 +/- 1.2 at the 12th hour (p < 0.001 versus control) and 0.7 +/- 0.63 microgram/l at the 24th hour (p < 001 versus control) after ablation. Only 13% of patients had cardiac troponin levels greater than the threshold of significant myocardial damage (> 2 micrograms/l) with a higher average number of radiofrequency applications than the rest of the group: 15.2 +/- 1 versus 11.5 +/- 5.1 (p < 0.05). An abnormally high level of markers was found in the ablation group for 19 patients (84%) with Troponin I (> 0.4 microgram/l), for 10 patients (43%) with the MB iso-enzyme (> 8 Ul/L), and for 1 patient (4%) with myoglobin (> 90 micrograms/l), and in no patient for creatinine phosphokinase (> 290 IU/L). All values were normal in the control group. The authors conclude that cardiac Troponin I is the most sensitive marker for myocardial cellular damage after high energy radiofrequency ablation of atrial flutter. The level of cardiac Troponin I seems to correlate with the number of applications of radiofrequency.

[Cardiac sarcoidosis responsible for localized left ventricular ectasia and refractory ventricular tachycardia. Anatomoclinical study]. / Sarcoïdose cardiaque responsable d'une ectasie ventriculaire gauche localisée et de tachycardies ventriculaires réfractaires. Etude anatomo-clinique.

The authors report the case of a 63 year old woman admitted to hospital for recurrent refractory ventricular tachycardia. Echocardiography and cardiac scintigraphy showed global left ventricular function. Ventriculography confirmed the left ventricular dysfunction and also showed a localised aneurysm of the anterior left ventricular wall. Surgical resection of the aneurysm and an encircling endocardial ventriculotomy were performed but the patient died of a low output syndrome. Pathological examination of the excised tissue showed granulomatous lesions associated with fibrosis interrupting the striated myocardial bundles. The granulomata consisted in a large number of epithelioid histiocytes and very large giant cells with many nuclei. The diagnosis made retrospectively was that of cardiac sarcoidosis causing a ventricular aneurysm and global left ventricular dysfunction. The diagnosis of cardiac sarcoidosis is difficult in the absence of systemic extracardiac involvement because the clinical manifestations and complementary investigations are non specific. The diagnosis may be made by endomyocardial biopsy in 25 per cent of cases, thereby leading to specific treatment with steroids which is sometimes effective.

[Rare mechanical complications of right ventricle infarction. Value of two-dimensional echocardiography]. / Complications mécaniques rares de l'infarctus du ventricule droit. Intérêt de l'échocardiographie bidimensionnelle.

Two rare mechanical complications of right ventricular infarction are reported: myocardial dissection and rupture of the RV free wall. The diagnosis was made by 2D echocardiography in both cases. Myocardial dissection resulted in the formation of an oblong, expansive, intraparietal space. The rupture of the RV free wall was visualised as a breach of the continuity of the ventricular wall. These cases underline the importance of 2D echocardiography in the acute phase of myocardial infarction for the diagnosis of these complications.

[ST segment elevation in anterior precordial leads and right ventricular infarction. Apropos of 6 cases]. / Sus-décalage du segment ST dans les dérivations précordiales antérieures et infarctus du ventricule droit. A propos de 6 observations.

ST segment elevation in the anterior precordial chest leads may be observed in some cases of right ventricular infarction alone or associated with left ventricular inferior wall infarction. Six out of 700 patients admitted to our Coronary Care Unit over a 2 year period had right ventricular infarction with these electrocardiographic changes. In three cases, isolated right ventricular infarction was due to occlusion of a right marginal artery (N = 2) or of a small right coronary artery (N = 1) which only vascularised the right ventricle. In 2 cases, right ventricular infarction was associated with a recent or chronic left ventricular inferior wall infarct. This type of ST segment elevation may suggest a left ventricular anterior wall infarct especially when there are no changes in the inferior leads, as was the case in our first patient. However, the dome-like appearance of the ST segment, the reduction in amplitude of ST elevation from V2 to V5, the progressive regression of the ST changes without the appearance of Q waves, are more suggestive of the diagnosis of right ventricular infarction. In addition, normal left ventricular dilatation on echocardiographic examination rapidly confirms the diagnosis.

[Myocardial infarction complicating exercise test performed 72 hours after coronary angioplasty]. / Infarctus du myocarde compliquant une épreuve d'effort réalisée 72 heures après une angioplastie coronaire.

The authors report a case of myocardial infarction complicating an exercise stress test performed 48 hours after successful angioplasty of a stenosed left anterior descending artery in a patient with unstable angina. Three similar cases have been previously reported. The probable mechanisms of coronary obstruction in this context are rupture of an atheromatous plaque, thrombosis and coronary spasm.