Comparison of Cryoballoon and Contact Force-Sensing Radiofrequency Ablation for Persistent Atrial Fibrillation in Clinical Practice.

BACKGROUND: Outcomes of cryoballoon ablation for persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) are unclear, especially in Japanese patients, so the effectiveness and safety of cryoballoon ablation in clinical practice were retrospectively compared with those of contact force-sensing radiofrequency (CFRF) ablation including the high-power protocol.Methods and Results:Consecutive patients with persistent AF were reviewed, and 253 and 265 patients who underwent cryoballoon and CFRF ablation, respectively, were enrolled. The primary endpoint was atrial arrhythmia recurrence. The secondary endpoints were periprocedural complications and repeat ablation. The rate of additional left atrial (LA) ablation after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) was similar between groups (68.8% cryoballoon vs. 74.0% CFRF, P=0.19). Freedom from atrial arrhythmia recurrence was comparable between groups over a follow-up of 25.5±12.5 months (72.3% cryoballoon vs. 69.8% CFRF; adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 0.85, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.59-1.21, P=0.36). Outcomes were similar in the subgroups of PVI alone and PVI plus additional LA ablation. LA posterior wall isolation, absence of defragmentation, and low creatine clearance, but not catheter selection, were associated with the primary endpoint. Periprocedural complications (adjusted HR 0.73, 95% CI 0.34-1.54, P=0.41) and repeat ablation (adjusted HR 1.11, 95% CI 0.71-1.74, P=0.64) were similar for both procedures. CONCLUSIONS: Cryoballoon ablation for persistent AF in Japanese clinical practice had acceptable outcomes comparable to those of advanced CFRF ablation.

Mechanism of improvement in atrial functional mitral regurgitation after catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation: Three-dimensional analysis using multislice computed tomography.

BACKGROUND: Several factors associated with atrial functional mitral regurgitation development have been reported; however, geometric changes in the mitral apparatus after catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation have not been sufficiently investigated. This study aimed to clarify what determines improvements in atrial functional mitral regurgitation after sinus rhythm restoration in patients who underwent catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation by using multislice computed tomography. METHODS: We analysed volumetric multislice computed tomography images of 44 atrial fibrillation patients with significant atrial functional mitral regurgitation (moderate or worse) before and after catheter ablation. We measured the three-dimensional geometry of the mitral apparatus including the mitral annular area and interpapillary muscle distance. We calculated the differences before and after catheter ablation (Δmitral annular area, Δinterpapillary muscle distance) and assessed mitral regurgitation severity based on the mitral regurgitant jet area and its changes before and after catheter ablation (Δjet area) using transthoracic echocardiography. RESULTS: After catheter ablation, the jet area was significantly decreased. The left ventricular ejection fraction was significantly increased and the left ventricular volume had a decreasing trend. The Δjet area was significantly correlated with the Δinterpapillary muscle distance (r = .43; p = .004). The Δinterpapillary muscle distance was the strongest determinant of improvements in atrial functional mitral regurgitation severity (p = .026). CONCLUSIONS: Decreased interpapillary muscle distance was strongly associated with improvements in atrial functional mitral regurgitation. Amelioration of left ventricular dysfunction by sinus rhythm restoration might be related to improvements in atrial functional mitral regurgitation after catheter ablation.

The Effectiveness of Target Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Achieved with Strict Management in Secondary Prevention of Long-Term Coronary Events in Japanese Patients.

BACKGROUND: In the secondary prevention of long-term coronary events, a target value of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) < 100 mg/dL is recommended as standard management in Japanese guidelines. However, the effectiveness of strict management on lowering LDL-C remains unclear. OBJECTIVES: To clarify whether strict management of LDL-C < 70 mg/dL is more effective in preventing long-term coronary event recurrence than standard management. METHODS: We retrospectively investigated 344 patients with previous percutaneous coronary interventions who underwent late coronary angiography to examine recurrence of cardiac ischemia beyond the early restenosis period from January 2007 to August 2019. Patients were stratified into three groups according to achieved LDL-C value; LDL-C < 70 mg/dL (n = 53), 70 to < 100 mg/dL (n = 130), and ≥ 100 mg/dL (n = 161). Endpoints were acute coronary syndrome (recurrent-ACS) and late coronary revascularization. RESULTS: After follow-up (median 6.0 years), 200 patients (58%) underwent late coronary revascularization, including 94 recurrent-ACS. The incidence of recurrent-ACS was significantly lower in the patients who achieved LDL-C < 70 mg/dL than in those with LDL-C 70 to < 100 mg/dL and LDL-C ≥ 100 mg/dL (p = 0.009 and p = 0.001, respectively). There was no significant difference between the patients with LDL-C 70 to < 100 mg/dL and LDL-C ≥ 100 mg/dL (p = 0.140). There was also no significant difference in late revascularization between the patients with LDL-C < 70 mg/dL and LDL-C 70 to < 100 mg/dL. In patients with LDL-C < 100 mg/dL (n = 183), LDL-C [hazard ratio (HR) 1.035, p = 0.007] and HbA1c (HR 1.338, p = 0.001) were independently associated with recurrent-ACS. CONCLUSIONS: In Japanese patients, LDL-C was a residual risk for recurrent-ACS even after recommended standard LDL-C lowering management target values had been achieved.

Delirium is associated with high mortality in older adult patients with acute decompensated heart failure.

BACKGROUND: Delirium is associated with high mortality after cardiac surgery. However, evidence on the epidemiology of delirium in patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) is limited. This study aimed to assess the incidence and prognostic impact of delirium in patients with ADHF. METHODS: This single-center prospective observational study enrolled 132 consecutive patients with ADHF. We utilized the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition and classified the patients into two groups according to the presence or absence of delirium. The primary endpoint was 90-day all-cause mortality. The prognostic impact and risk factors of delirium were evaluated using multivariable Cox and logistic regression analyses, respectively. RESULTS: The median patient age was 83 (interquartile range, 75-87) years. Approximately 51.5% were men. Delirium occurred in 36 (27.3%) patients, and hyperactive delirium was the most frequent type (86.1%). The 90-day all-cause mortality was higher in the patients with delirium than in those without (21.6% versus 3.9%, log-rank p = 0.002). Delirium was associated with higher mortality with an adjusted hazard ratio of 6.8 (95% confidence interval, 1.1-42.6, p = 0.042). The risk factors associated with delirium included advanced age, male sex, higher clinical frailty scale score, and dementia. CONCLUSIONS: Delirium was associated with a higher 90-day all-cause mortality in the older adult patients with ADHF. Hyperactive delirium was the most common subtype.

A case of ascending aortic dissection and rupture caused by giant cell arteritis.

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by granulomatous inflammation in the wall of medium-sized and large-sized arteries, and it usually occurs in patients over 50 years of age.(1)) Symptoms are nonspecific, and include fatigue, fever, and headache.(2)) It is occasionally combined with aortic complications, and ruptures resulting in death. These complications occur as late events, usually several years after diagnosis and often after other symptoms have subsided.(3)) Physicians should therefore be alert for complications of the large arteries in GCA. Here we present a case of GCA combined with ascending aortic dissection and rupture 3 weeks after diagnosis.

Quantitative comparison of the isolation lesions between conventional- and larger-sized visually guided laser balloon ablation.

BACKGROUND: The importance of a wider circumferential isolation of the pulmonary veins (PV), which includes a large portion of the left atrial posterior wall (LAPW), has been suggested in several studies. However, the extended isolation area using a larger inflated visually guided laser balloon (VGLB) ablation remains to be elucidated. METHODS: Seventy-eight patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) who underwent VGLB ablation were enrolled in this prospective study. An electroanatomic map of the left atrium was obtained before and after PV isolation (PVI) using a conventional-sized VGLB. The isolation areas were extended by the largest-sized VGLB ablation and remapped in the same manner. After the ablation, isolation areas were calculated with CARTO-3 system. The one-year atrial arrhythmia (Ata) recurrence was assessed.  RESULTS: The largest-sized VGLB ablation yielded statistically greater areas of isolation in left-sided PV antrum (PVA) (11.5 ± 2.3 cm2 vs. 15.9 ± 3.5 cm2, P < .001) and right-sided PVA (14.2 ± 3.3 cm2 vs. 20.6 ± 4.4 cm2, P < .001) than the conventional-sized VGLB. Further, non-ablated LAPW (12.3 ± 4.4 cm2 vs. 7.8 ± 3.9 cm2, P < .001) was significantly reduced after largest-sized VGLB ablation, compared to the conventional-sized VGLB ablation. The one-year Ata freedom was 83.7% in patients with paroxysmal AF and 96.4% in those with persistent AF. CONCLUSION: The largest-sized VGLB ablation technique can create a significantly wider isolation area of PVA and debulk a large amount of LAPW than the conventional-sized VGLB ablation. The one-year outcome was similarly high in paroxysmal and persistent AF.

Diagnostic Accuracy of the 2016 Guideline-Based Echocardiographic Algorithm to Estimate Invasively-Measured Left Atrial Pressure by Direct Atrial Cannulation.

BACKGROUND: Although estimation of left ventricular filling pressure (LVFP) using an integrated echocardiographic algorithm is recommended, the usefulness of this algorithm has not been fully validated. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the reliability of an algorithmic classification system using invasively measured left atrial pressure (LAP) in a large-scale cohort. METHODS: The authors enrolled 1,967 patients (age 68 ± 10 years) whose LAP was directly measured within the left atrium during catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation. Patients were classified into 3 groups based on the echocardiographic algorithm: normal (group N, n = 1,282), undetermined (group U, n = 160), and elevated (group E, n = 346) LAP groups. Invasively measured LAP and echocardiographic parameters estimating LVFP were compared among the groups. RESULTS: The median LAP was 12.6 ± 5.7 mm Hg in the entire cohort. LAP was significantly higher in group E than that in the other groups (groups E vs U vs N, 14.2 ± 6.3 mm Hg vs 13.5 ± 5.9 mm Hg vs 12.0 ± 5.5 mm Hg; P < 0.001). Among group E patients, 43.1% had elevated LAP (≥15 mm Hg), whereas 56.9% had normal LAP (<15 mm Hg). Of the patients in group N, 69.0% had normal LAP, whereas 31% had elevated LAP. Although the correlation between invasively measured LAP and E/e', peak tricuspid regurgitant velocity, and left atrial volume index was modest, the number of abnormal values correlated significantly with elevated LAP (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The classification using combined echocardiographic parameters in the recommendations may be useful for detecting patients with normal LVFP but may be limited for detecting elevated LVFP.

Early experiences with three types of balloon-based ablation catheters in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: Although balloon-based ablation catheters are expected to improve the feasibility and quality of pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), they must be introduced to physicians in the proper setting to ensure their correct usage. OBJECTIVE: To identify the optimal clinical settings for learning the techniques for 3 balloon-based ablation catheters (Cryoballoon, Hotballoon, and Laserballoon). METHODS: We introduced 3 balloon catheters in 50 consecutive patients with paroxysmal AF each during the introduction periods. Clinical parameters were compared among the groups and between these groups and their steady-state controls. RESULTS: The completion rate of PVI by sole balloon procedures was 56% with the Hotballoon catheter, which was lower than those of the Cryoballoon and Laserballoon catheters (each 88%). Radiofrequency touch-up was most frequently required at the bottom aspect of the inferior pulmonary veins (PVs) in the Cryoballoon group and at the anterior aspect of the superior PVs in the Hotballoon and Laserballoon groups. The Laserballoon catheter had the longest average PVI procedural time (89.2 ± 40 vs 58.4 ± 22 minutes for Hotballoon, 65.1 ± 25 minutes for Cryoballoon, P < .001), but the difference was ultimately removed by the learning curve. There was no significant difference in the major complication or recurrence-free survival rates among the catheter types. CONCLUSIONS: All 3 balloon-based catheter types allowed feasibility and quality for PVI, even during the learning period. To introduce these new catheters without complications, an experiences of 20 cases with specific clinical settings should be met for each catheter type.

Outcomes and predictors of cardiac events in medically treated patients with atrial functional mitral regurgitation.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the outcomes and predictors of adverse cardiac events in medically treated patients with atrial functional mitral regurgitation (FMR). METHODS: We screened 1405 consecutive patients with grade ≥ 3+ mitral regurgitation (MR) detected by echocardiography. After excluding patients with previous or early (within 3 months from diagnosis) mitral valve surgery, congenital heart disease, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, severe aortic valve disease, or unknown etiology, the study population consisted of 319 patients with primary MR, 395 patients with FMR with left ventricular (LV) dysfunction, and 184 patients with atrial FMR. Atrial FMR was defined as FMR in patients without LV wall motion abnormality or dilatation. RESULTS: The cumulative incidence of the composite of cardiac death and heart failure hospitalization at 3 years was 10.5% in primary MR, 37.5% in FMR with LV dysfunction, and 14.0% in atrial FMR (p < .001). In atrial FMR patients, LV end-diastolic volume index (hazard ratio [HR] 1.06, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02-1.10), severe MR (grade 4+) (HR 2.73, 95% CI 1.21-6.12), being symptomatic (NYHA ≥ 2) (HR 2.82, 95% CI 1.15-6.92), and having ≥1 comorbidities (HR 3.96, 95% CI 1.74-9.00) were independently associated with an increased risk for adverse cardiac events by a multivariable Cox regression analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Outcomes of medically treated patients with atrial FMR were better than those of FMR with LV dysfunction, but worse than those of primary MR. In atrial FMR patients, LV dilatation, severe MR, being symptomatic, and the presence of comorbidities were independently associated with an increased risk for adverse cardiac events.

Development of an iatrogenic aneurysm nine months after pacemaker implantation: Consideration of causes and treatment.

Careful technique is required in pacemaker implantation to avoid serious iatrogenic complications. A 70-year-old woman on an anticoagulant agent underwent pacemaker implantation. Nine months after implantation, a 35-mm pulsatile mass appeared just near the cranial edge of the generator. An iatrogenic pseudoaneurysm was suspected because ultrasonography showed communication with the blood stream through tiny artery. The resected mass proved to be a pseudoaneurysm. This was a rare case of iatrogenic delayed pseudoaneurysm appearing nine months later. It is essential to keep in mind the risk of pseudoaneurysm after pacemaker implantation, especially when the patient takes anticoagulant agents. .

Comparison of the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol target value and the preventive effect of statins in elderly patients and younger patients.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) target value and preventive effect of statins are different between elderly and younger patients. METHODS: We investigated 304 patients with previous percutaneous coronary intervention who underwent coronary angiography from January 2007 to December 2016 for examination of recurrent ischemia beyond the early restenosis. Patients were classified into two groups: age ≥ 75 years (elderly group: n = 140) and < 75 years (younger group: n = 164). Relationships between the achieved LDL-C level, incidence of late coronary events, and the effectiveness of statins were evaluated. RESULTS: During follow-up, 179 patients underwent late coronary revascularization. Recurrent ischemia presenting as acute coronary syndrome (ACS) occurred in 83 cases. Kaplan-Meier curve analysis revealed that in the younger group, recurrent ACS was significantly lower in patients with LDL-C < 70 mg/dL than in those with LDL-C ranging from 70 to < 100 mg/dL (P = 0.035); however, there was no difference between these in the elderly group (P = 0.863). Instead, recurrent ACS was less frequent in patients with LDL-C ranging from 70 mg/dL to < 100 mg/dL than in those with LDL-C ≥ 100 mg/dL in the elderly group (P = 0.033). Statin use was associated with decreased recurrent ACS (P = 0.005); moreover, only using statins was an independent predictor in the elderly group (HR: 0.375; P = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: Strict control of LDL-C to < 70 mg/dL was effective for reducing the incidence of recurrent ACS in younger patients. However, LDL-C < 100 mg/dL might be sufficient as the target value of LDL-C-lowering therapy for secondary prevention of ischemic events in Japanese elderly patients.

Trousseau syndrome with nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis in a patient with uterine cancer.

This paper aims to describe the usefulness of transthoracic echocardiography in the follow-up of recurrent nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis (NBTE) associated with neoplastic conditions. A 60-year-old woman with advanced uterine cancer developed recurrent areas of aseptic vegetation on the mitral valve along with cerebral, renal and splenic embolisms. Echocardiographic assessments revealed vegetation and thrombotic events on three occasions. In this case, transthoracic echocardiography was effective in following the decreased frequency of attachment of the NBTE vegetation to the mitral valve and reductions in the size of the area of vegetation following treatment with unfractionated heparin infusion, hysterectomy and chemotherapy.