Atypical atrial flutter catheter ablation in the era of high-density mapping.

BACKGROUND: Mapping and ablating atypical atrial flutters (AAFLs) have evolved greatly with advances in high-density 3D mapping systems over the last years. METHODS: The objectives are to evaluate the feasibility of AAFL catheter ablation based on high-density mapping and minimizing entrainment and to better characterize AAFL circuits. Consecutive patients who underwent AAFL ablation using the EnSite Precision™ system and HD Grid™ mapping catheter (Abbott, Chicago, IL) between 06/2018 and 1/2022 were included. Mitral isthmus-dependent and roof-dependent AAFLs were classified as conventional circuits. All other AAFL circuits were classified as non-conventional circuits and were defined based on the location of the critical isthmus. RESULTS: Sixty-two patients underwent AAFL ablation (mean age 68±11 years). A total of 95 AAFLs were mapped and 92 (97%) were successfully ablated. Fifty-three (85%) patients had a previous AF/AFL ablation. Forty-four (46%) AAFL circuits were classified as conventional and 51 (54%) as non-conventional. Conventional AAFL circuits had longer critical isthmuses (19.0±9.0 vs 10.8±6.3mm, p<0.001), a lower prevalence of slow conduction at the critical isthmus (59% vs 86%, p=0.005), and a longer radiofrequency time to AAFL termination (117±119 vs 51±66 s, p=0.002). Entrainment was attempted in 19 (20%) flutters and its use declined significantly over the study period. Procedural success rates remained high whether entrainment was used or not. Freedom of any atrial tachycardia was 65% over a follow-up of 13.8±9.0 months. CONCLUSIONS: AAFL catheter ablation can be achieved with high procedural success rate using a contemporary strategy based on high-density mapping alone. Non-conventional circuits are frequent and present unique electrophysiological characteristics.

Risk of Adverse Outcomes Associated With Cardiac Sarcoidosis Diagnostic Schemes.

BACKGROUND: Multiple cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) diagnostic schemes have been published. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to evaluate the association of different CS diagnostic schemes with adverse outcomes. The diagnostic schemes evaluated were 1993, 2006, and 2017 Japanese criteria and the 2014 Heart Rhythm Society criteria. METHODS: Data were collected from the Cardiac Sarcoidosis Consortium, an international registry of CS patients. Outcome events were any of the following: all-cause mortality, left ventricular assist device placement, heart transplantation, and appropriate implantable cardioverter-defibrillator therapy. Logistic regression analysis evaluated the association of outcomes with each CS diagnostic scheme. RESULTS: A total of 587 subjects met the following criteria: 1993 Japanese (n = 310, 52.8%), 2006 Japanese (n = 312, 53.2%), 2014 Heart Rhythm Society (n = 480, 81.8%), and 2017 Japanese (n = 112, 19.1%). Patients who met the 1993 criteria were more likely to experience an event than patients who did not (n = 109 of 310, 35.2% vs n = 59 of 277, 21.3%; OR: 2.00; 95% CI: 1.38-2.90; P < 0.001). Similarly, patients who met the 2006 criteria were more likely to have an event than patients who did not (n = 116 of 312, 37.2% vs n = 52 of 275, 18.9%; OR: 2.54; 95% CI: 1.74-3.71; P < 0.001). There was no statistically significant association between the occurrence of an event and whether a patient met the 2014 or the 2017 criteria (OR: 1.39; 95% CI: 0.85-2.27; P = 0.18 or OR: 1.51; 95% CI: 0.97-2.33; P = 0.067, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: CS patients who met the 1993 and the 2006 criteria had higher odds of adverse clinical outcomes. Future research is needed to prospectively evaluate existing diagnostic schemes and develop new risk models for this complex disease.

Successful Subcutaneous Defibrillator Implantation in a Pregnant Patient With Long QT Syndrome.

A 26-year-old woman with recurrent unexplained syncope in the postpartum period was diagnosed with long QT syndrome type 2. Traditional implantation of defibrillator using fluoroscopy became contraindicated after she again became pregnant prior to device implantation. A subcutaneous defibrillator was successfully implanted in the second trimester, after a multidisciplinary evaluation. (Level of Difficulty: Intermediate.).

Testicular Seminoma Presenting with Bilateral Blindness: Looking Beyond the Eye.

Cancer-associated retinopathy (CAR) is a rare cause of vision loss that was first reported in 1976. It is reported that the retinopathy associated with cancer occurs due to antibodies against the tumor antigens that cross-react with retinal cell layers. We present the case of a young male who came to the emergency department with sudden onset of bilateral vision loss. He had a large-sized testicular seminoma with metastatic retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy. Several primary ophthalmological and systemic conditions were considered. He had multiple, positive anti-retinal antibodies. The cancer was felt to be the cause of the vision loss based on the clinical presentation and the presence of anti-retinal antibodies. He was treated with intravenous steroids, plasmapheresis, and curative chemotherapy, but there was no improvement in vision. Unfortunately, he died due to multiorgan failure. Our case is the second on seminoma-associated retinopathy in the literature.

Longevity in a Patient With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, Anomalous Coronary Artery, and Gastrointestinal Bleeding.

We report an unusual case of an elderly woman who presented to the hospital with melena of five-day duration. She has a past medical history of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy diagnosed three years before presentation. She was found to have arteriovenous malformations in the stomach and the duodenum, causing gastrointestinal bleeding. An association between hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and arteriovenous malformations in the gastrointestinal tract was felt likely. The patient was treated with beta-blocker therapy. Later, she was incidentally found to have an anomalous right coronary artery. We discussed potential medical and surgical options, and the patient chose to be treated medically. She was successfully treated with beta-blocker therapy with no further gastrointestinal bleeding. Her clinical course was uncomplicated without cardiac arrhythmia, heart failure, or sudden cardiac death.

Hidden Tunnel: A Case of Duodenal-Colonic Fistula Caused by Cytomegalovirus.

We present the case of an 86-year-old African American gentleman who presented with fatigue, diarrhea, and weight loss. He had elevated liver enzymes in an obstructive pattern. A magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography scan showed edema around the stomach and duodenum, which prompted evaluation with an esophagogastroduodenoscopy. A large enteric fistula between the duodenum and colon was visible, and biopsies returned positive for cytomegalovirus (CMV). The patient did not have any known risk factors for immunodeficiency and was successfully treated with medical therapy. Our case is unique in the severity of CMV infection in an otherwise healthy individual.

Steroid-induced Lactic Acidosis in Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma.

A previously healthy 53-year-old male with primary membranous nephropathy (positive anti phospholipase A2 antibody) presented to our hospital with worsening cough, shortness of breath, hypotension, and malaise. During his hospital stay, he quickly progressed to overt respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation. Upon further workup, he met clinical criteria for tumor lysis syndrome due to an unknown diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, who underwent rapid cytolysis after starting stress dose steroids.

Melody Valve Endocarditis Due to Rothia dentocariosa: A Diagnostic Challenge.

Recently, there have been several advances in the field of adult congenital heart disease, such as the percutaneous pulmonic valve implantation (PPVI) to treat right ventricular outflow obstruction. Complications from this technique are seldom but essential to understand. We present a case of a 37-year-old Caucasian male with complicated congenital heart disease, including prior Melody valve implantation, who presented to our hospital with recurrent episodes of pneumonia of two months duration. He was diagnosed with prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) from an unusual organism, Rothia dentocariosa. He eventually underwent surgical replacement of the infected valve. Our report is the first case of Melody valve endocarditis due to Rothia dentocariosa reported from the United States.