Functional coronary angiography in symptomatic patients with no obstructive coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND: Patients without obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) may have epicardial or microvascular dysfunction. The purpose of this study was to characterize patterns of epicardial and microvascular dysfunction in men and women with stable and unstable angina undergoing functional coronary angiography to inform medical therapy. METHODS: 163 symptomatic patients with ≤50% diameter stenosis and fractional flow reserve (FFR) > 0.8 underwent endothelium-dependent epicardial and microvascular function after intracoronary acetylcholine (10-4  M, 81 mcg over 3 minutes). Endothelium-independent function was assessed using coronary flow reserve (CFR) and hyperemic microvascular resistance (HMR) after intravenous adenosine (140 ug/kg/min). Coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) was defined as CFR < 2.5, HMR ≥2, or ≤50% change in coronary blood flow with acetylcholine (CBFACH ). RESULTS: Seventy-two percent had endothelial-dependent epicardial dysfunction (response to ACH: % ∆ in coronary artery diameter and ∆%CBFACH ) and 92% had CMD. Among CMD patients, 65% had CFR < 2.5, 35% had HMR ≥2, and 60% had CBFACH change ≤50%. CFR modestly correlated with HMR (r = -0.38, p < .0001). Among patients with normal CFR, 26% had abnormal epicardial and 20% had abnormal microvascular endothelial dysfunction. Women had a lower CFR (p = .02), higher FFR (p = .03) compared to men. There were no differences in epicardial and microvascular function between patients with stable and unstable angina. CONCLUSION: In patients with no obstructive CAD: CMD is prevalent, abnormal CFR does not correlate with epicardial or microvascular endothelial dysfunction, women have lower CFR, higher FFR but similar endothelial function compared to men.

Republished: Intracranial pellet embolization: an endovascular endeavor.

A 44-year-old man was referred to the neurointerventionalist 6 hours after sustaining a shotgun wound to the left chest, shoulder, and neck from 4 feet away. Physical examination of the chest showed a 5 cm × 5 cm gunshot entry wound on the anterior-superior aspect of the chest involving the supraclavicular and infraclavicular region, with multiple gunshot pellet entry sites riddled in the surrounding vicinity. The patient was taken for a CT scan of the brain without contrast and CT angiography, which showed no sign of stroke or intracranial hemorrhage but revealed a single 'buckshot' pellet embolizing the basilar artery tip, occluding the origin of the left posterior cerebral artery. Using A Direct Aspiration First Pass Technique (ADAPT), the neurointerventinalist was able to endovascularly remove the embolized pellet and the patient was discharged 8 days later with no focal neurological deficit.

Initial Experience With the Next-Generation Resolute Onyx Zotarolimus-Eluting Stent in Symptomatic Intracranial Atherosclerotic Disease.

Background and Purpose: Intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD) is a common cause of stroke worldwide. Although there are different endovascular options for the treatment of symptomatic ICAD (sICAD), it is still controversial. Herein, we aim to study the safety and efficacy of a new generation of drug-eluting balloon-mounted stent (DES); Resolute (R) onyx DES in the treatment of sICAD. Methods: A prospectively maintained neuroendovascular procedures database in a high-volume comprehensive stroke center was reviewed from October 2019 through January 2020. Patients were included if they had sICAD (≥70% stenosis), failed medical management, and underwent intracranial stenting with R-onyx DES. Technical success was defined as the ability to deploy the device at the desired location and achievement of <30% residual stenosis. The primary outcome was the occurrence of complications within 72 h of the procedure (strokes, ischemic or hemorrhagic; and mortality). Secondary outcomes included rates of symptomatic and angiographic recurrence within 6 months of the procedure. Results: A total of 18 consecutive patients (mean age, 66.6 years; 44.4% were females and 94.4% were Hispanic) were eligible for the analysis. Indication for treatment was recurrent strokes in 13 and recurrent transient ischemic attack (TIA) in 5. A total of 22 symptomatic lesions with a mean baseline stenosis percent (84.9 ± 9.6) were treated using 23 R-onyx DES in 19 procedures. All procedures were done under general anesthesia with 100% technical success, and no reported periprocedural strokes or death. Among 13 patients who had clinical follow-up, 1 (7.7%) patient had TIA. There were no reported ischemic or hemorrhagic strokes. Angiographic follow-up for 9 (50%) patients showed no in-stent restenosis. Conclusion: The use of R-onyx DES in the treatment of sICAD is safe with high technical success rates. Large prospective multicenter trials with long-term follow-up are warranted.

Early experience utilizing artificial intelligence shows significant reduction in transfer times and length of stay in a hub and spoke model.

BACKGROUND: Recently approved artificial intelligence (AI) software utilizes AI powered large vessel occlusion (LVO) detection technology which automatically identifies suspected LVO through CT angiogram (CTA) imaging and alerts on-call stroke teams. We performed this analysis to determine if utilization of AI software and workflow platform can reduce the transfer time (time interval between CTA at a primary stroke center (PSC) to door-in at a comprehensive stroke center (CSC)). METHODS: We compared the transfer time for all LVO transfer patients from a single spoke PSC to our CSC prior to and after incorporating AI Software (Viz.ai LVO). Using a prospectively collected stroke database at a CSC, demographics, mRS at discharge, mortality rate at discharge, length of stay (LOS) in hospital and neurological-ICU were examined. RESULTS: There were a total of 43 patients during the study period (median age 72.0 ± 12.54 yrs., 51.16% women). Analysis of 28 patients from the pre-AI software (median age 73.5 ± 12.28 yrs., 46.4% women), and 15 patients from the post-AI software (median age 70.0 ± 13.29 yrs., 60.00% women). Following implementation of AI software, median CTA time at PSC to door-in at CSC was significantly reduced by an average of 22.5 min. (132.5 min versus 110 min; p = 0.0470). CONCLUSIONS: The incorporation of AI software was associated with an improvement in transfer times for LVO patients as well as a reduction in the overall hospital LOS and LOS in the neurological-ICU. More extensive studies are warranted to expand on the ability of AI technology to improve transfer times and outcomes for LVO patients.

Microvascular Assessment of Ranolazine in Non-Obstructive Atherosclerosis: The MARINA Randomized, Double-Blinded, Controlled Pilot Trial.

BACKGROUND: Microvascular dysfunction is known to play a key role in patients with angina and nonobstructive coronary artery disease. We investigated the impact of ranolazine among patients with angina and nonobstructive coronary artery disease. METHODS: In this randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled pilot trial, 26 patients with angina once weekly or more, abnormal stress test, and nonobstructive coronary artery disease (<50% stenosis by angiography and fractional flow reserve >0.80) were randomized 1:1 to ranolazine or placebo for 12 weeks. Primary end point was ΔSeattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ) angina frequency score. Baseline and 3 months follow-up SAQ, Duke Activity Status Index scores along with invasive fractional flow reserve, coronary flow reserve (CFR), hyperemic myocardial resistance, and cardiopulmonary exercise testing measurements were performed. RESULTS: No significant differences in ΔSAQ angina frequency scores (P=0.53) or Duke Activity Status Index (P=0.76) were observed between ranolazine versus placebo, although patients on ranolazine had lesser improvement in SAQ physical limitation scores (P=0.02) compared with placebo at 3 months. There were no significant differences in ΔCFR or Δhyperemic myocardial resistance between ranolazine and placebo groups. Patients treated with ranolazine, compared with placebo, had no significant improvement in maximum rate of oxygen consumption measured during incremental exercise (VO2 max) and peak metabolic equivalents of task. Interestingly, in the ranolazine group, patients with baseline CFR<2.0 demonstrated greater gain in CFR compared with those with baseline CFR≥2.0 (P=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Ranolazine did not demonstrate improvement in SAQ angina frequency score, invasive microvascular function, or peak metabolic equivalent compared with placebo at 3 months. Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT02147067.

Intracranial pellet embolization: an endovascular endeavor.

A 44-year-old man was referred to the neurointerventionalist 6 hours after sustaining a shotgun wound to the left chest, shoulder, and neck from 4 feet away. Physical examination of the chest showed a 5 cm × 5 cm gunshot entry wound on the anterior-superior aspect of the chest involving the supraclavicular and infraclavicular region, with multiple gunshot pellet entry sites riddled in the surrounding vicinity. The patient was taken for a CT scan of the brain without contrast and CT angiography, which showed no sign of stroke or intracranial hemorrhage but revealed a single 'buckshot' pellet embolizing the basilar artery tip, occluding the origin of the left posterior cerebral artery. Using A Direct Aspiration First Pass Technique (ADAPT), the neurointerventinalist was able to endovascularly remove the embolized pellet and the patient was discharged 8 days later with no focal neurological deficit.

STEPS-T Program Improves Endovascular Treatment Outcomes of Acute Ischemic Stroke; A 6-Year Study.

Background: Early endovascular recanalization of occluded vessels in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is a major contributor to good clinical outcome. We report the analysis of all AIS patients throughout a 6-year experience following the deployment of a quality initiative aiming at improving care, speed and maintaining quality for AIS treatment. Methods: Using a prospectively collected endovascular database at a comprehensive stroke center between 2012 and 2017, workflow/outcomes were recorded. There were no exclusion criteria. During the first year, a quality program employing "digital-object" technology, staff education, and workflow improvement was implemented to reduce time-to-treatment. Using electronic recording, workflow times were collected for onset (TO), CT (TCT), door (TD), angiography-suite (TA), groin puncture (TG), DSA (TDSA), and recanalization (TR). Recanalization time (TG-TR) and workflow intervals were compared at Year 1 and 6. Results: Analysis of 382 patients (aged 71.3 ± 12.9) undergoing mechanical thrombectomy for AIS (206 male and 176 female) was performed. Recanalization time was significantly reduced from 82 min in 2012 to 34 min by 2017 (IQR 52-117 min and 23-49 min), a 59% reduction (P < 0.001). Further, consistent year-over-year reductions in setup time (TA-TG) (44% improvement) and TCT to TA times were observed. During the same period, clinical outcome significantly improved year-over-year as measured with the modified Rankin Scale 0-2 (33, 37, 38, 41, 53, and 58%). Conclusions: Significant improvements were observed following the deployment of a quality initiative enabling iterative evidence-based process improvements, thereby sustaining significant reductions in time-to-treat and improved clinical outcomes for AIS patients.