Atrial myxoma as a mimicker of intracardiac thrombus in Behçet's syndrome: a case study with histopathological confirmation.

Cardiomyopathies cause most intracardiac thrombosis (ICT), and Behçet's syndrome (BS) is a rare inflammatory disease that can be responsible for a proportion of ICT. Other inflammatory disorders involved in the aetiology of ICT include antiphospholipid syndrome, Henoch-Schonlein purpura, COVID-19, and Loeffler endocarditis. ICT usually occur during the active phase of BS, and they have a close relationship with vascular involvement.

Impact of Preloading Strategy With Ticagrelor on Periprocedural Myocardial Injury in Patients With Non-ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction Undergoing Early Invasive Strategy.

Pretreatment with an oral P2Y12 receptor blocker (before coronary angiography) versus treatment in the catheterization laboratory has been a matter of debate in patients presenting with non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). The primary aim of this study was to assess the impact of an immediate preloading strategy with ticagrelor on periprocedural myocardial injury in patients with NSTEMI treated with an early invasive strategy. NSTEMI patients who underwent coronary angiography and subsequent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) within 24 hours after hospital admission were divided into 2 groups: the first group (pretreatment group) included patients who received ticagrelor pretreatment as soon as possible after admission and the second group (no pretreatment group) included patients who received a loading dose of ticagrelor after coronary angiography.

Diagnostic accuracy of Apple Watch Series 6 recorded single-lead ECGs for identifying supraventricular tachyarrhythmias: a comparative analysis with invasive electrophysiological study.

Background: The advancements in wearable technology have made the detection of arrhythmias more accessible. While smartwatches are commonly used to detect patients with atrial fibrillation, their effectiveness in the differential diagnosis of supraventricular tachycardias (SVT) lacks consensus.

Methods: A study was conducted on 47 patients with documented SVTs on a 12-lead ECG.

The Long-Term Impact of Ionizing Radiation on DNA Damage in Patients Undergoing Multiple Cardiac Catheterizations.

Ionizing radiation (IR) exposures have increased exponentially in recent years due to the rise in diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. A number of small-scale studies investigated the long-term effect of IR on health workers or immediate effects of IR on patients undergoing catheterization procedures; however, the long-term impact of multiple cardiac catheterizations on DNA damage on a patient population is not known. In this study, the effects of IR on DNA damage, based on micronuclei (MN) frequency and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) as markers in peripheral lymphocytes, were evaluated in patients who previously underwent multiple cardiac catheterization procedures.

Cardiac Hydatid Disease and Peritoneal Tuberculosis Coexistence.

Hydatid cyst is a parasitic infection caused by Echinocococcus granulosus. The coexistence of tuberculosis and cardiac hydatid cyst is extremely rare and generally seen in developing coun- tries. Here, we describe a unique case of a patient presenting with cardiac and gastrointestinal symptoms, who has coexistence of cardiac hydatid cyst and peritoneal tuberculosis.

Outcomes and regional differences in practice in a worldwide coronary stent registry.

Objective: The primary objective was to assess the performance of a new generation thin-strut sirolimus-eluting coronary stent with abluminal biodegradable polymer in an all comer population. The secondary objective was to detail differences in contemporary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) practice worldwide.

Methods: e-Ultimaster was an all-comer, prospective, global registry (NCT02188355) with independent event adjudication enrolling patients undergoing PCI with the study stent.

Differential Effects of Newer-Generation Ultrathin-Strut Versus Thicker-Strut Drug-Eluting Stents in Chronic and Acute Coronary Syndromes.

Objectives: The authors sought to compare the differential effects of ultrathin-strut and thicker-strut drug-eluting stents (DES) in patients with chronic (CCS) versus acute (ACS) coronary syndromes.

Background: Newest-generation ultrathin-strut DES reduce target lesion failure (TLF) compared with thicker-strut second-generation DES in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

Methods: PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched for randomized controlled trials comparing newer-generation ultrathin-strut (<70 μm) versus thicker-strut (≥70 μm) DES.

Covered Stents for the Percutaneous Management of Delayed Coronary Wall Rupture Following Subadventitial Rotational Atherectomy.

We present herein the case of a delayed covered coronary wall rupture occurring as a rare complication of rotational atherectomy performed in the subintimal space after antegrade dissection reentry for percutaneous recanalization of a long and heavily calcified left anterior descending chronic total occlusion, which was successfully managed percutaneously with the implantation of 2 covered stents. ().

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on acute coronary syndromes.

Aim: To assess the impact of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic on acute coronary syndromes and on the delay from symptom onset to first medical contact among patients presenting with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), as well as to investigate whether there were patient-related reasons related to COVID-19 for delaying first medical contact.

Methods And Results: All patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) at the Geneva University Hospitals for acute coronary syndromes (ACS) during the first COVID-19 wave were compared with a control group consisting of all ACS patients who underwent PCI during the same period in 2019 and those treated in the period immediately preceding the pandemic. The primary outcome measure was the difference in the delay from symptom onset to first medical contact in the setting of STEMI between the COVID-19 period and the control period.

Temporal trends in cardiovascular risk factors' prevalence in patients with myocardial infarction.

Introduction And Objectives: Little is known about changes in cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) profile over time in patients presenting with acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

Methods: We assessed changes in age and CVRF profile in consecutive AMI patients enrolled in the Swiss nationwide AMIS Plus registry between 1 January 1997 and 31 December 2018.

Results: A total of 57 995 AMI patients were included in the analysis.

Embolization to Two Different Vascular Territories in a Patient With Bicuspid Aortic Stenosis Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation.

We describe the case of an 81-year-old man with symptomatic severe bicuspid aortic valve stenosis. Transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve implantation was performed with a cerebral embolic protection device. During valve deployment, the 29-mm Evolut PRO prosthesis (Medtronic) popped out 3 times and exchanged for a 34-mm Evolut R.

[Spontaneous coronary artery dissection : primum nihil nocere].

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is an important cause of acute coronary syndrome, myocardial infarction and sudden cardiac death, among young patient with little/no traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Historically SCAD was considered as a rare pathology, associated primarily with pregnancy and the peripartum period. In recent years, SCAD diagnosis improved thanks to data derived from large registries, thanks to the increased use of diagnostic coronary angiography and the availability of intracoronary imaging.

Complexity assessment and technical aspect of coronary angiogram and percutaneous coronary intervention following transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Background: Performing selective coronary angiogram (CA) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) post transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) may be challenging with various success rates of coronary ostia engagement.

Methods: Among all patients who underwent CA and/or PCI after TAVI from our single center TAVI registry, ostia cannulation success was reported according to the quality of ostia engagement and artery opacification, and was classified as either selective, partially selective or non-selective but sufficient for diagnosis.

Results: Among the 424 consecutive TAVI procedures performed at the aforementioned institution, 20 (4.

Assessment of atrial electromechanical delay and P wave dispersion in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Objective: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with atrial fibrillation (AF) and reduced forced expiratory volume (FEV1) is an independent predictor for new onset AF. The aims of this study were (1) to analyze the atrial electromechanical delay (AEMD) and P wave dispersion which are two predictors of AF development in patients with COPD and without any cardiovascular disease, and (2) to assess the relationship of those with pulmonary functions as quantified by FEV1 measurements.

Methods: The study included 41 patients with COPD (33 male; mean age: 51 years) and 32 healthy controls.

Exclusion of a coronary aneurysm with a polyurethane-covered stent.

A coronary artery aneurysm is a challenging cli-nical situation due to the lack of sufficient evidence from randomized controlled studies and the lack of consensus on a management strategy. The present case is a description of the exclusion of a middle segment aneurysm of the left circumflex coronary artery using a PK Papyrus covered stent (Biotronik, AG, Bulach, Switzerland). The final images were favorable.

[Acute coronary syndrome in the elderly].

The fast population ageing and the delay in the age of presentation of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is leading to a rapid increase in the proportion of old patients with ACS. Although elderly patients with ACS deserves a specific clinical approach due to aging physiology, increased incidence of comorbidities and different patient expectations, paradoxically this patient population is usually underrepresented in clinical studies. The up-to-date European Society of Cardiology Guidelines on NSTEACS recommends an invasive strategy after taking the consideration of estimated life expectancy, comorbidities, quality of life and patients preferences.

The role of GRACE score in the prediction of high-risk coronary anatomy in patients with non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome.

Background: In patients with non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS), identification of the patients with high-risk coronary anatomy (HRCA) who are most likely to require coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is crucial. The SYNTAX score (SXscore) is an angiographic grading tool designed to determine the complexity of coronary artery disease. It appears that CABG offers significantly better outcomes in patients with SXscore ≥ 33, which shows severe HRCA.