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Journal Of Cardiovascular Emergencies
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This is an Open Access Journal

Open Access journal
ISSN (Print) 2457-550X - ISSN (Online) 2457-5518
Published by Sciendo

[389 journals]

From Inflammation to Acute Cardiovascular Events – a Complex Journey
- PubDate: Thu, 27 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMT
An Autopsy Case of Acute Transformation of Myelodysplastic Syndrome
Leading to Carcinomatous Cardiac Tamponade
- Abstract: IntroductionWe report a rare case of an 80-year-old male patient with acute transformation of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) in the pericardial cavity, leading to cardiac tamponade.Case presentationThe patient had been diagnosed with MDS 7 months prior. One day before presentation, he suddenly developed dyspnea. At presentation, his blood pressure was stable, but he was in tachycardic atrial fibrillation; echocardiography revealed a pericardial effusion. Aortic dissection and acute myocardial infarction were excluded by examination upon admission. His blood pressure subsequently dropped, indicating pericardial tamponade. Pericardiocentesis was performed, and 800 ml of bloody pericardial fluid were withdrawn, stabilizing his blood pressure. The blasts ratio was higher in the pericardial fluid than in the peripheral blood; bone marrow examination revealed no evidence of acute transformation, but the presence of numerous cells with chromosomal abnormalities in the pericardial sac cavity confirmed acute MDS transformation. The patient died on day 15 due to progressive multiorgan failure. The autopsy revealed a neoplastic lesion extending circumferentially throughout the epicardium.ConclusionsWhen a patient with an acute onset history of hematogenous pericardial effusion is found to have a pericardial tamponade of cancerous origin, acute transformation of MDS should be considered in the differential diagnosis.
  PubDate: Thu, 27 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMT
The Prognostic Role of Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio,
Monocyte-to-Lymphocyte Ratio, and Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratio in the Risk
of Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events and Mortality in Patients with
COVID-19: a State-of-the-Art Review
- Abstract: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a viral infection caused by SARS-CoV-2 that has become a global health emergency with a negative impact on patient care. The evolution of patients with COVID-19 is unpredictable, with an unfavorable evolution in the case of patients with comorbidities. This state-of-the-art review focuses on the role of hematological inflammatory biomarkers: the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in predicting major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and mortality in patients with COVID-19. In this review, we included 21 studies that investigated the role of biomarkers in the risk of mortality and MACE, reporting on a total of 7,588 patients. Regarding the clinical data, 57.49% of the patients presented hypertension (15 out of the 21 studies reported hypertensive patients), followed by ischemic heart disease in 33.56% of patients (13 studies) and diabetes in 30.37% of patients (17 studies). In additional, among the usual risk factors, 23.55% of patients presented obesity (7 studies) and 23.02% were active smokers (10 studies). We recorded an average cut-off value of 7.728 for NLR (range 2.6973–15.2), 0.594 for MLR (range 0.26–0.81), and 215.07 for PLR (range 177.51–266.9) for the risk of MACE and mortality. We also recorded an average area under the curve (AUC) of 0.783 for NLR, 0.744 for MLR, and 0.713 for PLR. Our findings suggest that these biomarkers exhibit prognostic value in predicting adverse outcomes, and that evaluating these biomarkers at admission could provide novel information in stratifying risk groups for improving patient management.
  PubDate: Thu, 27 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMT
Heart Failure as the First Clinical Manifestation of Basedow’s
Disease
- Abstract: IntroductionThyroid hormones influence multiple systems, but most often the impact on the cardiovascular system is what brings the patient to the emergency department. Basedow’s disease, an autoimmune condition, is one of the most common causes of hyperthyroidism. The purpose of this presentation is to raise attention to an extracardiac cause that can lead to cardiac failure.Case presentationA 55-year-old woman presented to our cardiology service with rapid palpitations, shortness of breath on small efforts, and extreme fatigue. The electrocardiogram revealed sinus tachycardia with a heart rate of 144 beats per min. Paraclinical investigations and a multidisciplinary team consultation led to a diagnosis of thyrotoxicosis due to Basedow’s disease. Following the initiation of cardiological and endocrinological treatments, the patient’s condition improved.ConclusionAlthough hyperthyroidism is an extracardiac cause, it brought the patient to the cardiology emergency service for heart failure symptoms. The key to achieving a correct diagnosis and determining an optimal treatment lies in the multidisciplinary approach of pathology.
  PubDate: Thu, 27 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMT
Assessment of the Diagnosis-To-Needle Times for Patients Admitted to the
Emergency Department with Acute ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction
- Abstract: BackgroundCoronary artery disease is one of the most common causes of death in the world. The outcome of patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction is influenced by many factors, and the time elapsed from symptom onset to diagnosis and reperfusion have a critical role in this regard.AimThe aim of this study was to investigate the differences in the diagnosis-to-needle times of patients with STEMI presenting to the hospital during and outside of working hours, and the effect of this relationship on in-hospital clinical events.MethodsThis retrospective study analyzed the data of 50 patients admitted for emergency primary percutaneous coronary intervention. We assessed pain onset-to-diagnosis times and diagnosis-to-needle times, and evaluated their relationship with troponin values at admission and after 48 h.ResultsThe mean age of the patients was 55.64 ± 13.72 years. In total, 60% of the patients presented outside of working hours. Mean patient delay time from the onset of chest pain to seeking medical help was 2.64 ± 2.47 h. Mean troponin values were 4.39 ± 5.26 ng/ml at admission and 36.50 ± 12.95 ng/ml after 48 h. Mean post-angiography ejection fraction values were 47.36 ± 6.53%. We found a statistically significant difference in the pain onset-to-diagnosis and diagnosis-to-needle times of patients who presented to the hospital during and outside of working hours. We found a positive correlation between diagnosis-to-needle times and the troponin values of patients, and a statistically significant difference between pain onset-to-diagnosis times of patients who presented during and outside of working hours (p < 0.05). Although the relationship between the diagnosis-to-needle time and troponin elevation after 48 h was strong (97%), the relationship between pain onset-to-diagnosis time and troponin elevation after 48 h was weak (8%), suggesting that the duration of surgical intervention is much more important than the time until the first medical contact.ConclusionsIn this study, there was a statistically significant difference in the pain onset-to-diagnosis and diagnosis-to-needle times of patients who presented to the hospital during and outside of working hours.
  PubDate: Thu, 21 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMT
The Role of the Mechanical Characteristics and Microstructure of the
Porcine Aortic Wall: Implications for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Rupture
Risk
- Abstract: IntroductionAbdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) represents the increase of the diameter of the aorta by more than 50% in the absence of surgical or endovascular intervention. The risk of rupture and, therefore, mortality is increased significantly in AAA. The role of the mechanical characteristics of the AAA wall is poorly studied.The aim of this study was to determine the mechanical properties of each layer of the porcine abdominal aorta for a better understanding of the role of the microstructural elements of the arterial wall in the development and risk of AAA rupture.Materials and methodsIn this study, eight tubular segments of the abdominal porcine aorta were examined. From these segments, we processed 13 × 13 mm square samples for biaxial analysis and 15 × 5 mm samples for uniaxial analysis. At the biaxial analysis, the intact wall and each layer (intima, media, and adventitia) were stretched by 25% at a speed of 1% per s and we determined the mechanical characteristics of the samples at the point of failure.ResultsIn the circumferential axis, we found the adventitia (0.233 MPa) to be stronger than the media (0.182 MPa, p = 0.007), intima (0.171 MPa, p = 0.008), and the intact wall (0.192 MPa, p = 0.045). In the longitudinal axis, the adventitia (0.199 MPa) was stronger than the intima (0.117 MPa, p <0.001) and the intact wall (0.156 MPa, p = 0.045), but there was no statistically significant difference compared to the media. Additionally, the adventitia had a greater stiffness than the other two layers (p <0.05 for both layers and axes) and the intact wall (p <0.05 for both axes). Stretching until failure, the adventitia was the strongest compared to the other layers and the intact wall (p <0.001 for all), and it also presented better compliance, with the highest stretch ratio.ConclusionsThe results indicate that the adventitia layer is the strongest and stiffest compared to the other two layers, being the last mechanical resistance structure of the arterial wall. It is crucial to avoid injuring and aggressively manipulating the adventitia during surgery to maintain the vascular wall's resistance structure. By taking the measures mentioned above, it is possible to prevent postoperative complications like anastomotic pseudoaneurysm and anastomotic rupture.
  PubDate: Thu, 21 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMT
Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio – Risk of Amputation and Mortality in
Patients with Limb-Threatening Ischemia – a Systematic Review
- Abstract: Acute limb ischemia (ALI) and chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) are severe vascular conditions that can be lethal. The inflammatory response in these diseases, characterized by increased levels of neutrophils and platelets, highlights the importance of prompt management. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has emerged as a useful biomarker during the COVID-19 pandemic and high NLR levels were found to be associated with an increased risk of ALI and other thromboembolic events. The aim of this systematic review was to analyze the prognostic role of the NLR regarding the risk of amputation and mortality in patients diagnosed with ALI and CLTI. We included 12 studies (five for ALI, with 1,145 patients, and seven for CLTI, with 1,838 patients), following the PRISMA guidelines. Treatment results were evaluated, including amputation and mortality. We found that high NLR values were consistently associated with an increased risk of amputation and/or mortality, with pooled odds ratios ranging from 1.28 to 11.09 in patients with ALI and from 1.97 to 5.6 in patients with CLTI. The results suggest that NLR may represent an important tool for informed decision-making in the management of these patients.
  PubDate: Thu, 21 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMT
Critical Appraisal of Medical System Performance for STEMI Management –
a Comprehensive Analysis of Time Efficiency
- Abstract: BackgroundTime intervals related to ST-segment myocardial infarction (STEMI) revascularization are central determinants for patient outcomes. The current capability of the Romanian STEMI program to meet guideline-recommended time intervals is largely unknown.AimsThe present study aims to assess the ability of a regional STEMI network to obtain guideline-recommended time intervals for primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) and to measure the occurrence and the extent of time delays.Materials and MethodsThis prospective study included 500 consecutive patients with STEMI at the “Prof. Dr. C.C. Iliescu” Emergency Institute for Cardiovascular Diseases, Bucharest, Romania during a period of 14 months. Complete ischemic timelines were created using several key timepoints.ResultsA secondary route (transfer from another hospital) was noted in most cases. The main time intervals were the following: patient delay 209 min, emergency medical system delay 66 min, and PCI center delay at 70 min, totaling an ischemic time of 6.4 h. A provisional stop at another hospital involved the addition of 113 min (1.8 h) until STEMI diagnosis and an additional 83 min (1.3 h) from diagnosis to revascularization, totaling a supplementary ischemic time of 3.1 h. In total, 41.5% of the patients were revascularized between 2 and 6 h from symptoms onset. The objective of revascularization in less than 120 min (from first medical contact) was accomplished in 35.5% of the patients. Prehospital thrombolysis was performed in 6.4% of the cases, although its potential benefits could have been expected in 64.5% of the patients.ConclusionsPatients with STEMI arrive predominantly via secondary routes to the PCI center, which implies significantly increased ischemic times. The ambulance alert system and primary routes represent by far the most efficient, albeit still imperfect methods of pre-hospital approach. Prehospital thrombolysis did not compensate for the gaps existing in the performance of the current system.
  PubDate: Thu, 21 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMT
Air Lock Syndrome – an Unusual Complication of Pacemaker
Implantation
- PubDate: Thu, 21 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMT
First Pediatric HeartMate 3 Ventricular Assist Device Implantation in
Romania – a Case Report
- Abstract: The use of ventricular assist devices as bridge-to-transplantation therapy has a critical role in the management of end-stage heart failure in pediatric patients without available compatible organ donors. The HeartMate 3 is an intracorporeal centrifugal flow pump with a fully magnetically levitated motor currently approved for the management of advanced refractory left ventricular failure in pediatric patients, with positive early outcomes. We report the case of a 17-year-old adolescent girl with end-stage heart failure secondary to dilated cardiomyopathy of idiopathic etiology, with multiple failed attempts of weaning from inotropic support (PEDIMACS 3 profile), who successfully received a HeartMate 3 left ventricular assist device as bridge-to-transplantation therapy with no significant adverse events during the early follow-up period. This paper presents the first case of pediatric ventricular assist device implantation in Romania.
  PubDate: Sun, 18 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT
A Rare Case of Pyopneumopericardium Diagnosed by Coronary Angiography in a
Patient Presented as STEMI
- Abstract: Pyopneumopericardium is a rare pathology with a poor prognosis. Accurate diagnosis may be difficult and, in very rare cases, can mimic ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). We present the case of a 44-year-old man, with clinical, ECG, and ultrasound criteria of inferior STEMI. Emergency coronary angiography excluded obstructive coronary artery disease. However, a hydroaeric level image in the pericardium drew our attention. The chest computed tomography scan and Gastrografin study confirmed the diagnosis of pyopneumopericardium. An exploratory thoracotomy was performed to drain the liquid from the pericardium, without highlighting a fistulous path. The etiology of the pyopneumopericardium was detected by performing an upper endoscopy, which revealed a complex lesion suggestive for a foreign body perforation, which was treated with a covered esophageal stent. The outcome of the patient was unfavorable despite the complex treatment, with cardiac arrest and death occurring on the 14th day of hospitalization.
  PubDate: Sun, 18 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT
Navigating Neonatal Cardiovascular Emergencies: A Comprehensive Narrative
Review on Assessment and Intervention Strategies
- Abstract: The evaluation and management of congenital heart diseases (CHDs) in neonates are pivotal aspects of pediatric care given the substantial prevalence of this condition. This review emphasizes the urgency of timely recognition and intervention, as a notable proportion of affected neonates face critical illness shortly after birth. The multidisciplinary approach involving neonatologists, pediatricians, and obstetricians is essential to address the diagnostic and therapeutic challenges inherent in neonatal cardiac emergencies. The insights presented herein aim to guide medical practice, enhance early recognition, and ultimately improve outcomes for newborns grappling with critical heart conditions. Key proactive measures advocated include prenatal screening, facilitating early identification of potential cardiac anomalies. Advanced imaging techniques, such as fetal echocardiography, have a crucial role in enabling detailed examinations, contributing to the prenatal diagnosis of major CHDs. The review underscores the importance of preparing medical teams during the prenatal period for potential postnatal complications, emphasizing the necessity of a holistic approach to the care of neonates who survive critical episodes. Continued research and clinical advancements remain imperative to refine strategies and optimize care for this vulnerable patient population. The provided data serve as a valuable guide for healthcare professionals and could improve the outcomes of neonates confronting the challenges of CHD.
  PubDate: Sat, 10 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT
The Risk of Death among Patients with Healthcare-associated Infections and
Cardiovascular Diseases Admitted to the Intensive Care Unit in Romania
- Abstract: BackgroundHealthcare-associated infections (HAIs) can pose significant risks to patients with cardiovascular disease due to the compromised nature of their health and potential vulnerabilities. In order to reduce the incidence of HAIs and prevent the spread of antibiotic-resistant organisms, it is mandatory to develop surveillance systems.MethodsWe undertook a retrospective case–control study of all patients presenting HAIs who were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) to assess risk factors associated with death among patients with cardiovascular disease.ResultsPatients admitted to the ICU who died were more likely to present an infection with a multidrug-resistant bacterium, an infection with Acinetobacter baumannii, and to suffer from acute myocardial infarction. Among the patients enrolled in the study, a higher probability of death was also observed in association with certain Gram-negative pathogens such as Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.ConclusionThe longer the patient remains admitted in the ICU, the higher the risk of acquiring an infection that can often become fatal. A nosocomial infection, particularly in patients with cardiovascular disease, also increases the length of hospitalization, which will lead to increased expenditure. For this reason, new prophylactic methods and therapeutic approaches are needed, and researchers’ efforts should be directed in this direction.
  PubDate: Mon, 22 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT
Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Cardiovascular Emergencies
– Status Quo and Outlook
- Abstract: Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death, with many lives being affected by critical emergencies like heart attacks, strokes, and other acute conditions. Recognizing the early warning signs is crucial for highlighting the need for immediate medical attention, especially since a quick intervention may significantly improve short and long-term patient outcome. Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a key technology in healthcare, and especially in the cardiovascular field. AI, and in particular deep learning is well suited for automatically analyzing medical images, signals, and data. Its success rests on the availability of large amounts of curated data, and the access to high performance computing infrastructures for training the deep-learning algorithms. Thus, in cardiovascular care, AI plays a dynamic role in disease detection, predicting disease outcome, and guiding treatment decisions. This review paper details and discusses the current role of AI for the most common cardiovascular emergencies. It provides insight into the specific issues, risk factors, different subtypes of the diseases, and algorithms developed to date, followed by an outlook.
  PubDate: Sun, 10 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT
Multiple Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Shocks in Ischemic
Cardiomyopathy Compels Coronary Vascularization Reassessment
- Abstract: The increasing number of patients with heart failure and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICD) has led to a growing of the emergency presentations for ICD internal shocks. Appropriate shocks are sometimes caused by acute events in the course of disease and could be one of the earliest symptoms contributing to the diagnosis and timely treatment of these acute conditions. We present the case of a 64-year-old male patient with ischemic cardiomyopathy, ICD carrier, who presented to the emergency department for recurrent appropriate ICD shocks caused by episodes of polymorphic ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation. Even if he did not have chest pain, he was referred to cath lab, where the coronary angiography has shown a severe stenosis at the origin of the left anterior descending artery and a moderate stenosis at the proximal left circumflex artery. The percutaneous revascularization of both lesions resulted in the eradication of the sustained ventricular arrhythmias and the improvement of the clinical status. The case argues for the need for coronary vascularization assessment in ICD carrier patients with ischemic heart failure and adequate recurrent shocks, also emphasizing the importance of remote monitoring in early diagnosis of acute conditions in these patients.
  PubDate: Sun, 10 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT
Bioengineered Small-Diameter Vascular Xenografts as an Alternative to
Autologous Vascular Grafting for Emergency Revascularization – a
Preliminary Study
- Abstract: BackgroundAutologous vascular arterial or venous graft are not available in 10-40% of patients, due to vascular pathologies, and the utility of decellularized biological scaffolds would be a solution for those cases. The purpose of this research was to obtain a functional acellular xenograft, prior to in-vivo testing as a vascular graft in an experimental animal.Materials and methodTwo batches of carotid vasculo-nervous bundles were collected from porcine models from a local slaughterhouse. The arterial grafts were dissected and isolated, obtaining carotid arteries with a caliber of 5–6 mm and a length of approximately 10–12 cm. Two decellularization protocols were used, immersion (n = 10) and perfusion (n = 9). The resulting grafts underwent histological examination, DNA analysis, electrophoresis and spectrophotometry.ResultsDue to severe tissue damage and friability, the batch that was decellularized using perfusion was not examined. The histological examination of grafts stained with hematoxylin-eosin and DAPI highlighted the absence of nuclei. Spectrophotometry revealed a 90% decellularization, and electrophoresis of revealed the migration band of the material extracted from the fresh tissue, as well as the absence of migration bands in the case of the material extracted from decellularized tissues.ConclusionWe successfully used the immersion protocol to obtain a functional acellular vascular graft, in contrast to perfusion decellularization, where intraluminal high pressures damage the extracellular matrix.
  PubDate: Sun, 10 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT
A Severe Case of Hantavirus Cardiopulmonary Syndrome in a Patient
Presenting as STEMI
- Abstract: Hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS) is a rare disease caused by Hantaviruses, that are transmitted from rodents to humans through aerosols. In some patients, HCPS can have a severe evolution, with rapid progression to respiratory distress and cardiogenic shock. We present the case of a 56-year-old female patient who was transferred to our hospital with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The coronary angiography showed normal epicardial coronary arteries and the lung computed tomography (CT) raised the suspicion of tracheoesophageal fistula, which was soon refuted by an upper digestive endoscopy. Initially, the evolution was very severe, requiring mechanical ventilation, hemodynamic support, and broad-spectrum antibiotics. Later, sero-logical testing revealed an acute infection with Hantavirus Dobrava type. The patient lives in a rural environment, working in a wheat mill. Despite the severe presentation, the evolution was favorable, with complete remission of the pulmonary and myocardial damage after 2 weeks. We emphasize the importance of HCPS suspicion and specific testing in the early phase of the disease, as well as early admission to an intensive care unit, which is crucial in severe cases and can improve survival in a patient without any specific symptoms or a clear diagnosis.
  PubDate: Sun, 10 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT
Regional Differences in the Level of Inflammation Between the Right and
Left Coronary Arteries – a Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography
Study of Epicardial Fat Attenuation Index in Four Scenarios of
Cardiovascular Emergencies
- Abstract: IntroductionThe pericoronary fat attenuation index (FAI) is an emerging computed tomography-derived marker for measuring vascular inflammation at coronary vessels. It holds prognostic significance for major cardiovascular events and enhances cardiac risk assessment, complementing traditional risk factors and coronary artery calcium scores. However, the impact of local coronary circulation factors on pericoronary inflammation development in right versus left coronary arteries has not been clearly understood.ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the regional differences in inflammation levels between the right and left coronary arteries in four clinical scenarios: acute coronary event in the follow-up period, post-COVID patients, recent percutaneous intervention, and unstable angina with significant lesions on native coronary arteries.MethodsThe study included 153 patients (mean age 62 years, 70.5% male) who underwent clinically indicated coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA). Vulnerable plaque features were analyzed to identify high-risk plaques. FAI and the FAI score, a score integrating risk factors and age, were calculated for each case at the left anterior descending artery (LAD), circumflex artery (LCX), and right coronary artery (RCA).ResultsA total of 459 coronary arteries were analyzed. Both FAI and FAI scores were higher in the RCA (15.23 ± 11.97) compared to the LAD (10.55 ± 6.78) and (11.48 ± 6.5) LCX (p = 0.02). FAI values showed a significantly higher level at the RCA (−71.25 ± 7.47 HU) compared to the LCX (−76 ± 7.68 HU) and the LAD (−73.04 ± 8.9 HU, p <0.0001). This trend persisted across all subgroups, including post-COVID CT scans (−75.49 ± 7.62 HU for RCA vs. −72.89 ± 9.40 HU for the LCX vs. −71.28 ± 7.82 HU for the LAD, p = 0.01) and patients with high-risk plaques (20.98 ± 16.29 for the RCA vs. 11.77 ± 7.68 for the LCX vs. 12.83 ± 6.47 for the LAD, p = 0.03).ConclusionPlaques in different coronary areas show varied vulnerability and inflammation levels. The RCA, in particular, demonstrates greater inflammation susceptibility, with higher inflammation scores in areas surrounding the coronary plaques.
  PubDate: Sun, 10 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT
Highly Inflamed Non-Calcified Coronary Plaques Sealed with Stents in
Patients with Zero Calcium Score – a Case Series and Review of the
Literature
- Abstract: The modern management of coronary artery disease (CAD) uses coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) to enhance plaque evaluation and cardiovascular risk assessment. CCTA identifies high-risk plaques, and the latest CT technologies based on calculation of fat attenuation index (FAI) allow assessment of inflammation at the level of the target coronary artery. We present a series of case studies with chest pain and positive CCTA, in whom a significant stenosis was detected in the left anterior descendent coronary artery, and the existence of high-risk, inflamed plaques was documented even in the context of a zero calcium score. A severe narrowing of the left anterior descending artery, exhibiting the pattern of high-risk anatomy, was associated with a very high inflammation depicted by FAI analysis in all three cases, an association that may be extremely dangerous. In this case series, CCTA examination led to immediate stenting of the obstructive stenosis, sealing the dangerous plaque.
  PubDate: Sat, 09 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT
High Inflammation and Coronary Calcification in an Acute Coronary Syndrome
Successfully Treated with Cutting Balloon
- Abstract: Complex coronary atherosclerosis may exhibit different phenotypes of coronary plaques, from non-calcified highly vulnerable atheroma to heavily calcified ones. Computed coronary tomography angiography (CCTA) may identify these different phenotypes and the recently introduced CCTA-based techniques for mapping coronary inflammation along the coronary arteries may provide useful additional information on cardiovascular risk. Here we present the case of a 68-year-old male patient with acute coronary syndrome in whom invasive coronary angiography and CCTA revealed a severe three-vessel disease with a heavily calcified lesion. Mapping of the CT fat attenuation index along the coronary arteries identified a high level of coronary inflammation, especially associated with the non-calcified lesions. All lesions were successfully revascularized by implantation of drug-eluting stents. A cutting balloon was used for the lesion identified by CCTA as heavily calcified, followed by stent implantation, with good results. In conclusion, CCTA, in association with novel techniques for mapping coronary inflammation, may represent an extremely useful tool for preparing complex interventions in multivessel diseases, helping preprocedural planning in high-risk patients.
  PubDate: Sat, 09 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT

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