Fatal evolution of a huge right atrial free-floating thrombus

Diagnostic and therapeutic challenge: A case of right ventricular thrombus

Right ventricular thrombus is a rare finding found in 4% of people diagnosed with pulmonary embolism. Although right ventricular thrombi are usually associated with atrial fibrillation, deep venous vein thrombi, or intracardiac procedures, isolated right ventricular thrombi are rare. Right ventricular thrombus has also been reported in patients with right ventricular infarction, as hypokinesis of the right ventricle causes blood stasis and promotes thrombosis as per Virchow's triad. However, we present a case of isolated RV thrombus in a patient without evidence of deep vein thrombosis or right ventricular hypokinesis who presented with dyspnea on exertion.

Signaling pathways and targeted therapies for psoriasis

Psoriasis is a common, chronic, and inflammatory skin disease with a high burden on individuals, health systems, and society worldwide. With the immunological pathologies and pathogenesis of psoriasis becoming gradually revealed, the therapeutic approaches for this disease have gained revolutionary progress. Nevertheless, the mechanisms of less common forms of psoriasis remain elusive. Furthermore, severe adverse effects and the recurrence of disease upon treatment cessation should be noted and addressed during the treatment, which, however, has been rarely explored with the integration of preliminary findings. Therefore, it is crucial to have a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms behind psoriasis pathogenesis, which might offer new insights for research and lead to more substantive progress in therapeutic approaches and expand clinical options for psoriasis treatment. In this review, we looked to briefly introduce the epidemiology, clinical subtypes, pathophysiology, and comorbidities of psoriasis and systematically discuss the signaling pathways involving extracellular cytokines and intracellular transmission, as well as the cross-talk between them. In the discussion, we also paid more attention to the potential metabolic and epigenetic mechanisms of psoriasis and the molecular mechanistic cascades related to its comorbidities. This review also outlined current treatment for psoriasis, especially targeted therapies and novel therapeutic strategies, as well as the potential mechanism of disease recurrence.

Clinical features and management of 20 patients with hepatic portal venous gas

The present study investigated the characteristics, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of hepatic portal venous gas (HPVG) using the data of 20 patients from the Tongji University School of Medicine Affiliated with Yangpu Hospital (Shanghai, China). The aim of the present study was to optimize the management method and improve the prognosis of patients with HPVG. A total of 20 patients were selected using a CT scan to confirm HPVG. All patients were enrolled and identified via a search engine, which examined all CT radiology reports containing the words pneumatosis and/or portal venous gas/air. Data were collected and analyzed, including sex, age, laboratory evidence, etiologies at admission, therapeutic method and in-hospital mortality. The patients consisted of 14 women (mean age, 79.1 years) and six men (mean age, 67.8 years). The results demonstrated that HPVG indicated a higher inflammatory index. The etiologies of HPVG included abdominal infection, pulmonary infection and hemorrhage, whereas the comorbidities included hypertension, diabetes, coronary disease, cerebrovascular disease and renal insufficiency. The present study determined that intestinal obstruction, acute enteritis and pulmonary infection were the main causes of HPVG. Of the 20 patients enrolled in the present study, four patients received surgery and 16 patients received conservative treatment. The overall in-hospital mortality was 25%. The present study indicated that the causes of HPVG may be closely related to inflammation and blood vessel injury. It was also determined that hemodynamic disorders of the intestinal tract and the combination of different types of infection were important contributors towards patient mortality.

Early surgical treatment in patients with pulmonary embolism and thrombus-in-transit

Background

Floating right heart thrombi (RHT) are in transit from the legs to the pulmonary arteries and thus are a severe form of venous thromboembolism (VTE), with a high early mortality rate without treatment. There is a lack of evidence-based recommendations for its management. The objective of this study is to describe our experience in the surgical management of thrombus-in-transit and pulmonary embolism (PE) in a tertiary hospital.

Methods

We recruited four patients with thrombus-in-transit and PE treated with early surgical embolectomy and anticoagulation. Epidemiologic, laboratory, imaging and clinical data of the thromboembolic episode and the subsequent course were collected.

Results

The sample included 3 males and 1 female, with a mean age of 49.7. The most frequent initial symptoms were dyspnea, syncope, chest pain and signs of deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) found the thrombus-in-transit in all the cases. The inicial treatment was unfractionated heparin (UFH) and urgent right atriectomy and manual removal of the thrombi. Three patients needed perioperative infusion of vasopressor drugs. All patients had right heart dysfunction at the time of diagnosis. The mean scoring in the Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index (PESI) was 90. All patients survived after 30 days of follow-up.

Conclusions

Early surgical embolectomy of thrombus-in-transit is an effective option of management in selected patients, although the current evidence to support this approach is not definitive.