Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Aortic Arch Emergencies: Takayasu Disease, Fibromuscular Dysplasia, and Aortic Arch Pathologies: A Retrospective Study and Review of the Literature

Non-atherosclerotic aortic arch pathologies (NA-AAPs) and anatomical variants are characterized as rare cardiovascular diseases with a low incidence rate, below 1 case per 2000 population, but enormous heterogeneity in terms of anatomical variants, i.e., Takayasu disease (TAK) and fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD). In specific clinical scenarios, NA-AAPs constitute life-threatening disorders.

METHODS

In this study, 82 (1.07%) consecutive patients with NA-AAPs (including 38 TAKs, 26 FMDs, and 18 other AAPs) out of 7645 patients who underwent endovascular treatment (EVT) for the aortic arch and its side-branch diseases at a single institution between 2002 and 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. The recorded demographic, biochemical, diagnostic, operative, and postoperative factors were reviewed, and the functional outcomes were determined during follow-up. A systematic review of the literature was also performed.

RESULTS

The study group comprised 65 (79.3%) female and 17 (21.7%) male subjects with a mean age of 46.1 ± 14.9 years. Overall, 62 (75.6%) patients were diagnosed with either cerebral ischemia symptoms or aortic arch dissection on admission. The EVT was feasible in 59 (72%) patients, whereas 23 (28%) patients were referred for medical treatment. In EVT patients, severe periprocedural complications occurred in two (3.39%) patients, including one periprocedural death and one cerebral hyperperfusion syndrome. During a median follow-up period of 64 months, cardiovascular events occurred in 24 (29.6%) patients (5 deaths, 13 ISs, and 6 myocardial infarctions). Repeated EVT for the index lesion was performed in 21/59 (35.6%) patients, including 19/33 (57.6%) in TAK and 2/13 (15.4%) in FMD. In the AAP group, one patient required additional stent-graft implantation for progressing dissection to the iliac arteries at 12 months. A baseline white blood count (odds ratio [HR]: 1.25, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.11-1.39; p < 0.001) was the only independent prognostic factor for recurrent stenosis, while a baseline hemoglobin level (HR: 0.73, 95%CI: 0.59-0.89; p = 0.002) and coronary involvement (HR: 4.11, 95%CI: 1.74-9.71; p = 0.001) were independently associated with a risk of major cardiac and cerebral events according to the multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

This study showed that AAPs should not be neglected in clinical settings, as it can be a life-threatening condition requiring a multidisciplinary approach. The knowledge of prognostic risk factors for adverse outcomes may improve surveillance in this group of patients.

High incidence and clinical characteristics of fibromuscular dysplasia in patients with spontaneous cervical artery dissection: The ARCADIA-POL study

The association between fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) and spontaneous cervical artery dissection (SCeAD) has been recognized, but the available evidence on this relationship is scant. Therefore, the main goal of our study was to systematically evaluate FMD frequency, clinical characteristics and vascular bed involvement in patients with SCeAD. Among 230 patients referred to the ARCADIA-POL study, 43 patients (mean age 44.1 ± 8.9 years; 15 men and 28 women) with SCeAD were referred. Also, 135 patients with FMD were compared to patients with and without SCeAD. Patients underwent: ambulatory blood pressure measurements, biochemical evaluation, echocardiographic examination, and whole body computed tomographic angiography. FMD changes were found in 39.5% of patients with SCeAD. There were no differences in clinical characteristics between patients with SCeAD and FMD and those without FMD, except for a tendency towards a higher female ratio in SCeAD patients with FMD. There were no differences in other parameters describing target organ and SCeAD characteristics. Patients with SCeAD and FMD compared to those without SCeAD were characterized by a lower frequency of hypertension and a higher frequency of hyperlipidemia and history of contraceptive hormone use. Our study indicates a high incidence (39.5%) of FMD in subjects with SCeAD. Since there are no distinctive discriminating factors between patients with SCeAD and FMD and those without FMD, FMD should be suspected in all patients with SCeAD.

Intravenous N-acetylcysteine for the PRevention Of Contrast-induced nephropathy - a prospective, single-center, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. The INPROC trial

INTRODUCTION

Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is a common clinical problem that is growing in importance as an increasing number of tests and procedures which utilize contrast media (CM) are performed.

AIM

To evaluate the efficacy of intravenous N-acetylcysteine (NAC) for prevention of CIN after diagnostic and/or interventional procedures requiring CM administration.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

In a prospective, single-center, randomized, placebo-controlled trial the preventive effects of N-acetylcysteine were evaluated in 222 patients undergoing elective angiography and/or angioplasty. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either NAC or placebo. All patients received intravenous hydration with normal saline before and after catheterization. Serum creatinine (SCr) and estimated glomerular filtration rate were assessed at baseline, at 48-72 h and 10-15 days after CM administration. Contrast-induced nephropathy was defined as an increase in SCr of at least 44 µmol/l (0.5 mg/dl) or an increase of ≥ 25% of the baseline value 48-72 h after CM administration.

RESULTS

Contrast-induced nephropathy occurred in 30 of 222 patients (13.5%): 9 of 108 patients in NAC (8.3%) and 21 of 114 patients in the control group (18.4%; p = 0.0281). The multivariate Cox analysis revealed that elevated SCr at 10-15 days (HR = 2.69; p = 0.018) and baseline SCr level (HR = 1.009; p = 0.015) were independent prognostic variables for adverse events during follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that intravenous NAC along with intravenous hydration may help prevent declining renal function after CM exposure. Elevated SCr level 10-15 days after CM administration was associated with increased risk of adverse events in long-term observation, while elevated SCr within 72 h was not. Measuring SCr at least 10 days after exposure to CM may provide a better outcome measure.

The use of a novel type of distal protection system (FiberNet®) in the percutaneous management of saphenous vein graft disease

Percutaneous intervention in saphenous vein grafts is associated with a high risk of distal embolisation by plaque material, 'no flow' phenomenon and clinical complications such as myocardial infarction or death. According to randomised trial evidence, intervention in a degenerated vein graft should be performed using an embolic protection device (EPD), since this strategy significantly reduces periprocedural and 30 day adverse event rate. FiberNet® is a novel distal protection system with unique characteristics of a low crossing profile (0.031'' for vessel size 3.5-5 mm), 'cotton wool'-like three dimensional design and a small pore size (40 μm). The FiberNet® does not require a separate delivery sheath and self-achieves its optimal apposition to the vessel wall; the EPD system also contains a dedicated aspiration catheter. We present the use of FiberNet® in a 77 year-old patient who had undergone coronary artery bypass grafting 20 years ago and currently presented with CCS class III angina due to a significant stenosis of the saphenous vein graft to the marginal branch. The procedure involved the use of a novel mesh-covered stent (MGuard®) designed to 'trap' the plaque material between the stent and the vessel wall. It was technically successful and clinically uncomplicated, and the patient remains well six months later.

[Visualisation of early engraftment of transcoronary applied CD34+ cells in the infarct border zone]

Successful delivery of progenitor cells to the injury zone is a prerequisite for any effect of myocardial regeneration therapy. This key issue, however, has received far less attention than, for instance, a potential need for cell type selection or ex-vivo expansion, the optimal timing of cell application or multimodal functional evaluation after cellular transplantation. By combining myocardial perfusion scintigraphy, magnetic resonance imaging and 99Tc-HMPAO-labelled autologous bone marrow-derived CD34+ cells visualisation, we show in a 63-year-old man with a large anterior myocardial infarction that transcoronary applied cells (via the central lumen of an inflated over-the-wire balloon positioned in the stent implanted in primary PCI) graft preferentially to the infarct border zone. This is consistent with the idea that the area of myocardial 'irreversible' injury (i.e. the no-perfusion zone on perfusion scintigraphy or late enhancement zone on magnetic resonance) remains largely inaccessible to transcoronary-applied cells; thus other techniques need to be considered if the cell delivery is aimed at the zone of irreversible injury. The potency of such combined high-resolution visualisation provides grounds for comparing the efficacy of different methods of cell delivery after a recent myocardial infarction in man.

[Percutaneous transluminal septal myocardial ablation: early results and long-term follow-up]

BACKGROUND

Percutaneous transluminal septal myocardial ablation (PTSMA) is becoming an alternative to surgical myectomy in the treatment of severe, drug refractory, hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM). The aim of our study was to analyze early results, complications and long-term follow-up in patients after PTSMA.

METHODS

Out of eighteen patients [11 M] initially accepted for PTSMA, the procedure was performed in 12 patients [6 M] age from 22 to 70 y. All the patients underwent clinical evaluation, echocardiography and cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPX) before the procedure, and after a median of 38 months of observation. In echo-cardiography left ventricle outflow tract gradient (LVOTG) and intraventricular septum diastolic diameter were assessed. The following parameters of CPX were analyzed: exercise duration, anaerobic threshold, peak oxygen consumption, peak exercise heart rate and carbon dioxide ventilating equivalent.

RESULTS

The procedure was successful in 11 patient. There were 2 acute complications: 3rd degree AV block requiring peacemaker implantation and LVOTG increase with SAM exacerbation requiring urgent cardiosurgical intervention. During long-term follow-up 1 cerebral stroke and 1 death occurred. PTSMA resulted in significant reduction of left ventricle outflow tract gradient (89 +/- 44 vs. 17 +/- 17 mmHg) and intraventricular septum diastolic diameter (24 +/- 4 vs 18 +/- 5 mm) (p < or = 0.01 for both). We also observed improvement of CPX parameters: exercise duration (487 +/- 268 vs. 730 +/- 292 sec), anaerobic threshold (34.3 +/- 8.9 vs. 53.2 +/- 13.4% VO2max predicted), peak oxygen consumption (18.5 +/- 6 vs. 26.8 +/- 10.1 ml/kg/min), peak exercise heart rate (70.3 +/- 8.3 vs. 83.6 +/- 11.7%) and carbon dioxide ventilating equivalent (31 +/- 6.1 vs. 28 +/- 4.8); (p < or = 0.01 for all).

CONCLUSIONS

PTSMA is an effective method of treatment in patients with severe, drug refractory HOCM. PTSMA is safe and is associated with a low percentage of severe complications.