Jean Pastre

Residual pulmonary vascular obstruction and recurrence after acute pulmonary embolism. A single center cohort study

INTRODUCTION Up to 50% of patients with pulmonary embolism (PE) present lung perfusion defects after six months of anticoagulant treatment, suggesting residual pulmonary vascular obstruction (RPVO). The risk of recurrence in patients with RPVO remains unknown. The present study aims to assess the risk of recurrent venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with RPVO after a first symptomatic episode of PE. METHODS Consecutive patients who survived a first objectively proven acute PE, treated for at least three months with anticoagulants, were included and followed prospectively. RPVO was defined as a pulmonary vascular obstruction of >10% on ventilation/perfusion lung scan performed at inclusion. Objectively proven VTE recurrences were registered and confirmed by an investigator unaware of the result of the ventilation/perfusion lung scan. RESULTS Among the 310 patients (median age: 61years) included in the study, 60 (19%) had RPVO. During a median follow-up of 51.3months, 66 patients (21.2%, 95% CI [17.5-26.7]) experienced recurrent VTE. In an adjusted cox proportional hazards analysis, we identified RPVO (HR 1.94; 95% CI [1.11-3.39]; p=0.026) and unprovoked PE (HR 3.56; 95% CI [1.79-7.07]; p=0.00051) as independent risk factors for recurrent VTE whereas extended anticoagulation therapy (HR 0.19; 95% CI [0.07-0.55]; p=0.00014) was associated with a low risk of recurrence. CONCLUSION The results suggest that RPVO is an independent risk factor of recurrent VTE after a first PE.

Risk factors of occult malignancy in patients with unprovoked venous thromboembolism

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) can occur as the first manifestation of an underlying occult malignancy. It remains unclear whether or not a better selection of high risk patients might lead to more efficient occult cancer screening strategies. Our aim was to assess the predictors of occult malignancy diagnosis in patients with unprovoked VTE. Univariate analyses were performed to assess the effect of candidate predictors on occult cancer detection in patients enrolled in a prospective, multicenter, randomized, controlled study (MVTEP study) whose primary aim was to compare a limited screening strategy with a strategy combining limited screening and FDG PET/CT in patients with unprovoked VTE. This trial is completed and registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00964275. Between March 3, 2009, and August 18, 2012, 399 patients were included. Five patients withdrew consent and refused the use of their data, and no VTE was confirmed in 2 patients who were excluded from this analysis. A total of 25 (6.4%) out of the 392 analysed patients received a new diagnosis of malignancyduring the 2-years follow-up. Age≥50years (p=0.01), male gender (p=0.04), leukocytes count (p=0.01), and platelets count (p=0.03) were associated with occult cancer detection. Patients with leukocytosis or thrombocytosis had a risk of cancer way above 10%. Previous VTE and smoker status (combining previous and current smokers) were not associated with occult cancer diagnosis (p>0.05). Demographic characteristics (age and sex), and laboratory tests (high platelets and leukocytes counts) may be associated with cancer detection in patients withunprovoked VTE.

Additional testing following screening strategies for occult malignancy diagnosis in patients with unprovoked venous thromboembolism

18F-Fluorodesoxyglucose Positron-Emission-Tomography combined with Computed-Tomography (FDG PET/CT) might be an attractive tool for cancer screening in patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE), allowing non-invasive whole-body imaging. One of the frequent criticisms to the use of FDG PET/CT for screening is the potential for false positive results leading to unnecessary/invasive investigations. Our aim was to compare the frequency and invasiveness of additional testing following extensive and limited screening strategies for occult malignancy in patients with unprovoked VTE. We analysed patients included in the MVTEP study, a randomized trial that compared a screening strategy based on FDG-PET/CT with a limited screening strategy for occult malignancy diagnosis in patients with unprovoked VTE. All additional diagnostic procedures following screening were recorded and classified as invasive or non-invasive. A total of 394 patients were analysed. Additional diagnostic procedures realized in patients of each group consisted of 59 tests in patients of the FDG PET/CT group versus 53 tests among the patients from the limited screening group (p=0.65). Overall, 45 (22.8%) patients in the FDG PET/CT group underwent additional diagnostic tests, versus 32 (16.2%) in the limited screening group (absolute risk difference+6.6%, 95% CI -1.3 to +14.4%, p=0.13). Sixteen (8.1%) patients in the FDG PET/CT group underwent invasive procedures, versus 6 (3%) in the limited screening group (absolute risk difference+5.1%, 95% CI +0.5 to +10.0%, p=0.03). We found no statistical difference in the number of additional procedures following each screening strategy. However, a higher number of invasive tests were performed in the FDG PET/CT group.

Prognostic value of right ventricular dilatation in patients with low-risk pulmonary embolism

The prognosis of multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) assessed right ventricular dilatation (RVD) is unclear in patients with pulmonary embolism (PE) and a simplified Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index (sPESI) of 0. We investigated in these patients whether MDCT-assessed RVD, defined by a right to left ventricular ratio (RV/LV) ≥0.9 or ≥1.0, is associated with worse outcomes. We combined data from three prospective cohorts of patients with PE. The main study outcome was the composite of 30-day all-cause mortality, haemodynamic collapse or recurrent PE in patients with sPESI of 0. Among 779 patients with a sPESI 0, 420 (54%) and 299 (38%) had a RV/LV ≥0.9 and ≥1.0 respectively. No difference in primary outcome was observed, 0.95% (95% CI 0.31–2.59) versus 0.56% (95% CI 0.10–2.22; p=0.692) and 1.34% (95% CI 0.43–3.62) versus 0.42% (95% CI 0.07–1.67; p=0.211) with RV/LV ≥0.9 and ≥1.0 respectively. Increasing the RV/LV threshold to ≥1.1, the outcome occurred more often in patients with RVD (2.12%, 95% CI 0.68–5.68 versus 0.34%, 95% CI 0.06–1.36; p=0.033). MDCT RV/LV ratio of ≥0.9 and ≥1.0 in sPESI 0 patients is frequent but not associated with a worse prognosis but higher cut-off values might be associated with worse outcome in these patients. In PE patients with sPESI 0, MDCT RV/LV ≥0.9 and ≥1.0 are not associated with worse prognosis but higher cut-off values might be http://ow.ly/Jda730guiFz

Pulmonary benign metastasizing leiomyoma presented as acute respiratory distress

Benign metastasizing leiomyoma (BML) is a very rare condition and is characterized by the presence of benign smooth muscle tumours in organs distant from the uterus, most commonly the lung. It generally affects women of reproductive age and prognostic is usually excellent. However, the course of the disease is unpredictable. We report here the case of a 76‐year‐old woman with a previous medical history of uterine benign leiomyomas in whom BML was acutely revealed by a respiratory distress due to voluminous pulmonary and pleural leiomyomas requiring surgical extraction. Clinical evolution was remarkable by resistance to medical treatment and development of rare bone localization.

Determinants and prognostic implication of diagnostic delay in patients with a first episode of pulmonary embolism

Signs and symptoms of pulmonary embolism (PE) are not specific and this can lead to a diagnostic delay. Little is known about the determinants of this delay and its prognostic implication. We conducted a retrospective analysis of a prospective cohort involving 514 patients with a first episode of PE. The diagnostic delay was defined as a time from first symptom onset to diagnosis of >3 days, corresponding of the median time in the population. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify determinants of diagnostic delay. Prognostic implication was measured as the occurrence of 30-day all-cause mortality, haemodynamic collapse or recurrent PE. A total of 240 (47%) among 514 patients had a time from first symptom to diagnosis > 3 days. Previous deep vein thrombosis (OR 0.55, 95% Confidence Interval (CI), 0.32-0.93), immobilization (OR 0.52, 95% CI, 0.28-0.96), surgery (OR 0.31, 95% CI, 0.16-0.62), chest pain (OR 0.58, 95% CI, 0.39-0.86), syncope (OR 0.48, 95% CI, 0.23-1.01), dyspnea (OR 2.48, 95% CI, 1.57-3.91) and hemoptysis (OR 3.57, 95% CI, 1.40-9.07) were associated with diagnostic delay. Twenty-two patients (4.3%, 95%CI, 2.8-6.5) experienced an outcome event within 30 days. Among them, 15 patients (6.2% 95%CI, 3.7-10.3) had a diagnostic delay and 7 (2.6%, 95% CI 1.1-5.4) did not (p = 0.039). In this cohort, diagnostic delay is associated with the absence of major risk factors for PE or clinical features such as chest pain or syncope and the presence of dyspnea or hemoptysis. Diagnostic delay is associated with a worse 30-day prognosis.

Phenotypically aberrant clonal T cells in the lungs of patients with type II refractory celiac disease

To the editor: Type II refractory celiac disease (RCD II) is a rare condition characterized by a massive accumulation of intraepithelial lymphocytes with a natural killer/T phenotype and containing clonal T-cell rearrangements.[1][1] Its severe prognosis is largely due to the development of an