Kotaro Obunai

Long-Term Outcome of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for Chronic Total Occlusions

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to evaluate long-term clinical outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for chronic total occlusions (CTO). BACKGROUND Despite technical advancements, there is a paucity of data on long-term outcomes after PCI of CTO. METHODS We evaluated long-term clinical outcomes in 1,791 patients who underwent PCI of 1,852 CTO at 3 tertiary care centers in the United States, South Korea, and Italy between 1998 and 2007. Median follow-up was 2.9 years (interquartile range: 1.5 to 4.6 years). RESULTS Procedural success was obtained in 1,226 (68%) patients. Stents were implanted in 1,160 patients (95%); 396 patients (34%) received bare-metal stents (BMS), and 764 patients (66%) received drug-eluting stents (DES). After multivariable analysis, successful CTO PCI was an independent predictor of a lower cardiac mortality (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.40, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.21 to 0.75, p < 0.01) and reduced need for coronary artery bypass graft surgery (HR: 0.21, 95% CI: 0.13 to 0.40, p < 0.01); it also correlated with a strong trend toward lower all-cause mortality (HR: 0.63, 95% CI: 0.40 to 1.00, p = 0.05) at 5-year follow-up. Among patients who underwent stent implantation, treatment with DES rather than BMS resulted in less target vessel revascularization at long-term follow-up (17.2% vs. 31.1%, p < 0.01); definite/probable stent thrombosis rates were similar (DES 1.7%, BMS 2.3%, p = 0.58). Within the DES subgroup, patients treated with paclitaxel-eluting stents and sirolimus-eluting stents had similar clinical outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Successful CTO PCI is associated with reduced long-term cardiac mortality and need for coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Treatment of CTO with DES rather than BMS is associated with a significant reduction in target vessel revascularization with similar rates of stent thrombosis. Paclitaxel-eluting stents and sirolimus-eluting stents had similar long-term safety and efficacy outcomes.

Long-Term Clinical Outcomes of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for Chronic Total Occlusions in Patients With Versus Without Diabetes Mellitus

There is a paucity of data on long-term outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for chronic total occlusions (CTOs) in the high-risk group of patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). The aim of this study was to evaluate long-term clinical outcomes after PCI of CTOs in patients with and without DM. A total of 1,742 patients with known DM status underwent PCI of CTOs at 3 tertiary care centers in the United States, South Korea, and Italy from 1998 to 2007. Five-year clinical outcomes were evaluated in patients with successful versus failed CTO PCI and the use of drug-eluting stents (DES) versus bare-metal stents (BMS) stratified according to DM status. A total of 395 patients (23%) had DM (42% of whom had insulin-dependent DM). Procedural success was similar in patients with versus without DM (69.6% vs 67.9%, p = 0.53). After successful CTO PCI, stents were implanted in 96.4% of patients with DM (BMS in 23.8%, DES in 76.2%) and in 94.0% of patients without DM (BMS in 38.6%, DES in 61.4%). Median follow-up was 3.0 years. In patients with DM, successful CTO PCI was associated with reduced long-term mortality (10.4% vs 13.0%, p <0.05) and a reduced need for coronary artery bypass grafting (2.4% vs 15.7%, p <0.01). The use of DES was associated with a reduction in target vessel revascularization in patients with DM (14.8% vs 54.1%, p <0.01) and in those without DM (17.6% vs 26.5%, p <0.01). Multivariate analysis identified insulin-dependent DM as an independent predictor of mortality in the DM cohort. In conclusion, successful CTO PCI in patients with DM was associated with a reduction in mortality and the need for coronary artery bypass grafting. Compared to non-insulin-dependent DM, patients with insulin-dependent DM had an increased risk for long-term mortality. The use of DES rather than BMS was associated with a reduction in target vessel revascularization in patients with and without DM.

Recurrent aortic root pseudoaneurysm after transcatheter occlusion-A word of caution

A 48‐year‐old male developed a recurrent aortic‐root pseudoaneurysm after surgical repair for acute dissection. Although the initial closure of the pseudoaneurysm was successfully managed by transcatheter endovascular occlusion and coiling utilizing a hybrid transapical and transfemoral approach, the pseudoaneurysm was recanalized after 3 months and a third‐time surgical repair was required. The potential risk for recurrence of pseudoaneurysms should be considered when applying endovascular occlusion devices to treat aortic root anatomy.

SIGNIFICANCE OF 6-MINUTE WALK STRESS ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY FOR PATIENTS WITH AORTIC STENOSIS

There is a paucity of an investigation of 6-minite walk stress echocardiography (6WSE) for patients with aortic stenosis (AS). The aim of this study is to investigate the significance and safety of 6WSE for AS patients. We prospectively evaluate consecutive 102 ambulant patients with moderate or

Significance of intravascular ultrasound and exercise stress echocardiography in diagnosis of exercise-induced vasospastic angina at the site of moderate stenosis

Recently, exercise-induced spastic coronary artery occlusion at the site of moderate stenosis, which Prinzmetal’s angina or cardiac syndrome X does not cover, was reported. Multi-modality imaging is important for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease with a complex ischemic mechanism. However, the previous report did not include findings from intracoronary imaging at the site of moderate coronary stenosis. We report a case of exercise-induced vasospastic angina at the site of moderate stenosis, where multi-modality imaging, including exercise stress echocardiography and intravascular ultrasound, was utilized to make a definitive diagnosis and investigate underlying causes.

Superiority of novel automated assessment of aortic annulus by intraoperative three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography in patients with severe aortic stenosis: Comparison with conventional cross-sectional assessment

BACKGROUND Previous studies have demonstrated that three-dimensional (3D) transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is an alternative to multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) for aortic valve sizing in transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). However, conventional cross-sectional analysis of aortic annulus by 3D TEE has some limitations such as lengthy analytical time. A novel software for automated valve measurement has been developed for 3D TEE. We evaluated the accuracy and analytical time of aortic annular measurements using this novel automated software in the clinical setting. METHODS We retrospectively studied 43 patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis (AS) who underwent TAVR. All patients underwent intraoperative TEE and MDCT. We measured aortic annular area by automated, semi-automated, and cross-sectional methods using 3D TEE datasets. These measurements were compared to the corresponding MDCT reference values. We also compared the analytical time of the three methods. RESULTS Automated and semi-automated analyses required significantly shorter analytical time compared to cross-sectional analysis (automated: 30.1±5.79s, semi-automated: 74.1±15.0s, manual: 81.8±18.5s, p<0.05). Compared to MDCT measurement (393.7±81.0mm2), annular areas measured by automated and cross-sectional methods were significantly smaller (automated: 380.6±77.1mm2, cross-sectional: 374.7±76.8mm2, p<0.05), while that obtained by semi-automated method was not significantly different (387.7±75.8mm2). Annular areas determined by semi-automated and cross-sectional analyses had narrower limits of agreement (LOA) with MDCT measurements, compared to automated analysis (automated: -68.6 to 94.7mm2, semi-automated: -48.3 to 60.2mm2, cross-sectional: -40.0 to 77.9mm2). Measurements by all three methods using 3D TEE showed high correlation with MDCT measurement (automated: r=0.86, semi-automated: r=0.94, cross-sectional: r=0.93). CONCLUSIONS For aortic annular measurements using 3D TEE in AS patients, semi-automated analysis using the novel automated software reduced analytical time while maintaining similar accuracy compared to the conventional cross-sectional analysis. This automated software may have acceptable feasibility in the clinical setting.

Usefulness of Cutting Balloon Angioplasty Prior to Stenting with Intravascular Ultrasound Imaging Guidance for Spontaneous Multi-vessel Coronary Dissection Including the Left Main Coronary Artery

We report a case of percutaneous coronary intervention for spontaneous multi-vessel coronary artery dissection including the left main coronary artery. This case suggests that intracoronary imaging is useful for understanding the complex anatomy and for choosing the appropriate management for effective revascularization. Furthermore, cutting balloon angioplasty prior to stenting is useful for preventing the longitudinal extension of the intramural hematoma and avoiding unnecessary stent implantation.

Constrictive Pericarditis as a Long-term Undetermined Etiology of Ascites and Edema

Constrictive pericarditis (CP) is defined as impedance to diastolic filling caused by a fibrotic pericardium. The diagnosis of CP is a clinical challenge and requires a high index of clinical suspicion. The signs and symptoms of CP include fatigue, edema, ascites, and liver dysfunction. These can be mistakenly diagnosed as primary liver disease. We present the case of a 69-year-old woman with a 7-year history of leg edema and a 2-year history of ascites who was initially diagnosed with cryptogenic liver cirrhosis and was finally diagnosed with CP.

Myocarditis Associated with Drug Reaction with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms (DRESS) Syndrome: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Patient: Male, 33 Final Diagnosis: Perimyocarditis associated with drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms syndrome Symptoms: Skin rash Medication: — Clinical Procedure: — Specialty: Dermatology Objective: Rare disease Background: Drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) is a clinical syndrome that can be life-threatening, depending on the organs involved. Although DRESS commonly presents with skin lesions, myocarditis and pericarditis associated with DRESS, although rare, can be fatal. A case of DRESS associated with myocarditis is presented with a review of the literature of 43 reported cases of DRESS associated with myocarditis that included the present case, to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment of DRESS with corticosteroids. Case Report: A 33-year-old man presented with fever, diarrhea, and a diffuse maculopapular rash, four weeks after being treated with antibiotics and a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). He developed renal failure, liver dysfunction, and profound hypotension with severe left ventricular dysfunction that required mechanical cardiac support. A diagnosis was made of myocarditis associated with DRESS syndrome. After treatment began with prednisolone, the skin rash, multi-organ dysfunction, and cardiogenic dysfunction resolved. Conclusions: Myocarditis is a rare complication associated with DRESS, but when it is suspected, urgent echocardiography should be performed, particularly when hemodynamic instability occurs. Early diagnosis, removal of the causative agent, and treatment with corticosteroids are important to reduce mortality from cardiac involvement in patients with DRESS.

Successfully Treated Nonocclusive Mesenteric Ischemia After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

An 80-year-old man with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis underwent transcatheter aortic valve replacement. Postoperatively, the patient was hemodynamically stable without inotropic or mechanical support. Approximately 30 hours after the procedure, he developed severe abdominal pain, and a blood test result showed elevated serum lactate level. We suspected nonocclusive mesenteric ischemia and performed emergency selective angiography of the superior mesenteric artery, which showed vasospasm. We confirmed the diagnosis of nonocclusive mesenteric ischemia, and it was treated successfully with intraarterial infusion of vasodilators into the superior mesenteric artery.