Nasar Abdali

Efficacy and Safety of Thrombolytic Therapy in Acute Submassive Pulmonary Embolism: Follow-Up Study

Background Thrombolysis in acute submassive pulmonary embolism (PE) remains controversial. So we studied impact of thrombolytic therapy in acute submassive PE in terms of mortality, hemodynamic status, improvement in right ventricular function, and safety in terms of major and minor bleeding. Method A single-center, prospective, randomized study of 86 patients was conducted at LPS Institute of Cardiology, G.S.V.M. Medical College, Kanpur, India. Patients received thrombolysis (single bolus of tenecteplase) with unfractionated heparin (UFH, group I) or placebo with UFH (group II). Result Mean age of patients was 54.35 ± 12.8 years with male dominance (M:F = 70%:30%). Smoking was the most common risk factor seen in 29% of all patients, followed by recent history of immobilization (25%), history of surgery or major trauma within past 1 month (15%), dyslipidemia (10%) and diabetes mellitus (10%). Dyspnea was the most common symptom in 80% of all patients, followed by chest pain in 55% and syncope in 6%. Primary efficacy outcome occurred significantly better in group I vs. group II (4.5% vs. 20%; P = 0.04), and significant difference was also found in hemodynamic decompensation (4.5% vs. 20%; P = 0.04), the fall in mean pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) (28.8% vs. 22.5%; P = 0.03), improvement in right ventricular (RV) function (70% vs. 40%; P = 0.001) and mean hospital stay (8.1 ± 2.5 vs. 11.1 ± 2.14 days; P = 0.001). There was no difference in mortality and major bleeding as safety outcome but increased minor bleeding occurred in group I patients (16% vs. 12%; P = 0.04). Conclusion Patients with acute submassive PE do not derive overall mortality benefit, recurrent PE and rehospitalization with thrombolytic therapy but had improved clinical outcome in form of decrease in hemodynamic decompensation, mean hospital stay, PASP and improvement of RV function with similar risk of major bleed but at cost of increased minor bleeding.

Symmetrical peripheral gangrene due to Plasmodium falciparum malaria.

A 45-year-old man presented with a 4-day history of high-grade fever with rigours and a 2-day history of painful bluish black discolouration of extremities (acrocyanosis). He was haemodynamically stable and all peripheral pulses palpable, but the extremities were cold with gangrene involving bilateral fingers and toes. Mild splenomegaly was present on abdominal examination but rest of the physical examinations were normal. On investigating he was found to have anaemia, thrombocytopaenia with gametocytes of Plasmodium falciparum on peripheral blood smear. His blood was uncoagulable during performance of prothrombin time with a raised D-dimer. Oxygen saturation was normal and the arterial Doppler test showed reduced blood flow to the extremities. A diagnosis of complicated P. falciparum malaria with disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) leading to symmetrical peripheral gangrene was performed. Artemisinin combination therapy was started and heparin was given for DIC. A final line of demarcation of gangrene started forming by 12th day.

Neurocysticercosis presenting as focal hydrocephalus

A 40-year-old man presented with a 2-month history of headache, nausea and vomiting, with generalised seizures for the past 15 days. On examination he had bilateral papilloedema, visual acuity was 6/6 in both eyes but perimetry showed right homonymous inferior quadrantanopia. His MRI showed numerous small cystic lesions with eccentric nodules, diffusely distributed in bilateral cerebral and cerebellar hemispheres. There was also focal hydrocephalus involving occipital and temporal horns of the left lateral ventricle leading to its selective dilation. Stool examination showed ova of Taenia solium. He was treated with albendazole, prednisone and sustained release sodium valproate for 1 month. His headache resolved and he is free of seizures. Repeat perimetry at 1 month also showed resolution of visual field defect.

Joga i rehabilitacja kardiologiczna (Yoga-CaRe) u osób po przebyciu ostrego epizodu wieńcowego

Cardiovascular diseases are a leading cause of death and disability in Asian Indians with huge psychological and economic impact as it affects population in thirty- and forty-year-olds, previously healthy adults and most productive social group. Successful transcatheter therapeutics has opened a new vista for its management; however, it cannot prevent its recurrence. Therefore, secondary prevention is cornerstone of management. Yoga-based Cardiac Rehabilitation (Yoga-CaRe) is a multifaceted approach targeting patient’s physical, psychological, social and occupational status, preventing or delaying the progression of underlying disease and reducing the risk of recurrent rehospitalization and death as well as enabling the patients to live a comfortable and active life. Yoga is an ancient Indian system of philosophy; a mind-body discipline encompassing an array of philosophical precepts, mental attitudes and physical practice. Of seven major branches of yoga, Hatha yoga , which itself includes many different styles (e.g. Iyenger, Ashtanga, etc. ), is probably the most commonly recognized, and incorporates elements of physical poses, breath control and meditation, and self-restraint (including that of diet, smoking, alcohol intake and sleep patterns). A Cochrane review reported a 27% reduction in total mortality and 19% reduction in total mortality and non-fatal cardiac events with cardiac rehabilitation (CR), comparing favorably to effective pharmacological treatments (e.g. antiplatelets, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, statins and beta-blockers). Yoga, therefore, could provide a useful frame work on which to develop an economical CR program, with additional advantages of being culturally appropriate to Indians and potentially be appealing to global population.

A Rare Case of Angina Pectoris with the Longest Ectopic Left Main Coronary Artery Arising from Right Sinus of Valsalva and a Prepulmonic Course.

Knowledge of the morphoanatomical characteristics of the main trunk of the left coronary artery as well as its variations is cornerstone of hemodynamic, correct interpretation of coronary angiogram and for revascularization purpose. The left main coronary artery (LMCA) ranges from 3 to 6 mm in diameter and may be up to 10 to 15 mm in length in humans. We here report a case of the longest anomalous LMCA (56 mm) reported so far in a 35-year-old man with chronic stable angina arising from right sinus of valsalva as seen on conventional angiogram and multidetector computerized tomogram (MDCT).

Prospective evaluation of the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of Cocoon Duct Occluder for transcatheter closure of large patent ductus arteriosus: A single-center study with short- and medium-term follow-up results.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of a novel Cocoon Duct Occluder device for the transcatheter closure (TCC) of large patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). Methods: In this prospective, non-randomized study, consecutive patients with large PDA (narrowest diameter: ≥3.5/4.0 mm in symptomatic/asymptomatic patients, respectively), who underwent TCC with Cocoon Duct Occluder at our institute between November, 2012 and June, 2016 were examined. TCC was performed using the standard technique, and devices were antegradely delivered via 6–10F delivery sheaths. Device embolization, residual shunt, hemolysis, left pulmonary artery (LPA) stenosis, procedural and fluoroscopy time, and mortality were assessed. Patients were followed-up by transthoracic echocardiography with color Doppler imaging at 24 h (D1), 1 month (D30), and 6 months (D180) after implantation. Results: A total of 57 patients (age: 11.7±2.8 years; weight: 22.3±3.5 kg) were enrolled. The mean narrowest diameter was 7.4±0.7 mm. The PDA closure was successfully performed in each patient. Fluoroscopy and procedural time was 6.7±3.2 min and 23.9±2.7 min, respectively. Postprocedural angiography revealed that 49 (85.9%) patients had immediate and complete closure, whereas 8 (14.1%) had residual shunt. Color Doppler imaging at D1 revealed complete closure in 52 (91.3%) patients. At D30, complete closure was reported in all patients and was maintained at D180. Hemolysis, embolization, obstruction of LPA or descending aorta, and death were not reported till D180. Conclusion: TCC using Cocoon Duct Occluder is feasible, safe, and effective in the management of patients with large PDA, with excellent results on short- and medium-term follow-up.

Radial artery pseudoaneurysm (RAP) following transradial intervention — an extremely rare complication successfully managed by surgery: case report

The transradial access for diagnostic and therapeutic purpose is becoming increasingly popular, mainly because of its lack of complications. Radial artery pseudoaneurysm (RAP) is an extremely rare complication, so many of its clinical features are unknown and treatment is not systematic. Therapeutic options are conservative management, ultrasound-guided compression, thrombin injection and surgical intervention. Here, we report a 43-year old female who underwent transradial percutaneous angioplasty of left anterior descending artery. During cannulation of her radial artery, multiple puncture attempts were done. Upon removal of the transra¬dial compression band (TR Band), forearm ecchymosis and small hematoma were noted with mild pain. Tight compression bandage was applied but on the following day, she had complaints of increasing right forearm pain and tenderness. Physical evaluation revealed increased swelling of the right forearm and an ultrasound of the right forearm demonstrated a RAP of the right radial artery measuring up to 3.9x1.9 cm with 3.4 mm neck. Tight compression bandage was further prolonged following ultrasound compression with vascular probe which failed to alleviate her complaints. Following failure of conservative therapy and in lieu of her symptoms, surgical exploration, clot removal and successful repair was done.

Role of Immunological Markers in the Diagnosis, Treatment and Follow-Up of Human Neurocysticercosis

Neurocysticercosis is the commonest parasitic disease of the nervous system. Its clinical manifestations are highly variable ranging from asymptomatic disease to recurrent seizures and multisystem involvement. The imaging findings of neurocysticercosis although typical are not diagnostic for the disease and can be confused lesions of tuberculomas. To circumvent the diagnostic difficulty various serological tests have been tried. Most of the early serological tests were limited by low sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis. Recently better antibody based assays like Enzyme Linked Immuno Electro Transfer Blot (EITB) have vastly improved the specificity of diagnosis, but sensitivity esp. in single cystic lesions still remains suboptimal. Further advances in the field of serodiagnosis of neurocysticercosis, especially focusing on validation of emerging techniques of diagnosis, will be required before the can be implemented for routine use.

Bilateral subhyaloid haemorrhage in a conscious patient: a new spectrum of ocular involvement by Plasmodium falciparum.

A 24-year-old woman presented with a history of high-grade fever with rigours since 3 days and bilateral sudden loss of vision since 6 h. She was conscious, oriented and her vitals were stable. She had a temperature of 101°F, anaemia, thrombocytopaenia, normal white cell count and moderate splenomegaly. On testing visual activity, she could only perceive hand movements although her pupils were bilaterally equal, and normal in size and reaction. On indirect ophthalmoscopy, optic discs were normal bilaterally; however, fovea of both eyes was masked by subhyaloid haemorrhage. Peripheral smear showed gametocytes of Plasmodium falciparum. The patient was started on arteminsinin-combined therapy and advised to be in propped-up position to help resolution of the haemorrhage. The patient was afebrile in 4 days and follow-up fundus examination showed gradual resolution of the haemorrhage. After two months, the patient regained normal visual acuity in both eyes; however, it took nearly 3 months for complete resolution of the haemorrhage.