Association Between Left Atrial Appendage Morphology and Function and the Risk of Ischaemic Stroke in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation

AF is the most common cardiac arrhythmia and has been identified as an independent risk factor for stroke. The European Society of Cardiology guidelines recommend a thromboembolic event risk assessment based on the CHA2DS2-VASc score. However, stroke also occurs in some patients with a low CHA2DS2-VASc score. Therefore, it is necessary to find new factors to improve thromboembolic risk stratification in AF patients. Over 90% of embolic strokes are caused by thrombi originating from the left atrial appendage (LAA). Thus, certain anatomical or functional parameters of the LAA could potentially be used to predict cardioembolic stroke. Studies have suggested that some of these factors, such as LAA morphology, number of LAA lobes, LAA dimensions, LAA volume, distance from the LAA ostium to the first bend of LAA, LAA orifice diameter, extent of LAA trabeculations, LAA takeoff, LAA flow velocity and LAA strain rate, are independently associated with a higher risk of stroke in a population of patients with AF and improve the performance of the CHA2DS2-VASc score. However, the results are conflicting and, so far, no new parameter has been added to the CHA2DS2-VASc score

Caseous calcification of the mitral annulus : the complementary role of computed tomography and transthoracic echocardiogram

Purpose: Caseous calcification is a relatively uncommon variant of calcification of the mitral annulus. The purpose of the study was to assess characteristic radiological features of caseous calcification of the mitral annulus (CCMA) using computed tomography (CT) and compare the usefulness of CT and transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) in a diagnosis of CCMA. Material and methods: Seventeen patients with CCMA, who underwent TTE and CT, were analysed. The following features of CCMA were evaluated: location, size, attenuation, enhancement after contrast administration, and margins. Results: In all cases TTE visualised an echo-dense structure with an irregular appearance involving the mitral valve annulus. In five cases the acoustic shadowing artefact was visible, and in four cases the mass contained central areas of echolucency. Eleven patients had valve disease. On CT CCMA appeared as a round mass in one case, in 10 cases as an oval mass, and in six patients it had a semilunar shape. In all cases on unenhanced CT, CCMA appeared as a hyperdense mass. On enhanced CT, CCMA in 10 cases (58.8%) had a hypodense centre, and in 7seven (41.2%) it had a hyperdense centre without enhancement after contrast administration. A hyperdense rim was observed in all cases except one patient. Conclusions: In cases of the atypical appearance of CCMA on TTE, CT can lead to a definitive diagnosis. The combination of unenhanced CT and after IV contrast administration scans allows for recognition and distinction of CCMA from other pathologies, while TTE allows for assessment of additional valve dysfunction

Prognostic value of renal fractional flow reserve in blood pressure response after renal artery stenting (PREFER study)

Background: The aim of our study was to determine a potential relationship between restingtranslesional pressures ratio (Pd/Pa ratio), renal fractional fl ow reserve (rFFR) and bloodpressure response after renal artery stenting.Methods: Thirty fi ve hypertensive patients (49% males, mean age 64 years) with at least60% stenosis in angiography, underwent renal artery stenting. Translesional systolic pressuregradient (TSPG), Pd/Pa ratio (the ratio of mean distal to lesion and mean proximal pressures)and hyperemic rFFR — after intrarenal administration of papaverine — were measured beforestent implantation. Ambulatory blood pressure measurements (ABPM) were recorded beforethe procedure and after 6 months. The ABPM results were presented as blood pressure changesin subgroups of patients with normal (≥ 0.9) vs. abnormal (< 0.9) Pd/Pa ratio and normal(≥ 0.8) vs. abnormal (< 0.8) rFFR.Results: Median Pd/Pa ratio was 0.84 (interquartile range 0.79–0.91) and strongly correlatedwith TSPG (r = –0.89, p < 0.001), minimal lumen diameter (MLD; r = 0.53, p < 0.005)and diameter stenosis (DS; r = –0.51, p < 0.005). Median rFFR was 0.78 (0.72–0.82). Similarly,signifi cant correlation between rFFR and TSPG (r = –0.86, p < 0.0001), as well as withMLD (r = 0.50, p < 0.005) and DS (r = –0.51, p < 0.005) was observed. Procedural successwas obtained in all patients. Baseline Pd/Pa ratio and rFFR did not predict hypertension responseafter renal artery stenting. Median changes of 24-h systolic/diastolic blood pressure werecomparable in patients with abnormal vs. normal Pd/Pa ratio (–4/–3 vs. 0/2 mm Hg; p = NS)and with abnormal vs. normal rFFR (–2/–1 vs. –2/–0.5 mm Hg, respectively).Conclusions: Physiological assessment of renal artery stenosis using Pd/Pa ratio and papaverine-induced renal fractional fl ow reserve did not predict hypertension response after renalartery stenting

Prognostic value of computed tomography derived measurements of pulmonary artery diameter for long-term outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve replacement

Background: An increase in pulmonary artery diameter (PAD) on multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) may indicate pulmonary hypertension. We assessed the prognostic value of MDCT-derived measurements of PAD on outcomes after successful transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).Methods: Consecutive patients treated with TAVR from February 2013 to October 2017, with a 68.8% rate of new generation valves, underwent pre-interventional MDCT with measurements of PAD (in the widest short-axis within 3 cm of the bifurcation) and ascending aortic diameter (AoD; at the level of the PAD). The PAD/AoD ratio was calculated. Patients with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels ≤46 mg/dl and C-reactive protein levels ≥0.20 mg/dl at baseline were identified as the frail group. One-year mortality was established for all subjects.Results: Among studied 266 patients (median age, 82.0 years; 63.5% women) those who died at 1 year (n = 34; 12.8%) had larger PAD and PAD/AoD (28.9 [5.0] vs. 26.5 [4.6] mm and 0.81 [0.13] vs. 0.76 [0.13] mm vs. the rest of the studied subjects; P = 0.005 and P = 0.02, respectively) but similar AoD. The cutoff value for the PAD to predict 1-year mortality was 29.3 mm (sensitivity, 50%; specificity, 77%; area under the curve, 0.65). Patients with PAD >29.3 mm (n = 72; 27%) had higher 1-year mortality (23.6% vs. 8.8%, log-rank P = 0.001). Baseline characteristics associated with PAD 29.3 mm were a bigger body mass index, more frequent diabetes mellitus, more prior stroke/transient ischemic attacks and atrial fibrillation, and lower baseline maximal aortic valve gradient with higher pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP). PAD >29.3 mm and frailty, but not baseline PASP, remained predictive of 1-year mortality in the multivariable model (hazard ratio [HR], 2.221; 95%CI, 1.038–4.753; P = 0.04 and HR, 2.801; 95% CI, 1.328–5.910; P = 0.007, respectively).Conclusion: PAD >29.3 mm on baseline MDCT is associated with higher 1-year mortality after TAVR, independently of echocardiographic measures of PH and frailty