Failure of Fluoroscopy and Success of Intravascular Ultrasound to Locate an Intracoronary Embolized Palmaz-Schatz Stent

We describe a patient in whom one half (disarticulated) Palmaz-Schatz stent was lost during a failed stenting procedure of an ostial left anterior coronary artery (LAD) stenosis. The embolized stent could not be located by fluoroscopy and was found in the left main coronary artery by intravascular ultrasound. The stent could not be removed using a retrieval device and was successfully deployed in the left main coronary artery by high-pressure balloon dilatation. Subsequently, LAD stenosis was successfully treated with deployment of two additional half Palmaz-Schatz stents

Local heparin delivery prior to coronary stent implantation: acute and six-month clinical and angiographic results

Stents increase smooth muscle cell proliferation, which may also lead to in-stent restenosis. A local delivery strategy provides higher drug concentration at the angioplasty site and may limit the proliferative response following stenting. Local heparin delivery was attempted in 35 patients following balloon angioplasty using an "over-the-balloon" style catheter (infusion sleeve). The infusion sleeve was successfully tracked and heparin was delivered in 33 (94%) patients. Heparin (1,000 IU/ml) was delivered under low (45 psi, 2 ml, n = 4), intermediate (75 psi, 4 ml, n = 11), and high (100 psi, 4 ml, n = 18) proximal infusion pressures. Stent placement was successful in all cases. Acute and in-hospital complications were a severe arterial spasm after heparin delivery, a non Q-wave myocardial infarction, and two vascular complications. Ten dissections were observed after PTCA and prior to heparin delivery. Of these dissections, 7 remained unchanged, 2 worsened, and 1 improved with local delivery. When heparin was delivered in the absence of dissection, no new dissections were observed. Of the 33 patients who received heparin, 30 (91%) had no symptoms and a negative exercise test at clinical follow-up. QCA analysis of 6-month follow-up angiograms, performed in 32 of 33 (97%) patients, demonstrated an acute gain of 1.98 +/- 0.67 mm, a late loss of 0.94 +/- 0.78 mm, a net gain of 1.04 +/- 0.78 mm, and a loss index of 0.48 +/- 0.32. Restenosis (> or = 50% stenosis) was observed in 4 of 32 (12%) patients. Local delivery of heparin via the infusion sleeve following PTCA and prior to stent deployment is feasible with an acceptable safety profile and a low clinical and angiographic restenosis rate at 6 months

COX-2 and NF-KB overexpression is common in pancreatic cancer but does not predict for COX-2 inhibitors activity in combination with gemcitabine and oxaliplatin

Objective: The attempt to improve therapeutic results in pancreatic carcinoma has recently focused on the emerging role of molecular biology. We investigated the role of COX-2 and NF-KB expression in relation to the use of a COX-2 inhibitor (celecoxib) associated to gemcitabine and oxaliplatin in pancreatic cancer. Methods: Forty-four patients with histologically or cytologically verified, locally advanced unresectable and/or metastatic pancreatic carcinoma were eligible for the study. Results: Thirty-three patients (75%) assumed celecoxib for all their treatment period. Treatment was repeated every 2 weeks, until there was evidence of disease progression, patient refusal, or unacceptable toxicity. Efficacy was assessed according to tumor response, clinical benefit, and time-related parameters. Five patients had a partial response, 24 had a stable disease, and 15 had a disease progression, for an overall response rate of 11%. Biochemical response rate based on CA 19.9 levels showed 2 complete and 10 partial responses, whereas 31 patients presented no changes of CA 19.9 levels. COX-2 protein expression was found in 30 tumors, while a moderate or weak/absent expression was present in 10 patients. Sixteen tumors showed a strong expression for NF-KB, 4 a moderate expression, and 5 a weak/absent expression. Conclusion: The use of a COX-2 inhibitor does not add any valuable activity to a gemcitabine/oxaliplatin combination, even in patients with COX-2 and NF-KB overexpressing tumors

G-CSF treatment for STEMI: Final 3-year follow-up of the randomised placebo-controlled STEM-AMI trial

Objective: To assess whether granulocyte colonystimulating factor (G-CSF) treatment induces a sustained benefit on adverse remodelling in patients with large anterior ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and left ventricular (LV) dysfunction after successful reperfusion. Methods: The STEM-AMI Trial was a prospective, placebo-controlled, multicentre study. Sixty consecutive patients with a first anterior STEMI, who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention 2-12 h after symptom onset, with LV ejection fraction (LVEF) 6445% measured by echocardiography within 12 h after successful revascularisation (TIMI flow score 652), were randomised 1:1 to G-CSF (5 \u3bcmg/Kg body weight b.i.d.) or placebo. Clinical events and Major Adverse Cardiac and Cerebrovascular Event (MACCE) were monitored, and LVEF, LV end-diastolic (LVEDV) and end-systolic (LVESV) volumes, and infarct size were evaluated by MRI at the final 3-year follow-up. Results: Fifty-four patients completed the study, of whom 35 with MRI. No significant differences were found in mortality and MACCE between G-CSF and placebo-treated groups. The 3-year infarct size was not different between groups, whereas LVEDV was significantly lower in G-CSF (n=20) than in placebo (n=15) patients (170.1\ub18.1 vs 197.2\ub18.9 mL, respectively; p=0.033 at analysis of covariance). A significant inverse correlation was detected in G-CSF patients between the number of circulating CD34 cells at 30 days after reperfusion and the 3-year absolute and indexed LVEDV (\u3c1=-0.71, 95% CI -0.90 to -0.30, and \u3c1=-0.62, -0.86 to -0.14, respectively), or their change over time (r=-0.59, -0.85 to -0.11, and r=-0.55, -0.83 to -0.06, respectively). Conclusions: G-CSF therapy may be beneficial in attenuating ventricular remodelling subsequent to a large anterior STEMI in the long term. No differences have been detected in clinical outcome

Right pelvic mass in a patient with a radically resected carcinoid of the appendix

No abstract availabl