How nature preserves fetuses

We report on a young pregnant woman developing distal leg edema and hypoalbuminemia, who was lately diagnosed with AL amyloidosis. Fetal growth retardation led to a caesarian section in the 27th week of gestation. A live birth healthy female, 710 g weight, was admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit and survived. Thereafter the mother underwent specific chemotherapy achieving only a partial and transient response, and eventually died due to sepsis. Interestingly, amyloidotic material was found on the maternal but not on the fetal side of the placenta. Experimental data show suppression of AA amyloid formation during pregnancy and suggest a protective role of the placenta on the offspring. However, most reported cases deal with pregnant women diagnosed with AA amyloidosis associated with Familial Mediterranean Fever and describe growth retardation of the fetus, worsening renal function and preeclampsia. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of AL amyloidosis diagnosed in a pregnant woman. In our patient, as well as in the other reported cases, amyloidosis during pregnancy has been confirmed to be an ominous condition. Therefore mild leg edema and proteinuria during pregnancy, though a common finding, may not be innocent

Radiation Therapy-Induced Cardiovascular Disease Treated by a Percutaneous Approach

We report the case of a 51-year-old woman, treated with radiotherapy at the age of two years, for a pulmonary sarcoma. Subsequently she developed severe aortic stenosis and bilateral ostial coronary artery disease, symptomatic for dyspnea (NYHA III functional class). Due to the prohibitive surgical risk, she underwent successful stenting in the right coronary artery and left main ostia with drug eluting stents and, afterwards, transcatheter aortic valve replacement with transfemoral implantation of a 23 mm Edwards SAPIEN XT valve. The percutaneous treatment was successful without complications and the patient is in NYHA II functional class at 2 years’ follow-up, fully carrying out normal daily activities

Impact of culprit plaque and atherothrombotic components on incomplete stent apposition in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction treated with Everolimus-eluting stents-an OCTAVIA Substudy

Background: The role of culprit plaque and related atherothrombotic components on incomplete stent apposition (ISA) occurrence after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (p-PCI) is unknown. Methods and Results: ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients undergoing p-PCI with an everolimus-eluting stent were prospectively investigated with optical coherence tomography (OCT) of the infarctrelated artery before, after stenting and at 9 months. OCT data, aspirated thrombus and serum inflammatory biomarkers were analyzed. 114 patients with 114 lesions were evaluated. Acute ISA occurred in 82 lesions (71.9%), preferentially in larger vessels with a median area of 0.2 mm2. The presence of thrombus before stent implantation (odds ratio (OR) 5.5, 95% confidence interval (CI) [1.1–26.9], P=0.04) and the lipid content in the target segment (OR 1.3, 95% CI [1.0–1.5], P=0.04) independently predicted acute ISA. At 9-month follow-up, ISA persisted in 46 lesions (56.1%). The volume of acute ISA significantly predicted persistent ISA (OR 1.3, 95% CI [1.1–1.5], P=0.01). Late-acquired ISA occurred in 39 lesions (34.2%) with a median area of 0.3 mm2. Red/mixed thrombus before stent implantation (OR 3.7, 95% CI [1.0–13.3], P=0.05) and length of the underlying ruptured plaque (OR 1.7, 95% CI [1.1–2.8] P=0.02) were independently associated with late-acquired ISA. Conclusions: In STEMI patients, culprit plaque and atherothrombotic components of the infarct-related artery significantly contribute to the onset of acute and late ISA. ISA persistence at follow-up depends on the initial volume of acute ISA

Eroded versus ruptured plaques at the culprit site of STEMI: In vivo pathophysiological features and response to primary PCI

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to evaluate the pathophysiological features and response to primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of nonruptured/eroded plaque versus ruptured plaque as a cause of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). BACKGROUND Autopsy series identified nonruptured/eroded plaque and ruptured plaque as the principal pathological substrates underlying coronary thrombosis in STEM I. The real incidence of different plaque morphologies, associated biological factors, superimposed thrombus, and their interaction with primary PCI remain Largely unknown. METHODS In a prospective study, 140 patients with STEMI underwent optical coherence tomography of the infarct-related artery (IRA) before PCI, after everolimus-eluting stent implantation and at 9-month follow-up. Histopathology and immunohistochemistry of thrombus aspirates and serum biomarkers were assessed at baseline. RESULTS Culprit plaque morphology was adjudicated in 97 patients: 32 plaques (33.0%) with an intact fibrous cap (IFC), 63 (64.9%) plaques with a ruptured fibrous cap (RFC), and 2 (2.1%) spontaneous dissections. Patients with an IFC and RFC had similar clinical characteristics, and serum inflammatory and platelets biomarkers. An IFC presented more frequently with a patent IRA (56.2% vs. 34.9%; p = 0.047), and had fewer Lipid areas (Lipid-rich areas: 75.0% vs. 100.0%; p < 0.001) and Less residual thrombus before stenting (white thrombus: 0.41 mm(3) vs. 1.52 mm(3); p = 0.001; red thrombus: 0 mm(3) vs. 0.29 mm(3); p = 0.001) with a lower peak of creatine kinase-myocardial band (66.6 IU/L vs. 149.8 IU/l.; p = 0.025). At the 9-month optical coherence tomography, IFC and RFC had similar high rates of stent strut coverage (92.5% vs. 91.2%; p = 0.15) and similar percentage of volume obstruction (12.6% vs. 10.2%; p = 0.27). No significant differences in clinical outcomes were observed up to 2 years. CONCLUSIONS In the present study, an IFC was observed at the culprit Lesion site of one-third of STEMIs. IFC, compared with RFC, was associated with higher rates of patent IRA at first angiography, fewer lipid areas, and residual endoluminal thrombus. However, no difference in vascular response to everolimus-eluting stent was observed. (Optical Coherence Tomography Assessment of Gender Diversity in Primary Angioplasty [OCTAVIA]; NCT01377207)

Management and long-term prognosis of spontaneous coronary artery dissection

The optimal management and short- and long-term prognoses of spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) remain not well defined. The aim of this observational multicenter study was to assess long-term clinical outcomes in patients with SCAD. In-hospital and long-term outcomes were assessed in 134 patients with documented SCAD, as well as the clinical impact and predictors of a conservative rather than a revascularization strategy of treatment. The mean age was 52 11, years and 81% of patients were female. SCAD presented as an acute coronary syndromes in 93% of patients. A conservative strategy was performed in 58% of patients and revascularization in 42%. On multivariate analysis, distal versus proximal or mid location of dissection (odds ratio 9.27) and basal Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) flow grade 2 or 3 versus 0 or 1 (odds ratio 0.20) were independent predictors of conservative versus revascularization strategy. A conservative strategy was associated with better in-hospital outcomes compared with revascularization (rates of major adverse cardiac events 3.8% and 16.1%, respectively, p = 0.028); however, no significant differences were observed in the long-term outcomes. In conclusion, in this large observational study of patients with SCAD, angiographic features significantly influenced the treatment strategy, providing an excellent short- and long-term prognosis