Detection of Asymptomatic Cardiac Metastasis and Successful Salvage Chemotherapy Comprising a Prednisone, Etoposide, Procarbazine, and Cyclophosphamide Regimen in an Elderly Japanese Patient Suffering from a Delayed Recurrence of Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma

We report a case of facial diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) associated with recurrent metastasis in the heart and other sites in a 76-year-old Japanese woman. Initially, she developed DLBCL in her left upper eyelid that spread into the left orbit (Ann Arbor classification stage I). The lesion went into clinical regression after 4 cycles of rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy. More than 3 years later, the lymphoma recurred in her facial skin, together with metastases in the mediastinal lymph nodes and the heart; the tumor in the heart was successfully detected by PET/CT and cardiac MRI. To treat the recurrent lesions, we performed a salvage chemotherapy regimen comprising prednisone, etoposide, procarbazine, and cyclophosphamide, which successfully induced tumor regression

Coronary angioplasty ameliorates hypoperfusion-induced endothelial dysfunction in patients with stable angina pectoris

Objectives.This study sought to investigate the effect of coronary angioplasty on chronic hypoperfusion-induced endothelial dysfunction in patients with coronary heart disease.Background.The endothelium is an important component for organ flow regulation. Ischemia with or without reperfusion is known to cause endothelial dysfunction. We tested the hypothesis that chronic hypoperfusion impairs endothelial function in the angiographically normal coronary artery segment distal to stenosis and that the impairment by chronic hypoperfusion is reduced by coronary angioplasty.Methods.In 13 patients with stable angina pectoris, substance P (10, 30 and 100 pmol) and nitroglycerin (200 μg) were sequentially infused into the coronary artery in a cumulative manner on the day after coronary angioplasty. In 10 of these patients, vascular responses to these agents were again investigated 3 months after angioplasty. Changes in vascular diameter were evaluated in vessels located proximal and distal to the target lesion, both of which were angiographically normal, by performing computer-assisted quantitative coronary angiography. In five patients, the transstenotic pressure gradient was also measured with a pressure sensor-mounted guide wire before angioplasty.Results.On the day after angioplasty, the magnitude of dilation by substance P in distal segments was significantly less than that in proximal segments and inversely correlated with the transstenotic pressure gradient (p < 0.05) and lesion stenosis (p < 0.05). There was no difference in nitroglycerin-induced vasodilation between the two vessel segment groups. Three months later, the impaired response to substance P in the distal segment was restored to normal.Conclusions.We conclude that chronic hypoperfusion impairs endothelium-dependent dilation of coronary artery distal to critical stenosis in patients with ischemic heart disease and that coronary angioplasty ameliorates the endothelial dysfunction within 3 months

Balloon Pulmonary Angioplasty for Takayasu Arteritis and Peripheral Pulmonary Artery Stenosis Mimicking Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension

Balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) has been reported to be effective and safe to an acceptable level in patients with distal-type, inoperable chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), resulting in improved long-term survival. However, evidenced treatment options and strategy including medical therapy of antithrombotic therapy, glucocorticoids, immunosuppressants, and pulmonary hypertension (PH)-specific therapies are scarce in patients with significant PH and right heart failure associated with Takayasu arteritis and peripheral pulmonary artery stenosis, both of which mimic CTEPH. Moreover, there has been still concern on safety and lack of established methodology in performing BPA for these conditions. In this report, we would like to review recent publications including several case reports and discuss the efficacy, safety, and suitable methods of BPA in this population

Blood pressure variability as a risk factor of recurrent paroxysmal atrial fibrillation after catheter ablation

Abstract Background Blood pressure variability has been found to be a predictor of a stroke, heart failure, and ischemic heart disease that is independent of blood pressure control. This study used the variability independent of the mean (VIM) to evaluate the visit‐to‐visit blood pressure variability in patients previously undergoing catheter ablation (CA) of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF), and its relationship with AF recurrence was examined. Method and Results The subjects were 274 consecutive PAF patients who underwent CA at our hospital. Finally, 237 subjects were included in the analysis. The mean follow‐up period was 29.6 months, during which 37 subjects had recurrences, and 200 did not. During the outpatient blood pressure examinations, the VIM of the systolic blood pressure (VIM SBP) was significantly higher in the recurrence group, suggesting that blood pressure variability is associated with recurrence. The Cox proportional hazards ratio of the VIM SBP was significantly higher in the recurrence (4.839) than no‐recurrence group, even after an adjustment, suggesting that the extent of the variability was a risk factor of recurrence post‐CA. In addition, the Cox proportional hazard ratio for recurrence was significantly lower in the patients taking dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers, suggesting that the risk of recurrence may differ depending on the type of antihypertensive drug. Conclusions Blood pressure variability may be a risk for AF recurrence after CA