Involvement of the coronary ostia is a rare complication after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). This complication has been more commonly described immediately after valve deployment. This is the first reported case of delayed coronary obstruction caused by TAVR 6 months after the procedure.

Background: The American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association and American Society of Echocardiography guidelines recommend assessing several echocardiographic parameters when evaluating mitral regurgitation (MR) severity. These parameters can be discordant, making the assessment of MR challenging. The degree to which echocardiographic parameters of MR severity are concordant is not well studied. Methods: We enrolled 159 patients in a prospective multicenter study. Eight parameters were included in this analysis: proximal isovelocity surface area (PISA)–derived regurgitant volume, PISA-derived effective regurgitant orifice area, vena contracta, color Doppler jet/left atrial area, left atrial volume index, left ventricular end-diastolic volume index, peak E wave, and the presence of pulmonary vein systolic reversal. Each echocardiographic parameter was determined to represent severe or nonsevere MR according to the American Society of Echocardiography guidelines. A concordance score was calculated as so that a higher score reflects greater concordance. There was no discordance when all the echocardiographic parameters agreed and high discordance when 3 or 4 parameters were discordant. Results: The mean concordance score was 75±14% for the entire cohort. There were 9 (6%) patients with complete agreement of all parameters and 61 (38%) with high discordance. There was greater discordance in patients with severe MR but no difference between primary versus secondary or central versus eccentric jets. There was an improvement in concordance when only considering PISA-based regurgitant volume, PISA-based effective regurgitant orifice area, and vena contracta with agreement in 68% of patients. Conclusions: There was limited concordance between the echocardiographic parameters of MR severity, and the discordance was worse with more severe MR. Concordance improved when considering only 3 quantitative measures of vena contracta and PISA-based effective regurgitant orifice area and regurgitant volume. These findings highlight the challenges facing echocardiographers when assessing the severity of MR and emphasize the difficulty of using an integrated approach that incorporates multiple components. Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov ; Unique identifier: NCT04038879.

No abstract

BackgroundAlthough guidelines suggest that the best strategy for evaluating syncope is clinical history and physical examination, the inappropriate utilization of diagnostic imaging is common.MethodsA single center retrospective analysis conducted in adult patients admitted for evaluation and management of syncope for a period of 12 months. Charts were reviewed to abstract demographic data, admitting and discharge diagnosis, diagnostic investigatory tests including imaging modalities (echocardiogram, carotid ultrasound, and cranial computed tomography (CT)) ordered, subspecialty consultation requested, treatment rendered and hospital length of stay (LOS).ResultsA total of 109 patients were admitted for syncope, mean age was 68.74 ± 21.04 years and 39.44% were men. Echocardiogram, carotid ultrasound, and cranial CT were ordered in 69.72%, 33.02%, and 76.14% respectively. The mean hospital LOS was 2.6 days. Patients with no imaging test, one imaging test, two imaging tests, and three imaging tests ordered have an average hospital LOS of 2.22 days, 2.44 days, 2.58 days, and 3.07 days respectively. The number of imaging test and its relation to the admitting (Chi-square (chi-sq) P = 0.4165, nominal logistic regression (LR) P = 0.939) and discharge (chi-sq P = 0.1507, nominal LR P = 0.782) diagnosis as well as the LOS in relation to the number of imaging test ordered (analysis of variance (ANOVA) P = 0.368, Kruskal Wallis (KW) P = 0.352) were not statistically significant although there was a trend of prolonged hospital LOS the more imaging diagnostic test had been ordered. Syncope was the admitting and discharge diagnosis in 89.9% and 91.74% respectively.ConclusionsChoosing the appropriate diagnostic tests as dictated by the patient’s clinical manifestation and utilizing less expensive test would be appropriate and cost-effective approach in appraising patients with syncope.

We report a case of a 50-year-old female with diabetes mellitus who presented with progressive second, third, fifth, sixth, and eighth cranial nerve palsy. Diagnostic investigation revealed hyperglycemic state, and brain imaging showed a right cavernous sinus enhancement suggestive of and consistent with Tolosa-Hunt syndrome. The patient was started on steroids with tight glycemic control for eight weeks; subsequently, the cranial nerve palsies resolved as well as documented resolution of the right cavernous sinus enhancement.

We herein report a serious vascular complication of diagnostic cardiac catheterization due to an embolization of an Angio-Seal closure device causing acute lower limb ischemia. The Angio-Seal was deployed via the right femoral artery following the catheterization which embolized several hours later to the right popliteal artery. Fogarty embolectomy restored perfusion to the right lower limb; however, compartment syndrome subsequently developed which required evacuation of a hematoma and repair of right popliteal artery.

Mitral valve rupture secondary to ischemic papillary muscle necrosis is rare in the contemporary era due to improved revascularization techniques. However, when it does occur, prompt diagnosis and urgent surgical intervention can be lifesaving. A 69-year-old male with morbid obesity, hypothyroidism, and a family history of coronary artery disease presented to the hospital with chest pain and dyspnea that began five hours prior. He had an acute infero-postero-lateral myocardial infarction due to total occlusion of the left circumflex artery that was revascularized with the deployment of a drug-eluting stent. Two days after the myocardial infarction, the patient had an episode of ventricular tachycardia. He subsequently went into respiratory distress from flash pulmonary edema and developed cardiogenic shock due to acute mitral valve rupture. The patient underwent surgical mitral valve replacement, extracorporeal membranous oxygenation (ECMO), and hemodialysis. His course was complicated by an acute lower gastrointestinal bleed that progressed into multiorgan failure and eventually his demise. This case highlights the need to include papillary muscle rupture high on the differential when evaluating a hemodynamically unstable patient in the setting of an acute myocardial infarction (MI). Rapid diagnosis by urgent bedside echocardiogram and surgical intervention is crucial.

No abstract