The AngioVac system was invented in 2012 and was originally designed for the removal of thrombi from the venous system. It has been successfully used in the management of iliocaval and right endocardial thrombi but is reportedly less effective in the management of pulmonary emboli (PE). Since its advent, there has been interest in its application towards other medical situations. One of the most revolutionary uses thus far has been for percutaneous debridement of valvular and cardiac electronic device-associated vegetations. In most instances, the AngioVac device has been used to obviate the need for surgery in high-risk patients. Here, we describe a novel use of this device in the successful retrieval of a large, mobile, infected thrombus from the right ventricular outflow tract in a high surgical-risk patient.
Although rare, usually asymptomatic, and without concurrent disease, dual left anterior descending arteries (LAD) poses great challenges. We describe a 55-year-old male with no history of coronary disease, who presented with worsening substernal chest pain with exertion, and was ruled out for myocardial infarction. On left heart catheterization and subsequent computed tomography angiogram, he was determined to have a dual LAD with a long LAD emerging from the right coronary artery. Moreover, this long LAD gave collaterals to a native long diagonal that ran parallel to this vessel from the left system and was chronically occluded. The long LAD, consistent with type IV classification, traveled in the anterior intraventricular groove to supply left ventricular myocardium; the chronically occluded long left native diagonal supplying lateral walls and apex is a unique variant. It is important to be aware of these anomalies to establish correct diagnoses and determine treatment options.
This report illustrates a case of a 42-year-old male with a history of intravenous drug abuse who presented with septic shock. Diagnostic studies, including a transthoracic echocardiogram, chest computed tomography angiography, transesophageal echocardiogram, and blood cultures ultimately revealed Serratia marcescens pulmonic valve infective endocarditis that was treated with intravenous antibiotics. In addition to the rare form of endocarditis and bacterium involved, this case brings into awareness the dynamic nature of the hospital course that requires vigilance in responding to hypotensive episodes for consideration of pulmonary embolism. Surgical valve replacement was opted for due to such a complication in addition to the large size of the vegetation, 2.5 cm.
Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is characterized by transient loss of systolic function in the absence of coronary artery disease. It is significantly more common in post-menopausal women and is typically brought on by intense emotional stress. Pathophysiology is not completely elucidated, but it appears to be related, in part, to excess catecholamine; this results in coronary artery vasospasm, ischemia and eventual ventricular dysfunction. Patient presentation can vary widely, but typically presents similar to acute coronary syndrome. Management involves acute stabilization and monitoring, as well as guideline-directed medical therapy for heart failure. We report a very unique case of a healthy male patient presenting with nonanginal symptoms of racing heart, who was found to have cardiomyopathy following a physical encounter. This case serves to bring into awareness that intense physical encounters may be sufficient to induce cardiomyopathy without presenting angina.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.