Underdevelopment of Left Atrial Appendage

A patient was admitted for catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation. Cardiac computed tomography and transesophageal echocardiography revealed the absence of the left atrial appendage. However, the right atrial appendage looked normal and the level of pro B-natriuretic peptide was within normal limits. Successful catheter ablation was performed without any procedural complications and the sinus rhythm was appropriately maintained for 10 months with an antiarrhythmic drug.

Detailed Electrode Catheter Positioning is Important for the Ablation of Outflow Tract Origin Ventricular Arrhythmias

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Electroanatomical mapping using a three-dimensional (3D) system has high accuracy and improves the results of the ablation of outflow tract (OT) premature ventricular contraction (PVC) or ventricular tachycardia (VT) but imposes a considerable economic burden. Here, we compared detailed diagnostic catheterization and 3D mapping system for the ablation of OT PVC/VT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between June 2012 and February 2017, patients with symptomatic OT PVC/VT underwent radiofrequency ablation. Group 1 underwent detailed diagnostic catheterization (using circular and linear multielectrodes) without a 3D mapping system, while group 2 underwent diagnostic catheterization using a conventional 3D mapping system. Procedural success of PVC reduction, remaining symptoms, need for post-operative medications, and procedural time were evaluated. RESULTS: Ninety-eight OT PVC/VT cases were consecutively enrolled. The mean follow-up period was 17.7±14.5 months. Neither acute success rate (95% vs. 82%, p=0.06) nor a PVC reduction > 80% (84% vs. 87%, p=0.74) differed significantly between the two groups. The recurrence rates of PVC-related symptoms were similar (12% vs. 7%, p=0.06) between the groups, but the medication requirement for symptomatic PVC differed (12% vs. 29%, p < 0.01). The total procedure time of group 1 was shorter than that of group 2 (132±42 min vs. 157±47 min, p=0.01) and fluoroscopy time (24±15 min vs. 38±22 min, p < 0.01) and ablation time (528±538 sec vs. 899±598 sec, p < 0.01) were also significantly shortened. CONCLUSION: Detailed electrode catheter positioning is a safe and cost-effective method for the ablation of OT PVC/VT.

Analysis of Plaque Composition in Coronary Chronic Total Occlusion Lesion Using Virtual Histology-Intravascular Ultrasound

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Success rates of chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) have recently been reported to range from 80% to 90%. A better understanding of the pathologic characteristics of the CTO lesion may helpful to improving CTO PCI success rates. We evaluated the CTO lesion in patients with stable angina (SA) by virtual histology-intravascular ultrasound (VH-IVUS). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study population consisted of 149 consecutive patients with SA underwent VH-IVUS examination. We analyzed demographic and VH-IVUS findings in 22 CTO patients (17 males; mean, 62.3 years old) compared with 127 non-CTO patients (82 males; mean, 61.3 years old). RESULTS: A significantly lower ejection fraction (57.6+/-13.0% vs. 65.4+/-8.8%, p=0.007) was detected in the CTO group compared with the non-CTO group. Reference vessel lumen area of the proximal and distal segment was significantly less in CTO group than in non-CTO group. The lesion length of the CTO group was significantly longer than those of the non-CTO group (24.4+/-9.6 mm vs. 17.2+/-7.4 mm, p<0.001). Total atheroma volume (224+/-159 mm3 vs. 143+/-86 mm3, p=0.006) and percent atheroma volume (63.2+/-9.6% vs. 55.8+/-8.5%, p=0.011) of the CTO group were also significantly greater than those of non-CTO group. However, the lesion length adjusted plaque composition of the CTO group was not significantly different compared with that of the non-CTO group. CONCLUSION: CTO lesions had a longer lesion length and greater plaque burden than the non-CTO lesion in patients with SA. However, lesion length adjusted plaque composition showed similar between the two groups. These results support that plaque characteristics of CTO lesions are similar to non-CTO lesions in patients with SA.

NOAC in Asian

Anticoagulation treatment, including novel or non-vitamin K-dependent antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs), is essential to prevent thromboembolic events in high-risk atrial fibrillation patients. There are not enough studies on the effect and safety of NOACs in Asians. Due to the low body surface area, genetic polymorphism, and herbal diet of Asians, it is difficult to attain optimal anticoagulation with traditional anticoagulation treatment using vitamin K antagonists, and more bleeding complications are reported with this treatment. In several recent studies, the use of NOACs in Asians resulted in lower thrombo- embolic events and fewer bleeding complications than those with a vitamin K antagonist. Given the race-related differences of Asians, NOACs have sufficient efficacy and safety for the prevention of thromboembolic events in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Analysis of Carotid Ultrasound Findings on Cardiovascular Events in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease during Seven-Year Follow-Up

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Both carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and carotid plaque are important factors in the primary prevention of cardiac disease. However, it is unclear which one is more important for prognosis, especially in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: In total, 1426 consecutive CAD patients, proven by angiography, were followed-up for a mean of 85 months. The study population was divided into four groups depending on the CIMT (> or =0.83 mm, >95 percentile in Korea) and the presence or absence of carotid plaque. RESULTS: Patients with carotid plaque and thick CIMT (n=237, 16.6%) had a higher prevalence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and dyslipidemia than those had plaque and thin CIMT (n=213, 14.9%), those without plaque and thick CIMT (n=265, 18.6%) and those without plaque and thin CIMT (n=711, 49.9%). The patients with carotid plaque and thick CIMT group had a higher cardiac mortality rate (20.7% vs. 13.1%, 9.4% and 3.9%, respectively, p<0.001) and higher major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) including death, acute myocardial infarction, and stroke (27.8% vs. 18.8%, 15.5% and 9.3%, respectively, p<0.001) than any other groups. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that the presence of carotid plaque with thick CIMT had the highest hazard ratio (HR) compared to other groups (HR 2.23 vs. 1.81, 2.01) for cardiac mortality. Also, carotid plaque had a higher HR than CIMT for mortality (HR 1.56 vs. 1.37) and MACE (HR 1.54 vs. 1.36) in the total study population. CONCLUSION: Carotid plaque is a more important prognostic factor than CIMT in patients with CAD, and adding a thick CIMT to carotid plaque increases the prognostic power for cardiac events.

Response: Basal C-peptide Level as a Surrogate Marker of Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Type 2 Diabetic Patients (Diabetes Metab J 2011;35:41-9)

No abstract available.

Basal C-peptide Level as a Surrogate Marker of Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Type 2 Diabetic Patients

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have revealed that C-peptide induces smooth muscle cell proliferation and causes human atherosclerotic lesions in diabetic patients. The present study was designed to examine whether the basal C-peptide levels correlate with cardiovascular risk in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. METHODS: Data was obtained from 467 patients with T2DM from two institutions who were followed for four years. The medical findings of all patients were reviewed, and patients with creatinine >1.4 mg/dL, any inflammation or infection, hepatitis, or type 1 DM were excluded. The relationships between basal C-peptide and other clinical values were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: A simple correlation was found between basal C-peptide and components of metabolic syndrome (MS). Statistically basal C-peptide levels were significantly higher than the three different MS criteria used in the present study, the Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) of the National Cholesterol Education Program's (NCEP's), World Health Organization (WHO), and the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria (NCEP-ATP III, P=0.001; IDF, P<0.001; WHO, P=0.029). The multiple regression analysis between intima-media thickness (IMT) and clinical values showed that basal C-peptide significantly correlated with IMT (P=0.043), while the analysis between the 10-year coronary heart disease risk by the United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study risk engine and clinical values showed that basal C-peptide did not correlate with IMT (P=0.226). CONCLUSION: Basal C-peptide is related to cardiovascular predictors (IMT) of T2DM, suggesting that basal C-peptide does provide a further indication of cardiovascular disease.

One Case of Chronic Renal Failure and Another Case of Membraneous Glomerulonephritis Complicated by Acute A Viral Hepatitis / 대한신장학회지

Acute A viral hepatitis is a mild, self-limiting disease of liver and acute renal failure (ARF) is a rare complication. We report two cases of chronic renal failure (CRF) in nonfulminant acute A viral hepatitis and ARF. A 40-year-old man was admitted with ARF and acute A viral hepatitis, and underwent temporary hemodialysis therapy. The renal biopsy showed acute tubular necrosis with tubulointerstitial nephritis. At 13 months after discharge serum creatinine was 1.33 mg/dL and protein-creatinine ratio of spot urine was 0.47 (mg/mg Cr). The second case was a 28-year-old man and was managed conservatively. At discharge the serum creatinine was 3.14 mg/dL and the urinalysis showed hematuria, and protein-creatinine ratio 0.56 (mg/mg Cr). Thirty-nine months after discharge, the creatinine was 1.23 mg/dL, the urinalysis showed persistent nephritis findings and the protein-creatinine ratio 1.28. Kidney biopsy revealed the membranous glomerulopathy with mild tubulointerstitial nephritis, and all of findings suggested the systemic disease-associated secondary glomerulopathy. To our knowledge our case is the first one of chronic glomerulapathy that is confirmed by kidney biopsy.

Acute coronary syndrome and vulnerable plaque / 대한내과학회지

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) consists of unstable angina, non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), and STEMI. The pathology underlying ACS is acute thrombosis in a coronary artery, which is usually caused by plaque rupture in a mild stenotic lesion. A rupture-prone plaque is known as a vulnerable plaque (VP), although recently the definition of VP has been expanded to include rapidly progressive plaque. Although no single method can predict future cardiac events in mild stenotic lesions, there have been big advances in detecting VP, such as virtual histology-intravascular ultrasound and optical coherence tomography. These techniques look for thin cap fibroatheromas, which is the most common type of VP, characterized by a thin fibrous cap <65 microm, a large necrotic core, and marked macrophage infiltration of the fibrous cap. The recent concept of VP, the methods for detecting VP, and the treatment of VP are discussed.