A case of cardiac calcified amorphous tumor complicated with acute myocardial infarction.

An 80-year-old woman with a history of eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis, cardiac hypertrophy, and diabetes called for an ambulance after developing chest pain. She was diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and coronary angiography revealed occlusion of the right coronary artery. Coronary aspiration was performed, and coronary aspirate was white with calcified factor. After percutaneous coronary intervention, transthoracic echocardiography performed on day 25 revealed a hyperechoic mobile mass originating from the anterior mitral leaflet. As a mobile or rapidly increasing mass carries a high risk of embolism, we decided to perform surgical resection. Preoperative cerebral magnetic resonance imaging showed asymptomatic cerebral infarction, suggesting embolism by the cardiac mass. Resection of the cardiac mass was performed by cardiac surgeons. Microscopic pathology of cardiac mass revealed nodules of calcification and fibroblasts, leading to diagnosis of calcified amorphous tumor (CAT). Furthermore, the microscopic pathology of the coronary aspirate showed calcification, fibrin, and vascular endothelial cells. The pathological similarity of the cardiac mass and coronary aspirate indicated that the AMI has been caused by CAT. CAT causes systemic embolization; however, only 1 case of MI caused by CAT has been reported. We therefore experienced a rare case in which CAT caused AMI. .

Cancer and malnutrition were independently associated with a poor prognosis in patients with heart failure.

BACKGROUND: Recent advances in treatment have improved the survival of cancer patients. Such survivors may go on to develop heart failure (HF) later in life. HF and cancer are wasting diseases, and malnutrition is associated with a poor prognosis in patients with HF or cancer. METHODS AND RESULTS: Patients admitted to our hospital with HF from April 2012 to March 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. They were divided into 2 groups: cancer patients (N = 185) and patients without cancer (N = 930). Patients discharged alive and followed by our outpatient clinic were also examined (N = 857, median follow-up period: 794 days). RESULTS: In cancer patients, the geriatric nutritional risk index and prognostic nutritional index were lower and the controlling nutritional status score was higher than in HF patients without cancer; nutrition was disturbed in HF patients with cancer. The in-hospital mortality rates of the two groups were not markedly different; however, cancer patients showed higher long-term mortality in comparison to HF patients without cancer. A multivariate analysis revealed that cancer and malnutrition were independently associated with all-cause death. CONCLUSIONS: The long-term mortality of HF patients with cancer was higher than that of HF patients without cancer. Malnutrition was associated with long-term mortality, independently of the presence of cancer. Multidisciplinary treatment is needed when treating HF patients with cancer.

Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Does Not Affect Post-Discharge Survival in Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction.

Background: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients complicated by out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) show poor in-hospital outcomes. However, the post-discharge outcomes of survivors of OHCA have not been well studied. Methods and Results: Data for patients admitted to The Jikei University Kashiwa Hospital with AMI between April 2012 and March 2020 were examined retrospectively. The Jikei University Kashiwa Hospital is a tertiary emergency medical facility, so the frequency of OHCA in this hospital is higher than in an ordinary AMI population. Of 803 patients, 92 (11.5%) were complicated by OHCA. Of the 92 OHCA patients, 37 died in hospital, compared with 45 of 711 non-OHCA patients who died in hospital (P<0.001). OHCA was more frequent in men than in women. The estimated glomerular filtration rate was lower in those with than without OHCA. Long-term mortality was evaluated in patients discharged alive and followed-up at an outpatient clinic (n=635; median follow-up period 607 days). The long-term post-discharge mortality was comparable between AMI patients with and without OHCA. Conclusions: The post-discharge mortality of AMI patients with OHCA was comparable that of patients without OHCA.

Therapeutic hypothermia after cardiac arrest increases the plasma level of B-type natriuretic peptide.

Natriuretic peptides (NPs) regulate blood pressure and fluid homeostasis and exert various effects on the cardiovascular system. Recently, the relationship between NPs and the energy metabolism has been reported, and using a cell culture experiment system, we previously showed that NP activated brown cells in a low temperature environment while also suppressing a decrease in the cell temperature. However, few reports have described the secretion of NPs in cold environments, and there have been almost no studies of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) in humans. We investigated how NPs respond to cold environments in 21 patients who underwent therapeutic hypothermia (TH) after cardiac arrest. The plasma BNP levels were significantly increased (more than fivefold) during TH (logarithmically from 1.98 ± 0.79 to 2.63 ± 0.59, P < 0.01). During TH, diastolic pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) significantly decreased, and there were no significant changes in the stroke volume index (SVI). This increase of BNP was not associated with any hemodynamic changes. In contrast to our findings for BNP, the change in A-type NP (ANP) was quite small. We detected a significant increase in the plasma BNP levels during TH, unrelated to hemodynamics. This elevation of BNP levels seems to be potential influenced by hypothermia.

Paradoxical response with increased tumor necrosis factor-α levels to anti-tuberculosis treatment in a patient with disseminated tuberculosis.

It has been reported that tuberculosis (TB) worsens after cessation of tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitors and starting anti-TB treatment. Little is known about the immunological pathogenesis of this paradoxical response (PR). We report the first case of a TB patient in whom PR occurred concurrently with elevation of circulating tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) levels. A 75-year-old woman, who had been treated with adalimumab for SAPHO syndrome, developed disseminated TB. Soon after administration of anti-TB treatment (isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol), and after discontinuation of adalimumab, a PR occurred. Serial testing of serum cytokine levels revealed a marked increase in TNFα, and a decline in interferon-γ levels. Despite intensive treatment with antibiotics, prednisolone, noradrenaline, and mechanical ventilation, acute respiratory distress syndrome developed and she died. Thus, overproduction of TNFα after cessation of TNFα inhibitors may partially account for the pathogenesis of a PR. This supports preventative or therapeutic reinitiation of TNFα inhibitors when PR occurs. Serial monitoring of circulating inflammatory cytokine levels could lead to earlier identification of a PR.