Effectiveness of Primary Coronary Intervention for Patients With Delayed ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction: Insights from Moroccan Cardiology Intensive Care Units.

The benefits of myocardial revascularization in ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome after 12 to 24 hours from symptom onset remain a topic of debate, especially in patients who are stable and asymptomatic. We analyzed the benefit of late revascularization by primary coronary intervention in patients admitted to Moroccan cardiac intensive care units (CICUs) with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction after 12 hours of symptom onset. We included a total of 406 patients who met the inclusion criteria: 262 patients in the invasive strategy group and 144 patients in the conservative strategy group. A total of 74.6% were men, and 25.4% were women. For the primary outcome, 46 all-cause deaths were observed at 1 year, with 33 patients in the conservative strategy arm and 13 patients in the invasive strategy group, with a significant difference between the 2 groups (p <0.001). For secondary outcomes, there was no difference in readmission for acute coronary syndrome or acute heart failure between the 2 groups (p = 0.277, p = 0.205). For in-CICU cardiogenic shock and ejection fraction <35% at discharge, more events are observed in the conservative strategy, with a significant difference for both (p <0.001). In multivariable analysis, 1-year all-cause mortality was independently associated with revascularization between 12 and 48 hours (hazard ratio [HR] 0.372, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.182 to 0.762, p = 0.007), ejection fraction <35% at discharge (HR 1.92, 95% CI 1.22 to 2.54, p = 0.04), and cardiogenic shock in-CICU (HR 2.69, 95% CI 1.82 to 3.78, p = 0.005).Although no evidence exists to date on the true benefit of late primary coronary intervention revascularization in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, this practice remains common, as indicated by the results of most registries.

The national moroccan registry of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (MR-MI).

BACKGROUND: MR-MI is the first national Moroccan ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) registry. Its objectives are to assess patient management modalities and highlight the clinical and therapeutic characteristics of this pathology in all cardiology centres on a national scale. METHODS: Adult patients presenting with STEMI within 5 days of symptoms onset were enrolled over a period of 18 weeks from April to August 2018. 57 cardiology centres distributed in 22 cities in Morocco participated in the study, including 5 university hospitals, representing 70% of Moroccan centres managing STEMI patients. A case report form was sent to the investigators in both electronic and paper forms. Sociodemographic, clinical, management, revascularization, and follow-up data were collected. RESULTS: A total of 809 patients were recruited. The population was mostly male (74.8%) with an average age of 62.6 ± 11.6 years. The most common risk factors were smoking (38.3%) arterial hypertension (30.7%), and diabetes (28%). 30% of patients were admitted within the first 6 h of symptoms onset and early revascularization was performed on 49.6%. Mortality rate was 5.2% in-hospital and 3.2% at the one-month follow-up. CONCLUSION: MR-MI is the first Moroccan STEMI registry on a national scale. Relevant management delays are much longer than other countries, and less than 50% of the patients that present on time benefit from early revascularization. Efforts remain to be done on the optimal diagnosis and treatment of STEMI.

Hemorrhagic stroke during the acute phase of myocardial infarction: a rare and difficult situation to manage.

Given the ischemic risk due to the hypercoagulability associated with acute coronary syndromes, the administration of antiplatelet and antithrombotic agents is necessary to prevent intracoronary and postprocedural thrombosis during percutaneous coronary interventions. However, the risk of bleeding, hemorrhagic stroke included, is real, although it has a lower prevalence, and it complicates the management of the coronary event if it happens. We report the case of a 66 years old patient with no prior pathological history who was initially admitted for acute coronary syndromes, complicated by paroxysmal atrial fibrillation that was successfully thrombolysed. Subsequently, the patient benefited from a drug-eluting stent angioplasty of the proximal circumflex artery, performed within 24 hours after the symptomatology onset. Following angioplasty, the patient presented with a left parietal intraparenchymal hematoma not indicating surgery. The double antiplatelet therapy was consequently withdrawn. Two days later, the patient presented with an ST-segment elevation infarction recurrence, inciting the resumption of the dual antiplatelet aggregation therapy. On evolution, the neurological state was still stable with a stationary aspect of the hematoma on cerebral imagery but without angina recurrence or electrocardiographic modifications. Hemorrhagic complications' occurrence following thrombolysis or angioplasty for ST-segment elevation infarction challenges the short and long-term management of the disease and must push practitioners to better weigh the risks and benefits before any medication administration decision.

Concomitant renal and splenic infarctions in a COVID-19-patient with a catastrophic thrombotic syndrome.

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, thrombotic events have been accurately described in patients infected by the SARS-CoV-2, especially venous thromboembolism. However, the mystery of arterial thrombosis is still unclear. Here, we report the case of a 59-year-old man with diabetes mellitus, admitted for COVID-19-pneumonia complicated by pulmonary embolism, a thrombus in the aortic isthmus, the descending thoracic aorta associated with splenic and left renal infarctions, and an acute right limb ischemia. The etiological assessment of this catastrophic thrombotic syndrome showed no evidence for preexisting inherited or acquired thrombophilia. Our case emphasizes the hypercoagulability state in COVID-19-patient leading to both arterial and venous thromboembolisms and the need to establish adequate strategies for the diagnosis and management of thrombo-embolisms to prevent these potentially fatal complications.

COVID-19 complicated by infective endocarditis or concomitant infection? a case report.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global pandemic and public health emergency. With a high infectivity and dissemination rate, cardiovascular complications have been observed and associated with a poorer prognosis. COVID-19 appears to be both a risk and prognosis factor for infective endocarditis. In this report, we present the case of a 53-year-old woman with a non-productive cough, progressive dyspnea and fatigue, diagnosed with COVID-19 four weeks earlier. The patient was referred to our department displaying the same symptoms. She was diagnosed with infective endocarditis of the mitral valve based on clinical symptoms, as well as radiological and analytical investigations. The patient was given appropriate medical treatment before admission based on azithromycin, corticosteroids for two weeks, during the hospitalization, she underwent treatment with antibiotics based on Teicoplanin and gentamicin. Outcome was good; the disappearance of the vegetative lesion on the weekly transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE). This rare case highlights questions about considering other coexisting diagnoses as well as possible complications a long with COVID-19.

Pericarditis complicating COVID-19 infection: a report of two cases.

COVID-19 infection is responsible for many complications, which can lead to a high risk of mortality. Respiratory manifestations are the most encountered, while that cardiovascular complications are classified as the most severe. We report two cases of COVID-19 infection complicated by pericarditis. In the absence of other etiology of pericarditis, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was considered as the behind cause. The treatment in these two cases was corticosteroids with colchicine, with good outcomes. In the presence of any cardiovascular symptoms, pericarditis related to COVID-19 should be suspected, in order to act swiftly and avoid complications as well as contamination.

Coronary ectasia due to primary aldosteronism in an exceptional presentation.

Primary aldosteronism as a cause of coronary ectasia has been reported only once in the literature and was associated with an aortic aneurysm. Here, we report a second presentation in our cardiology department - a 59-year-old female patient who was admitted for unstable angina. Coronary angiography revealed an ectasia of two major coronary arteries. An etiological assessment revealed an idiopathic primary aldosteronism.

Cardiac hydatid cyst: 2 case reports.

Hydatidosis is a parasitic disease that is still prevalent in regions that rear farm animals, notably along the Mediterranean coast. The liver and lungs are most commonly involved. Cardiac hydatidosis has been reported infrequently even in countries in which hydatid disease is endemic. This entity must be known because when undiagnosed and untreated, the risk of fatal complications increases. We report 2 cases of cardiac echinococcal cysts in young men. The first case is an incidentaloma in a patient admitted for pancreatitis. The second case is about a patient admitted for dyspnea. CT scan and MRI were performed showing intraventrucular cystic mass with a calcified wall which was very suggestive of a hydatid cyst diagnosis. We would like to emphasize the relevance of imaging in this context and shade some light on imaging diagnostic tools.

Myocardial infarction revealing a pleuropericardial cyst: a case report.

Pericardial cysts are a rare entity, accounting for 6-7 percent of all mediastinal masses. They are frequently congenital relating to a failure of fusion of mesenchymal layers forming the pericardial space. Pericardial cysts are considered rare incidental findings, they are mostly asymptomatic and benign, however life-threatening complications may occur. Here we present a case of a silent pericardial cyst that was discovered by chance while performing transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) for a man who was admitted for myocardial infarction.

Incidental diagnosis of a large cardiac thrombus swinging through an interatrial communication in a COVID-19 patient: Case report and literature review.

INTRODUCTION: The hypercoagulability state induced by COVID-19 has been well established and various forms of subsequent thromboembolic events have been reported throughout literature including multiple cases of intracardiac thrombi, four of which in our center alone, this case being the fifth. CASE REPORT: We report the case of a 38-year-old male with no prior cardiovascular history who -subsequently to a COVID-19 infection-developped a right atrial thrombosis associated to a pulmonary embolism, and in whom cardiography revealed an interatrial communication. Management relied upon curative doses of low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) with favourable outcome. DISCUSSION: In our discussion, we lay out the various physiopathological mechanisms incriminated throughout literature in the genesis of a hypercoagulability state distinctive of COVID-19, before highlighting the incidence of an interatrial communication (whether a Potent Foramen Ovale or Atrial Septal Defect) discovered in patients with COVID-19, and the potential paradoxical embolization risks they imply as well as reported cases. A mention of hemostatic parameters monitored was also warranted. Finally we discuss the guidelines in terms of prophylactic and therapeutic anticoagulation in hospitalized patients before discussing cardiac thrombosis's therapeutic options. CONCLUSION: Our case highlights various key points which could change the prognosis of COVID-19 patients, whether related to the underdiagnosis of interatrial abnormalities or with regards to the diagnosis to thromboembolic events, but also the indisputable place of anticoagulation in COVID-19 management.

Concomitant acute limb ischemia and multiple acute ischemic strokes complicating COVID-19: a case report.

Since the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, cardiovascular complications are interestingly increasing, particularly thrombotic events, especially in those requiring intensive care. Venous thromboembolism is well known to occur in patients infected by the SARS-CoV-2, but only a few arterial thromboembolism cases have been previously reported. Herein, we report the case of a COVID-19 complicated by a concomitant acute right limb ischemia and multiple acute ischemic strokes. This rare case emphasizes the hypercoagulable state described in COVID-19 patients and the need for anticoagulation therapy to prevent these severe complications.

Late-onset of pulmonary embolism following hospitalization for COVID-19 despite thromboprophylaxis: a report of two cases.

The global pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 has resulted in an increased incidence of venous thromboembolism among hospitalized COVID-19-patients, especially those who required intensive care, despite thromboprophylaxis. This has resulted in the use of higher doses of thromboprophylaxis or therapeutic anticoagulation therapy even in the absence of thrombotic events. However, after their hospital discharge, authors and current guidelines are not unanimous about extended anticoagulant therapy in patients with COVID-19. Here, we report two pulmonary embolism cases following hospitalization for COVID-19, despite intermediate doses of thromboprophylaxis. These rare cases suggest that there may be a residual thrombotic risk following hospitalization for COVID-19 and highlight questions about extended prophylactic-anticoagulation therapy after hospital discharge of patients with COVID-19.

Multiple cardiovascular complications of COVID-19 infection in a young patient: a case report.

COVID-19 infection is responsible for many complications, which can lead to a high risk of mortality in some patients. Among them are cardiovascular complications which are classified as the most severe. We report a case of a young woman, with no relevant pathological history, admitted for COVID-19 infection, complicated by myocarditis with severe ventricular dysfunction, cardiogenic shock and a large thrombosis into the left ventricle (LV) that was responsible for a left lower limb ischemia associated with a deep venous thrombosis of right lower limb.

Acute myocardial infarction in a 41-year-old woman due to elevated factor VIII: a case report.

Myocardial infarction is a life-threatening emergency with a high mortality rate. A high plasma level of factor VIII is an established risk for both arterial and venous thrombotic events. In this mini-review, we report the case of a 41-year-old woman without cardiovascular risk factors or a previous history of thrombotic events, admitted for ST-elevation myocardial infarction, in whom coronary angiography showed a thrombotic occlusion in the left anterior descending artery. The patient underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), with GPIIB-IIIA antagonist, then, a pre-dilation with a semi-compliant balloon-catheter, followed by implantation of 2 stents. The etiological assessment revealed a high level of coagulation factor VIII (FVIII). She underwent anticoagulation therapy (with acenocoumarol) with well-controlled international normalised ratio (INR).

Management and outcome of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy in pregnant women: a case report.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a common inherited cardiomyopathy, with an estimated prevalence of 1 in 500 people. Despite overall favorable outcomes with modern treatment and early diagnosis of disease, adverse complications could occur during times of physiological stress like pregnancy. Complications of HCM include sudden cardiac death, heart failure, and arrhythmia. We report the case of a 32-year-old pregnant woman with obstructive HCM, presenting with recurrent episodes of ventricular arrhythmia despite medical therapy. This case exhibits how close monitoring and proper management during pregnancy according to the latest recommendations, resulted in a successful and uneventful delivery.

Acute pulmonary embolism as an initial presentation of Klinefelter syndrome.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) includes deep vein thrombosis and its complications and pulmonary embolism. Cancer, surgery, prolonged immobilization, fractures, paralysis, use of oral contraceptives, and hereditary coagulopathies are classic risk factors for VTE. An increased incidence of VTE has been reported in patients with Klinefelter syndrome (KS), with a reported prevalence of 0.1-0.2% in the general population and up to 3.1% in infertile men. Despite the high rate of thromboembolic disease in patients with KS, the etiology of this phenomenon is not well understood, and most of our current knowledge is limited to small sample studies. We present the case of a 56-year-old man admitted for the management of a pulmonary embolism in whom a KS was accidentally discovered.

An uncommon acute type A aortic dissection mimicking an inferior STEMI.

Aortic dissection in the most common fatal disease affecting the aorta. Ascending aortic dissection can lead to coronary malperfusion causing myocardial infarction with ST elevation. The distinction between aortic dissection and a primary myocardial infarction can be difficult because both conditions can have similar presentations. Making the right diagnosis is essential because the therapies used to treat myocardial infarction can be fatal for patients with aortic dissection. Emergency transthoracic echography presents a rapid imaging procedure that provides strong hints of the coexistence of these two diseases, leading to further imaging examination and prevent inappropriate administration of treatments that could cause catastrophic outcome. We report a case of a 62-year-old man admitted to our hospital with chest pain, who was diagnosed as inferior wall myocardial infarction based on electrocardiographic findings. The diagnosis was reassessed due to a significant aortic regurgitation and an intimal tear in the ascending aorta on transthoracic echocardiography. Computed tomography angiogram of the chest and transesophageal echography fully confirmed the presence of ascending aortic dissection. Emergency surgery was successfully performed and the patient recovered well.

[Acute coronary syndrome with ST-segment elevation revealing acute myocarditis in a young patient with normal coronaries]. / Syndrome coronaire aigu avec sus-décalage du segment ST chez un jeune à coronaires saines révélant une myocardite aigue.

Acute coronary syndromes may occur in young adults and have a non-atheromatous origin. We report the case of a young man admitted with acute coronary artery disease with systematic ST-segment elevation. Coronarography showed no abnormality and MRI confirmed acute myocarditis. Outcome was favorable under medical treatment.

ST-segment elevation after blunt chest trauma: myocardial contusion with normal coronary arteries or myocardial infarction following coronary lesions.

Cardiac lesions secondary to blunt chest trauma vary from insignificant arrhythmias to fatal cardiac rupture. Of these, a distinction remains difficult; face to ST-segment elevation on ECG with positive cardiac biomarkers, is it a myocardial contusion or a genuine myocardial infarction (MI) secondary to coronary lesions? We report the case of a patient admitted for multiple trauma. Initial assessment showed an ST segment elevation on ECG, along with multiple fractures and abdominal injuries. We would like to discuss, through this case, the similarities and the differences between myocardial infarction due to coronary lesions and myocardial contusion in a traumatic context, but also emphasize the difficulty of striking the right balance between thrombotic and bleeding risks in this situation, and insist on the importance of a multidisciplinary and collegial reflexion so we can offer these patients the best care there is.