Epidemiological Study to Assess the Prevalence of Lung Cancer in patients with smoking-associated atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases: PREVALUNG study protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Eligibility criteria definition for a lung cancer screening (LCS) is an unmet need. We hypothesised that patients with a history of atheromatous cardiovascular disease (ACVD) associated with tobacco consumption are at risk of lung cancer (LC). The main objective is to assess LC prevalence among patients with ACVD and history of tobacco consumption by using low-dose chest CT scan. Secondary objectives include the evaluation LCS in this population and the constitution of a biological biobank to stratify risk of LC. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We are performing a monocentric 'single-centre' prospective study among patients followed up in adult cardiovascular programmes of vascular surgery, cardiology and cardiac surgery recruited from 18 November 2019 to 18 May 2021. The inclusion criteria are (1) age 45-75 years old, (2) history of ACVD and (3) history of daily tobacco consumption for 10 years prior to onset of ACVD. Exclusion criteria are symptoms of LC, existing follow-up for pulmonary nodule, fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension, resting dyspnoea and active pulmonary infectious disease. We targeted the inclusion of 500 patients. After inclusion (V0), patients are scheduled for a low-dose chest CT and blood and faeces harvesting within 7 months (V1). Each patient is scheduled for a follow-up by telephonic visits at month 3 (V2), month 6 (V3) and month 12 (V4) after V1. Each patient is followed up until 1 year after V1 (14 February 2023). We measure LC prevalence and quantify the National Lung Screening Trial and Dutch-Belgian Randomized Lung Cancer Screening Trial (NELSON) trial eligibility criteria, radiation, positive screening, false positivity, rate of localised LC diagnosis, quality of life with the Short Form 12 (SF-12) and anxiety with the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory A and B (STAI-YA and STAI-YB, respectively), smoking cessation and onset of cardiovascular and oncological events within 1 year of follow-up. A case-control study nested in the cohort is performed to identify clinical or biological candidate biomarkers of LC. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study was approved according the French Jardé law; the study is referenced at the French 'Agence Nationale de Sécurité du Médicament et des Produits de Santé' (reference ID RCB: 2019-A00262-55) and registered on clinicaltrial.gov. The results of the study will be presented after the closure of the follow-up scheduled on 14 February 2023 and disseminated through peer-reviewed journals and national and international conferences. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03976804.

Silent Brain Infarction After Endovascular Arch Procedures: Preliminary Results from the STEP Registry.

OBJECTIVE: Few data exist concerning the rate of silent cerebral ischaemic events following endovascular treatment of the aortic arch. The objective of this work was to quantify these lesions using the STEP registry (NCT04489277). METHODS: This multicentre retrospective cohort study included consecutive patients treated with an aortic endoprosthesis deployed in Ishimaru zone 0-3 and brain diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) within seven days following the procedure. DW-MRI was performed to identify the location and number of new silent brain infarctions (SBI). All endografts were carbon dioxide flushed prior to implantation. RESULTS: The study population included 91 patients (mean age, 69 years; men, 64%) from two academic centres treated between September 2018 and January 2020. The procedure was elective in 71 patients (78%). The treatment was performed for a dissection, degenerative aneurysm, or other aortic disease in 44 (49%), 34 (37%), and 13 (14%) patients, respectively. Endografts were deployed in zone 0, 1, 2 or 3 in 23 (25%), 10 (11%), 47 (52%), and 11 (12%) patients, respectively. Endografts were branched (25%), fenestrated (17%), or tubular (58%). At 30 days, there were no deaths or clinical strokes. On cerebral DW-MRI, a total of 245 SBI were identified in 45 patients (50%). Lesions were in the left hemisphere in 63% of the patients (153/245), predominantly in the middle territory (94/245). Deployment in zone 0-1 (p = .026), placement of a branched or fenestrated endograft (p = .038), a proximal endoprosthesis diameter ≥ 40 mm (p = .038), and an urgent procedure (p = .005) were significantly associated with the presence of SBI on univariable analysis, while urgent procedure was found to be an independent predictor on multivariable analysis (binary logistic regression) (p = .002). CONCLUSION: SBI following endovascular repair of the aortic arch is frequent, although there were no clinical strokes. Innovative strategies to reduce the risk of embolisation need to be developed.

Predictors of survival in patients with not-operated chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Treatment options for inoperable chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) have recently evolved with the availability of balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) and pulmonary vasodilators. Our aim was to analyze the prognostic variables associated with long-term outcome in a cohort of patients with not-operated CTEPH. METHODS: From January 2006 to December 2016, 343 newly diagnosed consecutive patients with not-operated CTEPH were diagnosed and followed up in the French Reference Center for Pulmonary Hypertension. Overall long-term survival and prognostic factors according to the diagnosis period (early period, 2006-2012, vs recent period, since 2013, i.e., one year before availability of BPA) were analyzed. RESULTS: In the overall population, baseline New York Heart Association functional class, right atrial pressure, 6-minute walk distance (6MWD), and diagnosis period were independent predictors of survival. The 1- and 3-year survival rates of patients diagnosed in the recent period (n = 170) were 91.6% and 85.0%, compared with 89.0% and 74.3% in patients diagnosed in the early period (n = 173), respectively (p = 0.030). Multivariate analysis from patients diagnosed in the recent period found that baseline 6MWD (per 20 m increase in distance) (hazard ratio [HR], 0.879; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.832-0.928, p < 0.001) and BPA (HR, 0.307; 95% CI, 0.099-0.957; p = 0.042) were independently associated with survival. CONCLUSIONS: Survival of not-operated patients with CTEPH has significantly improved in the recent management era. New treatment options, including BPA, might have the potential to improve the prognosis of patients with inoperable CTEPH.

Poor Subpleural Perfusion Predicts Failure After Balloon Pulmonary Angioplasty for Nonoperable Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Poor subpleural perfusion (PSP) in the capillary phase of pulmonary angiography predicts worse outcomes following pulmonary endarterectomy in operable chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). Balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) has emerged as a treatment for nonoperable CTEPH. The goal of the present article was to assess the association between PSP and BPA failure. METHODS: Subpleural perfusion was classified as poor (defined as subpleural spaces either not perfused or minimally perfused in all segments) or normal. We retrospectively reviewed PSP and hemodynamic variables of 101 consecutive patients who underwent BPA from February 2014 to August 2016. The total cross-sectional area of bronchial arteries was also measured by using CT scanning. Patients were categorized according to hemodynamic results after the last BPA: a failure group (defined as mean pulmonary arterial pressure > 30 mm Hg and a decrease in pulmonary vascular resistance < 30% [n = 15]) or a success group (n = 86). RESULTS: Although baseline hemodynamic variables were similar between the two groups, PSP was observed in 46.7% of patients in the failure group vs 13.9% in the success group (P = .003). Multivariate analysis revealed that PSP was the only predictor of BPA failure (OR, 4.02 [95% CI, 1.17-13.89]; P = .028). Patients with PSP exhibited poorly developed bronchial arteries compared with patients with normal perfusion (7.0 [5.8-9.6] mm2 vs 8.7 [6.9-11.3] mm2; P = .032). CONCLUSIONS: PSP in the capillary phase, suggesting the presence of small vessel disease with diffuse distal thrombosis, is a predictor of BPA failure. PSP was also associated with less developed bronchial arteries, which suggests a key role of bronchial-pulmonary anastomoses in maintaining the pulmonary capillary bed open downstream of the pulmonary arterial obstruction. PSP affected approximately 15% of patients with nonoperable CTEPH who underwent BPA.

Percutaneous Radiofrequency Ablation of Pulmonary Metastasis and Thoracic Paravertebral Block Under Computed Tomographic Scan Guidance: A Case Report.

Pain during and after pulmonary percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) may be severe enough to require opioids. Thoracic paravertebral block (TPVB) is a regional anesthetic technique that can relieve pain during and after abdominal or thoracic painful procedures. We report the use of TPVB to relieve postprocedural pain in a 50-year-old woman after RFA of lung metastasis. The TPVB was performed under computed tomographic guidance by the anesthesiologist. The patient was pain free (rest and mobilization) during the first postoperative 36 hours. TPVB may represent an easy, safe, and effective strategy to prevent or treat postoperative pain after pulmonary RFA.

Pulmonary Hypertension Complicating Fibrosing Mediastinitis.

Fibrosing mediastinitis is caused by a proliferation of fibrous tissue in the mediastinum with encasement of mediastinal viscera and compression of mediastinal bronchovascular structures. Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a severe complication of fibrosing mediastinitis caused by extrinsic compression of the pulmonary arteries and/or veins.We have conducted a retrospective observational study reviewing clinical, functional, hemodynamic, radiological characteristics, and outcome of 27 consecutive cases of PH associated with fibrosing mediastinitis diagnosed between 2003 and 2014 at the French Referral Centre for PH.Fourteen men and 13 women with a median age of 60 years (range 18-84) had PH confirmed on right heart catheterization. The causes of fibrosing mediastinitis were sarcoidosis (n = 13), tuberculosis-infection confirmed or suspected (n = 9), mediastinal irradiation (n = 2), and idiopathic (n = 3). Sixteen patients (59%) were in NYHA functional class III and IV. Right heart catheterization confirmed moderate to severe PH with a median mean pulmonary artery pressure of 42 mm Hg (range 27-90) and a median cardiac index of 2.8 L/min/m (range 1.6-4.3). Precapillary PH was found in 22 patients, postcapillary PH in 2, and combined postcapillary and precapillary PH in 3. Severe extrinsic compression of pulmonary arteries (>60% reduction in diameter) was evidenced in 2, 8, and 12 patients at the main, lobar, or segmental levels, respectively. Fourteen patients had at least one severe pulmonary venous compression with associated pleural effusion in 6 of them. PAH therapy was initiated in 7 patients and corticosteroid therapy (0.5-1 mg/kg/day) was initiated in 3 patients with sarcoidosis, with 9 other being already on low-dose corticosteroids. At 1-year follow-up, 3 patients had died and among the 21 patients evaluated, 3 deteriorated, 14 were stable, and only 4 patients with sarcoidosis improved (4 receiving corticosteroids and 1 receiving corticosteroids and PAH therapy). Survival was 88%, 73%, and 56% at 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively.We found no clear clinical improvement with the use of specific PAH therapy. Corticosteroid therapy may be associated with clinical improvement, in some patients with fibrosing mediastinitis due to sarcoidosis. Although never performed for this indication, lung transplantation may be proposed in eligible patients with severe PH and fibrosing mediastinitis.

[Management of the traumatic aortic blunt injury in 2014]. / Traitement des ruptures traumatiques de l'isthme aortique en 2014.

Diagnosis of blunt thoracic aortic injury (BAI) should be considered in any serious polytrauma. The diagnosis is mainly based on the CT scan at baseline. Life-threatening lesions are often associated with BAI. Hospital mortality is mainly due to associated lesions. Except the complete rupture of the aorta, treatment should be initiated after hemodynamic and respiratory stabilization of the patient and after the treatment of a lesion involving the immediate prognosis. Endovascular treatment of BAI became the treatment of choice, especially for patients with severe associated injuries and bleeding risk. Additional data on the long-term stents are necessary in these young patients. Conventional surgical treatment is always indicated for young subjects with stable hemodynamic, low risk of bleeding and when surgery may be delayed several hours.

In vivo evaluation of lung microwave ablation in a porcine tumor mimic model.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the microwave ablation of created tumor mimics in the lung of a large animal model (pigs), with examination of the ablative synergy of multiple antennas. METHODS: Fifty-six tumor-mimic models of various sizes were created in 15 pigs by using barium-enriched minced collected thigh muscle injected into the lung of the same animal. Tumors were ablated under fluoroscopic guidance by single-antenna and multiple-antenna microwaves. RESULTS: Thirty-five tumor models were treated in 11 pigs with a single antenna at 75 W for 15 min, with 15 measuring 20 mm in diameter, 10 measuring 30 mm, and 10 measuring 40 mm. Mean circularity of the single-antenna ablation zones measured 0.64 ± 0.12, with a diameter of 35.7 ± 8.7 mm along the axis of the antenna and 32.7 ± 12.8 mm perpendicular to the feeding point. Multiple-antenna delivery of 75 W for 15 min caused intraprocedural death of 2 animals; modified protocol to 60 W for 10 min resulted in an ablation zone with a diameter of 43.0 ± 7.7 along the axis of the antenna and 54.8 ± 8.5 mm perpendicular to the feeding point; circularity was 0.70 ± 0.10 CONCLUSIONS: A single microwave antenna can create ablation zones large enough to cover lung tumor mimic models of ≤4 cm with no heat sink effect from vessels of ≤6 mm. Synergic use of 3 antennas allows ablation of larger volumes than single-antenna or radiofrequency ablation, but great caution must be taken when 3 antennas are used simultaneously in the lung in clinical practice.

Prophylactic embolization of renal angiomyolipomas: evaluation of therapeutic response using CT 3D volume calculation and density histograms.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy and tolerance of prophylactic embolization of angiomyolipomas (AMLs) and to analyze the therapeutic response by using three-dimensional 3D volume calculation and 3D quantification of fatty and angiomyogenic components during computed tomography (CT) follow-up. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Over a 51-month period, 30 patients with 34 AMLs (mean diameter, 82 mm ± 37; range, 30-173 mm) underwent 37 prophylactic embolization procedures. The protocol included supraselective arterial embolization with a combination of absolute alcohol, microparticles, and coils. Mean clinical and imaging follow-up were 20.5 and 14.5 months, respectively. The 3D volume calculation and density histograms were retrospectively analyzed for treatment evaluation. RESULTS: Four technical failures were observed (11%), with one successful secondary reattempt, resulting in 31 AMLs (91.2%) being embolized. Thirty (88.2%) had CT follow-up and were included in the analysis. Embolization was complete after a single procedure for 25 AMLs (83%) and required two procedures in two cases. Three AMLs had incomplete embolization and were scheduled for a second procedure. Mean volume reductions were 43% ± 32 for AMLs followed for 1-6 months after embolization and 81% ± 19 for the 12 AMLs followed for more than 1 year. The volume reduction after embolization was significantly correlated with the AML initial composition, with fat-rich AMLs showing a much smaller reduction of size than predominantly angiomyomatous AMLs (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Prophylactic embolization allows significant reduction of AML volume with a high success rate. Three-dimensional CT volume and density histogram calculations suggest that it is especially effective on angiomyogenic components and fat-poor AMLs.