Assessment of sex-related differences and outcome in patients who underwent cryoballoon pulmonary vein isolation for atrial fibrillation: an observational cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is widely accepted as an effective and safe treatment for symptomatic atrial fibrillation (AF). However, data on sex-related differences and associations with clinical outcome and safety of PVI with cryoballoon ablation are limited. We sought to compare sexrelated efficacy and safety of cryoballoon ablation and identify sex-related associations with clinical outcomes. METHODS AND RESULTS: We included 650 consecutive patients with AF undergoing PVI with cryoballoon ablation at our institution between 2013 and 2017. The efficacy outcome was the first documented recurrence (>30 s) of AF, atrial flutter or atrial tachycardia (AF/AT) or repeat ablation during follow-up, after a 90-day blanking period. The safety outcome was the incidence of periprocedural complications. Mean age of the population was 58±10, and 210 (32.3%) patients were women. Women were older, had a higher body mass index, had more renal dysfunction and less coronary artery disease as compared with men. The rate of AF/AT recurrence was similar between women and men at 12-month follow-up (27.6% vs 24.8%, p=0.445). The incidence of periprocedural complications was higher in women (12.9% vs 4.6%; p<0.001), specifically groin haematomas and phrenic nerve palsy. On multivariate analysis, left atrial volume index (adjusted OR 1.05, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.10; p=0.032) was associated with the incidence of procedural complications in women. For men, no relation with complications could be found. CONCLUSION: The efficacy of cryoballoon ablation was similar between women and men; however, women had a higher risk of procedural complications.

Torsades de pointes during laparoscopic adrenalectomy of a pheochromocytoma: a case report.

INTRODUCTION: Torsades de pointes is a rare but potentially lethal arrhythmia. The amount of literature available on Torsades de pointes occurring in patients with pheochromocytoma is limited, and we found no literature describing this dysrhythmia in a patient with pheochromocytoma under anesthesia. CASE PRESENTATION: We describe the case of a 42-year-old Caucasian woman without QT prolongation preoperatively with recurrent Torsades de pointes during laparoscopic removal of a pheochromocytoma. Torsades de pointes mainly occurs in the setting of a prolonged QT interval. This patient neither had a prolonged QT preoperatively nor was her family history suspect for a congenital long QT syndrome. Most likely, our patient had an acquired long QT syndrome, elicited by the combination of flecainide, hypomagnesemia and adrenergic stimulation during manipulation of the tumor. CONCLUSION: We show that in the case of a surgical pheochromocytoma removal, perioperative conditions can elicit an acquired or previously unknown congenital long QT syndrome. Therefore, preoperative α- and ß-blockade is advised, QT-prolonging drugs should be avoided and potassium and magnesium plasma levels should be kept at normal to high levels.

Molecular genetics of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy: emerging horizon?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Recent developments in the elucidation of genes underlying arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy and possible pathogenic mechanisms will be highlighted. RECENT FINDINGS: The cardiac desmosome is a multiprotein structure involved in cell-cell interactions. Mutations in genes encoding desmosomal proteins such as PKP2, DSP, JUP, DSC2 and DSG2 underlie arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, which can therefore be considered a desmosome cardiomyopathy. Mutations in the plakophilin-2 gene are most prevalent. Current pathophysiological insights suggest a final common pathway in which plakoglobin release from the desmosome, independent of the primarily affected desmosomal protein, results in desmosome impairment, intercalated disc remodeling and Wnt/beta-catenin pathway signaling defects. The recognition of left ventricular involvement associated with mutations in desmosomal protein genes and low penetrance suggests that formal criteria should not be followed too closely in selecting patients for DNA analysis, because finding a mutation may have important implications for clinical practice. SUMMARY: Recent developments have demonstrated that arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy can be considered a desmosome cardiomyopathy. Left ventricular involvement is not uncommon in this type of cardiomyopathy. Such findings are important for diagnostics and family screening and form a starting-point for the elucidation of other (non)-genetic factors influencing disease progression and outcome.