Age- and Sex-Specific Nomographic CT Quantitative Plaque Data From a Large International Cohort.

BACKGROUND: With growing adoption of coronary computed tomographic angiography (CTA), there is increasing evidence for and interest in the prognostic importance of atherosclerotic plaque volume. Manual tools for plaque segmentation are cumbersome, and their routine implementation in clinical practice is limited. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to develop nomographic quantitative plaque values from a large consecutive multicenter cohort using coronary CTA. METHODS: Quantitative assessment of total atherosclerotic plaque and plaque subtype volumes was performed in patients undergoing clinically indicated coronary CTA, using an Artificial Intelligence-Enabled Quantitative Coronary Plaque Analysis tool. RESULTS: A total of 11,808 patients were included in the analysis; their mean age was 62.7 ± 12.2 years, and 5,423 (45.9%) were women. The median total plaque volume was 223 mm3 (IQR: 29-614 mm3) and was significantly higher in male participants (360 mm3; IQR: 78-805 mm3) compared with female participants (108 mm3; IQR: 10-388 mm3) (P < 0.0001). Total plaque increased with age in both male and female patients. Younger patients exhibited a higher prevalence of noncalcified plaque. The distribution of total plaque volume and its components was reported in every decile by age group and sex. CONCLUSIONS: The authors developed pragmatic age- and sex-stratified percentile nomograms for atherosclerotic plaque measures using findings from coronary CTA. The impact of age and sex on total plaque and its components should be considered in the risk-benefit analysis when treating patients. Artificial Intelligence-Enabled Quantitative Coronary Plaque Analysis work flows could provide context to better interpret coronary computed tomographic angiographic measures and could be integrated into clinical decision making.

Incidental Finding of Coronary Artery Dilatation in Children With History of COVID-19 Having Minimal or No Symptoms: Raising Red Flag.

Coronary artery dilatation has been observed with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-associated multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), which is more common in those with Kawasaki-like disease. MIS-C is a clinical syndrome in children and adolescents; its signs and symptoms, as well as cardiac manifestations, are similar to Kawasaki diseases, such as coronary artery dilation, coronary aneurysms, and ventricular dysfunction. The occurrence of coronary artery dilatation in asymptomatic pediatric patients following COVID-19 infection has not been well documented in the literature. Thus, in this article, we present four cases of coronary artery dilation in children with a past history of COVID-19 infection who had very few or no symptoms and were referred to us for vague chest pain and palpitation. As a result, a high index of suspicion is required, and any patient complaining of chest pain and palpitation with a history of COVID-19 exposure should not be ignored and be given proper coronary artery evaluation. This article also raises the question of whether every child infected with COVID-19 should have an echocardiogram.

Postoperative myocardial injury in a patient with left ureteric stone and asymptomatic COVID-19 disease.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It was first identified on 8thDecember 2019 in Wuhan, Hubei, China, and has since spread globally to become an emergency of international concern. Patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 may be asymptomatic or present with symptoms ranging from mild clinical manifestations: such as fever, cough, and sore throat to moderate and severe form of the disease such as pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). In some patients, SARS-CoV-2 can affect the heart and cause myocardial injury which is evidenced either by electrocardiographic (ECG) changes or by a rise in serum troponin level. Patients with myocardial involvement are generally at risk of developing severe illness and tend to have a poor outcome. We hereby present a case of a hypertensive male patient with undiagnosed, asymptomatic COVID-19, who underwent an emergency urologic procedure for ureteric calculi. He eventually sustained a postoperative myocardial injury resulting in his demise. This case highlights the importance of detailed preoperative assessment and anticipation of complications during this global pandemic.

Xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis complicated by a cholecysto-colonic fistula and liver abscesses.

A 57-year-old male presented to the emergency department with right upper quadrant pain and constitutional symptoms. Initial investigation revealed biliary sepsis with features of chronic cholecystitis, multiple liver abscesses and a fistulous connection between the gallbladder and colon. He was subsequently diagnosed with a cholecysto-colonic fistula, an unusual complication of biliary pathology, with an incidence of 0.06-0.14% at cholecystectomy. It is the second most common form of cholecystoenteric fistula, the first of which is cholecystoduodenal. A preoperative diagnosis was suggested using computed tomography and sinogram imaging. The associated liver abscesses together with the xanthogranulomatous inflammation found on histopathology, makes the case particularly exceptional.