FFR-CT is extremely useful in detecting hemodynamically significant left-main coronary artery stenosis with right coronary artery hypoplasia: A case report.

Left main coronary artery (LMCA) stenosis in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) is associated with a significant increase in cardiac events, and determining its contribution to ischemia is essential. Currently, several noninvasive modalities are available for the ischemic assessment of CAD. In multi-vessel disease, including LMCA disease, the accuracy of myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS) for detecting myocardial ischemia can be poor. Fractional flow reserve from computed tomography (FFR-CT) has emerged as a promising noninvasive modality that can provide functional myocardial ischemia information. Herein, we describe the case of a 50-year-old woman with type 2 diabetes who presented to the hospital due to intermittent chest pain on exertion. Coronary computed tomography angiography showed right coronary artery hypoplasia, 25 % stenosis in the LMCA, and 75 % stenosis in the left anterior descending. FFR-CT identified myocardial ischemia due to LMCA stenosis, but MPS did not. Invasive coronary angiography with conventional fractional flow reserve was mostly consistent with the results of FFR-CT. Learning objective: Fractional flow reserve from computed tomography (FFR-CT), which is a novel noninvasive method, can provide absolute, not relative, functional myocardial ischemia information by applying computational fluid dynamics to coronary computed tomography angiography on a lesion-by-lesion basis. FFR-CT can be extremely useful in detecting patients with left main coronary artery stenosis with right coronary artery hypoplasia.

Clopidogrel Use in CYP2C19 Loss-of-Function Carriers With High Bleeding Risk After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

BACKGROUND: It is not known whether clopidogrel use in cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2C19 loss-of-function (LOF) carriers with high bleeding risk (HBR) contributes to adverse outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).Methods and Results: This retrospective observational study included 618 consecutive patients with available CYP2C19 polymorphism information who underwent PCI between September 2014 and August 2021. Patients with HBR (319 [52%] met the Academic Research Consortium definition) were divided into 2 groups according to P2Y12inhibitor action, namely decreased (i.e., clopidogrel in CYP2C19 LOF carriers) and retained (i.e., clopidogrel in CYP2C19 LOF non-carriers or prasugrel regardless of CYP2C19 polymorphisms), and clinical outcomes at 1 year were compared using inverse probability-weighted Cox proportional hazard regression. The primary ischemic outcome (a composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or ischemic stroke) was significantly higher in the decreased than retained group (10.2% vs. 3.0%; adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 2.78; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.40-5.52; P=0.004). The primary bleeding outcome (Bleeding Academic Research Consortium 3 or 5) did not differ significantly between the decreased and retained groups (3.4% vs. 6.9%, respectively; aHR 0.48; 95% CI 0.22-1.01; P=0.054). There were no interactions between the treatment groups and HBR status in primary ischemic and bleeding outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with HBR, clopidogrel use in CYP2C19 LOF carriers was significantly associated with increased ischemic events after PCI.

Impact of statin therapy on late target lesion revascularization after everolimus-eluting stent implantation according to pre-interventional vessel remodeling and vessel size of treated lesion.

Clinical evidence demonstrating the impact of statins for preventing late target lesion revascularization (TLR) after newer-generation drug-eluting stent implantation and differences in the effect of statins on late TLR according to pre-interventional vessel remodeling and vessel size is limited. We retrospectively evaluated 1193 de novo lesions in 720 patients who underwent everolimus-eluting stent implantation using intravascular ultrasound from January 2010 to December 2012. The primary endpoint was late TLR. Lesions were divided into the statin group (n = 825) and non-statin group (n = 368). The incidence of late TLR was significantly lower in the statin than non-statin group (1.7% vs. 5.2%, respectively; p = 0.001), and within the statin group, it was significantly lower in the follow-up low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) < 100 than ≥ 100 mg/dL level subgroup (1.0% vs. 3.6%, respectively; p = 0.006). Furthermore, in positive remodeling lesions and non-small vessel size lesions, the incidence of late TLR was significantly lower in the statin than non-statin group (1.6% vs. 8.5% and 1.3% vs. 5.3%, respectively; p = 0.001 and p = 0.004). Lowering the LDL-C level using statins was more effective for preventing late TLR after everolimus-eluting stent implantation. Evaluating pre-interventional vessel remodeling patterns and vessel size might be helpful to stratify lesions at high risk of late TLR.

Comparison Between Clopidogrel and Prasugrel Associated With CYP2C19 Genotypes in Patients Receiving Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in a Japanese Population.

BACKGROUND: The association between cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2C19 genotypes and adverse events in patients treated with clopidogrel or prasugrel after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in the Japanese population is unclear.Methods and Results:This study consisted of 1,580 patients whoseCYP2C19genotypes were assessed at Shiga University of Medical Science Hospital, and 193 clopidogrel-treated and 217 prasugrel-treated patients who were followed more than 1 year after receiving PCI were analyzed. Among 1,580 patients, the prevalence of normal, intermediate, and poor metabolizers was 32%, 49%, and 17%, respectively. Overall incidence of the primary outcome, defined as a composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, definite stent thrombosis, ischemic stroke, or major bleeding was not significantly different between the clopidogrel and prasugrel groups (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 1.98, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.85-4.61, P=0.12). Among patients with theCYP2C19loss-of-function (LOF) allele, however, the incidence of the primary outcome was significantly higher in the clopidogrel group (adjusted HR 3.19, 95% CI 1.10-9.24, P=0.03), whereas no difference was observed among patients without theCYP2C19LOF allele (adjusted HR 0.67, 95% CI 0.14-3.26, P=0.62). CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with theCYP2C19LOF allele, the use of clopidogrel was significantly associated with increased adverse events. Thus, further investigation is needed to establish the practical use ofCYP2C19genotyping.

Lesion characteristics and procedural outcomes of re-attempted percutaneous coronary interventions for chronic total occlusion.

This study was performed to investigate lesion characteristics and procedural outcomes of re-attempted percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for chronic total occlusion (CTO). Prior failure of percutaneous revascularization of CTO has been identified as an independent predictor of failure at subsequent attempts. However, procedural outcomes of re-attempted PCI for CTO have not been elucidated. We evaluated lesion characteristics and procedural outcomes in 310 consecutive patients undergoing CTO-PCI, and compared the results between re-attempted (n = 59) and initial procedures (n = 251). Overall, 266 CTO lesions (85.8%) were treated successfully. In addition, the technical success rate in the re-attempted CTO lesions was 69.5% (41 of 59), although this was lower than for initially attempted lesions (89.6%, 225 of 251; P = 0.0021). In the details of reasons of previous failures, treatment devices failed to cross even after guidewire cross and procedure discontinuation due to management of complications achieved higher rates of technical success compared to those with the inability of guidewire crossing in re-attempted CTO-PCI (87.5 and 85.7 vs. 65.9%, respectively). CTO lesions in which PCI was re-attempted had more complex features, including calcification, tortuous morphology, and long lesion length, whereas patient demographics were similar. Re-attempted CTO lesions required complex procedures, including the retrograde approach (55.9 vs. 13.9%, P < 0.001), longer fluoroscopic time, and larger radiation dose. Meanwhile, rates of complications and in-hospital MACCE were similarly low in both groups. The technical success rates of re-attempted CTO-PCI lesions were acceptable. Furthermore, CTO-PCIs in re-attempted lesions were as safe as initially attempted CTO-PCI. However, re-attempted CTO-PCI lesions showed features of high anatomical complexity that required more complex and longer procedures, including the retrograde approach, for successful interventional revascularization. Re-attempted CTO-PCI due to treatment devices failed to cross even after guidewire cross and procedure discontinuation due to management of complications in previous attempt had higher success rates that those with the inability of guidewire crossing.