Prevention of radial artery occlusion with rivaroxaban after trans-radial access coronary procedures: The RIVARAD multicentric randomized trial.

Background: Radial artery occlusion (RAO) remains the most frequent complication of trans-radial access. Once the radial artery is occluded, its future use as an access site for coronary procedures, or as a conduit for coronary bypass grafting or fistula for hemodialysis, will be precluded. Therefore, we aimed to assess the value of the short-term use of Rivaroxaban to prevent RAO after a trans-radial coronary procedure. Methods: This was a prospective, open-label, randomized study. The patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to one of two groups: those who received Rivaroxaban 10 mg for 7 days following the trans-radial coronary procedure (the Rivaroxaban Group) and those who received the standard treatment (the Control Group). The primary outcome was an occurrence of RAO evaluated by Doppler ultrasound at 30 days, and the secondary outcomes were hemorrhagic complications according to BARC classification. Results: We included 521 patients randomized into two Groups: the Control Group (N = 262) and the Rivaroxaban Group (N = 259). The 1-month RAO was significantly reduced in the Rivaroxaban Group as compared to the Control Group [6.9% vs. 13%; p = 0.011, OR = 0.5, (95% CI, 0.27-0.91)]. We noted no cases of severe bleeding events (BARC3-5). The overall incidence of minor bleeding (BARC1) was 2.3%, with no significant difference between the two groups [Rivaroxaban Group = 2.7%, Control Group = 1.9%, p = 0.54, OR= 1.4, (95%CI 0.44-4.5)]. Conclusions: Short-term postoperative anticoagulation with Rivaroxaban 10 mg for seven days reduces the rate of 1-month RAO.

Impact of atorvastatin reload on the prevention of contrast-induced nephropathy in patients on chronic statin therapy: A prospective randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: This trial aimed to assess the efficacy of Atorvastatin reloading on the prevention of Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) in patients pre-treated with this statin and undergoing coronary catheterization. METHODS: This was a prospective randomized controlled study including patients on chronic atorvastatin therapy. We randomly assigned the population to the Atorvastatin Reloading group (AR group), by reloading patients with 80 mg of atorvastatin one day before and three days after the coronary procedure, and the Non-Reloading group (NR group), including patients who received their usual dose without a reloading dose. The primary endpoints were the incidence of cystatin (Cys)-based CIN and Creatinine (Scr)-based CIN. The secondary endpoints consisted of the changes in renal biomarkers (Δ biomarkers) defined as the difference between the follow-up level and the baseline level. RESULTS: Our population was assigned to the AR group (n = 56 patients) and NR group (n = 54 patients). The baseline characteristics of the 2 groups were similar. Serum creatinine (SCr)-based CIN occurred in 11.1% in the NR group, and in 8.9% in the AR group without any significant difference. Cys-based CIN occurred in 37% in the NR group and 26.8% in the AR group without any significant difference. The subgroup analysis showed that high dose reloading had significantly reduced the CYC-based CIN risk in patients with type 2 diabetes (43.5% vs 18.8%, RR = 0.43. CI 95% [0.18-0.99])). The comparison of "Δ Cystatin" and Δ eGFR between the AR and NR groups didn't show any significant difference. However, cystatin C had significantly increased between baseline and at 24 hours in the NR group (0.96 vs 1.05, p = 0.001), but not in the AR group (0.94 vs 1.03, p = 0.206). CONCLUSIONS: Our study did not find a benefit of systematic atorvastatin reloading in patients on chronic atorvastatin therapy in preventing CIN. However, it suggested that this strategy could reduce the risk of CyC-based CIN in diabetic type 2 patients.

Popliteal artery pseudoaneurysms in patients affected by osteochondroma.

Although exostosis or osteochondroma is a common bone tumor, associated vascular complications are rare. Clinical and radiological diagnoses are sometimes challenging, and there is no codification for surgical management. We report two cases of popliteal arterial pseudoaneurysms due to osteochondroma of the distal femur. A review of the current literature about case series and case reports of patients affected by arterial pseudoaneurysm complicating osteochondroma was also performed.

Heart Rate Variability as an Indicator of Autonomic Nervous System Disturbance in Behcet's Disease.

BACKGROUND: Behçet's disease (BD) is a multisystemic vasculiti where cardiac involvement is not common. Previous studies have shown that the incidence of ventricular arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death (SCD) is higher in patients with BD than in the healthy population. Among various possible explanations, autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysfunction has been suggested. Few studies have evaluated ANS function in patients with BD, and the results obtained are controversial. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to assess cardiac autonomic function by heart rate variability (HRV) in patients with BD; to evaluate circadian changes in HRV; and to study the relationship between HRV parameters and disease parameters. METHODS: Thirty-six patients with Behçet's disease (median age 42 years, 28 men) and 36 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers were included. HRV analyses were performed in the time and frequency domains for the entire 24-hour period and for the daytime and nighttime periods. BD activity was studied with Behcet's disease current activity form (BDCAF). RESULTS: Patients with BD had significantly lower values of SDNN compared to controls. PNN50, RMSSD, and HF components mean values were significantly reduced in patients than in controls implying parasympathetic impairment. LF was comparable between the two groups, whereas LF/HF ratio was significantly higher in BD group. The circadian rhythm of HRV was preserved in patient group. There was no significant correlation of CRP or disease duration with HRV indices in Behçet's subjects. BDCAF score was found to be negatively correlated with LF/HF. CONCLUSION: Patients with BD, despite no cardiovascular involvement, have reduced parasympathetic activity compared with controls. However, circadian rhythms of autonomic function were preserved. As known, there is strong evidence for the role of the ANS in the pathogenesis of ventricular arrhythmias. Thus, being a practical tool, HRV can be an interesting approach for the rhythmic follow-up of BD patients.

Alveolar Hemorrhage Following Thrombolytic Therapy for Acute Myocardial Infarction: Two Case Reports and Literature Review.

Alveolar hemorrhage (AH) is a heterogeneous clinical syndrome with a high mortality rate, characterized by extensive bleeding into the alveolar spaces. AH secondary to systemic thrombolysis treatment in the setting of acute myocardial infarction is an uncommon complication, but potentially fatal and can lead to acute respiratory failure. This entity is rarely reported in the literature. We report two cases of acute AH after intravenous thrombolysis for acute myocardial infarction, which could contribute to the literature on the subject, and discuss the risk factors as well as the clinical and radiological findings supporting the diagnosis. We overview also the rare previous published case reports in this context, and we contrast our findings with those reported in the literature.

Endovascular Management of a Subclavian Arterial Injury During Central Venous Catheter Placement for Hemodialysis.

Subclavian artery injuries after central venous catheter placement constitute a rare but potentially fatal complication. The surgical repair of a subclavian artery trauma is a real challenge, associated with a high rate of morbidity and mortality. The role of endovascular treatment for vascular trauma, including injury to the subclavian artery, continues to evolve. In this manuscript, we report the case of an urgent endovascular repair by a covered stent graft of a subclavian artery perforation following the placement of a central venous catheter for dialysis in a 52-year-old patient, having a chronic kidney failure stage 5, with multiple comorbidities. The present case suggests that attention needs to be paid to preventing iatrogenic arterial cannulation during central vein catheterization to avoid potentially devastating complications. Endovascular treatment using a covered stent should be attempted as a first-line therapeutic option.

Hybrid Management of a Pseudoaneurysm of the Inferior Gluteal Artery Following a Stab Wound.

Aneurysms and pseudoaneurysms of the gluteal artery are rare. They represent less than 1% of the described arterial aneurysms. Those that touch the inferior gluteal artery are even rarer. Only a few cases have been described worldwide. Such cases often present with a variable time course, mode of injury, and associated symptoms, leading to their misdiagnosis and improper treatment. We present the case of a 30-year-old male, who presented to our emergency room one week after a stab wound in the left gluteal region causing a pseudoaneurysm of the left inferior gluteal artery with a sciatic compartment syndrome treated by a hybrid approach.

Both mediastinal and pericardial hydatidosis revealed by ST elevation acute coronary syndrome.

Hydatidosis remains an endemic disease in some regions of the world, such as Tunisia. The liver and the lungs are the most common sites in adults. Mediastinal and pericardial hydatid cysts are very rare even in endemic areas and true incidence has not been described in the literature. We report the case of a 74-year-old woman with clinical, biological and electrocardiographic features of acute myocardial infraction. Two-dimensional echocardiography and detailed imaging revealed a mediastinal and pericardial hydatid cyst. The particularity of the clinical presentation, the complementary investigations as well as the management and follow-up of the patient are discussed. This case is of great interest since the rarity of concomitant hydatid cyst in two uncommon localizations: mediastinum and pericardium, and the unusual incidental discovery during a myocardial infarction.

Tunisian Consensus document on magnetic resonance imaging in patients with intracardiac devices.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with ferromagnetic cardiac devices, particularly cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED) such as pacemakers or implantable cardioverter defibrillators, are often inappropriately deprived of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for safety reasons. This consensus document is written by a multidisciplinary working group involving rhythmologists, interventional cardiologists, echocardiographists and radiologists. Its objective is to establish good practice recommendations to optimize the management of patients with cardiac devices requiring MRI examination, while ensuring their safety and facilitating their access to MRI.

Angioplasty of Anomalous Coronaries Arising from the Opposite Sinus with an Interarterial Course, is it Safe?

BACKGROUND: The coronary artery with an interarterial course CAIAC is the most threatening coronary anomaly, especially if it concerns the left coronary. Percutaneous coronary intervention PCI is scarcely described given its low prevalence and lack of long-term outcome data. Therefore, we assessed through this case series the feasibility and safety of PCI in this population. METHODS: This is an observational multicentric study including patients with CAIAC arising from the opposite sinus of Valsalva. The primary endpoints were immediate angiographic success and target lesion revascularization. RESULTS: During the period of the study, we performed 27235 PCI in six Cath labs, 26 procedures concerning abnormal coronaries including 12 with CAIAC. The median age was 57 years extremes: 43-78 with male predominance 1:11. Anomalous coronary artery was Right coronary artery RCA in eight patients, Left main LM in three patients, and left anterior descending LAD in one patient. The stenosis was located in all cases in proximal segments beyond the inter-arterial course proximal LAD, the superior genius of the RCA, or the proximal segment of mid-RCA. Five patients showed slit-like ostium and all have an angle take-off <45° on CT scan. After a median follow-up of 24 months, four subjects presented target lesion revascularization TLR, all were initially treated with either a bare-metal stent or with balloons. CONCLUSIONS: PCI of patients with CAIAC is feasible and appears safe. The operator should carefully analyze the angiogram before PCI to choose the appropriate guiding catheter and should be acquainted with the different techniques for improving backup.