Clinical and angiographic characteristics of left coronaroventricular microfistula / 中华心血管病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the clinical and angiographic characteristics of left coronaroventricular microfistula.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>In his retrospective review, clinical, electrocardiogram, echocardiography and coronary angiography data were analyzed for patients with left coronaroventricular microfistula.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Left coronaroventricular microfistula was identified in 9 out of 8300 patients underwent coronary angiographies from 1998 to 2008 in our center. Seven patients were female (77.8%) and the average age was 71.5 years. All 9 patients had presenting symptoms of chest distress or dyspnea, coronary artery disease was documented in 5 (55.6%), hypertension in 2 (22.2%), valve disease in 1 (11.1%)and cardiomyopathy in 1 (11.1%) patient. Microfistula originated from one single coronary artery was seen in 1 patient (11.1%), from two coronary arteries in 6 patients (66.7%), from three coronary arteries in 2 patients (22.2%). The diagonal artery was involved in all patients. The characteristic sign of microfistula from CAG was intracavitary staining.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Microfistula between coronary arteries and left ventricle is a rare disease, often originates from two coronary vessels and diagonal artery is involved in most cases.</p>

Effect of early and non-early controlled-release of arsenic-trioxide eluting stents on restenosis inhibition in a canine model / 中华心血管病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the safety and efficacy of early or non-early controlled-release arsenic-trioxide (As(2)O(3))-eluting stents on reducing in-stent neointimal hyperplasia.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Bare stents, stents coated with polybutyl methacrylate/Nano silica (containing 200 microg of As(2)O(3) per stent or not), stents coated with polybutyl methacrylate/Nano silica inside (containing 200 microg of As(2)O(3) per stent or not) and poly-lactide-co-glycolide (PLGA) outside were deployed with mild oversizing in left anterior descending (LAD) and circumflex coronary arteries (LCX)of 30 canines (n = 6, 12 stents for each group).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The mean injury scores were similar in all groups at 4 weeks post stents implantation while the mean neointimal thickness, neointimal area and degree of stenosis were significantly reduced and the lumen area significantly increased in canines receiving single coating stents containing As(2)O(3) compared with single or double coating stents and bare stents groups (all P < 0.01). These effects were further enhanced in canines implanted with double coating stents containing As(2)O(3) (all P < 0.01 vs. single coating stents containing As(2)O(3)). No intraintimal hemorrhage, medial and adventitial necrosis, aneurysm, thrombosis, inflammatory cells infiltration were observed in all stenting groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Controlled-release As(2)O(3)-eluting stents resulted in a significant inhibition of neointimal hyperplasia in the canine coronary arteries 4 weeks after stents implantation and the effects is more significant with controlled-release of As(2)O(3) at non-early stage than that at early stage.</p>

Histopathological changes post cryoablation in canine myocardium / 中华心血管病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>The purpose of this study was to observe histopathological changes post cryoablation in canine myocardium, to characterize the specific ablation lesion post cryoablation.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Cryothermal ablation was applied on myocardium (both epicardium and endocardium) of 14 mongrel dogs with different ablation parameters (-25 degrees C x 4 min, -50 degrees C x 4 min, -75 degrees C x 4 min, -75 degrees C x 2 min, -75 degrees C x 6 min, -75 degrees C x 8 min). Lesion dimensions and histopathologic changes were observed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The discrete, sharply delimited lesions were detected in cryoablated myocardium. Histologically, cryoablation in all temperatures studied induced heterogeneous necrosis of the myocardium. Lesion dimensions are related to freezing time and temperature.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Cryoablation is a feasible and preferably choice for clinical application due to its controllable myocardium lesions.</p>