Empagliflozin to prevent post-operative atrial fibrillation in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery: Rationale and design of the EMPOAF trial.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is one of the most common types of acute AF and can complicate the treatment course of approximately one third of patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are among the newest antidiabetic drugs which can be therapeutic options for preventing POAF by different mechanisms. METHODS: Empagliflozin to Prevent POAF (EMPOAF) is an interventional, investigator-initiated, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter, randomized controlled trial which will be conducted in two referral teaching cardiology hospitals in Tehran. Four-hundred ninety-two adult patients who are scheduled for elective isolated coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery will be randomly assigned to one of the groups of intervention (empagliflozin 10 mg daily) or placebo starting at least 3 days before surgery until discharge. Key exclusion criteria are a history of diabetes mellitus, AF, ketoacidosis, or recurrent urinary tract infections along with severe renal or hepatic impairment, unstable hemodynamics, and patients receiving SGLT2 inhibitors for another indication. The primary outcome will be the incidence of POAF. Key secondary endpoints will be the composite rate of life-threatening arrhythmias, postoperative acute kidney injury, hospitalization length, in-hospital mortality, stroke, and systemic embolization. Key safety endpoints will be the rate of life-threatening and/or genitourinary tract infections, hypoglycemia, and ketoacidosis. CONCLUSIONS: EMPOAF will prospectively evaluate whether empagliflozin 10 mg daily can reduce the rate of POAF in patients undergoing elective CABG. Enrolment into this study has started by November 2023 and is expected to be ended before the end of 2025.

Uncommon manifestation of multiple myeloma: A case report of intracardiac plasmacytoma presenting with severe heart failure and bilateral pleural effusion.

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Extramedullary intracardiac plasmacytoma is a rare type of plasma cell neoplasm that involves the heart. This article presents a case report of a patient with this condition and describes the surgical management of the disease. CASE PRESENTATION: The patient was a 65-year-old male with a history of multiple myeloma in remission for two years who presented with shortness of breath and chest pain. Imaging studies revealed a mass in the right atrium of the heart, which was confirmed to be extramedullary intracardiac plasmacytoma on biopsy. The patient underwent surgical resection of the mass. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: Extramedullary intracardiac plasmacytoma is a rare condition that can occur in patients with multiple myeloma. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment are crucial for improving the prognosis of affected individuals. Surgical resection may be a viable treatment option for some patients. CONCLUSION: This case report highlights the potential risks and complications associated with surgical intervention in patients with extramedullary intracardiac plasmacytoma. Further research is needed to determine the best treatment approach for this rare condition and to improve patient outcomes.

Simultaneous surgery of an inflammatory abdominal aortic aneurysm and renal cell carcinoma: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) and renal cell carcinoma (RCC) coincidence is considered a rare phenomenon. Moreover, the inflammatory nature of aneurysm increases the rarity of the case. PRESENTATION OF CASE: Our case was a 66-year-old man complaining of constant abdominal pain with a periumbilical pulsatile mass on examination. The computerized tomography angiography revealed a 67*41*44 mm AAA and a 52*43 mm renal mass. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: Not only choosing the most appropriate treatment is critical when two life-threatening diseases coexist in the same patient but also avoiding from any injury to adjacent organs while releasing fibrotic adhesions due to inflammatory process makes the case more challenging. CONCLUSION: The preset study describes the successful one-stage and open surgery for treatment of simultaneous IAAA and RCC.

Superior mesenteric artery thrombosis with concomitant pancreaticoduodenal artery pseudoaneurysm in a 60-year-old male patient - A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Vascular complications like superior mesenteric artery (SMA) thrombosis and pancreaticoduodenal artery (PDA) pseudoaneurysm carry high morbidity and mortality. SMA provides the primary arterial supply to the small intestine and ascending colon. PDA aneurysms are extremely rare, accounting for only 2 % of all visceral artery aneurysms. We present a rare case of SMA thrombosis with concomitant PDA pseudoaneurysm. CASE PRESENTATION: Herein is the case of a 60-year-old male who presented with rectorrhagia, persistent generalized abdominal pain. After being diagnosed with colitis and mesenteric artery thrombosis based on a computed tomography (CT) scan, he was discharged from the hospital with rivaroxaban and mesalazin. However, he had to return to the hospital due to worsening of the symptoms. After a proper workout, SMA artery thrombosis with a concomitant PDA pseudoaneurysm was diagnosed for him. Therefore, he underwent surgery to stent the thrombosis and coil the pseudoaneurysm. His symptoms dramatically improved after the treatment. DISCUSSION: Angiography is the diagnostic and, with embolization, therapeutic procedure of choice, with surgery as a backup if embolization fails. However, even with these procedures, the mortality rate is high if the pseudoaneurysm ruptures. CONCLUSION: In order to carry out the proper choice of surgical treatment before further complications occur, SMA thrombosis and PDA pseudoaneurysms must be investigated in each patient presenting with nonspecific abdominal pain, regardless of the risk factors.

Fulminant psudeumonas pneumonia following coronary artery bypass grafting - Case report.

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Pneumonia has always been a source of complication after surgeries. Pseudomonas aeruginosa has emerged as one of the most problematic Gram-negative pathogens among nosocomial infections. Pneumonia caused by pseudomonas is usually slowly progressive allowing clinicians to detect and manage it on time. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A 55-year-old man was hospitalized for elective CABG, complicated by fulminant pneumonia. Vancomycin and meropenem were adminestered as soon as the symptoms appeared. However, the patient died from septic shock syndrome caused by pseudomonas pneumonia on the third postoperative day, just hours after the first symptom appeared. The chest X-ray showed an extreme opacity within less than 12 h. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: This case is reported because of its rare clinical presentation of Fulminant pseudomonas pneumonia following cardiac surgery. CONCLUSION: Consider pseudomonas aeruginosa as a certain cause of pneumonia after cardiac surgery, and an organized, modified guideline is needed to determine the best option and timeline for treating this complication.

Surgical management of retroperitoneal cystic Schwannoma complicated by retrograde ejaculation - Case report.

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Retroperitoneal Schwannoma is unlikely to be considered in the differential diagnosis of a young patient with unexplained abdominal discomfort with no previous medical history. Tissue sampling is required for a definitive diagnosis. CASE PRESENTATION: A young male presented to the emergency room with abdominal pain. Imaging study and histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of retroperitoneal Schwannoma. Retrograde ejaculation has been discovered as a surgical complication in follow-ups. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: This case is reported because of its rare clinical presentation and subsequent autonomic nerve dysfunction. CONCLUSION: Schwannomas are tumors of neurological origin that can grow in any location where neurons exist, and complications related to the neighboring nervous plexus should always be expected. Although uncommon, retrograde ejaculation can occur after the surgery. It is essential to inform the patient about the possibility of these complications.

Saccular mycotic aneurysm of descending thoracic aorta secondary to vertebral hydatid disease: A rare case.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Hydatid disease of the aorta is very rare. Hydatid disease can result in saccular aneurysm of the thoracic and abdominal aorta. CASE REPORT: We report a rare case of saccular aneurysm of the distal descending thoracic aorta. The diameter of the aneurysm was 60 mm. It was managed by Thoracic Endovascular Aneurysm Repair. After 41 months, computed tomography angiography revealed a multi-loculated cystic lesion with 86 × 83×80 mm dimensions in the prevertebral area at the T10-T11 level with bony destruction and erosion of the anterior margin of the vertebral bodies. A computed tomography-guided fine-needle aspiration of the paravertebral cystic lesion was performed. Microscopic study of the fine-needle aspiration specimen demonstrated Echinococcosis granulosus diagnostic of hydatid disease. CONCLUSION: It is concluded that the case was a mycotic aneurysm of the thoracic aorta secondary to vertebral hydatid disease.

Iliofemoral Vein Stenting in a Patient with Pelvic Metastasis.

We report a case of an 81-year-old woman with extensive pelvic lymphadenopathy that caused severe stenosis and occlusion of the right common and external iliac veins and proximal common femoral vein. Pelvic lymphadenopathy resulted from the recurrence of a previous right ovarian epithelial tumor. The patient had severe right lower extremity edema, consistent with severe venous insufficiency. She was treated with high-pressure balloon angioplasty (12-14 mm in diameter) and four self-expanding stents (14-10 mm diameter, 80-40 mm length). The postoperative response was dramatic to a near-complete resolution of the edema. The venous clinical severity scores were 10 and 2 at presentation and 6 months after the follow-up, respectively. Balloon angioplasty and stenting are safe and effective methods for providing symptomatic relief for lower extremity venous insufficiency in patients with extensive and unresectable pelvic masses.

Axillary Artery Aneurysm in a 3-Year-Old Child: A Rare Case and Review of the Literature.

We report a rare case of 4 cm true aneurysm of left axillary artery in a 3-year-old girl. Computed tomography angiography confirmed the diagnosis. Open surgical repair with resection and primary end-to-end anastomosis was performed. The patient did not have any complication after 1-year follow-up. Axillary artery aneurysm is extremely rare in pediatric population. Previous reports of this rare entity are discussed comprehensively.

Lymphoma of larynx presented with hoarseness: Case report.

Primary non-Hodgkin lymphoma of the larynx is rare, accounting for less than 1% of all laryngeal neoplasms. Fewer than 100 cases have been reported in the literature and to our knowledge this may be the first reported case of laryngeal non Hodgkin lymphoma presented with hoarseness, aortic aneurysm, hepatitis B and skin rashes.