[Chest pain after angiography without anomalies]. / Pijn op de borst na angiografie zonder afwijkingen.

BACKGROUND: Myocardial infarction can be categorized based on ECG-findings (presence or absence of ST-elevations on STEMI/NSTEMI) or on the results from coronary angiography (CAG) (presence or absence of obstructive atherosclerosis). Myocardial infarction without significant obstruction on CAG (Myocardial Infarction with Non-Obstructive Coronary Arteries/Atherosclerosis; MINOCA) occurs in up to a quarter of patients with myocardial infarcts. These patients have a higher risk of future heart diseases; up to a quarter of MINOCA patients suffer from heart diseases during a median follow-up of four years. CASE DESCRIPTION: We describe a 55-year old woman, who suffered from two myocardial infarctions in one week. The first time, no ST-elevation was detected with ECG and CAG was without abnormalities (MINOCA). Five days later, she experienced the same symptoms; ECG showed ST-elevations and CAG revealed a coronary dissection. CONCLUSION: Patients with a myocardial infarction without coronary obstruction (MINOCA) have a higher risk of future heart diseases. In this case, a coronary dissection.

Antithrombotic strategy after bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement in patients in sinus rhythm: evaluation of guideline implementation.

OBJECTIVES: After elective aortic valve replacement, patients are at risk of developing valve thrombosis and systemic arterial thromboembolism. Current guidelines recommend antithrombotic therapy with aspirin or vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) during the first 3 months after the procedure, but have level 2 or 3 evidence. As a consequence, the most appropriate antithrombotic therapy is still a matter of debate. This retrospective study analysed all thromboembolic and bleeding complications in patients with either antiplatelet or anticoagulation therapy 1 year after bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement. METHODS: A total of 402 patients undergoing bioprosthetic aortic valve implantation at the VU University Medical Centre and subsequently treated at three regional hospitals were included. The individual duration of either VKAs (acenocoumarol) or aspirin was determined and related to thrombotic and bleeding events. Patients were followed and censored at 1 year postoperatively for survival, cerebral ischaemia, myocardial infarction, peripheral arterial embolism, and minor and major haemorrhages. RESULTS: A total of 24 thromboembolic complications and 31 bleeding episodes occurred. Multivariable analyses revealed that acenocoumarol caused more bleeding episodes (risk ratio [RR]: 8.41, 95% CI: 3.58-19.79) and a similar amount of thromboembolic events (RR: 1.2, 95% CI: 0.47-3.02) compared with aspirin. Prior use of acenocoumarol was found to be a risk factor for thromboembolic events (RR: 3.1, 95% CI: 1.31-7.19). Gender, dyslipidaemia, prior percutaneous coronary intervention, prior use of acenocoumarol and concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting were found to be predictors for bleeding events. CONCLUSIONS: In patients 1 year following bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement, acenocoumarol therapy was associated with a significant increased risk of bleeding events and no reduction in thromboembolic events compared with antiplatelet therapy. These findings support the recommendations of aspirin over VKAs as postoperative thromboprophylaxis.

[A dyspnoeic male with abnormal QRS complexes]. / Een benauwde man met afwijkende QRS-complexen.

A 69-year-old patient came to the Emergency Department with dyspnea on exertion. ECG showed QRS alternans and echocardiography showed pericardial effusion. The diagnosis 'pericarditis carcinomatosis' was made after pericardial fenestration. QRS alternans is caused by the swinging motion of the heart, due to the excess of pericardial fluid.

Magnetic navigation in percutaneous coronary intervention.

Magnetic navigation is the use of adjustable magnetic fields to precisely direct wires and equipment for clinical applications. It is a recently developed option that is now available for interventional cardiology. Procedures are based on the production of a three-dimensional reconstruction of the vessel lumen from standard angiographic images. Knowledge of the positions of the table and image intensifier during angiography allows calculation of the vessel coordinates in real space within the patient's chest. The applied magnetic field can be changed at any time to redirect the wire tip in order to improve navigation through complex and tortuous anatomy. The digital information of the coronary reconstruction can be used in further novel ways. Firstly, the integration of multislice computerized tomography images adds information about the path of the previous lumen of chronic total occlusions. Secondly, the computed center-line of the reconstructed vessel can be superimposed onto the live fluoroscopy images as a three-dimensional guide. The combination of improved navigation together with the other available system features may improve time, contrast, and material usage in a range of coronary lesions. Future potential developments include improvements in equipment and software, and potential therapeutic strategies under consideration include the use of equipment to perform remote control procedures, and the integration of the system to improve bone marrow-derived stem cell delivery.