Project description:Aortic mural thrombi in a normal (non-aneurysmal or minimally atherosclerotic) vessel are an uncommon condition. They are usually located in the descending aorta and, less frequently, in the aortic arch or in the abdominal aorta. The typical clinical presentation is the appearance of symptoms/signs of peripheral arterial embolization, such as lower limb or visceral ischaemia, but these can also be accidentally found in asymptomatic patients. We report the case of a 40-year old man with untreated hypertension and dyslipidaemia admitted to hospital for atypical chest pain associated with an elevation in high-sensitivity troponin T with normal creatine kinase isoenzime MB creatine kinase isoenzyme. Elektrocardiogram (EKG) and transthoracic echocardiography were non-diagnostic; in order to exclude an aortic dissection, a gated chest computed tomography was performed and showed an aortic thrombus on a minimally atherosclerotic wall. Then, a transoesophageal echocardiography confirmed an aortic floating thrombus (7 × 4 mm). Cardiac surgeons advised against surgery and therapy with antiplatelet, low molecular weight heparin, ?-blocker, antihypertensive and lipid-lowering drugs was initiated. A complete resolution of the thrombus was observed at the 12-day tomographic control.
Project description:Mural aortic thrombus is a challenging clinical problem with significant potential complications. Particularly precarious are situations with involvement of the visceral segment of the aorta. We describe a technique for percutaneous thrombectomy of mural aortic thrombus using intravascular ultrasound to guide an angled mechanical thrombectomy catheter in conjunction with a continuous aspiration system (Indigo mechanical thrombectomy system; Penumbra, Alameda, Calif). Use of this technique in three patients with challenging cases of mural aortic thrombus is discussed. All patients were treated successfully and without complication using this technique.
Project description:Aortic mural thrombi are a rare cause of peripheral arterial embolic events. We report the case of a young man with prior history of Buerger's disease and marijuana abuse. He presented visceral infarctions due to descending thoracic aortic mobile pedunculated thrombus with complex atherosclerosis. Cannabis was stopped, intravenous heparin and vitamin K antagonist (VKA) therapies were administered. At 3-month follow-up, he was free of thromboembolic events and aortic imaging normalized. Optimal treatment of embolized aortic thrombus remains controversial, but systemic anticoagulation is widely accepted as the first-line therapy. <Learning objective: Arteritis due to cannabis has been well reported and arterial proximal atherosclerosis lesions may also be present. Aortic mural thrombi predominantly occur in pathological aortic segments at the site of atherosclerotic plaque. As shown in this case, short-term favorable outcomes can be obtained with oral anticoagulation and the interruption of marijuana abuse.>.
Project description:ObjectiveAortic calcification (AC) is associated with increased risks of cardiovascular events and mortality. Numerous studies have explored the association between calcification and abdominal artery aneurysm. However, evidence regarding the association between AC and acute aortic dissection (AAD) is limited. We aimed to evaluate the association between AC-related variables and the development of intimal tear (IT) in patients with AAD.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective observational study involving 64 patients with type A AAD and 32 patients with type B AAD from February, 2011 to January, 2017 at a tertiary referral medical center in Taiwan. We used the default analysis module "calcification score analysis" to calculate all the calcification variables, including AC scores and volume.ResultsWe identified an association between AC and AAD. Patients with AAD had a greater AC volume in the aortic arch and greater AC scores for both the ascending aorta and the aortic arch than did patients without AAD. However, hypertension and coronary artery disease, rather than AC remained to be the independent risk factor for AAD in multivariate analysis. Patients with type A AAD had greater mean and cumulative AC volumes in the aortic arch, greater cumulative AC volumes in the whole aorta and higher cumulative AC scores in the aortic arch than did patients with type B AAD. ACs were superimposed on ITs in nearly half of the patients with AAD. In patients with type A AAD, AC was more commonly located distal to the IT and farther from the IT.ConclusionsWe identified the associations between AC-related variables and the location of IT in patients with AAD. However, AC was not an independent risk factor for AAD. The distribution of AC was different between patients with type A and type B AAD.
Project description:Background The aim of this study was to determine the role of ascending aortic length and diameter in type A aortic dissection. Methods and Results Computed tomography scans from patients with acute type A dissections (n=51), patients with proximal thoracic aortic aneurysms (n=121), and controls with normal aortas (n=200) were analyzed from aortic annulus to the innominate artery using multiplanar reconstruction. In the control group, ascending aortic length correlated with diameter (r2=0.35, P<0.001), age (r2=0.17, P<0.001), and sex (P<0.001). As a result of immediate changes in aortic morphology at the time of acute dissection, predissection lengths and diameters were estimated based on models from published literature. Ascending aortic length was longer in patients immediately following acute dissection (median, 109.7 mm; interquartile range [IQR], 101.0-115.1 mm), patients in the estimated predissection group (median, 104.2 mm; IQR, 96.0-109.3 mm), and patients in the aneurysm group (median, 107.0 mm; IQR, 99.6-118.7 mm) in comparison to controls (median, 83.2 mm; IQR, 74.5-90.7 mm) (P<0.001 all comparisons). The diameter of the ascending aorta was largest in the aneurysm group (median, 52.0 mm; IQR, 45.9-58.0 mm), followed by the dissection group (median, 50.3 mm; IQR, 46.6-57.5 mm), and not significantly different between controls and the estimated predissection group (median, 33.4 mm [IQR, 30.7-36.7 mm] versus 35.2 mm [IQR, 32.6-40.3 mm], P=0.09). After adjustment for diameter, age, and sex, the estimated predissection aortic lengths were 16 mm longer than those in the controls and 12 mm longer than in patients with nondissected thoracic aneurysms. Conclusions The length of the ascending aorta, after adjustment for age, sex, and aortic diameter, may be useful in discriminating patients with type A dissection from normal controls and patients with nondissected thoracic aneurysms.
Project description:ImportancePrevious observational studies have suggested that fluoroquinolones are associated with aortic aneurysm or dissection, but these studies may be subject to confounding by indication or surveillance bias.ObjectiveTo assess the association of fluoroquinolones with risk of aortic aneurysm or aortic dissection (AA/AD) while accounting for potential confounding by fluoroquinolone indication and bias owing to differential surveillance.Design, setting, and participantsIn an observational cohort study using a US commercial claims database, 2 pairwise 1:1 propensity score-matched cohorts were identified: patients aged 50 years or older with a diagnosis of pneumonia 3 days or less before initiating treatment with a fluoroquinolone or azithromycin and patients aged 50 years or older with a urinary tract infection (UTI) diagnosis 3 days or less before initiating a fluoroquinolone or combined trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs were estimated controlling for 85 baseline confounders. In a secondary analysis, patients receiving fluoroquinolones were compared with those receiving amoxicillin, both with and without considering baseline aortic imaging, to address differences in detection of AA/AD before antibiotic use. Data on patients within the database from January 1, 2003, through September 30, 2015, were analyzed. Data analysis was conducted from July 23, 2019, to July 6, 2020.Main outcomes and measuresHospitalization for AA/AD occurring within 60 days following treatment initiation.ResultsAfter propensity score matching, patient characteristics were well balanced, with 279 554 patients (mean [SD] age, 63.66 [10.93] years; 149 976 women [53.6%]) in the pneumonia cohort and 948 364 patients (mean [SD] age, 62.06 [10.33] years; 823 667 women [86.9%]) in the UTI cohort. Initiators of fluoroquinolones (n = 139 772 pairs in the pneumonia cohort and n = 474 182 pairs in the UTI cohort) had an increased rate of AA/AD compared with initiators of azithromycin (HR, 2.57; 95% CI, 1.36-4.86; incidence, 0.03% for fluoroquinolones vs 0.01% for azithromycin) but no increased rate compared with initiators of combined trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole (HR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.62-1.57; incidence, <0.01% in both UTI groups). Secondary analysis using amoxicillin as a comparator (n = 3 976 162 pairs) produced results consistent with those from earlier studies (HR, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.33-1.79; incidence, <0.01% in both groups). Requiring baseline imaging in this cohort (n = 542 649 pairs) to address surveillance bias attenuated the increased rate (HR, 1.13; 95% CI, 0.96-1.33; incidence, 0.06% for fluoroquinolones vs 0.05% for amoxicillin).Conclusions and relevanceThe findings of this nationwide cohort study of adults with pneumonia or UTI suggest an increased relative rate of AA/AD associated with fluoroquinolones within the pneumonia cohort but not within the UTI cohort. In both cohorts, the absolute rate of AA/AD appeared to be low (<0.1%). The increased relative rate observed in the pneumonia cohort may be due to residual confounding or surveillance bias.
Project description:BackgroundPericarditis is a common cardiology presentation, most often due to a viral or idiopathic cause. Listeria as a cause of pericarditis is rare. Listeria is an infection that is readily treatable with antibiotics following accurate identification. Without adequate treatment, Listeria infection has a high mortality rate.Case summaryIn this case, a fit and well 59-year-old man complained of headaches and fever to the emergency department (ED). He was provisionally diagnosed with giant cell arteritis (GCA) and commenced on management pathways for GCA. He represented to the ED with chest pain and electrocardiogram (ECG) changes suggestive of a clinical presentation of pericarditis. He received treatment for idiopathic pericarditis with no clinical resolution. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed myopericardial inflammation associated with a right atrial mural thrombus. After 2 weeks of poor treatment response, peripheral blood cultures grew Listeria monocytogenes and the patient responded well to antibiotic treatment. Repeat cardiac MRI after an extended course of antibiotics showed resolution of MRI signs.DiscussionThis is a case of Listeria myopericarditis. Physicians should consider rarer causes of myopericarditis in treatment resistance cases. Cardiac MRI has utility in atypical or treatment resistant patients to assess myopericardial inflammation and response to treatment.
Project description:BackgroundPrimary aortic thrombus is an uncommon entity and not frequently reported in the literature. Herein, we discuss the presentation and management of a patient with a primary thoracic mural thrombus.Case summaryA 46-year-old female with past medical history of tobacco dependence presented for low-grade fever and sudden onset, severe right upper quadrant abdominal pain with associated nausea and vomiting. Computed tomography (CT) revealed an intraluminal polypoid filling defect arising from the isthmus of the aorta projecting into the proximal descending aorta and findings consistent with infarction of the spleen and right kidney. Infectious, autoimmune, hematologic, and oncologic work-up were all unyielding. The patient was started on heparin and later transitioned to apixaban 5 mg twice a day and 81 mg of aspirin daily. She was also counseled regarding smoking cessation. Two months follow-up CT revealed resolution of the thrombus. Patient had no further thromboembolic complications.DiscussionWe present a unique case of primary aortic thrombus. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case managed successfully with a NOAC. This diagnosis is one of exclusion and through work-up should be completed. Our aim is to raise awareness of this condition and successful management with apixaban in low-risk patients.
Project description:A 77-year-old woman was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and broad anterior acute myocardial infarction that had occurred 10 days prior to her presentation in our hospital. A flat and immobile thrombus was widely attached to the luminal surface of the left ventricular antero-apical wall with dyskinetic motion. For treatment-resistant heart failure, the patient underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), with intravenous heparin, supporting an intra-aortic balloon pump. Echocardiography obtained 3 h after the procedure revealed that the left ventricular mural thrombus had changed to a centrally hollow, ball-like shape of 4 cm in diameter. The thrombus was surgically removed and left ventriculo-plasty was simultaneously performed without any systemic embolic events. Physicians should be aware that a relatively fresh left ventricular mural thrombus, even with no protrusion or immobility, may peel away from the endocardium after introducing an intra-aortic balloon pump under an optimal anticoagulation for performing PCI. <Learning objective: When determining the therapeutic strategy for congestive heart failure following a recent myocardial infarction with a large, fresh mural thrombus in a left ventricular aneurysm, physicians should be aware that the thrombus, even with no protrusion or immobility, may peel away from the endocardium.>.
Project description:Type A aortic dissection (TAAD) involves the ascending aorta or the arch. Acute TAAD usually requires urgent replacement of the ascending aorta. However, a subset of these patients develops aortic rupture due to further dilatation of the residual dissected aorta. There is currently no reliable means to predict the risk of dilatation following TAAD repair. In this study, we performed a comprehensive morphological and hemodynamic analysis for patients with and without progressive aortic dilatation following surgical replacement of the ascending aorta. Patient-specific models of repaired TAAD were reconstructed from post-surgery computed tomography images for detailed computational fluid dynamic analysis. Geometric and hemodynamic parameters were evaluated and compared between patients with stable aortic diameters (N = 9) and those with aortic dilatation (N = 8). Our results showed that the number of re-entry tears and true/false lumen pressure difference were significantly different between the two groups. Patients with progressive aortic dilatation had higher luminal pressure difference (6.7 [4.6, 10.9] vs. 0.9 [0.5, 2.3] mmHg; P = 0.001) and fewer re-entry tears (1.5 [1, 2.8] vs. 5 [3.3, 7.5]; P = 0.02) compared to patients with stable aortic diameters, suggesting that these factors may serve as potential predictors of aneurysmal dilatation following surgical repair of TAAD.