Acute Coronary Syndrome ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Electrocardiography ; Humans ; Practice Guidelines as Topic

BACKGROUNDThe value of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging in patients with replacement of the ascending aorta for acute type A aortic dissection (AD) is unknown. The purpose of this study was to assess the potential use of IVUS imaging in this setting.

METHODSFrom September 2002 to July 2005, IVUS imaging with a 9 MHz probe was performed in a series of 16 consecutive patients with suspected or established AD. This study focused on 5 of them with replacement of the ascending aorta for acute type A AD. Among these 5 patients, other imaging modalities including aortography, spiral computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and transesophageal echocardiography were performed in 5, 3, 3 and 1 patients, respectively.

RESULTSThere were no complications related to IVUS imaging. For the replaced graft, as other imaging modalities, IVUS could identify all 5 grafts, the proximal and the distal anastomoses, and the ostia of the reimplanted coronary arteries. In 2 cases, IVUS detected 2 peri-graft pseudo-aneurysms (1 per case), which were also detected by magnetic resonance imaging but omitted by aortography. For the residual dissection, IVUS had similar findings as other imaging modalities in detecting the patency (5/5), the longitudinal and the circumferential extent, the thrombus (4/5), the recurrent dissection (1/5) and an aneurysm distal to the graft (5 in 4 patients). However, it detected more intimal tears and side branch involvements than other imaging modalities (15 vs 10 and 3 vs 1, respectively).

CONCLUSIONSIn following-up patients with replacement of the ascending aorta for acute type A AD, IVUS imaging can provide complete information of the replaced graft and the residual dissection. So, IVUS imaging may be considered when the four current frequently used imaging modalities can not supply sufficient information or there are some discrepancies between them.

Acute Disease ; Aged ; Aneurysm, Dissecting ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Aorta ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Ultrasonography, Interventional

OBJECTIVETo assess the immediate and late clinical outcome of left anterior descending artery ostial lesions treated with percutaneous coronary intervention.

METHODSSeventeen patients (6 females and 11 males) treated with percutaneous coronary intervention for ostial left anterior descending artery stenoses have had clinical follow-ups over 12 months. Clinical events were defined as an occurrence of death, myocardial infarction, recurrent angina, and requiring repeat revascularization (either by angioplasty or by surgery). A matched population treated with coronary bypass surgery was selected based on the similarities in age, left ventricular ejection fraction and the number of diseased vessels. Kaplan-Meier event-free survival curves were generated and the matched comparison was done using the Chi-square test (Mc Neimar method).

RESULTSIn the catheter-based angioplasty group, the patients' mean age was 63 +/- 8 years. One patient was treated with directional atherectomy plus balloon, 6 with rotational atherectomy plus balloon, 7 with stent and 3 with rotational atherectomy plus stent. Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa antagonist was used in 4 cases. Initial procedural success without major complications was achieved in all cases. The mean reference diameter was 2.90 +/- 0.48 mm. The minimum lumen diameter increased from 1.05 +/- 0.30 mm to 2.40 +/- 0.45 mm, and the diameter stenosis decreased from 64% +/- 7% to 8% +/- 13%. During the follow-up period, adverse events requiring repeat revascularization occurred in 8 patients. The event-free probability was 0.42 +/- 0.14 in a two-year period. In a matched population treated with bypass surgery (single mammary graft), only one event occurred, and the difference in event-free survival in two-year period between the two patient groups was significant.

CONCLUSIONSPercutaneous coronary intervention for left coronary descending artery ostial lesion is technically feasible and safe, leading to an optimal early success rate, but has a higher risk of late restenosis and greater need for repeat revascularization than coronary bypass surgery.

Aged ; Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary ; Coronary Artery Bypass ; Coronary Disease ; therapy ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged

BACKGROUNDEarly local platelet activation after coronary intervention identifies patients at increased risk of acute stent thrombosis (AST). However, early changes in platelet activation in coronary circulation following drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation have never been reported.

METHODSIn a prospective study of 26 consecutive elective stable angina patients, platelet activation was analyzed by measuring soluble glycoprotein V (sGPV) and P-selectin (CD62P) before and after implantation of either DES or bare metal stent (BMS). All patients were pretreated with clopidogrel (300 mg loading dose) and aspirin (75 mg orally) the day before the procedure. Blood samples were drawn from the coronary ostium and 10 - 20 mm distal to the lesion site.

RESULTSConsistent with the lower baseline clinical risk, the levels of CD62P and sGPV were within normal reference range, both in the coronary ostium and distal to the lesion before percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedure. The levels of CD62P and sGPV did not change significantly (CD62P: (31.1 +/- 9.86) ng/ml vs (29.5 +/- 9.02) ng/ml, P = 0.319 and sGPV: (52.4 +/- 13.5) ng/ml vs (51.8 +/- 11.7) ng/ml, P = 0.674, respectively) after stent implantation when compared with baseline. Changes in these platelet activation markers did not differ between stent types.

CONCLUSIONSIntracoronary local platelet activation does not occur in stable angina patients before and immediately following DES implantation when dual anti-platelet is administered.

Adult ; Aged ; Angina Pectoris ; blood ; surgery ; Biomarkers ; Drug-Eluting Stents ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; P-Selectin ; blood ; Platelet Activation ; Platelet Membrane Glycoproteins ; analysis ; Prospective Studies