ABSTRACT

Pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVMs), particularly where feeding artery/arteries to PAVMs ≥ 3 mm can be treated with embolization. The treatment for hypoxemia resulting from multiple small or diffuse PAVMs remains unclear.We report a girl aged 5 years and 10 months presented with cyanosis and decreased activity after exercise (83-85% of pulse oxygen saturation, SpO2). She had 1 skin lesion on her face and 1 suspected hemangioma on her left upper extremity at birth and that gradually disappeared spontaneously. Physical examination revealed clubbed fingers, and abundant vascular networks on her back. Contrast-enhanced lung CT (slice thickness:1.25 mm) with vascular three-dimensional reconstruction and abdominal CT revealed increased bronchovascular bundles, increased diameter of the pulmonary artery and ascending aorta, and intrahepatic portosystemic venous shunts due to patent ductus venosus. Echocardiography revealed increased diameter of aortic and pulmonary artery. Transthoracic contrast echocardiography was highly positive (bubble appearing in the left ventricle after 5 cardiac cycles). Abdominal doppler ultrasound revealed hepatic-portal venous shunt. Magnetic resonance imaging, artery and vein of the brain revealed multiple malformations of venous sinuses. The patient received sirolimus for 2 years and 4 months. Her condition improved significantly. SpO2 gradually increased to 98%. Her finger clubbing gradually normalized.Our report implicates sirolimus might be a potential treatment option in persistent hypoxemia mainly due to intrapulmonary right-to-left shunt even small multiple or diffusive PAVMs in pediatric patients with multiple cutaneous and visceral vascular anomalies.

PMID:37226169 | PMC:PMC10206540 | DOI:10.1186/s13023-023-02732-3

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PubMed articles on: Cancer & VTE/PE

Safety of catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation in patients with cancer: a nationwide cohort study

Postgrad Med. 2023 May 29:1-7. doi: 10.1080/00325481.2023.2218188. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in patients with cancer, especially breast, gastrointestinal, respiratory, urinary tract, and hematological malignancies. Catheter ablation (CA) is a well-established, safe treatment option in healthy patients; however, literature regarding safety of CA for AF in patients with cancer is limited and confined to single centers.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to assess the outcomes and peri-procedural safety of CA for AF in patients with certain types of cancer.

METHODS: The NIS database was queried between 2016 and 2019 to identify primary hospitalizations with AF and CA. Hospitalizations with secondary diagnosis of atrial flutter and other arrhythmias were excluded. Propensity score matching was used to balance the covariates between cancer and non-cancer groups. Logistic regression was used to analyze the association.

RESULTS: During this period, 47,765 CA procedures were identified, out of which 750 (1.6%) hospitalizations had a diagnosis of cancer. After propensity matching, hospitalizations with cancer diagnosis had higher in-hospital mortality (OR 3.0, 95% CI 1.5-6.2, p= 0.001), lower home discharge rates (OR 0.7, 95% CI 0.6-0.9, p< 0.001) as well as other complications such as major bleeding (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.3-2.7, p= 0.001) and pulmonary embolism (OR 6.1, 95% CI 2.1-17.8, p< 0.001) but not associated with any major cardiac complications (OR 1.2, 95% CI 0.7-1.8, p= 0.53).

CONCLUSION: Patients with cancer who underwent CA for AF had significantly higher odds of in-hospital mortality, major bleeding, and pulmonary embolism. Further larger prospective observational studies are needed to validate these findings.

PMID:37224412 | DOI:10.1080/00325481.2023.2218188

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PubMed articles on: Cancer & VTE/PE

A new anticoagulant strategy: the factor XI inhibitors

G Ital Cardiol (Rome). 2023 Jun;24(6):0-454. doi: 10.1714/4041.40204.

ABSTRACT

In the last 10 years the introduction of the direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) has revolutionized the anticoagulant treatment, one of the cornerstones of the therapy for cardiovascular diseases. Thanks to their efficacy at least not inferior compared to vitamin K antagonists and their better safety profile, particularly with regard to intracranial bleeding, DOACs are now the first choice for the prevention of cardioembolism in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation and for the treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Other areas of clinical use for DOACs include the prevention of VTE in orthopedic and oncology surgery and in outpatient cancer patients treated with anticancer therapy, or the use of low-dose in association with aspirin in patients with coronary or peripheral artery disease.An increased risk of gastrointestinal bleeding has been reported for some DOACs. In addition, DOACs have also experienced some failures including stroke prevention in patients with mechanical prosthetic valves or rheumatic diseases and VTE therapy in patients with antiphospholipid antibody syndrome. Also, no data are available on DOACs in some particular areas, including severe renal impairment and thrombocytopenia.In recent years, the clinical use of factor XI and factor XII inhibitors has been proposed. Currently, factor XI inhibitors have more clinical data than factor XII inhibitors. This article will report the rationale for the clinical use and the main evidences currently available on factor XI inhibitors.

PMID:37227204 | DOI:10.1714/4041.40204

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PubMed articles on: Cancer & VTE/PE

Risk factors for pulmonary cement embolism after percutaneous vertebroplasty and radiofrequency ablation for spinal metastases

Front Oncol. 2023 May 5;13:1129658. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1129658. eCollection 2023.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Pulmonary cement embolism is a rare but underestimated complication of vertebroplasty due to the relative lack of study and examination. This study aims to investigate the incidence of pulmonary cement embolism in patients with spinal metastasis who undergo PVP with RFA and to analyze the relative risk factors.

METHODS: A total of 47 patients were retrospectively included and classified into pulmonary cement embolism (PCE) group and non-pulmonary cement embolism (NPCE) group by comparing pre- and postoperative pulmonary CT scan images. The demographic and clinical information of the patients was obtained. Demographic data in the two groups were compared using the chi-square test for qualitative data and the unpaired t test for quantitative data. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify risk factors related to pulmonary cement embolism.

RESULTS: Pulmonary cement embolism was detected in 11 patients (23.4%), and all patients were asymptomatic and followed up regularly. Risk analysis showed that multiple segments (≥3, p=0.022), thoracic vertebrae (p=0.0008), and unipedicular puncture approach (p=0.0059) were risk factors for pulmonary cement embolism. There was a high incidence of pulmonary cement embolism if bone cement leaked into the para vertebral venous plexus in the thoracic vertebra (p<0.0001).

CONCLUSION: The number of involved vertebrae, lesion location, and puncture approach are independent risk factors for pulmonary cement embolism. There was a high incidence of pulmonary cement embolism if bone cement leaked into the para vertebral venous plexus in the thoracic vertebra. Surgeons should consider these factors when formulating therapeutic strategies.

PMID:37213292 | PMC:PMC10196379 | DOI:10.3389/fonc.2023.1129658

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PubMed articles on: Cancer & VTE/PE

Venous thromboembolism secondary to hospitalization for COVID-19: patient management and long-term outcomes

C

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PubMed articles on: Cardio-Oncology

Oxaliplatin-induced cardiotoxicity in mice is connected to the changes in energy metabolism in the heart tissue

bioRxiv. 2023 May 25:2023.05.24.542198. doi: 10.1101/2023.05.24.542198. Preprint.

ABSTRACT

Oxaliplatin is a platinum-based alkylating chemotherapeutic agent used for cancer treatment. At high cumulative dosage, the negative effect of oxaliplatin on the heart becomes evident and is linked to a growing number of clinical reports. The aim of this study was to determine how chronic oxaliplatin treatment causes the changes in energy-related metabolic activity in the heart that leads to cardiotoxicity and heart damage in mice. C57BL/6 male mice were treated with a human equivalent dosage of intraperitoneal oxaliplatin (0 and 10 mg/kg) once a week for eight weeks. During the treatment, mice were followed for physiological parameters, ECG, histology and RNA sequencing of the heart. We identified that oxaliplatin induces strong changes in the heart and affects the heart's energy-related metabolic profile. Histological post-mortem evaluation identified focal myocardial necrosis infiltrated with a small number of associated neutrophils. Accumulated doses of oxaliplatin led to significant changes in gene expression related to energy related metabolic pathways including fatty acid (FA) oxidation, amino acid metabolism, glycolysis, electron transport chain, and NAD synthesis pathway. At high accumulative doses of oxaliplatin, the heart shifts its metabolism from FAs to glycolysis and increases lactate production. It also leads to strong overexpression of genes in NAD synthesis pathways such as Nmrk2. Changes in gene expression associated with energy metabolic pathways can be used to develop diagnostic methods to detect oxaliplatin-induced cardiotoxicity early on as well as therapy to compensate for the energy deficit in the heart to prevent heart damage.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: This study uncovers the detrimental impact of chronic oxaliplatin treatment on heart metabolism in mice, linking high accumulative dosages to cardiotoxicity and heart damage. By identifying significant changes in gene expression related to energy metabolic pathways, the findings pave the way for the development of diagnostic methods to detect oxaliplatin-induced cardiotoxicity at an early stage. Furthermore, these insights may inform the creation of therapies that compensate for the energy deficit in the heart, ultimately preventing heart damage and improving patient outcomes in cancer treatment.

PMID:37292714 | PMC:PMC10245950 | DOI:10.1101/2023.05.24.542198

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PubMed articles on: Cardio-Oncology

Performance of non-invasive tests and histology for the prediction of clinical outcomes in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: an individual participant data meta-analysis

Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2023 Jun 5:S2468-1253(23)00141-3. doi: 10.1016/S2468-1253(23)00141-3. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Histologically assessed liver fibrosis stage has prognostic significance in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and is accepted as a surrogate endpoint in clinical trials for non-cirrhotic NAFLD. Our aim was to compare the prognostic performance of non-invasive tests with liver histology in patients with NAFLD.

METHODS: This was an individual participant data meta-analysis of the prognostic performance of histologically assessed fibrosis stage (F0-4), liver stiffness measured by vibration-controlled transient elastography (LSM-VCTE), fibrosis-4 index (FIB-4), and NAFLD fibrosis score (NFS) in patients with NAFLD. The literature was searched for a previously published systematic review on the diagnostic accuracy of imaging and simple non-invasive tests and updated to Jan 12, 2022 for this study. Studies were identified through PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CENTRAL, and authors were contacted for individual participant data, including outcome data, with a minimum of 12 months of follow-up. The primary outcome was a composite endpoint of all-cause mortality, hepatocellular carcinoma, liver transplantation, or cirrhosis complications (ie, ascites, variceal bleeding, hepatic encephalopathy, or progression to a MELD score ≥15). We calculated aggregated survival curves for trichotomised groups and compared them using stratified log-rank tests (histology: F0-2 vs F3 vs F4; LSM: <10<20<1·32·67; NFS: <-1·4550·676), calculated areas under the time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curves (tAUC), and performed Cox proportional-hazards regression to adjust for confounding. This study was registered with PROSPERO, CRD42022312226.

FINDINGS: Of 65 eligible studies, we included data on 2518 patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD from 25 studies (1126 [44·7%] were female, median age was 54 years [IQR 44-63), and 1161 [46·1%] had type 2 diabetes). After a median follow-up of 57 months [IQR 33-91], the composite endpoint was observed in 145 (5·8%) patients. Stratified log-rank tests showed significant differences between the trichotomised patient groups (p<0·0001

INTERPRETATION: Simple non-invasive tests performed as well as histologically assessed fibrosis in predicting clinical outcomes in patients with NAFLD and could be considered as alternatives to liver biopsy in some cases.

FUNDING: Innovative Medicines Initiative 2.

PMID:37290471 | DOI:10.1016/S2468-1253(23)00141-3

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PubMed articles on: Cardio-Oncology

The Efficacy of Multi-Leaf Collimator in the Reduction of Cardiac and Coronary Artery Dose in Left-Sided Breast Cancer Radiotherapy

Adv Biomed Res. 2023 Apr 25;12:89. doi: 10.4103/abr.abr_342_21. eCollection 2023.