Incidental congenital coronary artery vascular fistulas in adults: Evaluation with adenosine-N-ammonia PET-CT.

Aim: To assess the functionality of congenital coronary artery fistulas (CAFs) using adenosine stress N-ammonia positron emission tomography computed tomography (PET-CT).

Methods: Congenital CAFs were incidentally detected during coronary angiography (CAG) procedures in 11 adult patients (six males and five females) with a mean age of 64.3 years (range 41-81).

Management and prognosis of atrial fibrillation in diabetic patients: an EORP-AF General Pilot Registry report.

Aims: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the most important cardiovascular risk factors. The aim of this study was to evaluate clinical correlates of DM, including management and outcomes, in the EURObservational Research Programme (EORP)-Atrial Fibrillation (AF) General Pilot (EORP-AF) Registry of the European Society of Cardiology.

Methods And Results: We studied consecutive patients (N = 3101) enrolled in 70 centres of nine European countries between February 2012 and March 2013, and compared diabetics with non-diabetics during a 1-year follow-up.

Congenital coronary artery fistulas complicated with pulmonary hypertension: Analysis of 211 cases.

Aim: To compare the behavior of pulmonary hypertension (PHT) associated with coronary artery fistulas (CAFs) between the Asian and Caucasian subjects.

Methods: CAFs may be complicated with PHT secondary to left-to-right shunt. Literature review limited to the English language.

Acquired aortocameral fistula occurring late after infective endocarditis: An emblematic case and review of 38 reported cases.

Aim: To delineate the features and current therapeutic option of congenital and acquired aortocameral fistulas (ACF) secondary to iatrogenic or infectious disorders.

Methods: From a PubMed search using the term "aortocameral fistula", 30 suitable papers for the current review were retrieved. Reviews, case series and case reports published in English were considered.

Septic Pulmonary Embolism Caused by Infected Pacemaker Leads After Replacement of a Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Device.

BACKGROUND Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) has been demonstrated to reduce morbidity and mortality in patients with advanced, drug-refractory heart failure. Procedure-related mortality is less than 1% in larger studies. Approximately10% of CRT patients have to undergo surgical revision because of infections, dislocations, or unacceptable electrical behavior manifested as high threshold, unstable sensing, or unwanted phrenic nerve stimulation.

Characteristics of Congenital Coronary Artery Fistulas Complicated with Infective Endocarditis: Analysis of 25 Reported Cases.

Congenital coronary artery fistulas (CAFs) are infrequent congenital coronary artery anomalies. Complications such as left-to-right shunt, congestive heart failure, myocardial infarction, pericardial effusion, aneurysm formation, rupture, hemopericardium, pulmonary hypertension, infective endocarditis (IE), syncope, stroke, and sudden death may occur with a variable low frequency. To describe the clinical characteristics of patients with CAFs complicated by IE.

Age-Related Differences in Presentation, Treatment, and Outcome of Patients With Atrial Fibrillation in Europe: The EORP-AF General Pilot Registry (EURObservational Research Programme-Atrial Fibrillation).

Objectives: This study sought to compare age-related differences in presentation, treatment, and outcome of atrial fibrillation (AF) in a wide cohort of European subjects.

Background: AF is the most common sustained arrhythmia in the elderly.

Methods: We evaluated all patients enrolled in the EORP-AF (EURObservational Research Programme-Atrial Fibrillation) General Pilot Registry in 70 centers of 9 European countries.

Cardiac and non-cardiac causes of T-wave inversion in the precordial leads in adult subjects: A Dutch case series and review of the literature.

Aim: To describe the electrocardiographic (ECG) phenomena characterized by T-wave inversion in the precordial leads in adults and to highlight its differential diagnosis.

Methods: A retrospective chart review of 8 adult patients who were admitted with ECG T-wave inversion in the anterior chest leads with or without prolongation of corrected QT (QTc) interval. They had different clinical conditions.

Clinical outcome following second-generation drug-eluting stent use for off-label versus on-label indications: insights from the two-year outcome of the TWENTE trial.

Drug-eluting stents (DES) were first used on-label - in simple patients with low clinical risk and easily accessible lesions. Currently, DES are increasingly used off-label - in complex patients undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) with historically higher event risk. Therefore, our aim was to investigate whether patients with off-label indications for DES use had similar outcomes compared to patients who were treated for on-label indications only.

Unilateral and multilateral congenital coronary-pulmonary fistulas in adults: clinical presentation, diagnostic modalities, and management with a brief review of the literature.

Background: Congenital coronary-pulmonary fistulas (CPFs) are commonly unilateral, but bilateral and multilateral fistulas may occur. In multilateral CPFs, the value of a multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) imaging technique as an adjuvant to coronary angiography (CAG) is eminent. The purpose of this study was to describe the clinical presentation, diagnostic modalities, and management of coincidentally detected congenital CPFs.

Coronary artery disease in congenital single coronary artery in adults: A Dutch case series.

Aim: To assess the current diagnostic and therapeutic management and the clinical implications of congenital single coronary artery (SCA) in adults.

Methods: We identified 15 patients with a SCA detected from four Dutch angiography centers in the period between 2010 and 2013. Symptomatic patients who underwent routine diagnostic coronary angiography (CAG) for suspected coronary artery disease and who incidentally were found to have isolated SCA were analyzed.

Coronary artery dominance and the risk of adverse clinical events following percutaneous coronary intervention: insights from the prospective, randomised TWENTE trial.

Aims: To investigate the prognostic value of coronary dominance for various adverse clinical events following the implantation of drug-eluting stents.

Methods And Results: We assessed two-year follow-up data of 1,387 patients from the randomised TWENTE trial. Based on the origin of the posterior descending coronary artery, coronary circulation was categorised into left and non-left dominance (i.

Coronary-cameral fistulas in adults: Acquired types (second of two parts).

Acquired coronary artery fistulas (CCFs) are infrequently detected during conventional coronary angiography. To delineate the characteristics of congenital (first part) and acquired (second part) CCFs in adults, a PubMed search was conducted for papers dealing with congenital or acquired CCFs. None of the publications describing patients with coronary-vascular fistulas were included.

Third-generation zotarolimus-eluting and everolimus-eluting stents in all-comer patients requiring a percutaneous coronary intervention (DUTCH PEERS): a randomised, single-blind, multicentre, non-inferiority trial.

Background: Third-generation, permanent-polymer-based drug-eluting stents with novel, flexible designs might be more easily delivered than previous generations of stents in complex coronary lesions, but might be less longitudinally stable. We aimed to assess the safety and efficacy in all-comer patients of two third-generation stents that are often used clinically, but that have not yet been compared, and one of which has not previously been assessed in a randomised trial.

Methods: In this investigator-initiated, single-blind, multicentre, randomised, two-arm, non-inferiority trial, patients aged 18 years and older who required a percutaneous coronary intervention with implantation of a drug-eluting stent were recruited from four study sites in the Netherlands.

Exercise-induced left bundle branch block: an infrequent phenomenon: Report of two cases.

Exercise-induced left bundle branch block (EI-LBBB) is infrequent phenomenon. We present two patients with angina pectoris who developed EI-LBBB during exercise tolerance test. The first patient with typical angina pectoris had significant obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) requiring percutaneous coronary intervention of multiple lesions including placement of drug eluting stents.

Coronary-cameral fistulas in adults (first of two parts).

This is a case series and review of the literature adding 11 new cases. Coronary-cameral fistulas (CCFs) are infrequent anomalies which are in general co-incidentally found during diagnostic coronary angiography (CAG). To delineate the characteristics of congenital and acquired CCFs in adults, we performed a PubMed search for papers dealing with congenital or acquired CCFs in adults.

Clinical outcome following stringent discontinuation of dual antiplatelet therapy after 12 months in real-world patients treated with second-generation zotarolimus-eluting resolute and everolimus-eluting Xience V stents: 2-year follow-up of the randomized TWENTE trial.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of the implantation of Resolute zotarolimus-eluting stents (ZES) (Medtronic Inc., Santa Rosa, California) and Xience V everolimus-eluting stents (EES) (Abbott Vascular, Santa Clara, California) following strict discontinuation of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after 12 months.

Background: Only limited long-term follow-up data are available from head-to-head comparisons of second-generation drug-eluting stents.

Women treated with second-generation zotarolimus-eluting resolute stents and everolimus-eluting xience V stents: insights from the gender-stratified, randomized, controlled TWENTE trial.

Background: Women are underrepresented in clinical research, and few data are available from randomized head-to-head comparisons of second-generation drug-eluting stents (DES) in female patients. Aim of this study was to assess safety and efficacy of two second-generation DES in women. In TWENTE-a prospective, randomized, comparative DES trial-"real-world" patients were stratified for gender before randomization for Resolute or Xience V stents.

A randomized controlled trial in second-generation zotarolimus-eluting Resolute stents versus everolimus-eluting Xience V stents in real-world patients: the TWENTE trial.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the safety and efficacy of Resolute zotarolimus-eluting stents (ZES) (Medtronic Cardiovascular, Santa Rosa, California) with Xience V everolimus-eluting stents (EES) (Abbott Vascular Devices, Santa Clara, California) at 1-year follow-up.

Background: Only 1 randomized trial previously compared these stents.

Methods: This investigator-initiated, patient-blinded, randomized noninferiority study had limited exclusion criteria (acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarctions not eligible).

Current characteristics of congenital coronary artery fistulas in adults: A decade of global experience.

Aim: To describe the characteristics of coronary artery fistulas (CAFs) in adults, including donor vessels and whether termination was cameral or vascular.

Methods: A PubMed search was performed for articles between 2000 and 2010 to describe the current characteristics of congenital CAFs in adults. A group of 304 adults was collected.

Congenital solitary coronary artery fistulas characterized by their drainage sites.

Last centuries have witnessed tremendous sophistication and progress in the detection, diagnosis and treatment of coronary artery fistulas (CAFs). In many countries, CAFs were reported to be visualized and treated using several imaging techniques and different management strategies. Reports from nearly all continents of the globe have contributed to the description of CAFs, not only in Asia and Europe but also throughout North and Latin America.

Congenital circumflex artery-coronary sinus fistula in an adult female associated with severe mitral regurgitation and myelodysplasy--case report and review of the literature.

Background: Coronary artery fistulas are uncommon anomalies. They occur in 0.1-0.

Do electrical parameters of the cardiac cycle reflect the corresponding mechanical intervals as the heart rate changes?

Aims: The evoked QT interval can be detected beat by beat through an implanted pacing system. The correlation between the right ventricular paced QT interval and the left ventricular systolic interval is not known. The aim of our study was to collect data on the correlation between QT and systolic and diastolic indexes at different heart rates in patients with dual-chamber rate-responsive pacemakers.

Solitary coronary artery fistulas: a congenital anomaly in children and adults. A contemporary review.

Congenital solitary coronary artery fistulas (CAFs) in adults are uncommon anomalies, which by themselves may resemble the whole spectrum of cardiac presentations from asymptomatic behavior to life-threatening and catastrophic events with syncope or shock and even sudden death. It may take decades to collect a reasonable series of patients in adults and children. From the literature between 1993 and 2004, 236 patients with CAFs were considered for evaluation.