Which predilatation balloons provide the best lesion preparation prior to use of drug coated balloons in de-novo lesions? Results from the PREPARE study.

Background: There is a lack of data on the clinical outcomes following the use of different strategies for lesion preparation prior to the use of drug-coated balloons (DCB). In this study, we have explored the clinical outcomes between different types of predilatation balloons: semi-compliant (SB), non-compliant (NB) and scoring balloons (ScB) used when preparing de-novo lesions prior to the use of DCB.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated all patients who underwent treatment with DCB for de-novo lesions between 2011-2019 at 4 high-volume European centres.

Is a high calcific burden an indication, or a contraindication for Drug Coated Balloon?

Drug coated balloons (DCB) are increasingly being used in coronary intervention. Most of their use is currently restricted to in stent restenosis, however, they are also being used to treat some de novo lesion subsets (especially small vessels) and in patients unable to take dual antiplatelet therapy beyond a month. Calcified lesions pose a significant challenge to coronary intervention from lesion preparation to the delivery of drug to the vessel wall.

Mid-term clinical outcomes from use of Sirolimus coated balloon in coronary intervention; data from real world population.

Background: Use of drug coated balloons (DCBs) in coronary intervention is escalating. There is a plethora of data on Paclitaxcel-DCB. However, when it comes of stents, Limus-drugs are preferred over Paclitaxel.

Nasal mucosal melanoma as a cause of epistaxis.

A 43-year-old woman presented with an 8-week history of fatigue and recurrent right sided nasal bleeds progressing to significant pain and swelling on the right side of her face. Clinical examination revealed a friable mass in her right nasal passage. A biopsy and staging positron emission tomography-CT scan confirmed the diagnosis of a T4 N1 M1 BRAF wild type mucosal melanoma.