The pivotal role of PFO in paradoxical embolism following venous sclerotherapy: a unique case report with pathological correlations.

Background: Vein sclerosing therapy for varicose veins remains an extremely popular procedure. Cerebrovascular accidents can be a serious complication. A patent foramen ovale (PFO) can act as a conduit to the arterial circulation, which could explain the adverse neurologic consequence of this procedure.

Sex-Based Considerations in the Evaluation of Chest Pain and Management of Obstructive Coronary Artery Disease.

Purpose Of Review: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality globally and poses a threat to both men and women across their lifespans. There is accumulating evidence to support that CAD may present differently in women and men, ranging from the clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management of the disease to underlying differences in the biological and pathophysiological mechanisms. This has called for an expansion of our conventional tools used in the diagnosis and management of obstructive CAD.

Balloon Aortic Valvuloplasty Followed by Impella®-Assisted Left Main Coronary Artery Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Patients With Severe Aortic Stenosis as a Bridge to Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

Background: The use of Impella® to provide hemodynamic support during unprotected left main coronary artery (LMCA) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been shown to be feasible, but severe AS is a relative contraindication for its use. Balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV) may facilitate the use of Impella® in these patients.

Objective: To assess the feasibility of BAV followed by Impella®-assisted LMCA PCI in patients with severe AS as bridge to TAVR.

Correlation of Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption and School Free and Reduced Lunch Eligibility as a Measure of Socioeconomic Status.

To determine whether a correlation exists between sugar-sweetened beverage consumption (SSB) and school free and reduced lunch (FRL) eligibility as a measure of socioeconomic status (SES). In January 2016, a modified version of the Bev 15 survey was anonymously administered to 5th and 6th grade students in 14 Chicago suburban public elementary schools. Students were asked to recall and record their beverage intake over the last 24 h for five predefined beverage groups [SSB, real fruit juice (RFJ), diet or sugar free beverages, milk, and water].

Arterial Cutaneous Femoral Fistulous Tract Closure Using Surgiflo Hemostatic Matrix: A Novel Adjunct for Post-TAVR Access-Site Management.

Several options are available to address hemostasis at the end of a cardiac catheterization or percutaneous transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) when conventional options are ineffective. To date, there have been few studies exploring the use of a topical thrombin preparation, as one of its main contraindications is that it cannot be used intravascularly due to risk of embolization. The following case shows safe utilization of Surgiflo hemostatic gel matrix under fluoroscopic guidance against an inflated balloon in order to achieve closure of a fistulous tract from a femoral artery access site during percutaneous TAVR.