Infliximab Treatment of Refractory Cardiac Sarcoidosis.

Treatment of cardiac sarcoidosis is challenging, as the disease can be refractory to traditional treatment with steroids. Infliximab, a tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitor, has been reportedly used in cardiac sarcoidosis, but published evidence is limited. The potential cardiotoxicity of infliximab and the Food and Drug Administration black-box warning for patients with heart failure have hindered the use of this agent in cardiac sarcoidosis.

Left Ventricular Assist Device Outflow Cannula Obstruction: Importance of Multimodality Imaging.

One of the dreaded complications of left ventricular assist device implantation is mechanical obstruction of the device secondary to pump thrombosis or mechanical outflow cannula obstruction. We describe a case of outflow cannula obstruction caused by kinking and twisting of the outflow graft after surgical manipulation of the pump. ().

Recurrent Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection Presenting with STEMI, Once is Never Enough!

Background: Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is an under-recognized cause of acute coronary syndrome in women.

Case Presentation: We present a 40-year-old female who presented with recurrent STEMI due to recurrent SCAD 10 days after the index presentation in a different coronary territory. She was successfully treated both times with drug eluting stents.

Optimal anticoagulation duration of unfractionated and low molecular weight heparin in non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome: a systematic review of the literature.

Introduction: In this PCI era, non-invasive management for patients presenting with non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome continues to be relevant in several clinical circumstances. The duration of anticoagulation in non-invasively treated group is not clear. The use of heparin can be associated with fatal side effects.

Meta-analysis of revascularization versus medical therapy for atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis.

The aim of the study was to compare the efficacy of revascularization versus medical therapy in patients with atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis (ARAS). ARAS is the most common cause of secondary hypertension and is associated with several complications, such as renal failure, coronary artery disease, cardiac destabilization, and stroke. Medical therapy is the cornerstone for management of ARAS; however, numerous trials have compared medical therapy with revascularization in the form of percutaneous renal artery angioplasty (PTRA) or percutaneous renal artery angioplasty with stent placement (PTRAS).

The impact of recently published negative erythropoiesis-stimulating agent studies on the clinical management of cancer-related anemia at a single center.

Background And Objectives: Anemia in cancer patients is common, but often under-recognized and under-treated. Erythropoiesis stimulating agents (ESAs) are widely used to prevent and treat cancer and chemo- therapy-related anemia, but recent studies suggest a negative impact on disease progression and survival associated with their use. This retrospective study describes the prevalence of anemia in cancer patients and recent trends in its management given the negative studies.