New insights into the oncological risk in heart transplant recipients: could skin tumors represent a marker of increased risk for solid neoplasm?

Background: Solid organ transplant recipients are at increased risk for skin cancers due to immune-suppressive therapies. However, little is known about the risk and the characteristics of neoplasms in heart transplant recipients (HTRs). The aim of this study is to delineate the incidence of different skin tumors in HTRs and to correlate it with the incidence of other malignancies, including solid tumors and hematological neoplasms.

Right Heart Catheterization in Patients with Advanced Heart Failure: When to Perform? How to Interpret?

Right heart catheterization is an established cornerstone of advanced heart failure management, as a clear understanding of the patient's hemodynamic status offers insight into diagnosis, prognosis, and management. In this review, the authors will describe the role of right heart catheterization in the diagnosis and management of shock, in the context of left ventricular assist devices, in the assessment of heart transplant candidacy, and also explore future directions of implantable monitoring devices for pulmonary artery and left atrial pressure monitoring.

Interplay of coronary angiography and intravascular ultrasound in predicting long-term outcomes after heart transplantation.

Background: Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) remains the major cause of late graft-related death after heart transplantation (HT). Identification of patients at risk of cardiovascular events has relevant implications in appropriately guiding resources and intensity of follow-up. In this context, the prognostic relevance of serial coronary imaging long-term after HT is unexplored.

Cyclosporine lowering with everolimus versus mycophenolate mofetil in heart transplant recipients: long-term follow-up of the SHIRAKISS randomized, prospective study.

Background: Cyclosporine nephrotoxicity negatively impacts long-term outcome after heart transplantation (HT). We previously reported 1-year results from a randomized study showing that cyclosporine-lowering strategies based on everolimus or mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) are equally effective for reducing progression of renal dysfunction. It is unknown whether this efficacy could be maintained over the long term.