Myocardial Bridging as a Trigger in Angina With No Obstructive Coronary Artery Disease.

We present 2 patients with angina with no obstructive coronary artery disease and concomitant myocardial bridging. Despite maximal tolerated pharmacotherapy, symptoms remained. Invasive anatomical and hemodynamic assessment identified myocardial bridging as a contributing cause of angina.

First use of a new extended reality tool for preoperative planning in coronary artery bypass surgery: a case-report.

A 73-year-old male presented with angina symptoms and was diagnosed with three-vessel coronary artery disease by use of computed tomography angiography and coronary angiography. This diagnosis necessitated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery. A custom made AI-driven algorithm was used to generate a patient-specific three-dimensional coronary artery model from computed tomography angiography imaging data.

Incidence and risk factors of unplanned emergency department visits following thoracic surgery.

Background: Unplanned visits for care following a surgical procedure can represent a lapse in quality of care. The purpose of this study was to define the proportion of patients undergoing thoracic surgery who return to the emergency department (ED) within 6 months after discharge and the reasons for the returns. In addition, the risk factors for ED visits after thoracic surgery were identified.

Developing a Quality Standard for Verbal Communication During CABG Procedures.

Verbal communication during coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) procedures is essential for safe and efficient cardiac surgery, yet sensitive to failure due to a current lack of standardization. The goal of this study was to improve communication during CABG by identifying critical items in verbal interaction between surgeons, anesthetists, and perfusionists. Based on 6 video recordings, a list was assembled containing items of communication in CABG procedures.

Valve Dehiscence after Bentall Procedure: The Detrimental Traits of Propionibacterium.

The present case exemplified the detrimental traits of prosthetic valve endocarditis caused by Propionibacterium acnes. As a baby, the patient had a congenital cardiac defect with truncus arteriosus type I with interrupted aortic arch and open ductus Botalli, and had undergone several operations. However, at 18 months after a Bentall procedure performed 29 years later he presented with major prosthetic dehiscence due to endocarditis.

Prosthetic valve endocarditis due to Propionibacterium acnes.

Objectives: To study the characteristics of patients with Propionibacterium acnes prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) who required surgery.

Methods: A single-centre retrospective cohort study was conducted during a 7-year period. Patients with definite infective P.

Drainage of the Left Hepatic Vein into the Coronary Sinus, a Rare Intraoperative Finding.

In a 76-year-old female undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery, a persistent left hepatic vein was observed. Draining of this vein into the coronary sinus is an extremely rare embryological malformation and this is the first case to be reported as a solitary malformation in absence of other cardiac malformations.

Renal function and ear, nose, throat involvement in anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis: prospective data from the European Vasculitis Society clinical trials.

Objective: We investigated whether ENT involvement is associated with renal biopsy findings and renal function in patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV).

Methods: Newly diagnosed AAV patients derived from three international, multicentre trials were included. To investigate an association between ENT involvement and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) at diagnosis and 5-year follow-up, we performed multivariable regression analyses including clinical and histopathological parameters.

Hypotheses on the etiology of antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody associated vasculitis: the cause is hidden, but the result is known.

The first description of what is now known as antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody-associated necrotizing vasculitis appeared more than 140 yr ago. Since then, many aspects of the pathogenic pathway have been elucidated, indicating the involvement of antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies, but why antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies are produced in the first place remains unknown. Over the years, many hypotheses have emerged addressing the etiology of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody production, but no exclusive factor or set of factors can so far be held responsible.

Chances of renal recovery for dialysis-dependent ANCA-associated glomerulonephritis.

In patients who have anti-neutrophil cytoplasm autoantibody (ANCA)-associated glomerulonephritis and are on dialysis at time of diagnosis, renal function is sometimes insufficiently restored by immunosuppressive treatment, which often coincides with potentially lethal adverse effects. This study investigated the clinical and histologic variables that determine the chances of dialysis independence, dialysis dependence, or death after 12 mo in these patients. Sixty-nine patients who had ANCA-associated glomerulonephritis and were dialysis dependent at diagnosis received uniform, standard immunosuppressive therapy plus either intravenous methylprednisolone or plasma exchange.

Randomized trial of plasma exchange or high-dosage methylprednisolone as adjunctive therapy for severe renal vasculitis.

Systemic vasculitis associated with autoantibodies to neutrophil cytoplasmic antigens (ANCA) is the most frequent cause of rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis. Renal failure at presentation carries an increased risk for ESRD and death despite immunosuppressive therapy. This study investigated whether the addition of plasma exchange was more effective than intravenous methylprednisolone in the achievement of renal recovery in those who presented with a serum creatinine >500 micromol/L (5.

Clinical and histologic determinants of renal outcome in ANCA-associated vasculitis: A prospective analysis of 100 patients with severe renal involvement.

This study aimed to identify clinical and histologic prognostic indicators of renal outcome in patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis and severe renal involvement (serum creatinine >500 micromol/L). One hundred patients who were enrolled in an international, randomized, clinical trial to compare plasma exchange with intravenous methylprednisolone as an additional initial treatment were analyzed prospectively. Diagnostic renal biopsies were performed upon entry into the study.