Safety of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Cardiac Catheterization in Cancer Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome and Chronic Thrombocytopenia.

Little data is available on the bleeding risk and outcomes of cancer patients with chronic thrombocytopenia who underwent cardiac catheterization. We sought to assess the safety of coronary angiography, percutaneous coronary intervention, and antiplatelet therapy in cancer patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and chronic thrombocytopenia. We performed a retrospective study of patients with chronic thrombocytopenia who underwent cardiac catheterization for ACS between November 2009 and November 2015.

Outcome of pulmonary vein isolation ablation for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation: predictive role of left atrial mechanical dyssynchrony by speckle tracking echocardiography.

Introduction: Although few clinical variables have been associated with recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) the role of left atrial (LA) mechanical function in the outcome of catheter ablation of AF is not adequately defined. The aim of our study was to determine whether LA mechanical dyssynchrony as evaluated by speckle tracking echocardiography can predict outcome of PVI ablation procedure in patients with paroxysmal AF.

Methods: Twenty-five patients (age 58 ± 11 years, [mean ± standard deviation], 17 males) with paroxysmal AF who met specific enrollment criteria pertaining to clinical presentation and follow-up, assessment of LA mechanical dyssynchrony, and strategy of catheter ablation procedure were enrolled.

Dieulafoy lesion in mid-esophagus with esophageal varices.

Dieulafoy lesion is an uncommon cause of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. Most such lesions are reported in the stomach, though a few have been reported in the distal esophagus. We report a 54-year-old man who presented with upper GI bleeding and had esophageal varices but bled from a Dieulafoy lesion 5 cm above the proximal end of the varices.