Methods for treating coronary eruptive calcified nodules.

Eruptive calcified nodules (CNs) are a manifestation of severely calcified plaques, which exist in acute coronary syndrome (ACS), non-ACS lesions. Optical coherence tomography is crucial for diagnosing and treating eruptive CNs in clinical practice. Management of eruptive CNs is still a challenge for interventional cardiologists.

The impact of novel scoring balloon and cutting balloon after orbital atherectomy on severely calcified coronary lesion as assessed by optical coherence tomography.

Background: Debulking devices are often followed by a scoring or cutting balloon in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for severely calcified lesions. However, there are limited data on balloon preparation after orbital atherectomy (OA) assessed using optical coherence tomography (OCT).

Aim: We aimed to compare the effects of a novel scoring and cutting balloon on calcified coronary lesions with OCT.

Predictors of target lesion failure after percutaneous coronary intervention with a drug-coated balloon for de novo lesions.

Background: There are limited data about determinant factors of target lesion failure (TLF) in lesions after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) using a drug-coated balloon (DCB) for de novo coronary artery lesions, including optical coherence tomography (OCT) findings.

Aims: The present study aims to investigate the associated factors of TLF in de novo coronary artery lesions with DCB treatment.

Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 328 de novo coronary artery lesions in 328 patients who had undergone PCI with a DCB.

Drug-coated balloon strategy following orbital atherectomy for calcified coronary artery compared with drug-eluting stent: One-year outcomes and optical coherence tomography assessment.

Background: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for calcified coronary artery remains challenging in the drug-eluting stent (DES) era. While recent studies reported the efficacy of orbital atherectomy (OA) combined with DES for calcified lesion, the effectiveness of drug-coated balloon (DCB) following OA has not been fully elucidated.

Methods: Between June 2018 and June 2021, 135 patients who received PCI for calcified de novo coronary lesions with OA were enrolled and divided into two groups; OA followed by DCB (n = 43) if the target lesion achieved acceptable preparation, or second- or third-generation DESs (n = 92) if the target lesion showed suboptimal preparation between June 2018 and June 2021.

Predictors of coronary artery injury after orbital atherectomy as assessed by optical coherence tomography.

Purpose: The association between the extent of the wire and device bias as assessed by optical coherence tomography (OCT) in the healthy portion of the vessel and the risk of coronary artery injury after orbital atherectomy (OA) has not been fully elucidated. Thus, purpose of this study is to investigate the association between pre-OA OCT findings and post-OA coronary artery injury by OCT.

Methods: We enrolled 148 de novo lesions having calcified lesion required OA (max Ca angle > 90°) in 135 patients who underwent both pre- and post-OA OCT.

Case Report: Importance of MRI Examination in the Diagnosis and Evaluation of COVID-19 mRNA Vaccination Induced Myocarditis: Our Experience and Literature Review.

Acute myocarditis is a rare but serious complication associated with mRNA-based coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination. In this article, four COVID-19 mRNA vaccination induced myocarditis cases managed at our tertiary Medical Center have been discussed. Three patients had typical myocarditis.

Impact of the sinus node recovery time after termination of atrial fibrillation during catheter ablation on clinical outcomes in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation.

Background: Although long sinus arrest is occasionally observed during atrial fibrillation (AF) catheter ablation when the fibrillation was terminated, its meaning and prognosis have not yet been clearly elucidated. We hypothesized that sinus node recovery time (SNRT) after termination of AF (time from termination of AF to the earliest sinus node activation) could reflect the extent of atrial remodeling, influencing the formation of non-pulmonary vein (non-PV) triggers and post-ablation outcomes.

Method: The participants were 157 consecutive patients with persistent AF (male: 77.

Effectiveness and Safety of Direct Oral Anticoagulants vs. Warfarin and Recurrence After Discontinuation in Patients With Acute Venous Thromboembolism in the Real World.

Background: The efficacy of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) compared with warfarin for the treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE), and the recurrence of VTE after discontinuation of anticoagulation therapy in research are limited.

Methods and results: This retrospective study enrolled 893 patients with acute VTE between 2011 and 2019. The cohort was divided into the transient risk, unprovoked, continued cancer treatment, and cancer remission groups.

Clinical outcomes of low-intensity area without attenuation and cholesterol crystals in non-culprit lesions assessed by optical coherence tomography.

Background And Aims: Pathologists have shown that intraplaque hemorrhage contributes to plaque destabilization and is frequently co-located with cholesterol crystals (CC). Optical coherence tomography (OCT)-detected low-intensity area without attenuation (LIA) may represent intraplaque hemorrhage. We aimed to examine the prevalence and impact of OCT-detected LIA + CC in untreated non-culprit lesions (NCLs) on subsequent major adverse cardiac events (MACE).

Anticoagulant Therapy for Cancer-Associated Venous Thromboembolism after Cancer Remission.

To examine the outcomes of anticoagulant therapy for patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE) with active cancer and the outcomes after cancer remission with and without anticoagulant therapy. Of the 338 patients with cancer-associated VTE who received anticoagulant therapy, we evaluated therapeutic outcomes over 1 year for 112 patients whose cancers were in remission (cancer remission group) and 226 patients who continued cancer treatment (continued cancer treatment group). Further, the cancer remission group was divided into 89 and 23 patients who completed (completion of anticoagulation group) and continued (continued anticoagulation group) anticoagulant therapy, respectively.

Effect of contrast medium versus low-molecular-weight dextran for intracoronary optical coherence tomography in renal insufficiency.

Low-molecular-weight dextran (LMWD) is considered a safe alternative to contrast media to displace blood during optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging, but concerns remain. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether using LMWD for OCT protects against kidney injury in patients with renal insufficiency compared with contrast media. We retrospectively identified 474 patients with renal insufficiency (estimated glomerular filtration rate < 60 ml/min/1.