Robotic coronary artery bypass for aberrant right coronary artery stenosis

Anomalous coronary arteries that course between the aorta and pulmonary artery are subject to compressive forces and can manifest angina, myocardial infarction and sudden death. The current report presents a young, female patient who presented with a short duration of severe, rapidly progressive angina despite optimal medical therapy. Combined computed tomography and myocardial perfusion scanning identified an anomalous dominant right coronary artery that appeared kinked at its origin between the aorta and main pulmonary artery. A robot-assisted right internal thoracic artery to right coronary artery bypass was performed, which was confirmed to be widely patent (FitzGibbon grade A) on routine intraoperative angiography. The procedure completely resolved the patient's angina symptoms.     

Dual anterior descending coronary artery associated with coronary artery disease

The patient is a male with risk factors for coronary artery disease, who was referred for cardiac catheterization after acute myocardial infarction in the inferior wall. The patient underwent transluminal coronary angioplasty in the right coronary artery with successful stent implantation.     

Pseudoaneurysm of coronary artery following rupture of coronary artery during coronary angioplasty.

Rupture of the coronary artery is a rare complication of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). We describe a case of coronary artery rupture during PTCA resulting in the formation of a coronary artery pseudoaneurysm. The pseudoaneurysm was successfully treated by percutaneous spring-coil embolization of the coronary artery.     

Single coronary artery anomaly: branching of left coronary artery from right coronary artery with 2 distinct patterns

Normal coronary vasculature has a left coronary artery arising from the left coronary cusp and a right coronary artery arising from the right coronary cusp. In about 0.024% of cases in the general population, there is no left main coronary artery. In fact, there is a single coronary artery, which arises from the right coronary cusp. We encountered 2 such cases with distinct patterns. The first case was a patient with angina who had an abnormal stress test for which he underwent coronary angiography. This revealed a single coronary artery arising from the right coronary cusp. This vessel gave rise to the right coronary artery, which had a varicose anatomy, with a critical lesion in the posterior descending artery. The left coronary artery passed anteriorly to the pulmonary artery with a critical lesion in the circumflex artery. In the second case, the patient also had angina with a normal noninvasive work-up but due to his persistent symptoms, coronary angiography was performed. This revealed a single coronary artery arising from the right coronary cusp. Subsequent CT angiography revealed that the left coronary artery coursed in between the aorta and pulmonary artery without critical lesions. In both cases, the patients underwent coronary artery bypass grafting.     

Single coronary ostium - a right coronary artery arising from the left main coronary artery

Single coronary ostium is a very rare congenital anomaly with an incidence of 0.024% in angiographic series. This is the third case of Shirani-Roberts subtype IB4: solitary ostium in the left coronary sinus associated with a retroaortic-coursing right coronary artery that arises from the left main coronary artery. The patient is a 45-year-old male with no past medical history, and who was seen in the clinic for evaluation of a murmur. Echocardiography showed rheumatic heart disease with mild mitral regurgitation and moderate aortic regurgitation; no shunts were present. Coronary and aortic root angiography did not show a vessel originating from the right coronary cusp. The right coronary artery originated from the left main coronary artery and had an aberrant course which was dorsal to the ascending aorta. No associated congenital heart disease was present.     

冠状动脉钙化积分预测老年冠心病的相关研究

目的进一步探讨预测老年冠心病的新指标,预防心血管事件的发生。方法对≥60岁老年人66例(冠心病48例,非冠心病18例)进行多层螺旋CT(MSCT)冠状动脉扫描和计算机自动测定冠状动脉钙化积分(CACS),对CACS结果进行分析。结果老年冠心病组的CACS明显高于非冠心病组(P<0·01)。3支血管钙化者CACS明显高于1支及2支血管钙化者,且钙化发生在任意血管段都有明确意义(P<0·01,P<0·05)。结论CACS优于传统危险因子,可作为预测冠心病的新指标之一。     

Carotid artery involvement in patients of atherosclerotic coronary artery disease undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting

BACKGROUND: Patients with concomitant critical carotid and coronary artery disease are at risk of major neurological events while undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. The presence of carotid artery stenosis increases the stroke rate in the perioperative period. In an effort to reduce the stroke rate, many institutions perform routine preoperative noninvasive assessment of the carotid arteries. METHODS AND RESULTS: We analyzed the clinical and laboratory data of 1,200 patients who underwent coronary artery bypass surgery in the last 2 years. Carotid Doppler was normal in 186 patients (15.5%), and showed <30% stenosis in 796 (66.3%), 30%-50% in 110 (9.2%), 50%-70% stenosis in 64 (5.3%) and critical (>70%) stenosis in 44 (3.7%) patients. Conventional risk factors such as hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, smoking and family history were not independent predictors of carotid artery stenosis. However, diabetes as a risk factor had a significant association with carotid artery disease (79.6% v. 43.8%, p<0.02). There was a trend towards increased prevalence of carotid artery stenosis in patients with > or = 2 risk factors (84.3% v. 68.8%). Patients with significant carotid artery stenosis had severe coronary artery disease (triple-vessel disease 93.3%, left main coronary artery disease 12.0%). Out of 44 patients with critical carotid artery stenosis, 27 were subjected to carotid angiography. Doppler findings correlated well with angiography. Seventeen patients underwent carotid artery intervention. None had any perioperative neurological events. A total of 5 (0.4%) patients had a major stroke. Coronary artery bypass grafting was done in 27 patients with critical stenosis without any intervention. The stroke rate (11.1%) was higher in these patients compared to patients with < 70% carotid artery disease or post-carotid intervention (2.5%) patients. Thus, untreated >70% carotid artery stenosis was associated with a higher stroke rate. CONCLUSIONS: Doppler screening of the carotid artery is helpful in detecting the subgroup of patients at increased risk of stroke. Patients with critical carotid artery stenosis should be subjected to angiography. Prophylactic intervention may reduce the occurrence of stroke in the perioperative period.     

Anomalous origin of circumflex coronary artery arising from proximal right coronary artery

We present a 55 year old man that was admitted to our Institution because of anginal chest pain. Transthoracic echocardiogram was normal. Coronary angiography showed three vessels disease and an anomalous circumflex artery arising from right proximal coronary artery. By-pass surgery was successfully performed.     

64排CT冠状动脉斑块分析对冠状动脉直接支架术指导作用的研究

目的 探讨64排CT冠状动脉斑块分析对冠状动脉直接支架术的指导意义.方法 连续入选接受64排CT冠状动脉成像（CTA）并冠状动脉直接支架术治疗的患者42例,置入支架44枚.根据支架释放后有无残余狭窄分为2组,组间对比64排CT冠状动脉成像所示斑块的性质、斑块的CT值、钙化长度、横断面最大钙化面积.结果 残余狭窄组患者斑块的最大CT值大于无残余狭窄组（P＜0.01）.Logistic回归分析显示,当斑块的CT值达到648～679时,支架释放时出现残余狭窄的概率为70％～90％.结论 冠状动脉直接支架术支架释放后出现残余狭窄与斑块的最大CT值有关,当斑块有明显大的CT值时,采用直接支架术需谨慎.     

HIV-associated coronary artery disease

Cases, case series, and related articles on coronary artery disease in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) identified through a comprehensive literature search were examined for clinical characteristics and angiographic findings of HIV-associated coronary artery disease. Among 129 identified cases, 91% were males. The mean age was 42.3 +/- 10.2 (SD) years (range, 23 to 77 years). The interval between the diagnosis of HIV infection and the diagnosis of coronary artery disease was 72 +/- 60 (SD) months. Degree of immunosuppression was variable (CD4 mean, 313 +/- 209 cells/mm3; range, 6-1070 cells/mm3). There was no correlation between the CD4 cell count and the development and progression of coronary artery disease. Similarly, the development and progression of coronary artery disease was independent of the presence of HIV-related opportunistic infections. Acute myocardial infarction was the initial presentation in 77% of patients. In 76 patients, information on diseased vessels was available: 36 (47%) patients had 3-vessel disease, 14 (18%) patients had 2-vessel disease, and 26 patients (35%) had 1-vessel disease. The left anterior descending artery was involved in 47 (62%) patients while the left circumflex and right coronary arteries were involved in 34 (45%) and 38 (50%) patients, respectively. Thirty-two (25%) patients underwent catheter-based or surgical revascularization. Data were not adequate to assess the prognosis following the acute coronary events or revascularization. The histologic characteristics unique to HIV-associated coronary arteriopathy were diffuse circumferential involvement of the vessel with an unusual proliferation of smooth muscle cells, mixed with abundant elastic fibers, resulting in endoluminal protrusions. Coronary artery disease was a late complication of AIDS.     

Treatment of medically uncontrolled coronary artery spasm in the normal coronary artery with coronary stenting

We present a 53-year-old male with recurrent episodes of vasospastic angina and serious complications of coronary artery spasm including ventricular fibrillation and myocardial infarction, who was treated with coronary stenting at the site of ergonovine-induced coronary vasospasm where the coronary artery appeared angiographically normal, i.e., without evidence of atherosclerotic lesion.     

心脏直视手术前颈动脉支架术的初步探讨

目的 评估心脏疾病合并严重颈动脉狭窄患者于心脏直视手术前行颈动脉支架术预防围手术期缺血性卒中的有效性和安全性.方法 前瞻性队列研究,对心脏疾病合并严重颈动脉狭窄患者于心脏直视手术前行颈动脉支架术,评估颈动脉支架术至心脏直视术后30 d的终点事件(卒中、心肌梗死和死亡).结果 自2005年1月至2007年12月,本研究共连续入选42例患者.颈动脉支架技术成功率100%.远端栓塞防护装置使用率为97.6%(41/42).心脏直视手术包括:冠状动脉旁路移植术36例(85.7%),冠状动脉旁路移植术加瓣膜置换术5例(11.9%),瓣膜置换术1例(2.4%).自颈动脉支架术至心脏直视术后30 d的卒中率为2.4%(1/42),心肌梗死率为0%,死亡率为0%.结论 这一小样本前瞻性队列研究表明,心脏直视手术前行颈动脉支架术预防围手术期缺血性卒中安全有效,优于文献报告的分期颈动脉内膜剥脱术的结果,但由于本研究样本量小,需进一步研究验证.     

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection is a rarely identified entity whose exact incidence, etiology, pathogenesis, medium-term evolution, and optimal treatment have not yet been firmly established. This article describes five new cases with additional specific characteristics. Five of 2,241 coronary arteriograms taken between September 1989 and November 1992 showed angiographic signs of coronary dissection. Three of the patients were treated pharmacologically, and two were operated on. All were evaluated angiographically 10–18 months after diagnosis and followed up clinically for ≥20 months. Three patients exhibited acute myocardial infarction, one showed effort angina and the fifth unstable angina. In four cases, coronary dissection was associated with coronary atherosclerosis, but in the fifth the coronary tree was apparently healthy except for the dissection. Dissection affected the right coronary artery in three cases and the left in two. Angiographic evolution varied among the five and was uncorrelated with treatment. Dissection disappeared in three; it persisted, with total obstruction of the artery in the middle of the dissected segment in one case; and advanced to affect the whole left coronary tree in the fifth. After an 18-month follow-up, none of the five patients experienced symptoms. These cases provide a good illustration of the variability of spontaneous coronary dissection as regards etiology, clinical presentation, treatment, and evolution. Coronary dissection is always caused by hemorrhage in the media of the arterial wall; its variability in evolution and in optimal treatment may be derived from the cause of the hemorrage, which possibly was not the same in all cases. © 1994 Wiley-Liss,Inc..     

Single coronary artery: right coronary artery originating from distal left circumflex

This report describes a patient with single coronary artery, in whom the right coronary artery originated from the distal left circumflex. However, this anomaly was not of clinical significance based on atypical nature of chest pain, negative thallium exercise test and absence of coronary obstruction.     

Large coronary artery angioplasty

Angioplasty of a large coronary artery required two side-by-side balloon catheters. Angioplasty was performed using a single recently developed large lumen guide catheter in a vessel that was difficult to cannulate.     

Experimental coronary artery occlusion

Summary We studied the size of infarcts in 25 dogs 48 hrs after proximal occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery. In one group of animals infarct size was measured by histologic criteria, in another group the infarct was measured macrohistochemically using p-NBT and malate to incubate unfixed slices of myocardium. In both groups infarct size was expressed as percentage of the area of perfusion of the occluded artery. Infarct size was 72% of the area-at-risk in the group studied by histology and 74.5% in the macrohistochemical group. The satisfactory agreement of both methods favors the p-NBT technique because of its ease and speed. It is suggested that the expression of infarct size as percentage of the perfusion area is a good definition and should be used in experiments designed to manipulate infarct size. In this way differences in the size of occluded arteries and their respective perfusion areas have no or only a negligible influence on infarct size.

---

Experimenteller KoronarverschlußI. Bestimmung der Infarktgröße

Zusammenfassung Wir untersuchten die Infarktgröße in 25 Hundeherzen 48 Stunden nach proximaler Ligatur des R. interventricularis anterior. Die Versuchstiere wurden in 2 Gruppen eingeteilt, in einer Gruppe wurde die Infarktgröße nach histologischen und in der anderen nach makrohistochemischen (p-dBT-Malat-Inkubation) Kriterien bestimmt. In beiden Gruppen wurde die Infarktgröße in Prozent des Perfusionsgebietes der verschlossenen Arterie ausgedrückt. 72% des Perfusionsgebietes waren infarziert bei Bestimmung der Infarktgröße mit histologischen Kriterien, und 74,5% waren infarziert nach makrohistochemischen Kriterien. Die technisch einfachere und schnellere makrohistochemische Methode hat bei dieser guten Übereinstimmung der Resultate Vorteile vor der histologischen Methode. Der Vergleich der Infarktgröße mit der Perfusionszone der verschlossenen Arterie hat den Vorteil der interindividuellen Vergleichbarkeit.

---

---

With 5 figures     

Efficacy of coronary artery bypass grafting in elderly patients with coronary artery disease

A consecutive series of 121 patients 70 years of age and older who underwent aortocoronary artery saphenous vein bypass grafting without other cardiac procedures during a 5 year period was analyzed and follow-up status ascertained. This group was compared with a consecutive series of 2,850 patients under the age of 70 who underwent aortocoronary bypass during the same period. The patients aged 70 years or greater had a higher incidence of unstable angina pectoris, congestive heart fallure and cardlomegaly on roentgenography. They had more severe coronary obstruction with a 29 percent incidence rate of left main coronary disease versus a 15 percent incidence rate in the patients aged less than 70 years (P < 0.001). The hospital mortality rate for patients aged less than 70 years was 1.1 percent (31 of 2,850) and for those aged 70 years or greater was 1.6 percent (2 of 121). The 119 patients aged 70 years or greater who survived surgery had a significantly greater incidence of postoperative stroke (3 patients), supraventricular tachycardia (28 patients), transient postoperative psychosis (9 patients), heart block requiring permanent pacing (2 patients), intraaortic balloon pumping (5 patients) and pulmonary embolism (4 patients) than patients aged less than 70 years. Both groups had significant symptomatic improvement: More than 95 percent of the survivors in each group were angina-free or in improved condition at late follow-up. Survival at 36 months was 95 percent for the patients in both age groups. A subgroup of patients aged 75 years or greater had comparable symptomatic results and survival. Patients aged 70 years or greater need not be denied the benefits of coronary bypass surgery on the basis of advanced age alone, although these patients have complfcations of surgery more frequently. However, severe calcification of the ascending aorta is a relative contraindication to saphenous vein bypass surgery in this age group.     

Primary coronary artery dissection

Three patients had angiographic appearance of chronic primary coronary artery dissection with features that differed from other patients with this entity studied at autopsy; they were men, greater than or equal to 40 years of age, had angina pectoris and severe coronary artery disease. The right coronary artery, which was the artery involved with dissection, had only mild atherosclerosis. Further studies are needed to determine the natural history of this angiographic finding.     

Refractory coronary artery spasm

A patient with an episode of refractory myocardial ischemia induced by ergonovine is described. The patient underwent cardiac catheterization 2 weeks after an inferior wall myocardial infarction for evaluation of recurrent rest angina. He developed severe spasm of the proximal right coronary artery in response to ergonovine which was partially relieved with nitrates and calcium channel antagonists. However, myocardial ischemia persisted, culminating in a new inferior wall infarction. The possible mechanism of continuing intense ischemia despite partial relief of the proximal right coronary spasm is discussed. It is suggested that ergonovine testing should perhaps be avoided during the early postinfarction period. Furthermore, if an ergonovine test is anticipated, beta-adrenergic blocking agents should be withheld.