Pharmacosimulation of delays and interruptions during administration of tirofiban: a systematic comparison between EU and US dosage regimens

Journal of Thrombosis and Thrombolysis - Tirofiban is a glycoproteine (GP) IIb/IIIa receptor antagonist, which inhibits platelet-platelet aggregation and is a potential adjunctive antithrombotic...     

Non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulation versus left atrial appendage occlusion for primary and secondary stroke prevention after cardioembolic stroke

IntroductionThis study aimed to evaluate the performance of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulation (NOAC) in patients with previous stroke and non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF) compared with left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) in primary and secondary stroke prevention settings.MethodsThis was a prospective, single-center, non-randomized cohort study of 302 consecutive patients with non-valvular AF and at high risk for stroke. Two treatment strategies were compared: LAAO (n=91) and long-term treatment with NOAC (n=149). The primary outcome was the composite endpoint of death, stroke and major bleeding. Propensity score and cause-of-death analyses were performed to compare outcomes.ResultsIn a mean follow-up of 13 months, there were 30 deaths (LAAO 8.8% vs. NOAC 14.8%), five strokes (LAAO 1.1% vs. NOAC 2.7%) and six major bleeds (LAAO 1.1% vs. NOAC 3.4%). There was a non-significant trend for a lower incidence of the primary endpoint in the LAAO group (11.0% vs. 20.9%; HR 0.42, 95% CI 0.17-1.05, p=0.064). Considering only secondary prevention LAAO patients (34.1% of the LAAO group), there was also a non-significant lower incidence of the primary endpoint (LAAO 6.5% vs. 20.9%; HR 0.30, 95% CI 0.07-1.39, p=0.12). While about a fifth of LAAO patients stopped antiplatelet treatment six months after device implantation due to recurrent minor bleeding, no adverse cardiovascular event or major bleeding occurred in this subset of patients.ConclusionIn this registry-based study, LAAO was a reasonable alternative to NOAC for the prevention of a composite endpoint of all-cause mortality, stroke and major bleeding in patients at high risk for stroke.     

Safety of endoscopic endonasal biopsy for the pituitary stalk-hypothalamic lesions

Purpose

The indications for and the optimal biopsy approach in pituitary stalk-hypothalamic (PsH) lesions are controversial. Biopsies through an endoscopic endonasal approach (EEA) for PsH lesions have often been considered to cause the infundibulo-tuberal syndrome. The purpose of this study was to analyze the surgical and endocrinological safety of EEA biopsies for PsH lesions.

Methods

A total of 39 consecutive patients who underwent an EEA biopsy between June 2011 and August 2020 in a single institute were retrospectively analyzed. The ophthalmological and endocrinological outcomes were assessed before and after surgery.

Results

PsH lesions were confirmed to be diverse pathological diagnoses, ranging from lymphocytic hypophysitis to diffuse midline glioma, and the most common pathologic diagnosis was a germinoma (18 patients, 46.2%). No patients developed visual deterioration after the biopsy. In patients without preoperative panhypopituitarism, 13 out of 28 patients (46.4%) developed new anterior pituitary hormonal deficiencies after the biopsy. When the tissue was collected from the stalk, the endocrinological deterioration rate was 100% (6 of 6 patients), while the rate was 31.8% (7 of 22 patients) when tissue could be harvested from an extra-stalk lesion. The rate of newly developed permanent diabetes insipidus after surgery was 40.9% (9 of 22 patients). The median surgery time was 125 min, and there was no postoperative CSF leakage or infections noted.

Conclusions

An EEA biopsy for PsH lesions is a safe and efficient surgical method unless the tissue is collected from the stalk.

     

Autoimmune cholangitis in a patient with thymoma

Autoimmune cholangitis is characterized biochemically by chronic cholestasis and histopathologically by chronic non-suppurative destructive cholangitis. It is associated with positive antinuclear antibody test and negative antimitochondrial antibody test results. Recently, we experienced a case of a 35-year-old woman with autoimmune cholangitis associated with thymoma who presented with pruritis, jaundice, chronic fatigue and anterior chest discomfort. Her laboratory examinations revealed marked increases in levels of serum alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase. In serological tests, antinuclear antibody was found, but antimitochondrial antibody was not. Liver biopsy findings were compatible with chronic non-suppurative destructive cholangitis. On computed tomography (CT) of the chest, a large anterior mediastinal mass was found. The mass was totally resected and the patient was treated with ursodeoxy cholic acid. Thereafter, her clinical symptoms improved and liver functions completely returned to the normal range. We describe here an uncommon association of autoimmune cholangitis with thymoma, which has not been reported previously in the English-written literature.     

Control of refractory life-threatening ventricular tachyarrhythmias by amiodarone

The antiarrhythmic effects and dose-response relationship of amiodarone hydrochloride, 600 to 1200 mg daily, were studied in 22 patients with recurrent life-threatening symptomatic ventricular tachyarrhythmias refractory to two or more conventional antiarrhythmic agents. In all patients the presence of the arrhythmia was confirmed on ECG and/or 24-hour Holter readings. In 10 one or more episodes of cardiac arrest had been documented by ECG. Two patients died prior to initiation or stabilization of therapy; the goal of therapy was attained in all but one patient. Amiodarone abolished all complex premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) and paroxysmal or sustained episodes of ventricular tachycardia (VT) in all 19 remaining patients; In the 15 in whom predrug and serial 24-hour Holter recordings could be obtained and analyzed, the total PVC counts were reduced 90% to 98% by amiodarone. After a mean follow-up of 12 months on chronic amiodarone therapy, there have been no recurrences of VT or ventricular fibrillation and sustained antiarrhythmic response has been confirmed by Holter recordings. One patient died suddenly at home despite complete suppression of PVCs. Amiodarone prolonged the PR (+16.7%; P < 0.05) and QT_c (+22.7%; P < 0.01) intervals without effect on QRS duration. Side effects attributable to the drug were gastrointestinal discomfort, halo vision, proximal muscle weakness, transient elevations of hepatic enzymes, and skin photosensitivity, all being reversible on reduction in dosage which did not compromise antiarrhythmic efficacy. Amiodarone did not aggravate cardiac failure even in patients with low ventricular ejection fractions. This study indicates that amiodarone is an extremely potent and safe agent for the prophylactic control of life-threatening ventricular tachyarrhythmias.     

Clinical features of recently diagnosed pulmonary paragonimiasis in Korea

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Paragonimiasis is a typical food-borne parasitic disease that is common in Southeast Asia, the Far East, Latin American, and Africa. Recently, however, this disease has been seen in many parts of the world, largely due to increases in the numbers of immigrants and overseas travelers. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical and radiologic features of recently diagnosed pulmonary paragonimiasis. PATIENTS: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical and radiologic characteristics of 36 patients (21 men and 15 women; median age 48 years; range, 19 to 75) with pulmonary paragonimiasis whose conditions were diagnosed between October 1994 and September 2004. RESULTS: Thirty-four patients (94%) presented with respiratory symptoms, including hemoptysis (n = 20, 56%) and cough (n = 17, 47%). However, chest pain (n = 5, 14%) and fever (n = 5, 14%) were less frequently reported. Chest radiography revealed intrapulmonary parenchymal lesions (n = 26, 72%), such as nodules (n = 14, 39%), linear opacity (n = 6, 17%), and airspace consolidations (n = 4, 11%), which occurred more commonly than did pleural lesions (n = 10, 28%). Most cases were initially suspected to be lung cancer or tuberculosis. In 13 patients with intrapulmonary parenchymal lesions who underwent bronchoscopy, bronchial luminal narrowing, coupled with congested or edematous mucosal changes, was seen in 7 patients (54%). Bronchial mucosal biopsy specimens exhibited chronic inflammation with eosinophilic infiltrations in three of these seven patients (43%). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that patients with pulmonary paragonimiasis presented with a variety of clinical and radiologic findings that were different from the classic presentations reported earlier, frequently mimicking those of lung cancer or tuberculosis.     

Anomalous origin of the left pulmonary artery from the ascending aorta. Successful surgical correction in an infant with Fallot's tetralogy

We describe the case of a 40-day-old female patient with a history of breathlessness since birth who was referred to our hospital for surgical correction of common arterial trunk. The invasive investigation disclosed a Fallot cent s tetralogy anatomy associated with an anomalous origin of the left pulmonary artery from the ascending aorta. Immediately after diagnosis, the patient underwent a successful total surgical correction of the defect, including simultaneous anastomosis of the left pulmonary artery to the pulmonary trunk.