Successful closure of coronary artery perforation using makeshift stent sandwich.

An elderly woman underwent stenting of mid left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) 2 days after myocardial infarction. During high-pressure stent dilatation, vessel perforation was noted. We assembled a "stent sandwich" in the cardiac catheterization laboratory and used it successfully to seal the perforation with good angiographic result. Although the long-term patency remains an issue, this case demonstrates the feasibility of using makeshift covered-stent as a bailout for arterial perforation in selected cases where emergency thoracotomy is undesirable.     

Inflammatory bowel disease in Thai children: presentations and outcomes of treatment

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is characterized by idiopathic chronic intestinal inflammation, due to abnormalities in gastrointestinal immunoregulation. Pediatric IBD has been rarely reported in Thailand. We describe eight children, five girls and three boys, who were diagnosed with IBD at Ramathibodi Hospital during 1999-2005 and had a follow-up of more than one year. Four cases had Crohn's disease (CD) and four cases had ulcerative colitis (UC). The ages at diagnosis ranged from 3.5 to 15.5 years. Diagnosis of IBD was delayed for more than 12 months in five patients. Five out of eight patients had early onset of disease, before 6 years of age. The manifestations included chronic diarrhea, abdominal pain, rectal bleeding and perianal lesions. The common extraintestinal manifestations were oral ulcer, anemia, weight loss and failure to thrive. Most patients had moderate to severe diseases and ileocolic fistula developed in one patient with CD. The disease was controlled with 5-aminosalicylic acid and corticosteroid in most patients. Four patients required additional therapy with azathioprine. Infliximab was used in two patients who were chronically steroid-dependent CD, one also had persistent ileocolic fistula and both patients responded well. During the follow-up period ranging from 1.1 to 5.8 years, three patients remained growth retardation; all had early onset of disease before 6 years of age, long duration of symptoms of more than 3 years before diagnosis and had multiple relapses. It is concluded that there is an increasing number of IBD in Thai children during the recent years. Most patients had moderate to severe diseases. Early onset of disease, delay in diagnosis and treatment are responsible for more complications, particularly persistent growth impairment. Early recognition of IBD and treatment are essential for a satisfactory long-term outcome.     

A rapid serologic test and immunoblotting for the detection of Helicobacter pylori infection in children

The gold standard for the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection requires an endoscopic biopsy of gastric mucosa for histological examination, urease test and culture. Noninvasive serological tests are useful as a screening test for H. pylori infection. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of a rapid office-based serologic test, using immunochromatography ICM, and the immunoblotting for the diagnosis of H. pylori infection in Thai children. Eighty-two symptomatic children, 30 boys and 52 girls (mean age 9.2+/-3.8 years; range, 1.2-16.0 years) who had no previous treatment for H. pylori underwent upper endoscopy. Biopsies were obtained from the gastric body and antrum for histopathology and rapid urease test. Serum samples collected from all patients were tested for H. pylori IgG antibodies using ICM (Assure H. pylori Rapid Test, Genelabs Diagnostics, Singapore). Immunoblotting (HelicoBlot 2.1, Genelabs Diagnostics, Singapore) was tested in sera of 75 patients to detect antibodies to specific antigens of H. pylori. Positive H. pylori status was defined as positive for both histology and rapid urease test. Of 82 patients, 25 (30.5%) were H. pylori positive, 56 (68.3%) were H. pylori negative and one was equivocal. ICM assay yielded a positive result in 24 of the 25 H. pylori-positive patients (96.0%) and 3 of the 56 H. pylori-negative patients (5.4%). The immunoblotting yielded a positive result in all of 22 H. pylori-positive patients (100%) and in 2 of the 52 H. pylori-negative patients (3.8%). Obtained ICM's sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy were 96.0, 94.6, 88.9, 98.1 and 95.1%, with immunoblotting 100.0, 96.2, 91.6, 100.0, and 97.3%, respectively. The immunochromatographic and immunoblot tests are non-invasive, reliable and useful for the diagnosis of H. pylori infection in Thai children.     

Transcoronary Bone Marrow‐Derived Progenitor Cells in a Child With Myocardial Infarction: First Pediatric Experience

Background

Recent advances in stem cell therapy to restore cardiac function have great promise for patients with congestive heart failure after myocardial infarction in an adult population.

Objective

We examined the benefits of bone marrow‐derived progenitor cells treatment modality for the pediatric patient.

Methods and Results

We present our first case of transcoronary autologous stem cell transplantation in a 9‐year‐old girl with refractory congestive heart failure secondary to myocardial infarction 1 year after transcatheter revascularization. The child received daily injections of granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor for 3 days prior to the bone marrow aspiration. The bone marrow cells were isolated to constitute CD133 + /CD34 + more than 90% of the total number. Subsequently, the progenitor cell suspension was injected via a transcoronary catheter without any complication. Three months after stem cell therapy, her cardiac function, assessed by both cardiac magnetic resonance and echocardiogram, has been improved with the left ventricular ejection fraction at 47% compared to the baseline of 30%.

Conclusion

This is the first reported pediatric case of successful transcoronary injection of bone marrow‐derived progenitor cells for end‐stage heart disease. The procedure is considered safe and feasible for the pediatric population. Copyright © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Left Main Coronary Occlusion from Takayasu Arteritis in an 8-Year-Old Child

Takayasu’s arteritis (TA) is a chronic systemic inflammatory disease that usually affects the aorta and its primary branches and occasionally the coronary arteries. We report the case of an 8-year-old girl who was presented with chest pain and was referred to our institution with the presumptive diagnosis of pneumonia and sepsis. Ultimately, the patient’s chest pain was attributed to myocardial infarction secondary to coronary occulsion from TA. She underwent a successful stenting of the left main coronary artery with sirolimus-eluting stent. In a review of the literature, we discuss the demographic profile, clinical and radiographic findings, and available therapeutic options.     

Genetic polymorphisms in Thai neonates with hyperbilirubinemia

Aim:  Polymorphisms of the UGT1A1 gene, SLCO1B1 gene and GST gene have been associated with significant hyperbilirubinemia. We would like to determine whether the variation of UGT1A1 gene, SLCO1B1 gene and GST gene may play a significant role in neonatal hyperbilirubinemia in Thai infants.
Methods:  Ninety-one study subjects (hyperbilirubinemic group) and 86 control subjects were studied.
Results:  The cause of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia could not be identified in 64 infants (70.3%), ABO blood group incompatibility in 14.3% and Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) deficiency in 8.8%. In the hyperbilirubinemic group, 23 of 91 (25.3%) infants demonstrated variant of UGT1A1 at nucleotides (nt) 211 as compared to 6 of 86 (7%) in the control group (p = 0.001). There were no significant differences between groups in the variants UGT1A1 at nt 686, SLCO1B1 gene at nt 388, 463 and the GST gene. Male infants with G-6-PD deficiency were associated with hyperbilirubinemia (21.2% vs. 4.8% in the control group) with an odds ratio (OR) of 5.37 (p =0.02). The relationship between G-6-PD and variant in UGT1A1 gene at nt 211 could not be determined.
Conclusion:  Thai infants with variant in the UGT1A1 at nt 211 or with G-6-PD deficiency are at higher risk for developing neonatal hyperbilirubinemia.     

Percutaneous stenting of acquired thoracic aorta occlusive disease.

We report on successful treatment of acquired atherosclerotic coarctation of the thoracic aorta with self-expanding stents via percutaneous approach. The technique and equipment used in the case are discussed.     

Beraprost Therapy in Children with Pulmonary Hypertension Secondary to Congenital Heart Disease

We present a report on children with severe pulmonary hypertension secondary to congenital heart disease who received 6 months of beraprost therapy. The children had an increase in intracardiac left-to-right shunt and a reduction of the pulmonary-to-systemic vascular resistance ratio, whereas the pulmonary artery pressure was not significantly changed.     

Transcatheter tricuspid valve‐in‐valve implantation for degenerative surgical bio‐prosthesis using SAPIEN 3: A case series

We evaluated early outcomes of transcatheter valve‐in‐valve (ViV) implantation in patients with degenerated bio‐prosthesis in tricuspid position. Total of 5 patients were included in our case series. Baseline native tricuspid valve etiology were highly varied ranging from chest wall trauma, Ebstein anomaly, rheumatic heart disease, infective endocarditis and complex congenital heart disease. These differences also made patient comorbidities highly varied. Procedure details were also varied due to different clinical and technical challenges. All cases underwent successful Tricuspid VIV implantation with satisfactory hemodynamics results. All patients experienced improved clinical symptoms at follow up.     

Transcoronary Infusion of Bone Marrow Derived Multipotent Stem Cells to Preserve Left Ventricular Geometry and Function After Myocardial Infarction

Background

Myocardial damage after myocardial infarction (MI) was deemed irreversible after late reperfusion. Administration of multipotent stem cell (MSC) into such infarct may regenerate the myocardium and capillary network.

Hypothesis

Transcoronary infusion of bone marrow derived multipotent stem cells into infarcted related artery after acute myocardial infarction is feasible, safe and improve left ventricular function.

Methods

We conducted a pilot study in patients who survived ST‐elevation MI with late reperfusion therapy and remained hemodynamically stable. Bone marrow derived MSC was infused into a patent infarct‐related coronary artery during brief low pressure (2 atm) balloon inflation. A 3‐T gadolinium‐based MRI was performed at baseline and 8 weeks later to evaluate infarct area and LV function.

Results

We enrolled 10 patients, age 63.8 ± 2.8 years 5.2 ± 4.12 × 10⁶ MSC were infused via coronary artery 24.8 ± 16 days after infarction. The procedures were successful in all patients without any in‐hospital event. Infarct size by MRI decreased by 5.84% (P = .018) over 8 weeks. Mean baseline left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was 44.1% ± 9% and was 46.3% ± 9% at 8 weeks (P = .34). A trend of smaller LV end‐systolic volume with 65.02 ± 18.2 ml vs 63.04 ± 21.89 ml (P = .09) with no change of LV end‐diastolic volume observed.

Conclusion

MSC infusion into coronary circulation was feasible and safe after myocardial infarction. Infarct size was reduced with preservation of LV geometry. Copyright © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.