Left Main Coronary Artery Thrombosis With Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Management Dilemma

Left main coronary artery (LMCA) thrombosis with acute myocardial infarction is a rare condition with very high mortality. The low incidence of this condition and exclusion of patients with LMCA thrombosis from clinical trials prevent the development of optimal management strategy in these patients. Therefore, there are no clear-cut guidelines describing an evidence-based approach for this condition. We describe a patient with LMCA thrombosis presenting with acute myocardial infarction, who was found to have hypercoagulable state related to homocysteinemia on further work-up. This case highlights the challenges faced during the management of this rare condition due to lack of clear-cut guidelines describing an evidence-based approach.     

Patient perceptions of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring testing,tolerability, accessibility,and expense

Use of 24‐hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring is strongly endorsed by contemporary hypertension guidelines. The objective of this study was to assess patient perceptions of ambulatory blood pressure testing, tolerability, accessibility, and expense. A convenience sample of 50, consenting patients undergoing ambulatory blood pressure monitoring at the University of Alberta Hypertension Clinic in Edmonton, Canada was studied. A 16‐item structured questionnaire was administered in person or electronically. Questions regarding the tolerability of ambulatory monitoring were evaluated using a 5‐point Likert scale and wait times, expenditures, and willingness to pay were evaluated by direct questioning. Mean age was 53.1 ± 15.4 years, 32 (64%) were female, and 23 (46%) were employed. Mean 24‐hour ambulatory BP was 134 ± 12/79 ± 8 mmHg. Ambulatory monitoring caused discomfort in 40 (80%) patients and disturbed sleep in 39 (78%). Forty‐one (82%) patients perceived that the home (vs pharmacy, primary care clinic, and speciality care clinic) would be the easiest venue to access future testing. On average, patients waited 27.3 ± 23.7 days for testing; they felt that a wait time of 21.3 ± 12.3 days was appropriate. Mean time taken off work was 8.6 ± 10.8 hours. Twelve (24%) patients indicated that they would be willing to pay out‐of‐pocket to undergo testing sooner, at a mean expenditure of $120 ± 69. Nineteen (62%) patients were willing to buy a monitor and felt that a mean purchase cost of $125 ± 89 was appropriate. These findings extend current knowledge of patient perceptions of ambulatory monitoring and may help to refine and optimize future delivery of this essential test.     

Autoimmune cytopenia does not predict poor prognosis in chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) is characterized by an acquired immune defect that can cause autoimmune complications, including anemia and thrombocytopenia. We conducted an observational study of the epidemiology, clinical presentation and significance of autoimmune complications of CLL/SLL in 132 patients from a large population (>45,000 veterans), in which at least 90% of patients with CLL/SLL have been previously identified. Over a period of 12.5 years, 12 patients (9.1%) had autoimmune complications; of these, 6 (4.5%) had autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA), 5 (3.8%) had immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), and 1 (0.8%) had pure red blood cell aplasia (PRBA). All 6 cases of AIHA had a positive direct immunoglobulin test for IgG and C3d. In 6 patients, CLL/SLL was an incidental finding at the time of presentation with autoimmune cytopenia. Nine out of 10 patients responded to immunosuppressive therapy, which was complicated by serious infection in 7 cases, one of which was fatal. The major cause of mortality in patients with autoimmune complications of CLL/SLL was secondary malignancy. Survival of patients with immune cytopenia was not significantly different from CLL/SLL patients without immune cytopenia. Among patients with anemia or thrombocytopenia, mortality was significantly higher in those with bone marrow failure compared to an autoimmune etiology. We show that in a non-referred population with a high incidence of CLL/SLL, autoimmune cytopenia can occur early in the natural history of the disease. These data suggest that the Rai and Binet classifications for CLL need to be modified for patients with autoimmune cytopenia. .     

Reduced in vivo skeletal muscle oxygen consumption in patients with chronic heart failure--a study using Near Infrared Spectrophotometry (NIRS)

AIM: We used Near Infrared Spectrophotometry (NIRS) during arterial occlusion to measure resting skeletal muscle oxygen consumption in chronic heart failure (CHF) patients and in age-matched healthy volunteers (HVs). METHODS: Fifteen CHF patients (ten males) and eleven HVs (six males) had echocardiographic evaluation followed by measurement of the oxygen consumption of the brachioradialis muscle using NIRS. This involved continuous measurement of the oxygenated haemoglobin concentration ([Oxy-Hb]) and deoxy-haemoglobin concentration ([Deoxy-Hb]) with an Oxiplex TS NIRS probe first under basal overnight fasted resting conditions followed by 1 min of forearm arterial occlusion. A linear decline was observed in [Oxy-Hb-Deoxy-Hb] during the arterial occlusion and the oxygen consumption rate was calculated from the initial slope observed. RESULTS: CHF patients were 59+/-2.8 years old with Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction (LVEF) 31%+/-2.2 and the HVs were 52+/-4.8 years old with LVEF 62%+/-2.5. The resting muscle oxygen consumption rate was significantly reduced in CHF patients versus HVs (0.04+/-0.01 mlO(2)/min/100 g versus 0.07+/-0.01 mlO(2)/min/100 g) p<0.005. CONCLUSIONS: There is a significant reduction in resting oxygen consumption per gram of tissue in skeletal muscle of patients with CHF.     

Prolonged administration of infusional cisplatin and oral etoposide in advanced non-small cell lung cancer

We conducted a phase I/II trial to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and the efficacy of prolonged infusion of cisplatin and oral etoposide in the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Cisplatin was given via an infuser in escalating doses of 5, 6.5, 8, 9 and 10 mg/m(2)/day for 14 days along with etoposide at a fixed dose of 50 mg/m(2)/day orally followed by a 2-week rest period. All patients had stage IIIB or IV NSCLC. A cisplatin dose of 8 mg/m(2)/day was determined as the MTD. In the 13 patients treated at this dose level, grade III and IV toxicities were mainly hematologic including neutropenia (n = 5), febrile neutropenia (n = 4), thrombocytopenia (n = 3) and anemia (n = 6). Grade III/IV renal toxicity occurred in one patient. There were no treatment-related deaths. One patient had a partial response and three patients had stable disease. Thus, although the described regimen of cisplatin/etoposide is reasonably well tolerated, it does not appear to be better than the same combination administered over a shorter duration, in spite of a cumulative dose of 112 mg/ m(2) of cisplatin and 700 mg/ m(2) of etoposide per cycle.     

Cardiogenic shock due to acute hemorrhagic necrosis of a pheochromocytoma: a case report and review of the literature

Hemorrhagic necrosis of a pheochromocytoma is a rare cause of acute presentation that is often devastating to patients. A 44-year-old woman with spontaneous hemorrhage into a previously undiscovered pheochromocytoma is described. The patient presented with acute cardiogenic pulmonary edema, shock, abdominal pain, myalgia and high fever. Her cardiac function recovered with aggressive medical treatment before the tumour was removed. This case illustrates an unusual presentation of pheochromocytoma and emphasizes the importance of aggressive and appropriate medical therapy in pheochromocytoma heart disease.     

Fatal hypoglycemia in malignant pheochromocytoma: direct glucose consumption as suggested by (18)F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography imaging

We present a patient with metastatic pheochromocytoma, who developed progressive and fatal hypoglycemia most likely secondary to direct tumor glucose consumption that did not respond to high-dose glucose infusion, corticosteroids, or glucagon therapy. The pattern of glucose uptake on (18)F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography, with preferential tumor glucose uptake in association with a marked reduction in normal uptake in the heart, muscles, and brain, is highly suggestive of direct consumption of glucose by the tumor rather than insulin-like growth factor-2 mediated hypoglycemia. In patients with large-volume metastatic malignancies, direct tumor glucose consumption should be considered in the differential diagnosis of hypoglycemia. Nuclear medicine imaging techniques can illustrate the pathophysiology of hypoglycemia in such cases.