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Advanced aortic valve infective endocarditis (IE) with progression and destruction beyond the valve cusps—invasive IE—is incompletely characterized. This study aimed to characterize further the invasive disease extent, location, and stage and correlate macroscopic operative findings with microscopic disease patterns and progression. A total of 43 patients with invasive aortic valve IE were prospectively enrolled from August 2017 to July 2018. Of these patients, 23 (53%) had prosthetic valve IE, 2 (5%) had allograft IE, and 18 (42%) had native aortic valve IE. Surgical findings and intraoperative photography were analyzed for invasion location, extent, and stage. Surgical samples were formalin fixed and analyzed histologically. The time course of disease and management were evaluated. Pathogens included Staphylococcus aureus in 17 patients (40%). Invasion predominantly affected the non–left coronary commissure (76%) and was circumferential in 15 patients (35%) (14 had prosthetic valves). Extraaortic cellulitis was present in 29 patients (67%), abscess in 13 (30%), abscess cavity in 29 (67%), and pseudoaneurysm in 8 (19%); 7 (16%) had fistulas. Histopathologic examination revealed acute inflammation, abscess formation, and lysis of connective tissue but not of myocardium or elastic tissue. Median time from onset of symptoms to antibiotics was 5 days, invasion confirmation 15 days, and surgery 37 days. Patients with S aureus had a 21-day shorter time course than patients non– S aureus. New or worsening heart block developed in 8 patients. Advanced invasive aortic valve IE demonstrates consistent gross patterns and stages correlating with histopathologic findings. Invasion results from a confluence of factors, including pathogen, time, and host immune response, and primarily affects the fibrous skeleton of the heart and expands to low-pressure regions. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) is a serious condition with high morbidity and mortality. This study investigated the association of surgical treatment with survival among patients with PVE. A retrospective cohort study was done of patients with PVE hospitalized over 8 years in a large referral center. Association of surgery with survival was evaluated with multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression, adjusting for propensity to be accepted for surgery, and analyzing surgery as a time-dependent covariate. Survival was also compared separately in a 1:1 propensity score-matched cohort of patients accepted for surgery and control patients consigned to nonsurgical treatment. Of 523 patients (mean [SD] age, 61 [14] years; 370 [71%] men; 393 [75%] initially accepted for surgery), 404 ultimately underwent surgery and 119 received nonsurgical treatment alone. Surgical treatment was associated with significantly lower hazard of death in the entire cohort (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.32; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.22-0.48; P <.001) and in the 1:1 matched cohort (HR = 0.33; 95% CI: 0.19-0.57; P <.001). Initial acceptance for surgery was associated with significantly lower odds of in-hospital death (odds ratio [OR] = 0.26; 95% CI: 0.11-0.59; P <.001), death or readmission within 90 days (OR = 0.17; 95% CI: 0.07-0.43; P <.001), and death within 1 year (OR = 0.16; 95% CI: 0.08-0.34; P <.001). Surgical treatment is associated with a large survival benefit in PVE. A decision to pursue nonsurgical treatment in PVE should entail close follow-up for any development of an indication for surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we present the case of a 38-year-old man with an incidentally found right upper lobe lung mass. The patient underwent thoracoscopic resection of the mass, which revealed a myxoid spindle cell lipoma. That is an exceedingly rare location for this tumor biology, and here we discuss its pathologic features and treatment options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Rifampin is recommended as adjunctive treatment for staphylococcal prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE). It is unclear whether this should hold for surgically treated patients. The purpose of this study was to examine whether adjunctive rifampin treatment in addition to cell wall active antimicrobial agents in patients with surgically treated staphylococcal infective endocarditis (IE) results in better outcomes. Methods Patients operated on for staphylococcal IE from April 1, 2008, to July 1, 2014, were identified from our institution’s IE registry. Rifampin treatment was defined as 3 or more days of rifampin postoperatively. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to compare a composite outcome of death or reoperation for IE relapse, between patients treated and not treated with rifampin, adjusted for propensity to be treated with rifampin, methicillin resistance, all-purpose refined diagnosis related group (APR-DRG) severity score, and APR-DRG mortality risk. Results In all, 273 patients were identified. The mean age was 56 years, 66% were male, 50% had PVE, 60% had S. aureus or S. lugdunensis infection, 89% had left side involvement, and 57% had invasive disease. Fifty-one (27%) received 3 or more days of rifampin postoperatively. Ninety-two patients died or underwent reoperation for IE relapse at a median of 205 days (interquartile range 56 to 718 days). In a multivariable model, patients treated with rifampin had a similar hazard of death or reoperation for IE relapse as those not treated (hazard ratio 0.76, 95% confidence interval 0.44 to 1.32, p value 0.34). The results were robust to varying definitions of rifampin treatment. Conclusions Among patients with surgically treated staphylococcal IE there was insufficient evidence to claim a reoperation-free survival benefit from treatment with rifampin. Rifampin should not be used as adjunctive therapy for staphylococcal IE in patients who have undergone surgical procedures for its treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Infective endocarditis (IE) requiring surgical intervention in patients who actively inject drugs poses treatment challenges. Decisions regarding the need for operation are affected by concern for relapse of IE from ongoing injection drug use (IDU). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of active IDU on outcomes after operation for IE. Methods All patients with IE surgically treated at Cleveland Clinic from July 1, 2007 to July 1, 2012 were identified from the Cleveland Clinic Infective Endocarditis Registry and the Cardiovascular Information Registry. Of 536 patients operated on for IE during the study period, 41 (8%) actively injected drugs. The primary outcome of the study was death or reoperation for IE. Results Patients who injected drugs had poorer survival free of reoperation, and the risk of events varied with time. In a multivariable Cox proportional hazards model, using time-dependent covariates, IDU was associated with a higher hazard of death or reoperation between 90 and 180 days (hazard ratio [HR], 9.8; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.7–35.3) but not before 90 days (HR, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.05–3.1) or after 180 days (HR, 1.8; 95% CI, 0.8–3.8). Among patients who injected drugs, reoperation and death contributed equally to the outcome, whereas among patients who did not inject drugs, reoperation for IE was far less common. Conclusions Between 3 and 6 months after operation for IE, patients who inject drugs have a hazard of death or reoperation that is about 10 times that of patients who do not inject drugs. Before and after, the HRs are much smaller and not statistically significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Testing excised valves in surgically treated infective endocarditis (IE) patients provides an opportunity to identify the microbial etiology of IE. Microbial sequencing (universal bacterial, mycobacterial, or fungal polymerase chain reaction followed by DNA sequencing) of valves can identify microorganisms accurately, but the value it adds beyond information provided by blood and valve cultures has not been adequately explored. Methods Three hundred fifty-six patients who underwent surgery for active IE from January 1, 2010, to January 1, 2013, were identified from our cardiovascular information registry and outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy registry. Their records were reviewed to identify 174 patients whose valves were sent for sequencing. The microbial etiology of IE was defined using comprehensive clinical, pathologic, and microbiological criteria. Blood culture, valve culture, and valve sequencing were examined to determine how frequently they identified the definitive cause of IE. Results Of the 174 patients, 162 (93%) had acute inflammation on histopathologic examination of their valves. Valve sequencing was significantly more sensitive than valve culture in identifying the causative pathogen (90% versus 31%, p < 0.001), and yielded fewer false positive results (3% versus 33%, p <0.001). The pathogen would not have been identified in 25 patients (15%) had it not been for valve sequencing. All the value provided by sequencing was attributable to bacterial DNA sequencing; mycobacterial and fungal sequencing provided no additional information beyond that provided by blood culture, histopathology, and valve culture. Conclusions Valve sequencing, not valve culture, should be considered the primary test for identifying bacteria in excised cardiac valves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The shortage of lungs for organ donation is problematic, and meeting the demand by expanding the donor pool in lung transplantation is critical. Donation after cardiac death (DCD) is an under-used approach that could be a valuable source of organs. However, procuring lungs from donors with a previous median sternotomy is technically difficult and is usually avoided. Here, we describe the procurement of lungs from a DCD patient with a previous median sternotomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surgical embolectomy in acute pulmonary embolism is usually reserved for patients with massive pulmonary embolism presenting with cardiogenic shock, or for whom thrombolysis is absolutely contraindicated or has failed. Incomplete removal of thrombotic material lodged in the distal pulmonary arterial bed is considered an important cause of persistent pulmonary hypertension. Retrograde pulmonary embolectomy is an adjunct to conventional pulmonary embolectomy, resulting in more complete embolectomy, specifically of material lodged in the distal pulmonary arterial bed. We describe our simplified technique of retrograde pulmonary embolectomy as a safe adjunct to conventional pulmonary embolectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Esophageal reconstruction by a substernal route with a colonic conduit after previous esophagectomy and end-cervical esophagostomy in the presence of a patent left internal thoracic artery graft to the left anterior descending coronary artery is a technically challenging procedure. In this case report, we describe a safe approach to this difficult problem. With proper planning and careful dissection, substernal esophageal reconstruction after previous sternotomy in patients with a patent left internal thoracic artery graft is feasible and can be safely performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary cardiac sarcomas are rare but aggressive tumors and can present a technical challenge with regard to surgical approach and resection. Complete surgical resection, when feasible, remains crucial for palliation of symptoms and for its role as the mainstay of cardiac sarcoma therapy. Surgical resection of recurrent cardiac sarcomas, though formidable, is technically feasible and may provide reasonable survival, especially when the recurrence is local and the metastatic load is limited. In this case report, we describe a successful third cardiac sarcoma resection procedure in a young patient with previous cardiac autotransplantation and excision of left atrial sarcoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]