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Background: Although drug-coated balloon (DCB)-based stent-less percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for de-novo lesions has attracted more attention, outcomes of the DCB procedure for hemodialysis (HD) patients are reported to be inferior to those for non-HD patients, similarly to drug-eluting stent (DES). Recent several reports have shown that rotational atherectomy (RA) followed by DCB treatment (RA/DCB) could be an option of revascularization strategy particularly for calcified de-novo lesions even in the new-generation DES era; however, efficacy of the RA/DCB procedure for HD patients remains unclear., Methods: A total of 47 consecutive cases (53 lesions) undergoing RA/DCB for de-novo lesions were enrolled. According to the presence/absence of HD at baseline, the 47 cases were divided into the HD cases (N.=16) and the non-HD cases (N.=31), and the 53 lesions were divided into the HD lesions (N.=20) and the non-HD lesions (N.=33)., Results: The HD cases had a significantly lower prevalence of dyslipidemia and smoking than the non-HD cases. Final RA burr size, DCB diameter used, and angiographic success rate of PCI did not significantly differ between the 2 groups. Preprocedural, post-procedural, and follow-up QCA parameters were also similar between the 2 groups. Twelve-month clinical outcomes were comparable between the 2 groups., Conclusions: Mid-term outcomes of stent-less PCI using RA/DCB for de-novo lesions in HD patients might be comparable to those in non-HD patients, suggesting efficacy of pretreatment of RA prior to DCB treatment in HD patients.

Competing Interests: The authors report no financial relationships or conflicts of interest regarding the contents of the manuscript.

Mutations in the OTOF gene are a common cause of hereditary hearing loss and the main cause of auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder (ANSD). Although it is reported that most of the patients with OTOF mutations have stable, congenital or prelingual onset severe-to-profound hearing loss, some patients show atypical clinical phenotypes, and the genotype-phenotype correlation in patients with OTOF mutations is not yet fully understood. In this study, we aimed to reveal detailed clinical characteristics of OTOF-related hearing loss patients and the genotype-phenotype correlation. Detailed clinical information was available for 64 patients in our database who were diagnosed with OTOF-related hearing loss. As reported previously, most of the patients (90.6%) showed a "typical" phenotype; prelingual and severe-to-profound hearing loss. Forty-seven patients (73.4%) underwent cochlear implantation surgery and showed successful outcomes; approximately 85-90% of the patients showed a hearing level of 20-39 dB with cochlear implant and a Categories of Auditory Performance (CAP) scale level 6 or better. Although truncating mutations and p.Arg1939Gln were clearly related to severe phenotype, almost half of the patients with one or more non-truncating mutations showed mild-to-moderate hearing loss. Notably, patients with p.His513Arg, p.Ile1573Thr and p.Glu1910Lys showed "true" auditory neuropathy-like clinical characteristics. In this study, we have clarified genotype-phenotype correlation and efficacy of cochlear implantation for OTOF-related hearing loss patients in the biggest cohort studied to date. We believe that the clinical characteristics and genotype-phenotype correlation found in this study will support preoperative counseling and appropriate intervention for OTOF-related hearing loss patients., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Downstream paclitaxel particle embolization for nonhealing ischemic ulcers and systemic adverse effects caused by a paclitaxel drug-coated balloon are of concern, and safety measures to prevent these adverse risks are needed. To reduce distal particle embolization and movement of the paclitaxel particles to systemic blood flow during drug-coated balloon inflation, proximal balloon occlusion using a sheathless temporary occlusion balloon-guiding catheter and extraction by manual aspiration of the paclitaxel-containing blood through the catheter are good treatment options to overcome these risks. Here, we introduce this method with tips and tricks, and demonstrate initial experience of this technique., (© 2021 The Author(s).)

Background: Several recent reports have shown that a stentless interventional procedure using rotational atherectomy followed by drug-coated balloon (DCB) treatment (RA/DCB) is a potent revascularization therapy for calcified de novo lesions even in the new-generation drug-eluting stent era; however, the role of the RA/DCB procedure for noncalcified de novo lesions remains unclear., Methods: A total of 47 consecutive patients (53 lesions) who underwent RA/DCB for coronary de novo lesions were enrolled. According to the presence or absence of severe calcification at target lesions on fluoroscopy, the 47 patients were divided into the noncalcified cases (n = 12) and the calcified cases (n = 35), and the 53 lesions were divided into the noncalcified lesions (n = 14) and the calcified lesions (n = 39)., Results: The noncalcified cases tended to have a higher frequency of bleeding risk and had a significantly lower prevalence of dual antiplatelet therapy compared with the calcified cases. The main lesion-specific factors for the RA/DCB procedure among the noncalcified lesions were presence of left circumflex coronary artery ostial lesion. The final burr size, DCB diameter used, and angiographic success rate did not significantly differ between the 2 groups. The noncalcified lesions had a larger reference diameter and a shorter lesion length than the calcified lesions, whereas acute gain and late lumen loss did not differ between the 2 groups. Nine-month clinical outcomes were comparable between the 2 groups., Conclusions: Under drug-eluting stent-unsuitable clinical or lesion conditions, acute and midterm outcomes of RA/DCB for noncalcified de novo lesions might be comparable with those for calcified de novo lesions., (© 2021 The Authors.)

Objectives: We investigated angiographic and clinical outcomes in patients with de novo lesions undergoing rotational atherectomy (RA) followed by drug-coated balloon (DCB) dilation (RA/DCB)., Background: Implantation of drug-eluting stent (DES) has been a mainstay of the interventional treatment of coronary artery disease (CAD); however, there still remain several DES-unsuitable clinical/lesion conditions. Nowadays DCB for de novo lesions has attracted more attention, and RA, which tends not to cause major dissection but to debulk intima, might be one of suitable pre-treatments before DCB., Methods and Results: Thirty patients (34 lesions) undergoing RA/DCB for de novo lesions were enrolled. Clinical/lesion background included severe calcification, calcified nodule, inlet/outlet of aneurysm, ostial lesion, severe thrombocytopenia, bleeding tendency, and/or sequelae of Kawasaki disease. The largest burr size used was 1.83 ± 0.23 mm, and the mean DCB diameter was 2.71 ± 0.47 mm. Angiographic success was obtained in 94% of the lesions. No acute closure but 1 no reflow occurred. Repeat angiography (mean, 6.6 months after procedure) was performed for 19 lesions. Frequency of binary restenosis was 21.1%, and late lumen loss was 0.34 ± 0.30 mm. During a mean follow-up period of 13.1 months, 6 deaths (2 sudden deaths, 1 cardiac death, 3 non-cardiac deaths), 2 strokes, and 2 target lesion revascularizations were observed., Conclusions: Stent-less PCI using RA/DCB might be an alternative revascularization therapy for CAD patients complicated with DES-unsuitable conditions., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors have no conflicts of interest regarding the content of the manuscript., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

MYO6 is known as a genetic cause of autosomal dominant and autosomal recessive inherited hearing loss. In this study, to clarify the frequency and clinical characteristics of hearing loss caused by MYO6 gene mutations, a large-scale genetic analysis of Japanese patients with hearing loss was performed. By means of massively parallel DNA sequencing (MPS) using next-generation sequencing for 8074 Japanese families, we found 27 MYO6 variants in 33 families, 22 of which are novel. In total, 2.40% of autosomal dominant sensorineural hearing loss (ADSNHL) in families in this study (32 out of 1336) was found to be caused by MYO6 mutations. The present study clarified that most cases showed juvenile-onset progressive hearing loss and their hearing deteriorated markedly after 40 years of age. The estimated hearing deterioration was found to be 0.57 dB per year; when restricted to change after 40 years of age, the deterioration speed was accelerated to 1.07 dB per year. To obtain supportive evidence for pathogenicity, variants identified in the patients were introduced to MYO6 cDNA by site-directed mutagenesis and overexpressed in epithelial cells. They were then assessed for their effects on espin1-induced microvilli formation. Cells with wildtype myosin 6 and espin1 co-expressed created long microvilli, while co-expression with mutant constructs resulted in severely shortened microvilli. In conclusion, the present data clearly showed that MYO6 is one of the genes to keep in mind with regard to ADSNHL, and the molecular characteristics of the identified gene variants suggest that a possible pathology seems to result from malformed stereocilia of the cochlear hair cells.

TECTA is well known as a causative gene for autosomal dominant mid-frequency hearing loss observed in various populations. In this study, we performed next-generation sequencing analysis of a large Japanese hearing loss cohort, including eight hundred and twelve (812) subjects from unrelated autosomal dominant hearing loss families, to estimate the prevalence and phenotype-genotype correlations in patients with TECTA mutations. The prevalence of TECTA mutations in Japanese autosomal dominant sensorineural hearing loss families was found to be 3.2%. With regard to the type of hearing loss, the patients with mutations in the nidogen-like domain or ZA domain of TECTA showed varied audiograms. However, most of the patients with mutations in the ZP domain showed mid-frequency hearing loss. The rate of hearing deterioration in TECTA -associated hearing loss patients and in the normal hearing Japanese control population were the same and regression lines for each group were parallel. We carried out haplotype analysis for four families which had one recurring missense variant, c.5597C>T (p.Thr1866Met). Our results revealed four different haplotypes, suggesting that this mutation occurred independently in each family. In conclusion, TECTA variants represent the second largest cause of autosomal dominant sensorineural hearing loss in Japan. The hearing loss progression observed in the patients with TECTA mutations might reflect presbycusis. The c.5597C>T mutation occurred in a mutational hot spot and is observed in many ethnic populations.

Background: Even in the drug-eluting stent era, ostial lesion of the right coronary artery (RCA) still remains therapeutic challenge for interventional cardiologists. Case Series Case 1 (76 y.o. male) with angina on effort underwent transradial stent-less percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) using rotational atherectomy (RA) followed by drug-coated balloon (DCB) dilation alone (RA/DCB) against a calcified de novo RCA ostial lesion. Case 2 (86 y.o. female) with recurrent unstable angina and hemodialysis underwent transfemoral RA/DCB against a severe repeat in-stent restenosis probably due to calcified nodule in the RCA ostium. In the both patients, PCI was successfully completed under intravascular ultrasound imaging (IVUS) guidance without complications. Follow-up CAG performed 4-5 months after the procedure revealed no significant lumen narrowing in the both RCA ostial lesions., Conclusions: The both cases suggest that stent-less PCI using RA/DCB under IVUS might be an alternative revascularization therapy of choice for calcified RCA ostial lesions., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between thrombocytopenia at baseline and in-hospital outcomes in unselected patients undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in Japan. Methods Among a total of 1,247 consecutive elective PCI-treated patients, patients with a baseline platelet count 150,000-449,000/μL and 50,000-149,000/μL were assigned to the normal platelet (n=1,009) and thrombocytopenia (n=226) groups, respectively. The thrombocytopenia group was further divided into the mild thrombocytopenia (100,000-149,000/μL, n=187) and moderate thrombocytopenia (50,000-99,000/μL, n=39) groups. Results The angiographic success rate of PCI and in-hospital mortality rate did not differ to a statistically significant extent between the normal platelet and thrombocytopenia groups or between the mild thrombocytopenia and moderate thrombocytopenia groups, whereas the moderate thrombocytopenia group had a significantly higher rate of access site-related bleeding complications than the normal platelet group. According to a multivariate analysis, moderate thrombocytopenia was an independent predictor of access site-related bleeding complications. Conclusion Among patients with mild to moderate thrombocytopenia, elective PCI might be feasible and effective in the short term; however, more attention should be paid to access site-related bleeding complications, particularly in patients with moderate thrombocytopenia.

A 61-year-old man with essential thrombocythemia (ET) presented with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention. After stent deployment from the left main (LM) to the left anterior descending artery, intravascular ultrasound revealed thrombi formation in the whole stent. Two days later, optical frequency domain imaging confirmed stent malapposition and thrombi remaining in only the LM. The stent malapposition and ET might have contributed to this phenomenon. He underwent an additional stent expansion and aggressive anti-thrombotic regimen. AMI complicated with ET carries increased risks of in-stent thrombi formation and requires careful revascularization and aggressive pharmacotherapy.

A 77-year-old man was referred to our hospital for angina on effort. Coronary angiography and computed tomography demonstrated a single coronary artery arising from the right sinus of Valsalva. The left circumflex coronary artery (LCx) anomalously deriving near from the ostium of right coronary artery exhibited severe stenosis in the bifurcation of the obtuse marginal branch. Although the bifurcation lesion still remains a therapeutic challenge for guide extension catheter (GEC)-based percutaneous coronary intervention, under the guidance of intravascular ultrasound imaging, we successfully implanted an everolimus-eluting stent at the bifurcated LCx lesion and performed kissing balloon inflation using 0.014- and 0.010-inch systems through GECs.

Background: Experiences of rotational atherectomy (RA) followed by drug-coated balloon (DCB) dilation alone (RA/DCB) for de novo coronary artery lesion have been limited., Case Series: Case 1 (65 year-old male) with silent myocardial ischemia and hemodialysis had old anterior myocardial infarction and intact LM/LCx, and underwent RA/DCB against a diffuse calcified lesion in the proximal LAD and a tandem lesion in the proximal RCA. Case 2 (88 year-old female) with post-infarction unstable angina had severe thrombocytopenia and anemia due to myelodysplastic syndrome (platelet 6000/μL, hemoglobin 8.3 g/dL), and underwent RA/DCB against a severe stenosis in the mid LCx after transfusions. Case 3 (47 year-old male) with silent myocardial ischemia due to possible sequelae of Kawasaki disease underwent RA/DCB against a restenotic lesion at the in-let of the calcified aneurysm in the proximal LAD. In all of the patients, PCI was successfully completed under optical frequency domain imaging (OFDI) without complications. Follow-up CAG performed 6-7 months after the procedure revealed no restenosis in case 1 and case 3, and all of the 3 cases have been free of cardiovascular/hemorrhagic events for 11-37 months since the last stent-less procedures., Conclusions: These cases suggest that RA/DCB under OFDI might be an alternative stent-less revascularization therapy of choice for patients who may be unsuitable for drug-eluting stent implantation., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

An 83-year-old man presented with recurrent acute coronary syndrome (ACS) at the left main coronary artery (LMCA) complicated with ostial chronic total occlusion (CTO) in the right coronary artery (RCA) (RCA-CTO). At the first LMCA-ACS approximately 1 year earlier, he had undergone LMCA-crossover stenting with a biolimus-eluting stent in the presence of RCA-CTO. At the second LMCA-ACS, we angiographically confirmed severe in-stent restenosis in the distal LMCA, in addition to angled severe stenosis in the just proximal LCx, and performed primary PCI for the LMCA bifurcation lesion under intra-aortic balloon pumping support. Because of difficulty in crossing a guidewire through the just proximal LCx lesion, we first performed rotational atherectomy against the LMCA in-stent eccentric lesion. After successfully crossing the guidewire into the LCx, we added balloon dilation with kissing balloon inflation followed by alternate drug-coated balloon dilation. An eight-month follow-up coronary angiography revealed no further vessel narrowing in the LMCA bifurcation lesion.

A 76-year-old man with aplastic anemia presented with recurrent acute myocardial infarction (AMI) with heart failure. After the initial appearance of AMI approximately 2 months earlier, he had received conservative treatment/transfusion alone because of severe thrombocytopenia and anemia (platelet 11 × 10 3 /μL, hemoglobin 6.4 g/dL). Refractory heart failure persisted despite repeated conservative treatment/transfusion for the second AMI, and therefore, we performed transradial coronary angiography and left main crossover stenting with a bare metal stent. His critical condition markedly improved; however, soon after discharge, he complicated with subdural hematoma. He has since been free of cardiovascular/hemorrhagic events for 7 months without antiplatelet/anticoagulant therapy.

A 54-year-old man appeared to have acute coronary syndrome with 2 subtotal occlusive culprit lesions in the RCA and in the LCx, and intermediate stenosis in the LAD. Approximately 2 weeks after the primary PCI, we performed elective PCI for the LAD lesion. We confirmed presence of thin-cap fibroatheroma at the culprit on OFDI and implanted an everolimus-eluting stent (EES); however, the OFDI catheter was entrapped in the EES, leading to a serious stent deformation. Under the guidance of the entrapped OFDI itself, we could recross another guidewire, successfully reconstruct the deformed stent, and retrieve the OFDI catheter.

A 62-year-old male underwent three percutaneous coronary interventions involving four bare metal stents and six Cypher sirolimus-eluting stents within 1 month. At the latest coronary angiographic examination, all of the Cypher stents, but none of the bare metal stents, exhibited peri-stent contrast staining. Moreover, these findings had progressively worsened over time, especially for lesions where two stents came into contact or stent fracture had occurred. It is rare for Cypher stent implantation to result in progressive peri-stent contrast staining, but patients who are treated with these stents should be carefully followed-up, including for stent thrombosis.

An 89-year-old woman appeared to have acute coronary syndrome at the left main trunk (LMT) complicated with severe aortic stenosis, moderate-severe mitral regurgitation, depressed left ventricular (LV) function, and multivessel disease. Because of sustained hypotension even under intra-aortic balloon pumping support during emergency coronary angiograhy, we performed primary percutaneous coronary intervention solely for the LMT lesion using a bare metal stent, leading to recovery from the shock state. On the second hospital day, based on our heart-team consensus, we performed aortic valve replacement and coronary artery bypass grafting surgery, and added edge-to-edge repair (Alfieri stitch) of the mitral valve, resulting in complete revascularization and dramatically improved LV function.

A 55-year-old woman with symptoms of heart failure appeared to have ischemic cardiomyopathy complicated with 3-vessel chronic total occlusion (CTO), severely deteriorated left ventricular (LV) function, and large LV thrombus. Because of high risk of surgical thrombectomy in addition to coronary artery bypass grafting surgery, we first confirmed significant reduction of LV thrombus and performed percutaneous coronary intervention against the 3-vessel CTO under preceding anticoagulation therapy with warfarin, aspirin, and clopidogrel. By means of antegrade/retrograde approach, we successfully implanted everolimus-eluting stents one by one, leading to complete revascularization, dramatically improved LV function, and disappearance of LV thrombus without post-procedural embolism.

A J-shaped or U-shaped curve phenomenon might exist between systolic blood pressure (SBP) or pulse pressure (PP) at admission and in-hospital mortality in Japanese patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, data regarding a relationship between mean blood pressure (MBP) at admission and in-hospital outcome in AMI patients undergoing primary PCI are still lacking in Japan.A total of 1,413 primary PCI-treated AMI patients were classified into quintiles based on admission MBP (< 79 n = 283, 79-91 n = 285, 92-103 n = 285, 104-115 n = 279, and ≥ 116 mmHg n = 281). Patients with MBP < 79 mmHg had a significantly higher in-hospital mortality, while mortality was not significantly different among the other quintiles: 16.6% (< 79), 4.9% (79-91), 3.9% (92-103), 3.2% (104-115), and 5.0% (≥ 116 mmHg). On multivariate analysis, Killip class ≥ 3 at admission, LMT or multivessels as culprit lesions, admission MBP < 79 mmHg, and age were independent positive predictors of in-hospital mortality, whereas hypercholesterolemia and TIMI 3 flow before/after PCI were negative predictors, while the other MBP categories were not.These results suggest that admission MBP < 79 mmHg might be associated with in-hospital death, and the in-hospital prognostic effects of MBP, the steady component of blood pressure, at admission might be different from those of SBP or PP, the pulsatile component of blood pressure, at admission in Japanese AMI patients undergoing primary PCI.

Rotational atherectomy with/without low-pressure balloon dilation has been a mainstay of interventional treatment for stenosis due to the coronary sequelae of Kawasaki disease (KD). Here, we report a restenosis case of probable coronary sequelae of KD treated with rotational atherectomy with low-pressure 2.5-mm balloon dilation 6 months previously. Under the guidance of optical frequency domain imaging, we performed rotational atherectomy followed by 2.5-mm drug-coated balloon (DCB) dilation for an atherosclerotic restenosis at the inlet of a calcified aneurysm in the proximal left anterior descending coronary artery. Coronary angiography 6 months later showed no apparent progression of vessel narrowing, and we could defer repeat intervention. The present case suggests that rotational atherectomy followed by DCB dilation could be an alternative revascularization therapy of choice in coronary KD sequelae complicated with atherosclerosis.

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) at left main trunk (LMT) is a deteriorated condition with high in-hospital morbidity and mortality; however, detailed data regarding AMI patients with LMT as culprit lesion (LMT-AMI patients) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been still limited. Using the AMI-Kyoto Multi-Center Risk Study database, clinical background, angiographic findings and results of primary PCI were retrospectively compared between primary PCI-treated LMT-AMI patients without in-hospital death (survivors, n = 21) and those with in-hospital death (non-survivors, n = 19). The survivors had higher values of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and systolic blood pressure at admission and lower prevalence of Killip grade 4 than the non-survivors. Pre-procedural thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow grade ≥2 at the initial coronary angiography (CAG) and post-procedural TIMI flow grade 3 at the final CAG were more frequent in the survivors, compared with the non-survivors. In contrast, age and gender did not differ significantly between the two groups. On multivariate analysis, higher eGFR and Killip grade 4 at admission were found to be independent in-hospital prognostic factors in the LMT-AMI patients. Admission eGFR and Killip grade 4 are tightly associated with in-hospital prognosis in LMT-AMI patients undergoing primary PCI.

Potential risk for early development of atherosclerosis in patients with antecedent-Kawasaki disease (KD) is now attracting more attention. A 47-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of calcification exclusively in the proximal segment of left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) on chest CT. Coronary CT revealed a severe stenosis at the inlet of the aneurysm with eggshell-like calcification in the proximal LAD, highly suspecting the presence of coronary sequelae of KD. During the rotational atherectomy-based interventional procedure, optical frequency domain imaging, a new generation of optical coherence tomography, clearly depicted lipid deposition in the culprit lesion.

Arteriovenous fistula (AVF) after trans-radial catheterization is an extremely rare complication. A 61-year-old man experienced a painful swelling in the left radial punctured site. The findings of vascular ultrasound and angiography led to a diagnosis of an iatrogenic radial AVF. We performed continuous compression using a hemostatic band for 24 h after which the radial AVF completely disappeared without vessel occlusion, and no relapse occurred. Eight cases of catheterization-induced radial AVF have been mentioned in the literature, but the treatment has not been noninvasive in any case. This is the first report of an iatrogenic radial AVF that was noninvasively repaired using continuous low-pressure compression with a hemostatic band. < Learning objective: Arteriovenous fistula (AVF) after trans-radial catheterization is a rare complication. The literature reports only 8 cases of catheterization-induced radial AVF and no patient has been cured noninvasively. This is the first report of an iatrogenic radial AVF that was repaired noninvasively. We believe that continuous low-pressure compression using a hemostatic band is an effective therapeutic option for this complication.>.

A 74-year-old man with single coronary artery and history of previous coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) was admitted to our hospital with worsening angina. Because of high risk of redo-CABG, we performed transradial percutaneous coronary intervention against the just proximal left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) stenosis coexisting with short main trunk, anomalous right coronary artery deriving from the mid LAD and patent left internal thoracic artery-distal LAD graft. Under the guidance of IVUS, we successfully implanted an everolimus-eluting stent from the main trunk ostium to the proximal LAD without complications.

Data regarding clinical efficacy of thrombectomy in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) have been still limited in Japan. Using the AMI-Kyoto Multi-Center Risk Study database, the clinical background characteristics, angiographic findings, primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) results and in-hospital prognoses were retrospectively compared between AMI patients with totally occluded infarct-related artery (IRA) (TIMI flow grade 0) undergoing thrombus aspiration during primary PCI (with-aspiration patients, n = 568) and those without thrombus aspiration (without-aspiration patients, n = 266). The with-aspiration patients were more likely to have higher TIMI grade in the IRA immediately after primary PCI, and had a lower in-hospital mortality rate than the without-aspiration patients. According to a multivariate analysis, thrombectomy as well as stent usage was found to be independent predictor of final TIMI flow grade ≥2 in the IRA, and the final TIMI flow grade ≥2 in the IRA was found to be an independent factor for in-hospital survival. These results suggest that among real-world, unselected Japanese AMI patients with totally occluded IRA on initial coronary angiography, thrombus aspiration is an effective adjunctive therapy during primary PCI to improve final epicardial coronary flow in the IRA, which might lead to better in-hospital prognosis.

Objective: The predictors of in-hospital outcomes after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) complicated with heart failure or cardiogenic shock at presentation remain unclear., Methods: Using the AMI-Kyoto Multi-Center Risk Study database, the clinical background characteristics, angiographic findings, primary PCI results, and in-hospital prognoses were retrospectively compared between primary PCI-treated AMI patients with a Killip class status of ≥2 (Killip 2-4 patients, n=390) and those with a Killip class 1 status (Killip 1 patients, n=1,057)., Results: The Killip 2-4 patients were more likely to have a higher age and proportion of women and exhibited a higher prevalence of previous myocardial infarction, diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease or anemia on admission, lower systolic blood pressure (SBP) values on admission, a higher rate of multivessels or left main trunk as the culprit artery, a larger number of diseased vessels, a lower Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) grade in the infarct-related artery (IRA) before/after primary PCI and a significantly higher in-hospital mortality rate than the Killip 1 patients. According to a multivariate analysis, age was found to be an independent positive predictor of in-hospital mortality, while admission SBP was an independent positive predictor of in-hospital survival in both groups. In contrast, anemia on admission was found to be an independent predictor of in-hospital death, while the TIMI 3 flow in the IRA after PCI was found to be an independent factor for survival in the Killip 2-4 patients, but not the Killip 1 patients., Conclusion: Anemia on admission and the final TIMI 3 flow in the IRA are critical determinants of in-hospital death in AMI patients with a Killip class status of ≥2 undergoing primary PCI.

Cardiorenal anemia syndrome has recently been receiving greater attention; however, data regarding the relationship between chronic kidney disease (CKD)/anemia on presentation and in-hospital outcome in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are still limited in Japan.A total of 1,447 primary PCI-treated AMI patients were classified into 4 groups according to the presence of CKD and/or anemia on hospital admission (with CKD/with anemia n = 222, with CKD/without anemia n = 299, without CKD/with anemia n = 151, without CKD/without anemia n = 775). Angiographic acute results of primary PCI were similar among the 4 groups. The patients with CKD had a significantly higher in-hospital overall mortality rate than the patients without CKD, and in the presence or absence of CKD, patients with anemia tended to have a higher in-hospital mortality rate than the patients without anemia. According to a multivariate analysis, anemia on admission was found to be an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality, whereas admission CKD and admission eGFR were statistically not independent predictors. Moreover, the multivariable adjusted odds ratio of in-hospital death in AMI patients with CKD alone was 1.855 (95% CI 0.929-3.706), and that in AMI patients with CKD/with anemia was 3.384 (95% CI 1.697-6.748).These results suggest that among real-world, unselected Japanese AMI patients undergoing primary PCI, the combination of CKD and anemia on admission confers significant adverse effects on in-hospital mortality.

Data regarding relationship between pulse pressure (PP) at admission and in-hospital outcome in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are still lacking. A total of 1413 primary PCI-treated AMI patients were classified into quintiles based on admission PP (<40, n = 280; 40-48, n = 276; 49-57, n = 288; 58-70, n = 288; and ≥71 mmHg, n = 281). The patients with PP < 40 mmHg tended to have higher prevalence of male, smoking, and Killip class ≥3 at admission; right coronary artery, left main trunk (LMT), or multivessels as culprit lesions; larger number of diseased vessels; lower Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) grade in the infarct-related artery before/after primary PCI; and higher value of peak creatine phosphokinase concentration. Patients with PP < 40 mmHg had highest mortality, while patients with PP 49-57 mmHg had the lowest: 11.8 % (<40), 7.2 % (40-48), 2.8 % (49-57), 5.9 % (58-70), and 6.0 % (≥71 mmHg). On multivariate analysis, Killip class ≥3 at admission, LMT or multivessels as culprit lesions, chronic kidney disease, and age were the independent positive predictors of the in-hospital mortality, whereas admission PP 49-57 mmHg, hypercholesterolemia, and TIMI 3 flow before/after PCI were the negative ones, but admission PP < 40 mmHg was not. These results suggest that admission PP 49-57 mmHg might be correlated with better in-hospital prognosis in Japanese AMI patients undergoing primary PCI.

Background: Downsized devices for less invasive endovascular treatment are gaining more attention., Case Report: An 82-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with pain and swelling in left lower extremity. Ultrasonography showed much thrombus at the left common femoral, superficial femoral, and popliteal veins, confirming a diagnosis of acute deep vein thrombosis (DVT). For lack of therapeutic effect of systemically administered anticoagulative and thrombolytic agents, we performed catheter intervention against DVT. After insertion of a 4.5 French guiding sheath (Parent Plus, Medikit, Tokyo, Japan) into left popliteal vein, venography showed a total occlusion of the common femoral vein. Even after thrombectomy by aspiration catheter, balloon dilation, and catheter-induced thrombolysis, severe stenosis at the proximal site of the left common iliac vein remained. After confirming the presence of iliac vein compression syndrome (IVCS) by intravascular ultrasound imaging, we successfully implanted a Zilver ® stent (Cook Inc., Bloomington, IN, USA) in the common-external iliac vein through a 4.5 French guiding sheath, leading to an optimal venous-return flow., Conclusions: The present case suggests that in addition to thrombus aspiration, Zilver stent implantation using a 4.5 French guiding sheath has the potential to serve as a minimally invasive strategy for the treatment of IVCS complicated with iliofemoral DVT.< Learning objective: During the interventional treatment of deep vein thrombosis, we should pay attention to procedure-related venous valve dysfunction in addition to bleeding complications and pulmonary embolism. From the point of view, downsized catheter devices might have some advantage with lesser prevalence of those complications.>.

Although cisplatin is indispensable for the chemotherapy treatment of many malignancies, cisplatin-associated thrombosis is attracting increasing attention. However, experience of primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and intravascular ultrasound imaging (IVUS) for coronary thrombosis, possibly due to cisplatin-based chemotherapy, has been limited. Case 1 with postoperative gastric cancer developed acute myocardial infarction (AMI) on the sixth day of the second chemotherapy course with conventional doses of cisplatin and tegafur gimeracil oteracil potassium. Emergency coronary angiography (CAG) showed a filling defect in the proximal left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) concomitant with no reflow in the distal LAD. Case 2 with advanced lung cancer and brain metastasis suffered AMI on the fifth day of the first chemotherapy course with conventional doses of cisplatin and gemcitabine. Emergency CAG delineated a total occlusion in the proximal right coronary artery. In both cases, thrombectomy using aspiration catheter alone obtained optimal angiographic results and subsequent IVUS revealed no definite atherosclerotic plaque, while slow flow still remained even after selective intra-coronary infusion of vasodilator in the case 1. These cases suggest that primary PCI using thrombus-aspiration catheter might be safe and effective for coronary thrombosis due to cisplatin-based chemotherapy.

Background: Data regarding the relationship between systolic blood pressure (SBP) at admission and in-hospital outcome in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are still lacking in Japan., Methods and Results: A total of 1475 primary PCI-treated AMI patients were classified into quintiles based on admission SBP (<105 mmHg, n=300; 105-125 mmHg, n=294; 126-140 mmHg, n=306; 141-158 mmHg, n=286; and ≥159 mmHg n=289). The patients with SBP<105 mmHg tended to have higher age, previous myocardial infarction, chronic kidney disease (CKD), Killip class≥3 at admission, right coronary artery, left main trunk (LMT), or multivessels as culprit lesions, larger number of diseased vessels, lower Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) grade in the infarct-related artery before primary PCI, and higher value of peak creatine phosphokinase concentration. Patients with SBP<105 mmHg had a significantly higher mortality, while mortality was not significantly different among the other quintiles: 24.3% (<105 mmHg), 4.8% (105-125 mmHg), 4.9% (126-140 mmHg), 2.8% (141-158 mmHg), and 5.2% (≥159 mmHg) (p<0.001). On multivariate analysis, Killip class≥3 at admission, LMT or multivessels as culprit lesions, admission SBP<105 mmHg, CKD, and age were the independent positive predictors of in-hospital mortality, whereas admission SBP 141-158 mmHg and TIMI 3 flow after PCI were the negative ones, but admission SBP 105-125 mmHg, admission SBP 126-140 mmHg, and admission SBP≥159 mmHg were not., Conclusions: These results suggest that admission SBP 141-158 mmHg might be correlated with better in-hospital prognosis, whereas admission SBP<105 mmHg was associated with in-hospital death in Japanese AMI patients undergoing primary PCI., (Copyright © 2012 Japanese College of Cardiology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Several clinical studies have demonstrated an inverse relationship between systolic blood pressure (SBP) at admission and in-hospital mortality in patients hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, data on the relation between admission SBP and in-hospital prognosis in AMI patients are still lacking in Japan., Methods and Results: A total of 1211 AMI patients were classified into quintiles based on SBP at hospital admission (<106 mmHg, n = 241; 106-125 mmHg, n = 239; 126-140 mmHg, n = 244; 141-159 mmHg, n = 238; and ≥ 160 mmHg, n = 249). The patients with SBP < 106 mmHg tended to have higher age, Killip class ≥ 3 at admission, right coronary artery, left main trunk, or multivessels as culprit lesions, larger number of diseased vessels, lower Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction grade in the infarct-related artery before primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), and higher value of peak creatine phosphokinase concentration. Patients with SBP <106 mmHg had a significantly higher mortality, while mortality was not significantly different among the other quintiles: 25.7% (<106 mmHg), 5.4% (106-125 mmHg), 5.7% (126-140 mmHg), 2.5% (141-159 mmHg), and 5.6% (≥ 160 mmHg) (p<0.001). On multivariate analysis, Killip class ≥ 3 at admission, admission SBP <106 mmHg, and age were the independent positive predictors of in-hospital mortality, whereas admission SBP 141-159 mmHg and primary PCI were the negative ones, but admission SBP 106-125 mmHg, admission SBP 126-140 mmHg, and admission SBP ≥ 160 mmHg were not., Conclusions: These results suggest that admission SBP 141-159 mmHg might be correlated with better in-hospital prognosis, whereas admission SBP <106 mmHg was associated with in-hospital death in Japanese patients hospitalized for AMI., (Copyright © 2011 Japanese College of Cardiology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Experience of primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for young adults with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) due to sequelae of Kawasaki disease (KD) has been extremely limited. In the present report on three young adults (two males and one female; age 20-35 years) with AMI, we performed primary PCI and intravascular ultrasound imaging (IVUS). Case 1 underwent thrombectomy alone in the proximal left circumflex coronary artery, and subsequent IVUS depicted a large aneurysm with an asymmetrically intimal thickening and a residual thrombus in the culprit. Case 2 underwent balloon dilation with adjunctive intracoronary thrombolysis in the proximal left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD), and IVUS during follow-up coronary angiography (CAG) delineated a regressed giant aneurysm with a markedly intimal thickening in the culprit. Case 3, with past history highly suggesting KD, underwent balloon dilation in the proximal LAD, and follow-up CAG as well as IVUS revealed a neoaneurysmal formation in the culprit. In all of the patients, PCI was angiographically effective at the acute phase without complication. Follow-up CAG performed 3-6 months after the procedure revealed no restenosis in all three cases, but a new coronary aneurysm still remained in case 3. Although case 1 and case 2 had no obvious history of KD, the vessel wall morphology from IVUS closely resembled the coronary sequelae after KD, suggesting that they might have antecedent incomplete KD. These cases suggest that primary PCI against coronary sequelae of KD in young AMI patients might be safe and effective in the short term.

Despite otological surgical progress improving clinical congenital ossicular malformation management, some cases remain inadequately treated. We report 27 cases of congenital ossicular malformation, focusing on reasons for remaining or delayed postoperative hearing loss evaluated in 27 congenital ossicular malformation cases in Kyoto Prefecture from 2002 to 2008. Overall success was 93% (25/27) 6 months postoperatively. Two ears had no hearing improvement and three delayed hearing loss 8 to 48 months postoperatively. The first two ears underwent small fenestration stapedotomy with malleus attachment piston, and the other three tympanoplasty type III using an autologous ossicle or total ossicular replacement prosthesis (TORP) as a columella. We discuss problems and solutions using a malleus attachment piston or prosthesis, preoperative audio-and radiological findings, and operative findings including facial nerve anomaly and congenital cholesteatoma.