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Clot is often the enemy during primary percutaneous coronary intervention. Taking inspiration from the ancient wisdom of fighting a war, an interventionist should first look into the strength of the enemy, i.e. assess the thrombus burden, by both Thrombolysis in MI thrombus grade and angiographic features. This is to be followed by choosing the appropriate strategy: to attack – aspiration and mechanical thrombectomy; to surround – pharmacological therapy, including oral and parenteral antiplatelet therapy and intracoronary thrombolytic therapy; to avoid – stenting strategies including direct stenting and deferred stenting; to battle – stenting under a distal protection device or stenting across local obstructive thrombus; or to flee – to move from percutaneous coronary intervention to optimal antithrombotic therapy and circulatory support when flow fails to be regained. Of note, most of these strategies have not been demonstrated to be beneficial on routine use. The key remains to adopt different strategies selectively and appropriately in different scenarios.

Advanced age, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease not only increase the risk for ischaemic events in chronic coronary syndromes (CCS) but also confer a high bleeding risk during antiplatelet therapy. These special populations may warrant modification of therapy, especially among Asians, who have displayed characteristics that are clinically distinct from Western patients. Previous guidance has been provided regarding the classification of high-risk CCS and the use of newer-generation P2Y(12) inhibitors (i.e. ticagrelor and prasugrel) after acute coronary syndromes (ACS) in Asia. The authors summarise evidence on the use of these P2Y(12) inhibitors during the transition from ACS to CCS and among special populations. Specifically, they present recommendations on the roles of standard dual antiplatelet therapy, shortened dual antiplatelet therapy and single antiplatelet therapy among patients with coronary artery disease, who are either transitioning from ACS to CCS; elderly; or with chronic kidney disease, diabetes, multivessel coronary artery disease and bleeding events during therapy. Asian Pacific Society of Cardiology (APSC); Abbott VascularAbbott Laboratories; AmgenAmgen; AstraZenecaAstraZeneca; BayerBayer AG; Roche Diagnostics; Daiichi SankyoDaiichi Sankyo Company Limited This work was funded through the Asian Pacific Society of Cardiology (APSC) with unrestricted educational grants from Abbott Vascular, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bayer and Roche Diagnostics. JWCT reports honoraria from AstraZeneca, Bayer, Amgen, Medtronic, Abbott Vascular, Biosensors, Alvimedica, Boehringer Ingelheim and Pfizer; research and educational grants from Medtronic, Biosensors, Biotronik, Philips, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Roche, Otsuka, Terumo and Abbott Vascular; and consulting fees from Elixir and CSL Behring; and is on the European Cardiology Review editorial board; this did not influence peer review. JA reports honoraria from AstraZeneca, Daiichi Sankyo, Bayer and Sanofi; and grants/grants pending from Daiichi Sankyo. DPC reports consulting fees from APSC; support for travel to meetings for the study or otherwise from APSC; grants/grants pending from Roche Diagnostics; payment for development of educational presentations including service on speakers' bureaus from AstraZeneca. JD reports honoraria from Bayer and Pfizer. CTC reports honoraria from Abbott Vascular, AstraZeneca, Boston Scientific, Biotronik, Biosensors, Medtronic; consulting and ad boards from AstraZeneca, Boston Scientific; and research and educational support from AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly. AH reports consulting fee or honorarium from AstraZeneca. MC reports consulting fee or honorarium from AstraZeneca. AYYF reports honoraria and educational support from AstraZeneca. BK reports consulting fee or honorarium from AstraZeneca, Abbott, IE Menarini, Daiichi Sankyo, Sanovel and ARIS. UB reports honoraria from Amgen and AstraZeneca. All other authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate 1-year clinical safety and efficacy of the dual-therapy COMBO stent in a large, all-comers patient-level pooled cohort. Background The COMBO stent (OrbusNeich Medical, Fort Lauderdale, Florida) is a novel stent with abluminal sirolimus elution from a biodegradable polymer and a luminal pro-healing anti-CD34+ antibody layer, which attracts circulating endothelial progenitor cells. These endothelial progenitor cells can quickly mature into normal endothelium, providing rapid endothelialization. Methods The MASCOT (Multinational Abluminal Sirolimus Coated biO-engineered stenT) (N = 2,614, 61 global sites) and REMEDEE (Randomized study to Evaluate the safety and effectiveness of an abluMinal sirolimus coatED bio-Engineered StEnt Post Market Registry) (N = 1,000, 9 European sites) registries are 2 prospective, multicenter studies evaluating clinical outcomes after attempted COMBO stent placement in all-comer patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. In this patient-level pooled analysis we analyzed 1-year target lesion failure (TLF), a composite of cardiac death, target vessel myocardial infarction, or clinically driven target lesion revascularization. Furthermore, we determined predictors of 1-year TLF. Results A total of 3,614 patients (63.5 ± 11.2 years of age; 23.8% women) were included in this analysis. The prevalence of diabetes mellitus was 29.3%, and 54.3% patients presented with acute coronary syndrome. The primary endpoint of 1-year TLF occurred in 140 (3.9%) patients, with incidence of cardiac death in 1.6%, target vessel myocardial infarction in 1.2%, clinically driven target lesion revascularization in 2.2%, and definite stent thrombosis in 0.5% patients. Insulin-treated diabetes mellitus, chronic renal failure, and American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association lesion type B2/C were independent predictors of 1-year TLF. Conclusions In this large patient-level pooled analysis of patients treated with the dual-therapy COMBO stent excellent results at 1-year were observed. (MASCOT - Post Marketing Registry [MASCOT]; NCT02183454; Prospective Registry to Assess the Long-term Safety and Performance of the COMBO Stent [REMEDEE Reg]; NCT01874002)

Patient Initials or Identifier Number HCH ### Relevant Clinical History and Physical Exam A 79-year-old lady has past medical history of hypertension and hyperlipidemia. She complained of exertional angina (Canadian Cardiovascular Society grade 2) for 3 months and was in New York Heart

Behçet's disease is a rare systemic vasculitis that may lead to neurologic complications and rare manifestations of aortitis and aortic regurgitation. We report 2 cases of Behçet's aortitis and aortic regurgitation. The first patient presented with acute stroke. Recognition of acute aortitis on echocardiography led to the diagnosis of vasculitis as the cause of the cerebral event. This case highlights the echocardiographic features of aortic root pathology from acute aortitis to subsequent aortic valve perforation. In both cases, severe aortic regurgitation necessitated aortic valve replacement. Both were complicated by valve dehiscence requiring reoperation, illustrating the postoperative morbidity in this inflammatory condition.

Patient initials or identifier number SF Wu ### Relevant clinical history and physical exam Madam Wu, a 63-year-old woman who has history of hyperlipidaemia. She had history of ischaemic heart disease and had a percutaneous angioplasty performed in London in 2013 (Drug-eluting stent was

Objective: Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a newly emergent disease due to a novel coronavirus, which caused outbreaks worldwide. Methodology: We report a SARS patient who had developed recurrent chest pain and acute T-wave inversion over the precordial leads on electrocardiography (ECG). Results: She developed progressive subcutaneous emphysema a few days later. Her CXR showed features suggestive of pneumomediastinum, which was confirmed by high-resolution CT scan of the thorax. Conclusion: Pneumomediastinum should be considered in SARS patients as a possible cause of chest pain and ECG changes that mimic acute coronary syndrome.

Left ventricular free wall rupture (LVFWR) is a fatal complication of acute myocardial infarction. Different modalities of treatment were previously described, including surgical intervention and medical treatment. We report a case treated with intra-pericardial thrombin injection that gave a favourable outcome for a patient who presented with LVFWR and cardiac tamponade, following acute myocardial infarction.

Introduction: A few electrocardiographic criteria have been described to identify the infarct-related artery in inferior myocardial infarction. The aim of this study was to devise an arithmetic score to further improve the diagnostic accuracy. Materials and Methods: From 2004 to 2006, 78 patients who underwent primary angioplasty for inferior myocardial infarction within 6 hours from symptom onset were recruited for electrocardiographic and angiographic analysis. Results: The mean age of patients was 65 ± 12 years with male predominance (74%). Less ST depression in lead I and aVL, and more prominent ST depression in lead V1-3 were observed in left circumflex artery (LCX) than right coronary artery (RCA) occlusions. In addition, more prominent ST depression in lead I and ST elevation in V1 were found in proximal RCA than distal RCA occlusions. Based on the findings, the Jeopardised Inferior Myocardium (JIM) score was constructed and defined as [II–V3/III+V1– I]. The sensitivity and specificity of JIM score ≤0.5 to predict proximal RCA occlusions; 0.5 1.5 to predict LCX occlusions were 58% and 85%, 69% and 68%, and 79% and 94%, respectively. The accuracy of prediction is slightly better than the 2 previously reported criteria. Conclusion: By taking into account more leads, the JIM score is capable of identifying the infarct-related artery with an improved diagnostic accuracy. Key words: Coronary angiography, Electrocardiography

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a highly contagious disease that has led to large hospital and community outbreaks, necessitating stringent infection control in its management. Among 90 SARS patients in our institution in the 2003 outbreak, 2 underwent cardiac catheterization. We report the personal respiratory protection and environmental control measures implemented to minimize the risk of droplets spread during these procedures, including re-engineering of the ventilation system of the cardiac catheterization laboratory (CCL). The report highlights the importance of collaboration of CCL personnel with relevant hospital engineering and management teams to develop a contingency infection control plan to prepare for future outbreaks of SARS or other epidemics.

In his second week of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) illness, a patient developed an unusually complicated course of acute coronary syndrome. One day after initial stabilization of a non-ST-elevated anterior myocardial infarction (MI), he sustained an ST-elevated anterior MI. Eight hours after emergency coronary intervention to the culprit lesion, he developed another ST-elevated MI in the inferior territory. Acute inflammation and cytokine storm in the immunopathological phase of SARS may play a role in coronary plague instability. Physicians should be alert to this potentially fatal complication and adopt appropriate vigilant and aggressive management strategies.