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Aims Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is a relatively infrequent cause of acute coronary syndrome. Clinical features, angiographic findings, management, and outcomes of SCAD patients who present reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) remain unknown. Methods and results The Spanish multicentre prospective SCAD registry (NCT03607981), included 389 consecutive patients with SCAD. In 348 of these patients, LVEF could be assessed by echocardiography during the index admission. Characteristics and outcomes of patients with preserved LVEF (LVEF ≥50%, n = 295, 85%) were compared with those with reduced LVEF (LVEF Conclusion Patients with SCAD and reduced LVEF show differences in clinical characteristics and angiographic findings compared with SCAD patients with preserved LVEF. Although these patients receive specific medications at discharge, they had higher mortality and readmission rates for HF during follow-up.

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is a rare but increasingly recognized cause of acute myocardial infarction. Coronary angiography remains the best diagnostic tool; however, clinical suspicion and experience is required to interpret angiographic findings. This study sought to assess the clinical implications of the "broken line" (BKL) angiographic pattern in a large, nationwide, cohort of patients with SCAD. The Spanish SCAD registry (NCT03607981) prospectively enrolled consecutive patients with SCAD. All angiograms were centrally analyzed and the BKL pattern was systematically assessed. The BKL angiographic pattern was found in 64 of 389 patients (16%). Patients with the BKL appearance were more frequently female (97 vs 87%, p0.05), presented more often as intramural hematoma (83 vs 58%, p0.001), had longer lesions (47 ± 29 vs 36 ± 22 mm, p0.01), and had severe tortuosity (25 vs 10%, p0.01) but showed better initial coronary flow (thrombolysis in myocardial infarction flow 2.6 ± 0.8 vs 2.1 ± 1.2, p0.01). Patients with BKL received more frequently conservative medical management (91 vs 76%, p0.01). At late clinical follow-up (median 29 months, interquartile range 17 to 38) predefined adverse events (death, myocardial infarction, revascularization, recurrent SCAD, or stroke) occurred less frequently (3.5 vs 15%, p0.05) in patients with the BKL appearance. The better clinical outcomes of patients in the BKL group persisted after adjusting for potential confounders (adjusted hazard ratio 0.2, 95% confidence interval 0.1 to 0.9, p0.05). In conclusion, patients with SCAD presenting the BKL angiographic pattern are more frequently female and present more often as intramural hematoma with longer lesions and severe vessel tortuosity but have better coronary flow. Patients with the BKL morphology have a favorable prognosis (NCT03607981).

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a high-resolution imaging modality that provides a precise evaluation of coronary anatomy. However, the presence of severe coronary lesions can prevent the required adequate distal contrast flushing resultting in inadequate blood clearance and poor image quality or complete blood shadowing of the underlying vessel wall.The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the feasibility and safety of a novel "double injection technique" (DIT) to overcome the limitations of the conventional technique (CT) in patients with severely stenotic lesions.Twenty-three patients with severe angiographic lesions were sequentially imaged before intervention with OCT with the CT and then with DIT. A total of 5125 OCT frames were carefully matched and analyzed by an independent central core lab. A semiquantitative image quality score was used to grade the number of quadrants (0-4) with vessel wall visualization.Optimal OCT visualization (Grades 3-4) significantly improved by the DIT (68% vs. 38% of frames, p 0.001). The DIT also improved the mean score (3.1 ± 0.6 vs. 2.0 ± 0.8; p 0.05; mean improvement of 1.1 ± 0.5 per patient). There were no complications associated with the DIT.The DIT significantly improved preintervention image quality of OCT in severe coronary lesions.

To assess the value of sirolimus-eluting magnesium bioresorbable scaffolds (MgS) in the treatment of patients with in-stent restenosis (ISR). The better option for the treatment of patients with ISR remains unsettled. Bioresorbable vascular scaffolds represent an interesting strategy in this setting to avoid another permanent metal layer. The novel MgS is an attractive option to treat these challenging patients.We present the results of the first prospective series of consecutive patients with ISR treated with MgS under optical coherence tomography (OCT) guidance.A total of 14 patients (15 lesions) were prospectively included. The mean age was 67 ± 9 years and six patients (40%) presented with an acute coronary syndrome. In 10 patients (67%), underlying neoatherosclerosis was disclosed by OCT. An excellent MgS expansion was obtained in all but two patients who showed persistent suboptimal expansion in heavily calcified vessels. Minor residual malapposition ( n = 5) and angiographically silent minor edge dissections ( n = 8) were readily recognized by OCT. After a median clinical follow-up of 30 (range, 20-54) months, no patient required repeated revascularization, suffered a myocardial infarction or device thrombosis.These preliminary results suggest a potential role for the MgS in selected patients presenting with ISR.

Background In patients who underwent coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), the coronary-subclavian steal syndrome (CSSS) is characterized by a subclavian artery stenosis proximal to the origin of the internal mammary artery resulting in functional graft failure. Case summary A 62-year-old gentleman underwent CABG following a non-ST elevation myocardial infarction and an angiogram showing left main stem and three-vessel disease. Forty-eight hours later he developed cardiogenic shock that improved with inotropic support and intra-aortic balloon pump insertion. However, 7 days later, he deteriorated again and even though the myocardial injury markers and echocardiogram were normal, an angiography was performed showing significant CSSS. Due to the chronic nature of his subclavian stenosis and the severity of the cardiogenic shock, the heart team decided to treated his epicardial disease percutaneously and occlude the left internal mammary artery in its mid-segment with coils. The patient was discharged home 28 days after CABG and has remained since asymptomatic with improvement in his functional class. Discussion Coronary-subclavian steal syndrome is a rare but fatal complication with increased morbidity and mortality due to reduced awareness amongst medical professionals. Subclavian artery stenosis stenting is the gold standard treatment; herein we present a new approach for complex and very sick patients in whom it is not possible to open the subclavian artery percutaneously. Increased awareness and prompt diagnosis of this pathology in CABG patients are essential for successful outcomes.

Some patients with spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) present as ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). This study evaluates the characteristics, management and outcomes of SCAD patients presenting as STEMI compared to non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI).We analysed data from consecutive patients included in the prospective Spanish Registry on SCAD. All coronary angiograms were centrally reviewed. All adverse events were adjudicated by an independent Clinical Events Committee.Between June 2015 to December 2020, 389 patients were included. Forty-two percent presented with STEMI and 56% with NSTEMI. STEMI patients showed a worse distal flow (TIMI flow 0-1 38% vs 19%, p 0.001) and more severe (% diameter stenosis 85 ± 18 vs 75 ± 21, p 0.001) and longer (42 ± 23 mm vs 35 ± 24 mm, p = 0.006) lesions. Patients with STEMI were more frequently treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) (31% vs 16%, p 0.001) and developed more frequently left ventricular systolic dysfunction (21% vs 8%, p 0.001). No differences were found in combined major adverse events during admission (7% vs 5%, p = 0.463), but in-hospital reinfarctions (5% vs 1.4%, p = 0.039) and cardiogenic shock (2.6% vs 0%, p = 0.019) were more frequently seen in the STEMI group. At late follow-up (median 29 months) no differences were found in the incidence of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (13% vs 13%, p-value = 0.882) between groups.Patients with SCAD and STEMI had a worse angiographic profile and were more frequently referred to PCI compared to NSTEMI patients. Despite these disparities, both short and long-term prognosis were similar in STEMI and NSTEMI SCAD patients.

BACKGROUND: Drug-coated balloons (DCB) and drug-eluting stents (DES) represent the currently recommended treatments for in-stent restenosis (ISR). Optical coherence tomography (OCT) allows detailed neointimal characterisation which can guide treatment strategies. AIMS: The aims of this study were first, to assess the relation between neointimal pattern and clinical outcomes following in-stent restenosis (ISR) treatment, and second, to explore a potential interaction between neointimal pattern and treatment modality relative to clinical outcomes. METHODS: Patients undergoing OCT-guided treatment (DCB or DES) of ISR in three European centres were included. Based on the median of distribution of non-homogeneous neointima quadrants, patients were categorised into low and high inhomogeneity groups. RESULTS: A total of 197 patients (low inhomogeneity=100 and high inhomogeneity=97) were included. There were no significant differences in terms of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) (p=0.939) or target lesion revascularisation (TLR) (p=0.732) between the two groups. The exploratory analysis showed a significant interaction between neointimal pattern and treatment modality regarding MACE (pint=0.006) and TLR (pint=0.022). DES showed a significant advantage over DCB in the high (MACE: HR 0.26 [0.10-0.65], p=0.004; TLR: HR 0.28 [0.11-0.69], p=0.006), but not in the low inhomogeneity group (MACE: p=0.917; TLR: p=0.797). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with ISR treated with DCB or DES, there were no significant differences in terms of MACE or TLR between the low and high inhomogeneity groups. A significant interaction was observed between treatment modality and neointimal pattern with an advantage of DES over DCB in the high and no difference in the low inhomogeneity group. This warrants confirmation from prospective dedicated studies.

Background This study aimed to assess the correlation between the standard of care, the index of microvascular resistance (IMR) versus the novel microvascular resistance (Rmicro) and to determine the pathologic cut-off value in a selected population with suspected coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD). Methods One-hundred and twenty patients with high clinical suspicion of CMD due to ischemic symptoms in the absence of significant epicardial coronary lesions were prospectively included. Following a standardized systematic protocol, coronary flow reserve, IMR, fractional flow reserve, Q and Rmicro were measured in the left anterior descending coronary artery using a temperature/pressure sensor-tipped guidewire and a dedicated infusion catheter. Results There was a high prevalence of CMD with 50 (42%) patients showing an IMR ≥ 25. Median IMR was 23 [IQR: 14–34] and median Rmicro was 464 Woods Units (WU) [IQR: 354–636WU]. ROC analyses identified 500 WU as the optimal Rmicro cut-off to identify patients with an IMR ≥ 25, with an area under the ROC curve (C statistic) of 0.83 (95% CI: 0.74 to 0.89, p Conclusions Rmicro derived from continuous intracoronary thermodilution is an accurate index to measure microvascular resistances enabling the invasive diagnostic of CMD.

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is a rare cause of acute coronary syndrome. Multivessel (MV) SCAD is a challenging clinical presentation that might be associated to a worse prognosis compared with patients with single-vessel (SV) involvement.The Spanish multicentre nationwide prospective SCAD registry included 389 consecutive patients. Patients were classified, according to the number of affected vessels, in SV or MV SCAD. Major adverse events (MAE) were analyzed during hospital stay and major cardiac or cerebrovascular adverse events (MACCE) at long-term clinical follow-up.A total of 41 patients (10.5%) presented MV SCAD. These patients had more frequently a previous history of hypothyroidism (22% vs 11%, p = 0.04) and anxiety disorder (32% vs 16%, p = 0.01). MV SCAD patients presented more often as non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (73% vs 52%, p = 0.01) and showed less frequently type 1 angiographic lesions (12% vs 21%, p = 0.04). An impaired initial Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) flow 0-1 was less frequent (14% vs 29%, p 0.01) in MV SCAD. In both groups, most patients were treated conservatively (71% vs 79%, p = NS). No differences were found regarding in-hospital MAE or MACCE at late follow-up (median 29 ± 11 months). However, the rate of stroke was higher in MV SCAD patients, both in-hospital (2.4% vs 0%, p 0.01) and at follow-up (5.1% vs 0.6%, p = 0.01).Patients with MV SCAD have some distinctive clinical and angiographic features. Although composite clinical outcomes, in-hospital and at long-term follow-up, were similar to those seen in patients with SV SCAD, stroke rate was significantly higher in patients with MV SCAD.

Introduction and objectives Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is an uncommon cause of acute coronary syndrome. The characteristics and in-hospital clinical course of patients with SCAD in Spain remain unknown. Methods We present data from consecutive patients included in the national prospective SCAD registry. Angiographic analysis was performed in a centralized core laboratory. Results Between June 2015 and April 2019, we included 318 patients with SCAD (358 lesions) from 31 centers. Median age was 53 years, and 88% were women. The most frequent presentation was non–ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction (53%). The most frequently involved artery was the left anterior descending coronary artery (44%), predominantly affecting the distal segments (39%) and secondary branches (54%). Most lesions (62%) appeared on angiography as intramural hematoma, without double lumen. Conservative management was selected as the initial approach in most patients (78%). During the index admission, 6% of patients had a major adverse event and 4 patients (1.3%) died. Independent predictors of adverse events were initial management with percutaneous coronary intervention (OR, 5.97; P = .004) and angiographic presentation as intramural hematoma (OR, 4.96; P = .028). Conclusions In Spain, SCAD affects mainly middle-aged women. In most patients, the initial management strategy was conservative with excellent in-hospital survival. Initial management with percutaneous coronary intervention and angiographic presentation as intramural hematoma were related to the presence of in-hospital adverse events. Registered at ClnicalTrials.gov (Identifier: NCT03607981).

To the Editor, The use of circulatory support has grown exponentially over the last decade, particularly for the management of cardiogenic shock in the setting of acute myocardial infarction.1,2 The devices more often used like the Impella CP (Abiomed, United States) show good results in observational studies. These studies describe an improved survival rate when these devices are used as part of a well-defined program to treat cardiogenic shock.3-5 However, this is not a risk-free therapy, and device displacement is a complication that can occur while the patient is being moved or transferred. Although rare, this complication can be deadly if not solved immediately because there is a loss of hemodynamic support. In these cases, the device needs to be retrieved due to the impossibility of crossing the aortic valve to proceed with a new implant.

Sr. Editor: El uso del soporte circulatorio se ha incrementado exponencialmente en la última década, en especial en el contexto del infarto agudo de miocardio en shock cardiogénico1,2. Entre los dispositivos habituales destaca el Impella CP (Abiomed, EE.UU.), con buenos resultados en los estudios observacionales, en los que se describe una mejoría en la supervivencia cuando se utiliza dentro de un programa bien definido de atención al shock cardiogénico3-5. Sin embargo, esta terapia no está exenta de riesgos, y el desplazamiento del dispositivo es una complicación que puede ocurrir durante las movilizaciones del paciente. Aunque infrecuente, dicha complicación puede llevar a la muerte si no se actúa con rapidez, pues supone la pérdida del soporte hemodinámico. En estos casos, habitualmente es necesario retirar el dispositivo por imposibilidad de cruzar la válvula aórtica y luego realizar un nuevo implante.

BACKGROUND Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) and Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) constitute two relatively common nonatherosclerotic causes of acute coronary syndrome particularly frequent in women. METHODS This study sought to compare the baseline clinical and angiographic characteristics and in-hospital outcomes of patients from two large prospective registries on SCAD and TTS (the prospective nation-wide Spanish SCAD Registry and a prospective single-center TTS registry). RESULTS A total of 318 SCAD and 106 TTS consecutive patients were included. Most patients in both groups (88%) were women. Patients in the TTS group were older [74 (interquartile range, IQR 67-81) vs. 53 years-old (IQR 47-60), P < 0.001] and presented a higher prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors. Precipitating triggers were more frequent in TTS (56% vs. 42%, P = 0.009) but emotional stress was more common in the SCAD group (25% vs. 15%, P = 0.037). TTS patients showed a reduced release of cardiac biomarkers but had more severe left ventricular dysfunction (ejection fraction

Plaque erosion (PE) is a well-known pathological substrate in patients with acute myocardial infarction. The precise etiologic diagnosis of patients with myocardial infarction and nonobstructive coronary arteries is of great importance to inform both revascularization decisions and antithrombotic

Currently there is lack of data regarding the use of optical coherence tomography (OCT) to depict the hemodynamic relevance of coronary stenoses in diabetic patients. We sought to assess the diagnostic accuracy of OCT-derived morphologic assessment in identifying hemodynamically significant coronary lesions as determined by both, the resting instantaneous wave-free ratio (iFR) and the hyperemic fractional flow reserve (FFR) in diabetic patients. Diabetic patients presenting with at least one intermediate coronary lesion were prospectively and consecutively enrolled. All lesions were systematically assessed by iFR, FFR and OCT. A total of 41 intermediate lesions were analysed. Mean iFR and FFR values were 0.90 ± 0.04 and 0.81 ± 0.06, respectively (intra-class correlation coefficient 0.49; 95% CI 0.22-0.79). A moderate correlation between iFR and OCT derived minimal lumen diameter (MLD, r = 0.49) and minimal lumen area (MLA, r = 0.50) was found. Conversely, there was a poor correlation between FFR and OCT-derived MLD (r = 0.34) and MLA (r = 0.32). The diagnostic efficiency of MLA and MLD to identify iFR significant stenoses showed an AUC of 0.82 (95% CI 0.69-0.95) for MLD and 0.83 (95% CI 0.71-0.96) for MLA. A worse diagnostic efficiency was found when FFR was used as the reference with an AUC of 0.71 (95% CI 0.54-0.87) for MLD and 0.70 (95% CI 0.53-0.87). OCT-derived MLA and MLD were the strongest independent anatomic predictors of abnormal iFR and FFR values. In diabetic patients, OCT-derived MLA and MLD showed a moderate diagnostic efficiency in identifying functionally significant coronary stenoses by FFR or iFR. In diabetics, anatomic OCT measurements better predicted resting than FFR-determined physiologically significant lesions.

INTRODUCTION: Device infections constitute a major complication of transvenous pacemakers. Mechanical heart valves (MHV) increase the risk of infective endocarditis (IE) and pacemaker infection, requiring lifelong vitamin K-antagonists (VKA), which may affect patient management. Leadless pacemakers (LP) are associated with low infection rates, posing an attractive option in MHV patients requiring permanent pacing.This study describes outcomes following LP implantation in patients with MHV. METHODS: This is a multicenter, observational, retrospective study including consecutive patients implanted with an LP at 5 centers between June 2015 and January 2020.Procedural outcomes, antithrombotic management, complications, performance during follow-up and episodes of bacteremia and IE were compared between patients with and without an MHV (MHV and non-MHV groups). RESULTS: Four hundred fifty-nine patients were included (74 in the MHV group, 16.1%, and 385 in the non-MHV group, 83.9%).Procedural outcomes and acute electrical performance were comparable between groups.Vascular complications and cardiac perforation occurred in 2.7 vs. 2.3% (p=1) and 0% vs. 0.8% (p=1) in the MHV group and non-MHV group.One case of IE occurred in the MHV group and 2 in the non-MHV group.In MHV patients, uninterrupted VKA was used in 83.8 %, whereas 16.2 % were heparin-bridged.Vascular complication or tamponade occurred in 1(8.3 %) MHV heparin-bridged patient vs. 1 (1.6 %) MHV uninterrupted VKA patient (p=0.3). CONCLUSION: LP implantation outcomes in MHV patients are comparable to the general LP population.Device-related infections are rare following LP implantation, including in patients with MHV.In the MHV group, periprocedural anticoagulation management was not associated with significantly different rates of tamponade or vascular complication. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is a rare cause of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We sought to compare the results on in-hospital mortality and 30-day readmission rates among patients with AMI-SCAD vs AMI due to other causes (AMI-non-SCAD).Risk-standardized in-hospital mortality (rIMR) and risk-standardized 30-day readmission ratios (rRAR) were calculated using the minimum dataset of the Spanish National Health System (2016-2019).A total of 806 episodes of AMI-SCAD were compared with 119 425 episodes of AMI-non-SCAD. Patients with AMI-SCAD were younger and more frequently female than those with AMI-non-SCAD. Crude in-hospital mortality was lower (3% vs 7.6%; P.001) and rIMR higher (7.6±1.7% vs 7.4±1.7%; P=.019) in AMI-SCAD. However, after propensity score adjustment (806 pairs), the mortality rate was similar in the 2 groups (AdjOR, 1.15; 95%CI, 0.61-2,2; P=.653). Crude 30-day readmission rates were also similar in the 2 groups (4.6% vs 5%, P=.67) whereas rRAR were lower (4.7±1% vs 4.8%±1%; P=.015) in patients with AMI-SCAD. Again, after propensity score adjustment (715 pairs) readmission rates were similar in the 2 groups (AdjOR, 1.14; 95%CI, 0.67-1.98; P=.603).In-hospital mortality and readmission rates are similar in patients with AMI-SCAD and AMI-non-SCAD when adjusted for the differences in baseline characteristics. These findings underscore the need to optimize the management, treatment, and clinical follow-up of patients with SCAD.