Giornale italiano di cardiologia最新文献

Sudden cardiac arrest/death in pediatric patients is a rare but potentially preventable event. Cardiomyopathies and channelopathies are the most common causes which are detectable with ECG and transthoracic echocardiography in asymptomatic subjects. Coronary artery anomalies are a rare cause of sudden cardiac arrest/death, but these events suggest that ECG and echocardiography, focused on the site of origin of the coronary arteries, should be both part of the screening tool of young athletes. Finally, the rare cardiac arrest events in young patients with ventricular preexcitation without prior symptoms or markers of high risk suggest that transcatheter ablation should be considered in all pediatric patients with ventricular preexcitation because it can eliminate the small long-term risk of sudden cardiac arrest/death, but a careful consideration of the most appropriate timing is mandatory.

Although mitral annular calcification is a common degenerative condition of the fibrous mitral annulus, tricuspid annular calcification, especially isolated, is rare. We report the case of a 73-year-old male, with a history of hypertension and severe kyphoscoliosis, referred to the emergency department for progressive dyspnea and leg swelling. Echocardiography revealed a dilated right heart with a homogeneous, hyperechoic, crescent shaped mass along the tricuspid annulus. Computed tomography confirmed the calcific nature of the lesion. Right heart catheterization revealed mild pre-capillary pulmonary hypertension and a mild spirometrically-defined restrictive ventilatory defect. Kyphoscoliosis has recently been associated with alterations in cardiac deformation and with an increased risk of restrictive lung disease. In our patient, we hypothesized that both these anomalies could have led to premature tricuspid annular degeneration resulting in a giant tricuspid calcification.

Although there is substantial evidence on the harmful effects of air pollution on human health, these are scarcely considered in the general clinical practice and also in the context of cardiovascular disease prevention. In light of the numerous epidemiological and basic research studies that have demonstrated the unfavorable impact of air pollution on the cardiovascular system, this review aims to bring this aspect to the attention of clinicians. This work describes the main air polluting components that can contribute to the onset and progression of cardiovascular diseases. The pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the impact of pollutants on the cardiovascular system and the available evidence regarding their effect on cardiovascular risk factors are reported. This article also examines the evidence relating to the correlation between environmental pollutants and some specific cardiovascular diseases, including acute coronary syndromes, cerebrovascular diseases, heart failure, and arrhythmias. Finally, the possible strategies to be implemented to limit pollution-induced cardiovascular damage are analyzed.

Left ventricular free wall rupture, ventricular pseudoaneurysm, papillary muscle rupture and ventricular septal rupture are life-threatening mechanical complications of acute myocardial infarction. Despite significant improvements over the last decades in overall mortality for patients with myocardial infarction, the outcome of subjects who develop post-infarction mechanical complications remains poor. Surgical treatment is considered the standard of care. However, percutaneous approaches (such as pericardial fibrin-glue injection for left ventricular free wall rupture, transcatheter edge-to-edge mitral repair for papillary muscle rupture and device closure for ventricular pseudoaneurysm or septal rupture) have been proposed in selected high-risk or inoperable patients, or in subjects with ideal characteristics for feasibility, as therapeutic alternatives to open surgery. The aim of the present review is to provide a comprehensive overview of the percutaneous strategies for the management of post-acute myocardial infarction mechanical complications.

Background: The Cardiology Complex Structure of the Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale (ASST) of Lodi, Italy, assists patients with clinical conditions ranging from emergency to chronicity. The model of Homogeneous Waiting Groups should guide the appropriateness of prescriptions categorized as U (urgent), B (brief), D (deferrable), and P (programmable). This study aims to describe and analyze the characteristics of prescription and delivery of clinical and instrumental cardiology outpatient services with U and B priority during the November 2023-January 2024 quarter, paying particular attention to the clinical appropriateness of prescribing.

Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted. Computerized data were anonymously extracted from the company's Management Control and provided with the authorization of the Data Protection Officer.

Results: During the observed quarter, the Cardiology Complex Structure provided 7379 services for outpatients. Out of 123 U services, 94 (76.4%) were managed through SBC (Single Booking Center) and 29 (23.6%) were managed outside the SBC. From 529 services with B priority, 504 (95%) were managed through SBC and 25 (5%) outside the SBC. Requests with U priority mainly referred to ECG (n = 50; 40.6%) and first cardiological visit (n = 46; 37.4%). Fifty percent of U and B requests were prescribed by 4% and 8% of general practitioners, respectively. The prescribed priority was correct for 13% of requests (n = 64).

Conclusions: This study shows a vastly inappropriate use of resources allocated to urgent outpatient cardiological services. Actions aimed at promoting the adherence to the Homogeneous Waiting Groups Manual and enhancing telemedicine services, currently limited to heart failure, are necessary for resource optimization in cardiology within the ASST of Lodi.

Lymphoma patients are at high risk of cardiovascular events due to anthracycline cardiotoxicity and, in rare cases, related to heart infiltration. The presence of cardiac masses adds further complexity to the management of lymphoma patients beyond myocardial chemotherapy-related toxicity, given possible unpredictable acute complications such as arrhythmias, atrioventricular block, myocardial ischemia, pericardial effusion and cardiac tamponade. Here we describe the clinical presentation and successful multidisciplinary management of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma with multifocal cardiac involvement identified by total body 18FDG positron emission tomography performed at disease staging.

In patients with cardiovascular, pulmonary, muscular and neurological diseases, cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) is a valuable tool providing clinically-relevant diagnostic and prognostic information by evaluation of exercise response. CPET requires to be performed in dedicated centers able to correctly carry out the examination and to carefully evaluate the results. CPET analyzes functional capacity revealing both symptomatic and asymptomatic intolerance to exercise. One of the most important advantages for clinicians derived by the use of CPET, beyond standard exercise electrocardiography testing, is the capability not only to grade the severity of the disease, but also to distinguish between different causes of dyspnea and exercise impairment. Indications for CPET use in clinical practice are increasing in the last decades, evolving beyond the routine use as a training tool in athletes. In fact, CPET represents an important step in the management of patients with heart failure or pulmonary hypertension, as suggested by international guidelines. CPET role in helping for the selection of patients candidate to heart transplantation is also well known. Beyond its clinical usefulness, scientific interest in CPET is constantly expanding, mainly due to the safety of the exam and to the huge size of the pathophysiological information that it offers. The aim of this paper is to simply explain everyday applications and potential further purposes of CPET in clinical practice. Our review is intended both for physicians approaching CPET for the first time and for clinicians with an interest in expanding their knowledge in this field.