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BACKGROUND Thrombolytic therapy is standard treatment in acute pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) with hemodynamic instability. Although right heart thrombi (RHT) appear to increase mortality in acute PTE, large-scale studies of acute PTE with RHT are scarce.Methods and Results:Patient data (from August 2005 to May 2014) obtained from post-marketing surveillance of thrombolytic therapy using a tissue-type plasminogen activator were analyzed retrospectively. Of the 2,698 confirmed cases of acute PTE who underwent echocardiographic assessment, 166 (6.2%) were diagnosed with RHT. PTE patients with RHT, compared with those without RHT, had higher rates of mortality (20.2% vs. 10.4%, P

Background There is insufficient real-world data on the current status of Japanese patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE) or its treatment and prevention with rivaroxaban.Methods and Results:In this multicenter, prospective, observational study conducted in Japan, 1,039 patients with acute symptomatic/asymptomatic deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) with or without DVT prescribed rivaroxaban were enrolled at 152 institutions and observed for a median of 21.3 months. Mean age was 68.0±14.7 years, mean body weight was 60.3±14.1 kg, 59.0% were females, and 19.0% had active cancer. Incidences of recurrence or aggravation of symptomatic VTE (primary effectiveness outcome) and major bleeding (principal safety outcome) were 2.6% and 2.9% per patient-year, respectively. These outcomes did not differ between patients with DVT and those with PE (primary effectiveness outcome: 2.6% vs. 2.5% per patient-year, P=0.810; principal safety outcome: 3.5% vs. 2.4% per patient-year, P=0.394). The incidence of composite clinically relevant events, including recurrence or aggravation of symptomatic VTE, acute coronary syndrome, ischemic stroke, all-cause death, or major bleeding events, was 9.2% per patient-year. Multivariate analysis revealed that male sex, being underweight, having active cancer, chronic heart and lung disease, and previous stroke were independent determinants for composite clinically relevant events. Conclusions In Japanese clinical practice, a single-drug approach with rivaroxaban was demonstrated to be a valuable treatment for a broad range of VTE patients.

Background: In Japan, the safety and efficacy of thrombolytic therapy using tissue-type plasminogen activator for acute pulmonary embolism (PE) in the real world remain unclear. Methods and Results: A total of 1,254 patients with acute PE covered by the post-marketing surveillance of thrombolytic therapy using monteplase were divided into 3 groups: cardiopulmonary arrest (CPA)/collapse group (n=85); massive group, patients with unstable hemodynamics without CPA/collapse (n=217); and submassive group, patients with stable hemodynamics and right ventricular dysfunction (RVD) (n=465). In the efficacy analysis of 767 cases, the response rate to monteplase was 94.6% according to pulmonary circulation assessment and 93.3% according to clinical efficacy judged by symptoms and signs. Overall survival rates at 30 days after monteplase administration were 89.2% overall, 41.2% for the CPA/collapse group, 93.0% for the massive group, and 96.3% for the submassive group. When the safety of monteplase was analyzed in 1,241 cases, severe bleeding complications occurred in 100 patients (8.1%). Intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) occurred in 21 patients (1.7%), but no significant independent predictors were found in multivariate analysis. Conclusions: Thrombolytic therapy is highly effective in Japanese acute PE patients and offers acceptable safety, but attention is needed regarding severe bleeding complications, including ICH. (Circ J 2012; 76: 2471–2480)

Background: Few studies have compared the ability of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) with that of scintigraphy using 201-thallium (201-Tl) and 99m-technetium pyrophosphate (99m-Tc PYP) to evaluate microvascular obstructions (MOs). In the present study the relationship between the scintigraphic and CMR characteristics of MOs after acute myocardial infarction (MI) was examined. Methods and Results: The 14 patients (age 69±8 years, 11 males) underwent 201-Tl/99m-Tc PYP SPECT 7±3 days, initial CMR 16±12 days, and follow-up CMR 193±20 days after a reperfused first acute MI. Each image was analyzed using a 17-segment model. Segmental extent of delayed enhancement (DE), wall motion (WM) and degree of 201-Tl uptake were scored in 238 segments. Of 91 MI segments, MO was recognized in 22 (25%) segments on CMR. WM was significantly better in proportion to 201-Tl uptake (P=0.01) in MO segments. All 8 MO segments with WM improvement at follow-up had 99m-Tc PYP uptake, although only 3 (21%) of 14 MO segments that did not show WM improvement at follow-up had 99m-Tc PYP uptake (P=0.001). Conclusions: 99m-Tc PYP and 201-Tl scintigraphy have the potential to predict WM status and improvement of the MO region after reperfused acute MI. (Circ J 2010; 74: 2633-2640)

A 48-year-old Japanese man was admitted to hospital for acute myocardial infarction associated with a giant organized thrombus occupying the left sinus of Valsalva. Cardiac catheterization revealed no organic stenosis in either coronary artery, but left ventriculography and aortography showed a filling defect above the left coronary cusp. Transesophageal echocardiography was immediately performed and showed a round mass filling the left sinus of Valsalva. A solid, round mass approximately 2.5 cm in diameter was removed during emergency surgery and determined to be a thrombus on the basis of microscopic findings. This is the second report of a giant organized thrombus occupying the entire left sinus of Valsalva, obstructing the ostium of the left coronary artery intermittently, and leading to acute myocardial infarction. (Circ J 2004; 68: 795 - 798)

Spontaneous degeneration of rapid atrial fibrillation (AF) to ventricular fibrillation has been documented in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome. However, the importance of rap

The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of an early predischarge exercise therapy, started 2 weeks following acute myocardial infarction (AMI), to working functional capacity. Seventeen AMI patients (10 males, 7 females, mean age 62 +/- 11 years) were examined in this study. Six, serious clinical symptoms and complications, were excluded, while the remaining 11 patients completed, the whole exercise therapy protocol (2 weeks). Patients performed exercise performed for 20-30 min twice daily at a target heart rate (90% level of heart rate at AT) on the basis of anaerobic threshold (AT) determined using treadmill ramp exercise with our protocol. Heart rates (HR) at rest, warming-up and AT point decreased significantly (p less than 0.05) after exercise therapy, although peak HR remained unchanged. O2 pulse at the AT point and endpoint, after exercise therapy, improved significantly (p less than 0.05), when compared to that before therapy. Moreover, AT and peak VO2 improved remarkably (p less than 0.05), as did exercise time to the AT point and endpoint after exercise therapy (p less than 0.05), when compared to that before therapy. These results indicate that the predischarge early exercise therapy begun 2 weeks after AMI will be effective and beneficial in improving working capacity with improvement of physical deconditioning. Additionally, it is necessary that patients with severe clinical symptoms and complications be excluded.