Search

Aims To assess the antiischaemic efficacy and tolerability of the metabolic agent trimetazidine in combination with metoprolol in patients with stable effort angina.Methods This was a randomized, multicentre, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel group study. A total of 426 male and female patients with stable, effortinduced angina and documented coronary artery disease received either placebo or trimetazidine 20mg three times daily in addition to metoprolol 50mg twice daily. Treadmill exercise tests were performed at weeks (−1), 0, 4 and 12.Results After 12 weeks, there were significantly greater improvements in the metoprolol + trimetazidine group than in the metoprolol + placebo group in: time to 1mm ST segment depression, total workload, time to onset of angina, maximum ST segment depression, mean weekly number of angina attacks, mean weekly nitrate consumption, and grade of anginal pain. There was no evidence of any development of tolerance to trimetazidine. The tolerability of trimetazidine was excellent.Conclusions Therapy with trimetazidine plus metoprolol produced significant improvements in exercise stress tests and the symptoms of angina relative to metoprolol alone. With its metabolic effect, devoid of any haemodynamic action, trimetazidine is useful for combination therapy in patients with stable angina insufficiently controlled by monotherapy with a beta-blocker. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Introduction: Broviac catheter is a type of central venous catheter (CVC) used for long-term parenteral nutrition in specific patients, e.g., diagnosed with intestinal failure as short bowel syndrome (SBS). The way of the catheter insertion is conceived to minimalize the risk of infections. However, CVC-related blood stream infections (CVC-BSIs), including infective endocarditis (IE), remain most important complications associated with Broviac catheter. Staphylococcus epidermidis stands out as a prevalent pathogen. The increasing number of CVCs results in an increased incidence of healthcare-associated IE. Complete parenteral treatment is an independent risk that increases the likelihood of IE. Treatment of IE is mainly based on antibiotic therapy, but in certain cases, surgical treatment is needed. Presentation of Case: A 71-year-old female with SBS who had been receiving total parenteral nutrition through the Broviac catheter for several months was admitted in a serious condition with significant weakness, increasing shortness of breath, deteriorating cough, fever, low blood pressure, and heart palpitations. Echocardiography revealed severe aortic valve IE with a large, longitudinal, highly mobile vegetation (up to 40 mm) and massive aortic regurgitation with pulmonary edema. Fast pathogen detection in the patients' blood ( S. epidermidis ) was obtained using PCR-based multiplex test. Due to life-threatening conditions, emergency surgery with aortic valve replacement was performed. Consistent rehabilitation resulted in good condition achievement. Follow-up echocardiography showed normal function of the aortic valve bioprosthesis. Conclusion: The use of CVC, including Broviac catheter, is associated with an increased risk of infections, including IE. Treatment-resistant severe HF complicating IE requires emergency surgery., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Małgorzata Wilawer et al.)

Brugada phenocopy (BrP) occurs in various clinical conditions and manifests as a Brugada-like ECG pattern with coved (type 1) or saddle-back (type 2) ST-segment elevation in the right precordial leads. Unlike Brugada syndrome (BrS), which is an inherited channelopathy, BrP is not associated with an increased risk of malignant arrhythmia. BrP has been reported in severe metabolic disturbances (significant hyponatremia, hypokalemia or hyperkalemia), mechanical heart compression, coronary artery disease, pulmonary embolism and myocarditis/pericarditis. The authors described a case of a 69-year-old female whose Brugada-like ECG was atypically associated with only moderate hyponatremia (127 mmol/l). She was admitted due to a skin and subcutaneous tissue infection of the left shank and coexistent urinary tract infection (without a fever). She had the history of advanced melanoma with multiple liver metastases. Her cardiac history was negative, especially the patient has never suffered from ventricular arrhythmias. ECG on admission showed saddle-back ST-segment elevation in the right precordial leads; however, the patient did not report any chest pain. Troponin I level and left ventricular function in echocardiography were normal while regional longitudinal strain in RV apex was decreased and showed post-systolic shortening. The substernal view revealed compression of the right ventricle (RV) by liver metastatic tumor. ECG changes disappeared quickly during natrium chloride supplementation and did not recur during hospitalization. This case illustrates that even moderate hyponatremia may be a reversible cause of BrP when other predisposing conditions (e.g. heart compression by tumor) coexist.

Blunt chest trauma (BCT) may rarely trigger stress-induced takotsubo syndrome (TTS) which requires dif f erential diagnosis with myocardial contusion and BCT-induced myocardial infarction. So far reported cases have been presented as apical ballooning or inverted (reverse) TTS forms but not as a midventricular variant. The authors described a case of a 53-year-old female admitted to Intensive Care Unit after motor vehicle accident with BCT and airbag deployment during car roll over. For some time after the accident, she was trapped in a car with her head bent to the chest. After being pulled out from the car, she had impaired consciousness and therefore was intubated by the rescue team. Trauma computed tomography scan did not reveal any injuries. However, ECG showed ST-segment depression in II, III, aVF, V4-6, and discrete ST-segment elevation in aVR. Troponin I and NTpro-BNP increased to 2062 ng/l and 6413 pg/ml, respectively. Echocardiography revealed mild midventricular dysfunction of the left ventricle with ejection fraction (EF) and global longitudinal strain (GLS) reduced to 45% and -17.6%, respectively. On day two, the patient's general condition improved and stabilized, so she was extubated. Normalization of ECG, EF and GLS (but not regional LS) was observed on day three. She was discharged home on day fi ve. Post-hospital examinations documented that segmental longitudinal strain remained abnormal for up to 4 weeks. The authors conclude that fast ECG and echocardiographic evolution may result in underestimation of the posttraumatic TTS diagnosis, especially if it takes atypical form and its course is mild. Longitudinal strain evaluation can be helpful in cardiac monitoring of trauma patients.

Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) has been reported in various clinical conditions. Coronary artery fistula (CAF) is diagnosed in 0.2- 0.4% of patients undergoing coronary angiography. Pathologic communication between coronary artery (e.g., left anterior de¬scending coronary artery - LAD) and cardiac chambers (e.g., left ventricle - LV) is cameral type of CAF which particularly predis¬pose to myocardial ischemia due to a steal syndrome. Eight cases of coexistent TTS and CAF have been reported so far; in 6 of them LAD cameral fistulas drained LV, in 2 others communications between coronary arteries and pulmonary artery were found. The authors describe a case of a 75-year-old female, admitted due to chest pain and dyspnea. Her clinical picture with ST-segment elevation in ECG, moderately increased troponin I and apical ballooning in echocardiography, was more typical for TTS than for myocardial infarction; besides that, color doppler imaging was suggestive of multiple CAF to LV. Coronary angiography showed communication between all (normal) coronary arteries and LV. Throughout the conservative therapy, first, an improve¬ment and then normalization of LV function were observed after 2 and 6 days, respectively. Chest x-ray and computed tomogra¬phy revealed mediastinal tumor (eventually diagnosed as lung cancer). Cardiac magnetic resonance performed after one month did not show late gadolinium enhancement. During the course of 24 months follow-up, she was taking bisoprolol and ramipril and her cardiologic state remained stable, even during chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The authors collected the clinical data of all 9 cases with concomitant TTS and CAF. Specific TTS triggering factors/predisposing conditions were present in all patients, which has indicated that coexistence of TTS and CAF is rather coincidental.

Background: COVID-19 is a great medical challenge as it provokes acute respiratory distress and has pulmonary manifestations and cardiovascular (CV) consequences., Aims: This study compared cardiac injury in COVID-19 myocarditis patients with non-COVID-19 myocarditis patients., Methods: Patients who recovered from COVID-19 were scheduled for cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) owing to clinical myocarditis suspicion. The retrospective non-COVID-19 myocarditis (2018-2019) group was enrolled (n = 221 patients). All patients underwent contrast-enhanced CMR, the conventional myocarditis protocol, and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE). The COVID study group included 552 patients at a mean (standard deviation [SD]) age of 45.9 (12.6) years., Results: CMR assessment confirmed myocarditis-like LGE in 46% of the cases (68.5% of the segments with LGE <25% transmural extent), left ventricular (LV) dilatation in 10%, and systolic dysfunction in 16% of cases. The COVID-19 myocarditis group showed a smaller median (interquartile range [IQR]) LV LGE (4.4% [2.9%-8.1%] vs. 5.9% [4.4%-11.8%]; P <0.001), lower LV end-diastolic volume (144.6 [125.5-178] ml vs. 162.8 [136.6-194] ml; P <0.001), limited functional consequence (left ventricular ejection fraction, 59% [54.1%-65%] vs. 58% [52%-63%]; P = 0.01), and a higher rate of pericarditis (13.6% vs. 6%; P = 0.03) compared to non-COVID-19 myocarditis. The COVID-19-induced injury was more frequent in septal segments (2, 3, 14), and non-COVID-19 myocarditis showed higher affinity to lateral wall segments (P <0.01). Neither obesity nor age was associated with LV injury or remodeling in subjects with COVID-19 myocarditis., Conclusions: COVID-19-induced myocarditis is associated with minor LV injury with a significantly more frequent septal pattern and a higher pericarditis rate than non-COVID-19 myocarditis.

Shark fin or triangular QRS-ST-T waveform ECG pattern, also known as lambda-wave ST elevation or giant R wave syndrome, is a particular ECG presentation where QRS complex, ST-segment and T-wave are fused in a unique complex. Originally described in some patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) during the acute phase, it has been found to be associated with a high risk of ventricular fibrillation and cardiogenic shock as well as with a high in-hospital mortality. However, shark fin ECG pattern has also been reported in patients with non-acute coronary syndrome related ST-elevation (NASTEP), including stress-induced takotsubo syndrome (TTS). Fourteen such cases (all females) have been reported so far. The authors present a case of a 56-year-old male with shark fin ECG pattern associated with TTS triggered by burn injuries of head, back, upper, lower limbs and the respiratory tract. Due to respiratory insufficiency and heart failure with hemodynamic compromise, he required mechanical ventilation and catecholamines use. Echocardiography showed apical and midventricular akinesia with left ventricular ejection fraction and global longitudinal strain reduced to 30% and -6.8%, respectively and a high segmental post-systolic index. Shark fin pattern maintained within 2 days, then ST-T evolution was observed. Echocardiographic improvement followed by almost normalization were seen after 6 and 9 days, respectively. No cardiac arrhythmias were recorded as in most of the described cases with shark fin ECG and TTS.

Mechanical heart compression, including that from mediastinal tumor, may cause Brugada-like ECG pattern. Such ECG pattern might also be observed in intracardiac tumor obstructing the right ventricular out"ow tract (RVOT). Eight cases with Brugada-like ECG and tumors involving RVOT have been described so far; 4 growing in the mediastinum (with one example of in"ammatory mass), 3 with intracardiac location, and 1 being an organized pericardial hematoma. The authors present other 3 cases of intracardiac metastatic tumors in RVOT and Brugada-like ECG pattern with coved ST-segment elevation in the right precordial leads. All patients had negative history of cardiovascular disease or familiar malignant arrhythmia occurrence. ECG were done routinely; none of the patients had chest pain or an increased level of cardiac troponins. In all patients, neoplastic disease was at advanced stage. A 76-year-old male, had a history of four neoplasms: bladder cancer was being treated with chemotherapy, while prostate, tongue, and lung cancers had been resected years ago and no signs of local relapse were found. A 78-year-old female, was diagnosed with colon cancer 1 month after an episode of venous thromboembolism. Six months after the resection of cancer, second focus of adenocarcinoma was found in the rectum. Third patient, a 65-year-old-male had undergone nephrectomy for renal cancer a year before cardiac metastasis diagnosis.

Brugada syndrome (BrS) is an inherited channelopathy characterized on ECG by coved (type 1) or saddle-back (type 2) ST-segment elevation (STE) of 2 or more mm in the right precordial leads and is associated with an increased risk of malignant ventricular arrhythmias. The term Brugada phenocopy (BrPh) indicates conditions that may reversibly induce Brugada-like ECG pattern in patients without true BrS; e.g.: metabolic abnormalities, mechanical heart compression, ischemia, myocarditis/pericarditis, and pulmonary embolism (PE). Only 9 cases of BPh associated with PE have been described so far. The authors present another case of a 41-year-old-male and analyze the clinical data of all 10 subjects (7 males and 3 females). Type 1 of ECG Brugada pattern was present in 7 patients (including ours), type 2 was found in 2 persons; in 1 case ECG pattern was not defined. In 7 patients STE was prominent (5 mm or more in at least 1 lead). STE was limited to V1-V2 leads in 4 persons, extended to V3 in 3 patients and even to V4 in 3 other patients, which correlated with the significant right ventricular (RV) dilatation. Concomitant left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction was reported only in 1 patient, which suggested that paradoxical embolization of coronary artery was not the mechanism of BrS-like STE. Clinical course of PE was usually severe (5 individuals were treated with thrombolysis) and in 3 cases it ended with death. The autopsy was only performed on our patient. It showed diffuse (ischemic) injury of RV and LV secondary to RV overload, decreased cardiac output and severe oxygen deficiency in myocardium, which could have led to BrS pattern in ECG., (© 2022 MEDPRESS.)

Native heart valve thrombosis (NHVT) is a rare valvular pathology, usually associated with prothrombotic state or disturbed intracardiac blood flow related to structural valve abnormalities. While different venous and arterial thromboembolic complications of COVID-19 have been widely described, so far NHVT has not been reported in the context of the disease. The authors describe 4 cases of NHVT associated with COVID-19, revealed on aortic, mitral (2 patients) and tricuspid valve. In a 29-yearold male with mild pneumonia, large thrombus developed on bicuspid aortic valve (BAV), which resulted in fatal brain emboli. In a 76-yearold male with a history of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) being in a recovery period after COVID-19, central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) was the first sign of mitral valve thrombus, which disappeared after 3 weeks, during apixaban use. Such therapy was also successful in a 46-yearold female with multiple cardiovascular risk factors in whom mitral valve thrombus was found in a routine echocardiography after she got COVID-19 the third time. In a 75-year-old man with moderate COVID-19 pneumonia and bacterial coinfection, coexistent transient focal LV dysfunction and tricuspid valve thrombus were observed. The patient was treated with apixaban as well; however, in this case only reduction in the thrombus size was seen after 4 months therapy. The authors indicate that in patients with COVID-19 and NHVT, other prothrombotic conditions can usually be found. This complication may involve different valves and occur irrespective of COVID-19 severity. Interdisciplinary evaluation of such patients is necessary., (© 2022 MEDPRESS.)

Arterial thromboembolic events (ATE) in COVID-19, similarly as venous thromboembolism (VTE), are observed mainly in severely ill patients. ATE include brain, heart, aortic, and peripheral ischemic complications which usually aggravate a course of the disease leading to lifethreatening conditions., A Case Report: The authors describe a case of a 53-year-old male with Duhring disease in the remission period admitted due to severe COVID-19 pneumonia. The patient was treated with ceftriaxone (2000 mg once daily), dexamethasone (8 mg once daily), enoxaparin (60 mg twice daily), baricitinib (4 mg once daily), and remdesivir (200 mg on the first day, followed by 100 mg within 4 consecutive days); he required high flow oxygen therapy. On day 5 of hospitalization, he began to suffer from pain of the right lower extremity; in physical examination the limb was cold with absent femoral, popliteal, and pedal pulses. Urgent computed tomography angiography revealed total occlusion of the right superficial femoral artery (SFA) in the absence of any atherosclerotic plaques in the aorta. The patient was intubated and transferred to department of vascular surgery, where a giant clot was removed from SFA. Unfortunately, the patient outcome was unfavorable due to respiratory failure progression. The authors underline that ATE may occur even in anticoagulated patients and that association of some therapeutic options of COVID-19, like janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors use with an increased risk of ATE, should not be excluded., (© 2022 MEDPRESS.)

Although Slavic populations account for over 4.5% of world inhabitants, no centralised, open-source reference database of genetic variation of any Slavic population exists to date. Such data are crucial for clinical genetics, biomedical research, as well as archeological and historical studies. The Polish population, which is homogenous and sedentary in its nature but influenced by many migrations of the past, is unique and could serve as a genetic reference for the Slavic nations. In this study, we analysed whole genomes of 1222 Poles to identify and genotype a wide spectrum of genomic variation, such as small and structural variants, runs of homozygosity, mitochondrial haplogroups, and de novo variants. Common variant analyses showed that the Polish cohort is highly homogenous and shares ancestry with other European populations. In rare variant analyses, we identified 32 autosomal-recessive genes with significantly different frequencies of pathogenic alleles in the Polish population as compared to the non-Finish Europeans, including C2 , TGM5 , NUP93 , C19orf12 , and PROP1 . The allele frequencies for small and structural variants, calculated for 1076 unrelated individuals, are released publicly as The Thousand Polish Genomes database, and will contribute to the worldwide genomic resources available to researchers and clinicians.

COVID-19 patients, particularly those with severe pulmonary involvement, are at an increased thromboembolic risk related, among various causes, to the cytokine storm and excessive activation of the coagulation cascade and platelets. Different intensity of anticoagulation for them is proposed, mainly with low molecular weight heparins (LMWHs); in a confirmed pulmonary embolism (PE) the therapeutic dose of LMWH is routinely used. Some authors suggest that hemorrhagic complications in COVID-19 patients are rare. At the same time, one can find reports on internal bleeding, including retroperitoneal hematoma (RPH) and other abdominal hematomas., Case Reports: The authors describe 5 cases (3 of those aged more than 80 years) with giant RPHs and with moderate/severe COVID-19 pneumonia, treated before RPH diagnosis with different enoxaparin doses. The therapeutic dose was given to the male with verified PE limited to the segmental/subsegmental pulmonary arteries and initially to the female in whom echocardiography was strongly suggestive of PE, yet this diagnosis was excluded on CT angiography. In one patient, the enoxaparin dose was escalated from 40 mg bd to 60 mg bd after the D-dimer increase. Two patients had bleeding complications despite the enoxaparin dose restricted to 40 mg/daily or bd. Two males had a coexistent psoas hematoma while in only one female there was a coexistent femoral hematoma. RPHs occurred between day 4 and 14 of hospitalization and all were treated conservatively. Three patients who died were particularly charged, so their deaths were not merely directly associated with RPH, which was closely analyzed in one autopsy performed. The authors underline that the choice of anticoagulation intensity in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia without venous thromboembolism seems sometimes difficult but recent publications indicate the low prophylactic enoxaparin dose as an optimal option. Anticoagulation dose escalation based only on the D-dimer level may not be appropriate for certain patients; moreover, the D-dimer increase is commonly observed during internal bleeding., (© 2022 MEDPRESS.)

Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) and legionnaires disease (LD) caused by Gram-negative water-born bacteria Legionella pneumophila show certain similarities, including a predisposition to pulmonary involvement and extrapulmonary manifestations in some of the patients infected. One disease can mimic the other, both can rarely coexist., Case Series Report: The authors describe 7 such cases (5 females), aged 51-90 years (mean 69.7 years) detected while screening 133 subjects with moderate to severe pneumonia and confirmed COVID- 19, which constituted 5.3% of the patients in whom urinary antigen test (UAT) for L. pneumophila was performed. The patients had multiple concomitant disorders: hypertension (6), heart failure (4), diabetes (4), obesity (4), coronary heart disease (3), chronic kidney disease (3), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (3), anemia (3). Positive UAT was obtained at admission in 4 patients, and on 3rd, 11th and 14th days of hospitalization in the remaining 3 patients. One patient also had positive UAT for Streptococcus pneumoniae. We analyzed: radiological imaging, laboratory data (CRP, interleukin-6, procalcitonin, troponin I, BNP), ECG, echocardiography, treatment and outcome. Three patients required a modification of initial antibiotic therapy, two developed Clostridioides difficile infection. The duration of hospitalization ranged from 13 to 59 days (mean 24.3 days); two patients died., Conclusions: The authors suggest that the coexistence of COVID- 19 and LD may result in prolonged hospitalization, in increased mortality risk and in subsequent cardiovascular complications, including takotsubo syndrome (TTS) which was found in 2 cases, both presented as focal TTS (fTTS)., (© 2022 MEDPRESS.)

Optical betablockers (BBs), including nonselective BB timolol, are commonly used for the management of primary open angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension. About 80% of topically administered timolol is systemically absorbed, which can rarely induce such complications as bradycardia, bronchospasm and depression., A Case Report: The authors describe a case of a 67-year-old female referred because of significant bradycardia and a suggestion of pacemaker implantation. She had no cardiovascular history besides hyperlipidemia and mild hyperglycemia, so her previous treatment was focused on glaucoma due to which she had been using optical timolol for several years. Moreover, she suffered from depression which was treated with venlafaxine and sertraline. Over a few months, she started feeling weak and dizzy. Her daily heart rate (HR) markedly decreased to 40-45/min. 24-hour ECG monitoring revealed multiple episodes of nodal rhythm and of sinoatrial block and the lowest HR of 33/min; bradycardia defined as HR less than 45/min constituted over 40% of the time recorded. Close observation with repeated 24-hour ECG monitoring after timolol discontinuation showed lasting several-daylong gradual bradycardia remission; after 2, 9, 16 and 23 days, bradycardia constituted 19.9%, 13.9%, 0.2% and 0% of the time recorded, respectively. Genetic testing of cytochrome P450 2D6 revealed the presence of the c.506 -1G>A variant with one non-functional allele (CYP2D6 *4/-) which might have slowed down timolol metabolism in the context of simultaneous antidepressants use, so venlafaxine and sertraline were reduced. However, during follow-up, incremental bradycardia relapse, suggestive of an underlying sinus node dysfunction, was observed., (© 2022 MEDPRESS.)

Musical hallucinations (MHs), a kind of auditory hallucinations (AHs), are a rarely observed phenomenon of abnormal perception of sound in the absence of an external auditory source. MHs are characterized by perception of melodies, music, or songs. AHs/MHs can be associated with hypoacusis, psychiatric or neurological diseases, intoxication and adverse reactions of different medications (e.g., propranolol, amantadine, voriconazole)., A Case Report: The authors present a case of a 77-year-old male with advanced heart failure, recurrent episodes of atrial fibrillations and moderate hypoacusis, who mistakenly overdosed oral amiodarone (6 pills 200 mg each daily within 3 days). After administration of 12 pills during 2 days, he started hearing music and songs not heard by others. One day later, when the number of ingested pills increased to 18, he decided to discontinue amiodarone and consulted a cardiologist; no signs of physical, ECG or laboratory deterioration were observed. MHs disappeared next day and returned only as a single episode when he tried to restart amiodarone at a dose of 1 pill daily 2 weeks later. Finally, following complete removal of the medication, he experienced no MHs whatsoever. Amiodarone is known to seldom cause neurological or mental complications; however, MHs after the drug have never been reported so far., (© 2021 MEDPRESS.)

Cardiovascular complications of the COVID-19 comprise cardiac arrhythmias, including sinus bradycardia (SB)., Case Reports: The authors present clinical data of 19 hospitalized patients (12 males), aged 20-73 years, with marked (less than 45/min during daily hours) self-limiting SB. None of them had SB at admission or earlier, none had used cardiovascular medications potentially decreasing the heart rate. Pulmonary involvement was severe in 4, moderate in 13 and mild in 2 patients; 14 needed oxygen therapy (4 using high flow oxygen equipment), none required treatment in the intensive care unit. All patients were given low molecular weight heparin in a prophylactic dose, 13 intravenous ceftriaxone, 12 dexamethasone, 8 convalescent plasma. Before SB appearance, 12 patients were treated with remdesivir (3 patients did not receive a full planned dose) and 2 with tocilizumab. SB appeared suddenly on day 5-14 from the onset of the disease, with a minimal heart rate of 32-44/min and in 3 cases it was mildly symptomatic; 2 of those received ad-hoc atropine, one orciprenaline. Interleukin-6 (Il-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations at SB onset were significantly lower than at admission (9.3 vs 70.0 pg/ml and 16.8 vs 98.5 mg/l, respectively). Cardiac troponin I was slightly elevated in 2 patients. ECG morphology abnormalities (transient negative T waves or ST depression) were found in 4 males. All subjects had normal left ventricular ejection fraction; in 5 echocardiography revealed small pericardial effusion; in 10 patients, longitudinal strain was also studied: reginal abnormalities were found in all of them, particularly in basal segments. SB lasted 3-11 days and was reversible in all patients; none required temporary stimulation. The COVID-19 course was favorable in all patients; they were stable at discharge. During 4-12 months of posthospital observation, including clinical features, control ECG and 24-hour Holter monitoring, none of the patients was qualified for pacemaker implantation., (© 2021 MEDPRESS.)

In the course of COVID-19 pandemic, many patients with diagnosed or suspected disease do require echocardiography. At the same time, when it comes to the echocardiographers, there is a fear of their being exposed to contamination. At COVID-19-dedicated hospital examinations are bedside, and in some patients hand-held or tablet-based echocardiography should be preferred; the echocardiographer routinely puts on a complete protective uniform. The prevalence of stress-induced takotsubo syndrome (TTS) during the Covid-19 pandemic is higher than previously reported. The authors present the images obtained using tabletbased limited echocardiography in patients with different forms of TTS. The time of the examination of patients and decontamination of the equipment was short (5-7 min and less than 2 min, respectively); the images were of fairly good quality., (© 2021 MEDPRESS.)

Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is diagnosed by auscultation and echocardiography in about 2-3% of the general population and takes rather a benign course. However, in some patients, ventricular arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death (SCD) occur, which is linked to mitral annular disjunction (MAD). MAD is defined as distinct separation of the mitral valve annulus-left atrial wall continuum and the basal region of the posterolateral left ventricular (LV) myocardium. MAD results in disturbed inferior-posterior LV wall and posteromedial papillary muscle stretch giving rise to local fibrosis presenting in cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) as late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) and posing a substrate for malignant arrhythmia. Multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT) in MAD patients is still rarely used., A Case Report: Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is diagnosed by auscultation and echocardiography in about 2-3% of the general population and takes rather a benign course. However, in some patients, ventricular arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death (SCD) occur, which is linked to mitral annular disjunction (MAD). MAD is defined as distinct separation of the mitral valve annulus-left atrial wall continuum and the basal region of the posterolateral left ventricular (LV) myocardium. MAD results in disturbed inferior-posterior LV wall and posteromedial papillary muscle stretch giving rise to local fibrosis presenting in cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) as late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) and posing a substrate for malignant arrhythmia. Multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT) in MAD patients is still rarely used., (© 2020 MEDPRESS.)

The prevalence of takotsubo syndrome (TTS) in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is much higher than in the general population. Clinical and experimental observations confirm secondary to brain damage catecholamine-mediated cardiac injury resulting in reversible left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. However, other triggers can also be involved in TTS development e.g. manipulations during surgical or endovascular treatment of a bleeding intracranial aneurysm, concomitant hyponatremia or infection, intubation, blood transfusion and pharmacologic treatment. Nimodipine is recommended in SAH to prevent cerebral arteries vasospasm but can cause hypotension, so vasopressors, e.g. norepinephrine (NE) are commonly used to reach target blood pressure., A Case Report: The authors present a case of a 72-year-old woman with SAH in whom the disease began with a headache, syncope, decreased level of consciousness and vomiting; there were no cardiac symptoms at admission. Endovascular coiling of internal carotid artery aneurysm was performed. On day 2, she developed TTS presenting in echocardiography as apical ballooning; immediately before TTS onset, NE was started to treat nimodipine-induced hypotension. Despite severe heart failure (HF), the patient's neurological status did not deteriorate. HF symptoms remitted after a few days and LV function returned to normal after a week. Negative T waves in ECG which appeared at TTS onset disappeared after 50 days. At that moment no neurological deficits were observed., Conclusions: The authors underline that in SAH patients nimodipine administration should be cautious to avoid an excessive blood pressure decrease especially in view of further catecholamines use., (© 2020 MEDPRESS.)

Background: Pulmonary embolism (PE) is the third most common potentially life‑threatening cardiovascular disease. A new approach of pulmonary embolism response teams (PERTs) has been introduced to provide rapid multidisciplinary assessment and treatment of patients with PE. However, detailed data on institutional experience and clinical outcomes from such teams are missing., Aims: The aim of this study was to report our experience with the management of PE guided by the PERT-POZ within the first year of operation., Methods: We performed a prospective study of PERT-POZ activations at a university care center between October 2018 and October 2019. Patient characteristics, therapies, and clinical outcomes were evaluated., Results: There were 86 unique PERT-POZ activations, and PE was confirmed in 80 patients including: 9 patients (11.25%) classified as low‑risk PE, 19 (23.75%) as intermediate‑low risk, 38 (47.5%) as intermediate‑high, and 14 (17.5%) as high‑risk. Sixty patients (75%) received anticoagulation only, 28 (35%) direct oral anticoagulant, 7 (8.75%) vitamin K antagonist, 23 (28.75%) low-molecular-weight heparin, and 2 (2.50%) unfractionated heparin. Ten patients (12.5%) were treated with catheter‑directed thrombectomy, 6 (7.5%) received systemic thrombolysis, 2 (2.5%) underwent surgical embolectomy, 2 (2.5%) were on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support, and 2 (2.5%) underwent pharmacomechanical venous thrombectomy. There were 7 (8.75%) in‑hospital deaths, and 2 (2.5%) deaths during a 3‑month follow‑up. Bleeding complications were rare: only 3 patients (3.75%) had major bleeding events, but none after administration of systemic thrombolysis., Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that after the creation of PERT-POZ with a precise activation protocol, patients with intermediate and high‑risk PE received most optimal treatment strategies.

Extrapulmonary manifestations of Legionnaires' disease (LD) include, inter alia cardiac, brain, abdominal, joints and skin involvement., A Case Report: The authors describe a case of a 41-year-old immunocompetent female admitted due to a high fever, chills and fatigue. She negated cough and chest or abdominal pain. Initial chest X-ray was normal. Among laboratory abnormalities were: elevation of C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, transaminases and creatinine, hyponatremia, low white blood cell and platelet count and a moderate proteinuria. ECG showed subtle ST elevation. Echocardiography revealed normal left ventricular (LV) contractility and near normal longitudinal strain, mild myocardial thickening, and a small pericardial effusion; additionally, in subcostal view, gallbladder wall thickening (GBWT) was found. Positive L. pneumophila urinary antigen test confirmed LD diagnosis. Control Xray and CT showed development of pleural effusion and bilateral pulmonary infiltrations. Clinical and radiologic improvement of the disease was achieved with ciprofloxacin therapy started from admission. ECG abnormalities persisted for only 5 days, GBWT resolved after 9 days, pericardial effusion disappeared after 10 days; normalization of LV thickness and an increase in longitudinal strain was found within 2 weeks. However, cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) performed after a month revealed focal midmyocardial and linear subepicardial late gadolinium enhancement (LGE)., Conclusions: The authors underline the fact that being aware of extrapulmonary LD, also silent, may allow to diagnose the disease, especially when pulmonary involvement is initially absent., (© 2020 MEDPRESS.)

Transient left ventricular hypertrophy or thickening (TLVH/T) is a phenomenon rarely observed in some patients with myocarditis and stress-induced takotsubo syndrome (TTS). Initial presentation on echocardiography can mimic hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), sometimes with a decreased ejection fraction (EF)., A Case Report: The authors describe TLVH/T in a 30-year-old female with a history of chronic emotional stress and depression treated with venlafaxine (75 mg twice a day). She suffered from spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) and, because of a family conflict, was living alone with a daughter who was diagnosed with maple syrup urine disease (MSUD). At admission, she presented with advanced heart failure with pulmonary congestion, moderately elevated blood pressure, ECG signs of LV hypertrophy (with negative T waves in leads: I-III, aVF, V4- 6) and with mild troponin I and high BNP elevation. Echocardiography revealed hypertrophy of the LV myocardium, systolic dysfunction and a small pericardial effusion. She denied any chest pain; there were no clinical features of infection or connective tissue disorder. Genetic nature of the patient's SCA and of her daughter's MSUD gave rise to a suspicion that she had coexistent HCM. She received therapy with ramipril, carvedilol and diuretics; venlafaxine was not discontinued. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) performed a month later showed LV thickening to be a little smaller, absence of late gadolinium enhancement and an improvement of EF; T2-weighted images were not studied. Unexpectedly, after several months, LV hypertrophy disappeared in subsequent ECG, echocardiography and CMR; simultaneously, EF as well as regional and longitudinal strain returned to normal values., (© 2019 MEDPRESS.)

Legionella pneumophila infection (legionellosis) usually presents as a multisystemic disease, predominantly affecting the lungs (Legionnaires' disease - LD). Immunodeficiency, chemotherapy or chronic steroids use increase the risk of developing LD. Extrapulmonary manifestations of LD include cardiac complications: myocarditis, pericarditis or endocarditis., A Case Report: The authors describe a case of a 51-year-old female with a history of cryoglobulinemic vasculitis, Sjögren syndrome and chronic lymphocytic leukemia who was admitted due to a high fever, fatigue, tachycardia, dyspnea and cough. Chest X-ray and CT showed bilateral pulmonary infiltrations and pleural effusion. LD was diagnosed on positive L. pneumophila urinary antigen test. Echocardiography revealed severe left ventricular (LV) dysfunction with substantially decreased ejection fraction and global longitudinal strain (GLS), with a pattern resembling reverse takotsubo syndrome (rTTS). The coronary arteries in non-invasive coronary angiography were normal. During therapy with levofloxacin and intravenous immunoglobulins as well as with carvedilol, ramipril and diuretics, gradual clinical improvement with complete normalization of LV function was observed within 5 weeks. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) performed on day 35 revealed only small intramural foci of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) with localization not corresponding to the most decreased regional longitudinal strain in the initial echocardiographic examination. The authors suggest that the mechanism of transient LV dysfunction in the case presented may have been of complex nature, including LD myocarditis and stress-induced cardiomyopathy (with the prevalence of the latter) which has not so far been reported in the literature., (© 2019 MEDPRESS.)

Among patients with takotsubo syndrome (TTS), reverse TTS (rTTS) constitutes 1-23% of all cases reported in the literature. The highest prevalence of rTTS is observed in intracranial hemorrhage, pheochromocytoma and severe infections., A Case Report: The authors describe a case of a 65-year-old female with advanced multiple myeloma in whom rTTS was recognized on admission due to streptococcal sepsis. Other possible triggering factors included: anemia, blood transfusion, transient acute renal failure with electrolyte imbalance. ECG showed ST-segment depression in precordial leads and echocardiography revealed severe left ventricular (LV) dysfunction with apical sparing and with decreased ejection fraction (EF) and global longitudinal strain (GLS): 30 % and -10 %, respectively. Daily echocardiography showed gradual normalization of GLS as well as of regional longitudinal strain (RLS) within 8 days. The authors confirm the distinctness of rTTS including clinical, ECG, echocardiographic and laboratory findings and suggest the usefulness of daily longitudinal strain evaluation for LV function recovery monitoring., (© 2019 MEDPRESS.)

Some endocrine disorders, including primary and secondary adrenal insufficiency (AI), predispose to takotsubo syndrome (TTS). Hyponatremia is a frequent feature seen in adrenal crisis; however, TTS cases preceded by low serum sodium associated with other diseases are also reported., A Case Report: The authors describe a case of a 72-year-old female with primary AI (Addison's disease) after adrenalectomy due to adrenal hypertrophy she underwent in childhood. Before admission, she missed a few doses of replacement therapy with prednisone and fludrocortisone. On admission, she presented with hypotension, severe heart failure (HF) and hyponatremia. Negative T-waves in ECG and left ventricular (LV) apical ballooning in echocardiography were suggestive of TTS. Restarted replacement therapy and symptomatic HF treatment resulted in gradual LV function normalization within 6 days. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) performed after 4 weeks was normal and did not reveal any late gadolinium enhancement (LGE). However, elective coronary angiography made a month later showed critical stenosis of the left anterior descending coronary artery which was treated with coronary angioplasty. The authors suggest that each patient with adrenal crisis as well as with severe hyponatremia should be evaluated by echocardiography. The case presented confirms a possible coexistence of TTS and obstructive coronary artery disease., (© 2019 MEDPRESS.)

Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is rarely diagnosed following valvular and nonvalvular cardiac surgery. Only several such cases, including 12 after mitral valve replacement (MVR) or plasty (MVP) and 2 after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) have been reported so far., A Case Report: The authors describe a case of a 75-year-old female in whom TTS occurred on the first postoperative day after elective combined surgery: MVR (with bioprosthesis) and CABG (of the left anterior descending coronary artery). Echocardiography revealed left ventricular (LV) dysfunction in the form of apical ballooning with markedly decreased ejection fraction (EF) and global longitudinal strain (GLS): 28 % and -9.3 %, respectively; there were no signs of prosthesis dysfunction. Due to circulatory and concomitant respiratory failure, she was transferred to the intensive care unit; however, an intra-aortic balloon pump was not necessary. Normalization of LV function (EF 60%, GLS -18.5%) was observed after 2 weeks. The authors compare the clinical data of the case presented with those of the remaining 14 TTS patients after MVR, MVP or CABG described in the literature and emphasize the coexistence of multiple triggering factors (e.g. additional procedures, catecholamines use, protamine use, pleural or pericardial drainage, blood transfusion, rapid heart rate). The authors suggest that TTS should be routinely included in differential diagnosis of post-cardiac surgery heart failure decompensation., (© 2019 MEDPRESS.)

The term takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is derived from a comparison of left ventricular (LV) appearance in its apical form to the shape of the pot which is a trap used for octopus catching. In the classical animal model on rats, its occurrence can be triggered by experimental immobilization (IMO). Former observations of capture myopathy, seen in animals after extreme exertion, showed coexistence of rhabdomyolysis related to skeletal muscle injury and myocardial damage. The authors describe a case of a 66-year-old obese female in whom TTS was triggered by an uncommonly stressful event when she had been trapped in the bathtub for several hours. The woman lives alone and has impaired functionality due to degenerative disease of the spine and hips. On this unlucky day, she decided to have a bath after which she was unable to get out of the bathtub despite repeated efforts. She was very frustrated and helpless having to spend all the evening and night in that cul-de-sac-like situation. She was rescued in the morning by neighbors and firemen who transferred her to hospital. On admission she was exhausted and suffering from dyspnea, she negated any chest pain; there were bloody abrasions on her elbows. Due to negative T waves in ECG and elevated troponin I, echocardiography was performed which revealed LV apical ballooning. The high level of creatine phosphokinase (CPK) was suggestive of rhabdomyolysis. Following heart failure therapy, the patient's clinical state, as well as echocardiographic parameters, improved gradually. Normalization of LV function and CPK values was observed after 11 days., (© 2018 MEDPRESS.)

Influenza is associated with a high prevalence of cardiac complications, including myocarditis and exacerbation of ischemic heart disease or heart failure (HF). However, only four cases of stress-induced takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TC), all of them triggered by virus A influenza, have been reported so far. Another two TC cases after anti-influenza vaccination are also available in the literature. The authors describe a new case of TC, this time provoked by influenza B. An 89-year-old female with a history of hypertension and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was admitted due to a fever (39oC), muscle aches and cough. Pneumonia was excluded in chest X-ray while the test for influenza confirmed virus B infection, so she was given oseltamivir. On the second day of hospitalization, she developed severe HF. ECG showed new negative T waves in inferior and anterolateral leads coexisting with a moderate troponin I and marked brain natriuretic peptide release, while echocardiography revealed left ventricular (LV) apical ballooning with decreased ejection fraction (EF 24%) and global longitudinal strain (GLS -8.1%). Symptomatic treatment of HF was initiated. The symptoms of influenza resolved after 5 days. LV function began to improve after 4 days and became normal after 6 days (EF 58%, GLS -18.1%). Despite an advanced age and the coexisting disorders (COPD, mild cognitive impairment, possible neoplastic disease), the patient was discharged in stable clinical condition on day 10. The authors conclude that in the evaluation of cardiac complications of influenza, TC should be taken into account., (© 2018 MEDPRESS.)