(Issue of Cor et Vasa dedicated for the eighth time to case reports)

Michael Aschermann

Cor Vasa 2021, 63(5):534 | DOI: 10.33678/cor.2021.116  

Is there any association between EBV infection and carotid artery stenosis?

Metin Onur Beyaz, Ali Agacfidan, Mustafa Onel, Didem Melis Oztas, Ibrahim Erdinc, Orhan Rodoplu, Mert Meric, Orcun Unal, Cenk Conkbayir, Murat Ugurlucan

Cor Vasa 2021, 63(5):535-539 | DOI: 10.33678/cor.2021.101  

Objective: Atherosclerosis is the mainly etiologic factor of coronary artery disease, carotid artery disease and peripheral artery disease. In our study, we aimed to show the presence and effect of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) on the carotid artery stenosis leading chronic inflammatory process by producing pro-inflammatory cytokines and causing atherosclerosis. Material and methods: Between April 2017 and April 2018, thirty-six patients, who underwent carotid endarterectomy at Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Istanbul University Istanbul Medical Faculty, are included in this study upon their consent. Each voluntary patient was initially recorded for...

(Assessing the presence of clinically significant arrhythmias in post-myocardial infarction patients with left ventricular ejection fraction of 36-50%)

Vít Gloger, Miloš Táborský

Cor Vasa 2021, 63(5):541-546 | DOI: 10.33678/cor.2021.035  

Background: Studies focused on arrhytmias in post-myocardial infarction patients provide us with data mainly about patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. Arrhythmias in post-myocardial infarction patients with heart failure with mid-range ejection fraction have not been studied in detail yet. Methods: Two groups of post-myocardial infarction patients with ejection fraction 36-50% were monitored, Group 1 with implantable ECG loop recorders and Group 2 with 24-hour ECG Holter monitoring performed every 6 months. The primary outcome measure was the presence of clinically significant arrhythmias. The secondary composite outcome measure...

Prevalence, risk factors, and coronary angiographic profile in patients with tortuous coronary artery

Noha Hassanin Hanboly, Mohamed Mahmoud Abdel Ghany, Sameh Mohamed Helmy El-Kaffas, Tawhid Udden Ahmed

Cor Vasa 2021, 63(5):547-554 | DOI: 10.33678/cor.2021.057  

Background: Tortuosity of the coronary arteries (CT) is a common finding during coronary artery catheterization. Although coronary tortuosity is seen frequently on coronary angiography in patients with chest pain, it is rarely reported as it is unclear whether there is a functional significance of this finding or not. Some researches define CT as ≥3 consecutive curvatures of 45 degrees or more in at least one coronary bed. Objectives: The aim of our study was to determine the prevalence of CT among patients who underwent coronary angiography at Cairo University. Hospitals with specific emphasis on the clinical presentation, traditional risk factors...

Oxidative stress, depression, and risk of recurrence of stable coronary heart disease

Tarass Ivascenko, Vladimirs V. Voicehovskis, Julija G. Voicehovska, Andrejs Skesters, Ketija Apsite, Julija Grigorjeva, Anda Kivite-Urtane, Natalija Pahomova, Oskars Kalejs

Cor Vasa 2021, 63(5):555-563 | DOI: 10.33678/cor.2021.046  

Aim: The aim of the study was to investigate the relationships between a level of oxidative stress (OS), depression (D) and risk of recurrence of stable coronary heart disease (SCHD). Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 174 participants, at the age 45+ years: 86 in-patients of the cardiology department with a recurrent SCHD and 88 in-patients of the cardiology department with primary SCHD. The severity of depressive symptoms was assessed using the long 30-item form of Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), valid Latvian version of GDS-LAT. The blood samples were taken from each patient to measure oxidative stress parameters malondialdehyde (MDA)...

Comparison of hydroxychloroquine plus moxifloxacin versus hydroxychloroquine alone on corrected QT interval prolongation in COVID-19 patients

Veysel Yavuz, Ferhat Ozyurtlu, Nurullah Cetin

Cor Vasa 2021, 63(5):564-571 | DOI: 10.33678/cor.2021.053  

Background: Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) alone or with some antibiotic and antiviral agents is used off label in the treatment of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). It seems that the most important safety problem about these medications are their cardiac side effects. Although there are data on arrhythmogenic events associated with the use of HCQ alone, such as corrected QT (QTc) prolongation, Torsade de pointes (TdP) or bradycardia, there are insufficient data on its combination with moxifloxacin (MOX).

Association between SYNTAX score-II and no-reflow in patients with acute anterior ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction

Hazar Harbalioğlu, Ömer Genç, Alaa Quisi, Abdullah Yildirim, İbrahim Halil Kurt

Cor Vasa 2021, 63(5):572-578 | DOI: 10.33678/cor.2021.049  

Background and objectives: The no-reflow phenomenon associated with cardiovascular mortality is one of the serious complications of percutaneous coronary intervention. Also, having both clinical and angiographic parameters, SYNTAX score-II (SS-II) predicts mortality in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The aim of this study is to investigate the association of the no-reflow phenomenon with SS-II. Subjects and methods: 255 consecutive participants (210 [82.3%] male, median age; 55 [18-90] with acute anterior ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention were enrolled in the study....

The caveolin levels in cardiovascular disease

Lutfu Askin, Husna Sengul Askin, Okan Tanriverdi

Cor Vasa 2021, 63(5):579-582 | DOI: 10.33678/cor.2021.045  

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are common diseases that cause many deaths around the world. Caveolin is a structural caveolae protein with three isoforms (Caveolin-1 [Cav-1], Cav-2, and Cav-3). Caveolae has a vital role in generating survival signals for cardiac protection. In particular, Cav-1 influences many biological processes (cellular energy balance, cellular destruction, and fibrosis) in the development of heart failure (HF). Decreased caveolin levels are a therapeutic target and could shed light on future studies in elderly and obese patients. In this review, we discussed the significance of caveolae in cardiovascular diseases. We have also...

Complete atrio-ventricular canal in natural history. A case in adulthood and a mini-review

Vito Maurizio Parato, Camilla Notaristefani, Germana Gizzi, Michele Scarano, Alessandra Baldinelli, Marco Pozzi

Cor Vasa 2021, 63(5):583-587 | DOI: 10.33678/cor.2021.047  

The natural history of complete atrio-ventricular septal defect (AVSD) without surgery has been well documented and many authors have reported that only 4% of patients survives beyond 5 years old. Without surgery, most of the deaths in infancy are from severe congestive heart failure caused by the large left-to-right shunt and atrio-ventricular valve incompetence. Deaths after 5 years of age are probably from pulmonary vascular disease that leads to an irreversible pulmonary hypertension burdened by a poor long-term prognosis. We present a case of complete AVSD with a survival till fifth decade of life in whom the defect was associated with a dextrocardia...

An "ordinary" case of COVID-19 pneumonia: when symptoms hide serious complications

Francesco Messina, Marianna Gigliotti De Fazio, Claudia Morabito, Roberto Licordari, Cristina Procopio Maria, Maurizio Mezzetti, Paolo Busacca, Giuseppe Dattilo, Nicola Arcadi, Matteo Casale

Cor Vasa 2021, 63(5):588-591 | DOI: 10.33678/cor.2021.001  

COVID-19 pandemic changed quickly world's clinical picture. Symptoms often are sneaky, hiding dramatic clinical scenarios. A 52-year-old man was sent to the Emergency Department with persistent chest pain, dyspnea and hypoxia. He also complained of cough and fever (38 °C) since four days without clinical improvements by paracetamol. Nasopharyngeal swab was positive for SARS-CoV-2. High resolution computer tomography (HRCT) showed typical CT pattern of bilateral COVID-19 pneumonia. During hospital stay clinical worsening occurred and a CT pulmonary angiography revealed a bilateral massive acute pulmonary embolism. The patient was treated with unfractionated...

Kounis syndrome associated with COVID-19 infection: cause or coincidence?

Luana Orlando, Giovanni Trapani, Marco Vatrano, Antonio Giovanni Versace, Egidio Imbalzano

Cor Vasa 2021, 63(5):592-596 | DOI: 10.33678/cor.2021.055  

Background: Histamine fish poisoning, known as scombroid syndrome, is a foodborne disease caused by histamine toxicity that results from eating specific types of spoiled fish. In some cases it can lead to the development of life-threatening anaphylactic reactions. In literature the possibility of correlated coronary involvements is widely recognized and accepted, cases described are rare, but even more rare if combined with the novel human coronavirus disease COVID-19 infection, the fifth documented pandemic since the 1918 flu pandemic. In this report, we describe a case of acute coronary syndrome in infected patient with COVID-19, for the first time....

(PEARS implantation in a patient with ascending aortic dilation after bicuspidalization of aortic valve)

Albert Stehlík, Petr Fila, Daniela Žáková, Petr Němec

Cor Vasa 2021, 63(5):597-601 | DOI: 10.33678/cor.2021.042  

Ascending aortic dilation poses a risk of life-threatening aortic dissection. So far the only option for affected patients has been a timely replacement of their aortas with a vascular prosthesis. In 2004 a novel solution emerged to address the issue, i.e. wrapping the dilated aorta into an external supporting netted prosthesis. This method has been utilized in 408 (1/2021) patients around the world up to now and with growing experience the criteria for an indication of this type of treatment change accordingly.¹ PEARS (Personalised External Aortic Root Support) was devised initially for patients suffering from Marfan syndrome. However,...

(Thrombosis of temporary caval filter in a patient with subacute heparin-induced thrombocytopenia)

Robin Králík

Cor Vasa 2021, 63(5):603-607 | DOI: 10.33678/cor.2021.056  

The article presents a case report of a patient with idiopathic arterial thrombosis who developed heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) after heparin treatment and hybrid revascularization. After disappearance of acute thrombocytopenia, the patient was implanted with a temporary caval filter as a prophylaxis of periprocedural embolization in newly diagnosed high venous thrombosis as part of another percutaneous revascularization intervention for progressive arterial limb thrombosis. The occurrence of thrombotic complications in the caval filter and during ongoing anticoagulant therapy with dabigatran is described, pointing to the higher risk of these...

(Severe pulmonary hypertension as the first manifestation of gastric cancer in a young man)

Monika Rádlová, Jana Rosmusová, David Ambrož, Tomáš Roubíček, Rostislav Polášek

Cor Vasa 2021, 63(5):608-611 | DOI: 10.33678/cor.2021.059  

Pulmonary hypertension caused by pulmonary tumor microembolism or pulmonary tumor thrombotic microangiopathy is a rare complication of already known or yet undiagnosed malignancy. We present a case of a 37-year-old previously healthy man who was diagnosed with right heart failure due to severe pulmonary hypertension. The underlying condition was an undiagnosed gastric cancer with micrometastases into lung arterioles. This was diagnosed at autopsy since the patient died within 48 hours of admission to the hospital.

Arteria lusoria - a rare cause of dysphagia or a common accidental finding?

Martin Jozef Péč, Monika Kučeríková, Kristína Grilusová, Veronika Slobodníková, Alena Strýčková, Monika Beliančinová, Juraj Sokol, Matej Samoš, Peter Galajda, Kamil Zeleňák, Marián Mokáň

Cor Vasa 2021, 63(5):612-614 | DOI: 10.33678/cor.2021.051  

The most important abnormality of the aortic arch is, without question, the presence of the arteria lusoria, the aberrant right subclavian artery (ARSA). The presence of this anatomical structure is often connected with symptoms caused by oppression in its surroundings. This anomaly is rarely associated with the presence of an aneurysm at the point of separation from the aortic arch - Kommerell's diverticulum, which carries the risk of rupture or dissection. We present a rare case of an 84-year-old patient with asymptomatic arteria lusoria aneurysm which was diagnosed by chance during hospitalization with subsequent endovascular treatment. Arteria...

Ectopic connection of left coronary artery from right coronary sinus, is the treatment always surgical?

Ahmed Sghaier, Nejeh Ben Halima, Houssem Thabet

Cor Vasa 2021, 63(5):615-618 | DOI: 10.33678/cor.2021.044  

Background: Anomalous left coronary artery aortic origin from the right sinus (ALCA) is rare. Anomalous origin of coronary arteries (AOCA) is the second leading cause of cardiac death among young athletes in the US. Their management remains controversial and there are still no pre-established recommendations for risk stratification. Case presentation: A 45-year-old male with no cardiovascular risk factors, was admitted to our hospital for constrictive, intense, retrosternal chest pain during intense activities. His vital signs were normal. ECG was normal and biology revealed high troponin levels. Echocardiogram revealed a non-dilated left ventricle...

(Practical aspects of establishing of heart failure clinics)

Filip Málek, Ivan Málek, Miloš Táborský, Jiří Vítovec, Jan Krejčí, Lenka Špinarová, Jindřich Špinar, Tomáš Paleček, Jiří Veselý, Vojtěch Melenovský, Radek Pudil, Petr Ošťádal, Aleš Linhart

Cor Vasa 2021, 63(5):619-625 | DOI: 10.33678/cor.2021.106  

This document was prepared by the Board of the Czech Heart Failure Association and it follows "the Expert consensus statement of the Czech Heart Failure Association of the Czech Society of Cardiology on the managing of heart failure clinics" that was published in the Cor et Vasa journal in 2020.

(Expert consensus statement on the significance of iron deficiency and the possibilities of its correction in patients with heart failure)

Vojtěch Melenovský, Miloš Táborský, Aleš Linhart, Jan Malík, Filip Málek, Radek Pudil, Jan Krejčí, Michal Širanec

Cor Vasa 2021, 63(5):627-629 | DOI: 10.33678/cor.2021.114  

(Expert consensus on the practical aspects of collaboration between cardiologists and diabetologists in the management of patients with chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction)

Martin Haluzík, Markéta Kubíčková, Jiří Veselý, Aleš Linhart, Martin Prázný, Jan Škrha, Miloš Táborský, Filip Málek

Cor Vasa 2021, 63(5):630-636 | DOI: 10.33678/cor.2021.108  

While diabetes mellitus per se is a major risk factor for heart failure, development of diabetes in patients with heart failure makes their prognosis even worse. A breakthrough in the treatment of heart failure came with the discovery of gliflozins, which, by blocking glucose reabsorption in the proximal tubule through the action of sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors, lower blood glucose levels by inducing glycosuria. Gliflozins have been and continue to be used primarily as efficient antidiabetic drugs, which, in addition to improving diabetes control, help reduce body weight and blood pressure while not raising the risk of hypoglycemia. Recent...

Radek Ptáček, Petr Bartůněk – editoři: Naděje v medicíně

Prof. MUDr. Jan Petrášek, DrSc.

Cor Vasa 2021, 63(5):639  

Mariana Wohlfahrtová, Ondřej Viklický, Robert Lischke a kolektiv: Transplantace orgánů v klinické praxi

Prof. MUDr. Jan Petrášek, DrSc.

Cor Vasa 2021, 63(5):640  

Doc. MUDr. Jiří Kettner, CSc., FESC, slaví 65. narozeniny

Michael Aschermann

Cor Vasa 2021, 63(5):637-638