Texas Heart Institute journal
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We report 2 noteworthy cases of very late stent thrombosis presenting as ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction, with vastly different manifestations. Both patients were women who had histories of multivessel percutaneous coronary intervention with first-generation sirolimus-eluting stents, in 2005 and 2006. ⋯ On the basis of these two cases and our review of the current literature, we ask whether it is now prudent to recommend lifelong dual antiplatelet therapy after drug-eluting stent deployment. Moreover, in order to account for cases of stent thrombosis that occur ≥ 5 years after drug-eluting stent implantation, should we perhaps suggest the addition of "extremely late stent thrombosis" to the existing Academic Research Consortium classification?
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Case Reports
Implantation of left ventricular assist device complicated by undiagnosed thrombophilia.
A patient with dilated cardiomyopathy and no history of thromboembolic events received a surgically implanted axial-flow left ventricular assist device. After implantation, transesophageal echocardiography revealed a giant thrombus on the lateral and anterior aspects of the left ventricle. ⋯ During the entire duration of circulatory support, no significant suction events were detected, and the patient was listed for heart transplantation. Ventricular assist device implantation can unmask previously undiagnosed thrombophilia; therefore, it should be necessary to identify thrombophilic patients before cardiac support implantation.
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Case Reports
Percutaneous thrombin injection of common carotid artery pseudoaneurysm without cerebral protection.
An 83-year-old man with sepsis sustained right common carotid artery injury during attempted central-line placement. A computed tomographic scan showed a large hematoma in the patient's neck and a carotid pseudoaneurysm. His clinical condition was such that transfer to the interventional suite was judged unsafe. ⋯ The procedure was successful, with no neurologic complications. At follow-up ultrasonographic evaluation, there was complete and sustained occlusion of the pseudoaneurysm. Emergent percutaneous treatment of common carotid artery pseudoaneurysm can be performed without temporary balloon occlusion for cerebral protection-in extreme circumstances, and at unknown risk.
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Surgeons and others who perform invasive procedures should be aware of the possibility of pyoderma gangrenosum and the risk of pathergy in patients who have a history of unexplained skin ulcers or poor wound-healing. We report the case of a 70-year-old man in whom diffuse erythema over the anterior chest wall and marked leukocytosis developed after coronary artery bypass grafting. This prompted débridement and opening of the sternotomy wound. ⋯ The pyoderma gangrenosum subsequently involved the saphenous vein harvest site, a chest-tube site, and a previously healed abdominal scar. The patient died when an exposed saphenous vein graft was perforated. To our knowledge, this is the 9th reported case of pathergy due to pyoderma gangrenosum after coronary artery bypass grafting and the first with a fatal outcome.