Life-threatening cardiac manifestations of primary antiphospholipid syndrome

A Review of Systemic Hematological Manifestations and Stent Thrombosis

Stent thrombosis (ST) has significant morbidity and mortality following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). ST is uncommon making the identification of nonprocedural predictors challenging. Numerous case reports of ST in both benign and malignant hematological conditions exist. Given ST could be a Herald event of an undiagnosed condition and condition-specific treatment may be available, it is important to consider specialist testing in an unexplained ST. This review included a case presentation of ST in previously undiagnosed paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) and a literature review of ST in other acquired thrombophilias including myeloproliferative disorders (MPNs), antiphospholipid syndrome, hematological malignancies, and heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT). Inherited thrombophilias and common pitfalls in thrombophilia and coagulation testing are also discussed. The cardiac-hematology landscape is becoming increasingly complex and there is a paucity of how to best manage ST in these patients. There is clear variability in practice and the use of multidisciplinary input between cardiologists and hematologists is essential.

Antiphospholipid syndrome combined with acute coronary syndrome: Case report

RATIONALE

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) combined with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is rarely reported.

PATIENT CONCERNS

One male patient with APS was admitted to our hospital, who had recent unstable angina (UA).

DIAGNOSIS

The preliminary diagnosis of ACS and UA (BraunwaldiB) was then made.

INTERVENTIONS

This patient received secondary preventative therapy for coronary heart disease (CHD) in combination with percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) and implantation of NeoVas Bioresorbable Coronary Scaffold.

OUTCOMES

The patient was followed up, without new UA episodes were observed at 6 months, 1 year, and 2 year after surgery, respectively.

LESSONS

It was thus concluded that percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is effective for APS patients and NeoVas scaffold implantation is presumed safe.

Intravascular Images of Coronary Stenosis with Multiple Channels in a Patient with Antiphospholipid Syndrome: The Optical Coherence Tomography Findings

Intravascular images of coronary stenosis by antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) would be beneficial to understand the mechanism of this disease. A 59-year-old woman with APS/systemic lupus erythematosis (SLE) underwent emergent coronary angiography which revealed stenosis with micro channels in the proximal left anterior descending artery. According to optical coherence tomography (OCT), the central lumen was surrounded by a thick septum with a homogenous and high intensity. Multiple small channels existed near the vessel wall with diffuse intimal hyperplasia. White thrombi were floating distal to the stenosis. Intravascular images obtained by optical coherence tomography (OCT) revealed the microstructure of complex coronary stenosis, which had ambiguous findings on angiography and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) in an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patient with APS/SLE.

Antiphospholipid syndrome and acute myocardial infarction: treatment with thrombectomy and abciximab

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an autoimmune coagulation disorder that manifests clinically as venous and arterial thrombosis, and may affect any tissue or organ. Coronary artery involvement, however, is very rare. Case reports in the literature describing patients with coronary acute syndrome and APS treated with coronary angioplasty show conflicting results. We report an adult male patient with APS who presented with an acute myocardial infarction. Given the high risk of thrombosis in these patients, he was treated percutaneously with thrombectomy and abciximab. We review the few cases of coronary angioplasty in patients with APS reported to date. To our knowledge, this is the first case in which acute myocardial infarction due to thrombotic coronary occlusion was treated with thrombectomy and abciximab without stenting the artery.

Primary percutaneous coronary intervention and intravascular ultrasound imaging for coronary thrombosis after cisplatin-based chemotherapy

Although cisplatin is indispensable for the chemotherapy treatment of many malignancies, cisplatin-associated thrombosis is attracting increasing attention. However, experience of primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and intravascular ultrasound imaging (IVUS) for coronary thrombosis, possibly due to cisplatin-based chemotherapy, has been limited. Case 1 with postoperative gastric cancer developed acute myocardial infarction (AMI) on the sixth day of the second chemotherapy course with conventional doses of cisplatin and tegafur gimeracil oteracil potassium. Emergency coronary angiography (CAG) showed a filling defect in the proximal left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) concomitant with no reflow in the distal LAD. Case 2 with advanced lung cancer and brain metastasis suffered AMI on the fifth day of the first chemotherapy course with conventional doses of cisplatin and gemcitabine. Emergency CAG delineated a total occlusion in the proximal right coronary artery. In both cases, thrombectomy using aspiration catheter alone obtained optimal angiographic results and subsequent IVUS revealed no definite atherosclerotic plaque, while slow flow still remained even after selective intra-coronary infusion of vasodilator in the case 1. These cases suggest that primary PCI using thrombus-aspiration catheter might be safe and effective for coronary thrombosis due to cisplatin-based chemotherapy.

Transient Global Amnesia as the First Symptom of Primary Antiphospholipid Syndrome: A Case Report

We describe the case of a 45-year-old woman who had drawn our attention for some recent episodes of transient global amnesia that, upon further examination, resulted from ischemic events caused by multiple arterial thrombosis (bilateral internal carotid occlusion, significant stenosis of the right external carotid, mild stenosis of the right vertebral artery, right anterior cerebral artery occlusion and severe stenosis of the anterior descending coronary artery) due to primary antiphospholipid syndrome. Revascularisation of either carotid was not attempted. A percutaneous intervention in the anterior descending coronary artery stenosis was performed successfully. Due to severe arterial thrombosis, the patient was discharged with only duplex antiplatelet treatment and subcutaneous anticoagulant therapy, since immunotherapy is not indicated in primary APS. The occurrence of transient global amnesia should raise the suspicion of APS.