Imaging Features of Complications after Coronary Interventions and Surgical Procedures

Pre-PCI CT-FFR Predicts Target Vessel Failure After Stent Implantation

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the predictive value of coronary computed tomography angiography-derived fractional flow reserve (CT-FFR) before percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) to predict target vessel failure (TVF) after stent implantation.

METHODS

This retrospective study included 429 patients (429 vessels) who underwent PCI and stent implantation after CCTA within 3 months. All patients underwent coronary stent implantation between January 2012 and December 2019. A dedicated workstation (Syngo Via, Siemens) was used to analyze and measure the CT-FFR value. The cut-off values of pre-PCI CT-FFR for predicting TVF were defined as 0.80 and the value using the log-rank maximization method, respectively. The primary outcome was TVF, defined as a composite of cardiac death, target vessel myocardial infarction, and clinically driven target vessel revascularization (TVR), which was a secondary outcome.

RESULTS

During a median 64.0 months follow-up, the cumulative incidence of TVF was 7.9% (34/429). The cutoff value of pre-PCI CT-FFR based on the log-rank maximization method was 0.74, which was the independent predictor for TVF [hazard ratio (HR): 2.61 (95% CI: 1.13, 6.02); P =0.024] and TVR [HR: 3.63 (95%CI: 1.25, 10.51); P =0.018]. Compared with the clinical risk factor model, pre-PCI CT-FFR significantly improved the reclassification ability for TVF [net reclassification improvement (NRI), 0.424, P <0.001; integrative discrimination index (IDI), 0.011, P =0.022]. Adding stent information to the prediction model resulted in an improvement in reclassification for the TVF (C statistics: 0.711, P =0.001; NRI: 0.494, P <0.001; IDI: 0.020, P =0.028).

CONCLUSIONS

Pre-PCI CT-FFR ≤0.74 was an independent predictor for TVF or TVR, and integration of clinical, pre-PCI CT-FFR, and stent information models can provide a better risk stratification model in patients with stent implantation.

Coronary Stent Infection: A Systematic Review of Literature

Coronary stent infection is a rare yet serious complication of coronary artery stenting, with potentially significant morbidity and mortality. This systematic review aimed to comprehensively assess the available evidence on the diagnosis, management, and outcomes of coronary stent infection. A comprehensive search of electronic databases, including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Scopus, was conducted from inception until March 2023, in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. A total of 1 case series and 41 case reports, covering a cumulative sample size of 44 patients, were included in the analysis. The predominant stent types were drug-eluting stents in 22 studies, bare-metal stents in 3 studies, and a combination of drug-eluting stents and bare-metal stents in 4 studies. Staphylococcus aureus was the predominant identified organism in microbiological profiles. Primary outcomes, including mortality, morbidity, and recurrence rates, were evaluated. The aggregate mortality rate across studies was 18%, underscoring the severity of coronary stent infections. Morbidity ranged from 3% to 60%, with a spectrum of complications such as sepsis, heart failure, and embolic events. Recurrence rates varied from 3% to 33%, emphasizing the importance of effective management. Treatment strategies encompassed antibiotics alone, antibiotics with stent removal, and antibiotics with stent retention, with the duration of antibiotic therapy ranging from 2 weeks to 12 months. The optimal management strategy remains uncertain due to limited high-quality evidence. Early diagnosis and treatment were emphasized as critical factors in improving outcomes. Prophylactic antibiotics during stenting procedures and increased awareness among healthcare providers were suggested as preventive measures.

Early stent fractures in superficial femoral artery resulting multiple pseudoaneurysm formation within one year: a case report

BACKGROUND

Though fracture is known complication of stenting, pseudoaneurysm asscoiated with stent fracture is an extremely rare complication. This has previoulsy been described to occur at least one or more years following initial stent placement. Here we present a case of multi-site stent fracture leading to two separate SFA pseudoaneurysms within one year of placement, successfully treated with covered stents.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 72-year-old male presented with severe claudication of his left lower extremity (Rutherford 3), found to have long segment SFA chronic total occlusion (CTO). Patient successfully underwent endovascular revascularization. Follow-up duplex ultrasound (US) at one year demonstrated a focus of severe in-stent restenosis (ISR). During repeat angiogram for treatment of the stenosis, stent fracture and pseudoaneurysm was seen in the distal SFA, which was treated successfully with a self-expanding covered stent. Additional stent fractures and pseudoanerusyms were subseuqently identified on follow-up, necessitating a third angiogram, and these were successfully repaired using overlapping covered stents, without further recurrence.

CONCLUSIONS

Superficial femoral artery stent fractures leading to pseudoaneurysms are extremely rare, particularly within first year of stent placement. Endovascular repair with covered stents has proven to be an effective treatment option with decreased procedural morbidity compared to surgical repair.

ECG-Gated CCTA in the Assessment of Post-Procedural Complications

INTRODUCTION

The aim of our study was to assess the role of ECG-gated coronary CT angiography (CCTA) in the diagnosis, imaging follow-up, and treatment guidance in post-procedural/surgical interventions in the heart and thoracic aorta (PTCA, TAVI, PMK/ICD placement, CABGs).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively evaluated 294 ECG-gated CCTA studies performed in our center from January 2020 to January 2023. CCTA studies were acquired to detect/exclude possible complications related to the endovascular or surgical procedure.

RESULTS

There were 27 cases (9.2%) of post-procedural complications. Patients enrolled in the study were 18 males and 9 females (male/female ratio: 2), with age ranging from 47 to 86 years (mean age, 68.3 years). Among percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) complications, coronary intimal dissection with ascending aorta involvement was found to be the most frequent complication after PTCA (22.2%). Vascular wall pseudoaneurysm formation (11.1%) and coronary stent misalignment or displacement (14.8%) were complications less frequently encountered after PTCA. Right atrial or ventricular perforation with associated hemopericardium were the most common complications (18.5%) after pacemaker implantation. Complications encountered after aortic valve interventions were loosening and dislocation of the prosthesis associated with aortic root pseudoaneurysm (7.4%), para-valvular leak (11.1%), and hemopericardium (7.4%). In one patient who underwent transcatheter repair of patent foramen ovale (3.7%), CTTA detected the dislocation of the Amplatzer septal occluder.

CONCLUSIONS

ECG-gated CCTA is a fundamental diagnostic tool for the detection of post-procedural endovascular/surgical complications to enable optimal patient management. Radiologists must be familiar with the use of cardiac synchronization in the course of CT and must be aware of all possible complications that can occur in the context of acute settings or routine follow-up studies.

2022 use of coronary computed tomographic angiography for patients presenting with acute chest pain to the emergency department: An expert consensus document of the Society of cardiovascular computed tomography (SCCT): Endorsed by the American College of Radiology (ACR) and North American Society for cardiovascular Imaging (NASCI)

Coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) improves the quality of care for patients presenting with acute chest pain (ACP) to the emergency department (ED), particularly in patients with low to intermediate likelihood of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography Guidelines Committee was formed to develop recommendations for acquiring, interpreting, and reporting of coronary CTA to ensure appropriate, safe, and efficient use of this modality. Because of the increasing use of coronary CTA testing for the evaluation of ACP patients, the Committee has been charged with the development of the present document to assist physicians and technologists. These recommendations were produced as an educational tool for practitioners evaluating acute chest pain patients in the ED, in the interest of developing systematic standards of practice for coronary CTA based on the best available data or broad expert consensus. Due to the highly variable nature of medical care, approaches to patient selection, preparation, protocol selection, interpretation or reporting that differs from these guidelines may represent an appropriate variation based on a legitimate assessment of an individual patient's needs.

Iatrogenic Aortic Root Injury from Coronary Interventions: Early and Follow-up CT Imaging Findings

Aortic injury represents a rare but potentially fatal complication of invasive coronary angiography. The authors present a series of four patients with aortic injury after invasive coronary angiography and intervention (mean age, 71 years; three women). In three patients, CT showed subintimal staining from undiluted contrast media (CM) in the aortic root with no communication to the aortic lumen. Short-term follow-up CT showed resolution of CM staining in all patients. Classic aortic dissection occurred in one patient, with undiluted CM from invasive angiography in the false lumen in the aortic root. Preliminary evidence suggests that iatrogenic injury from invasive coronary angiography resulting in subintimal CM staining of the aortic wall at CT, without evidence of communication with the lumen of the aortic root, shows favorable short-term outcome. Keywords: CT Angiography, Percutaneous, Fluoroscopy Supplemental material is available for this article. © RSNA, 2021.