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Cianci V, Pitrone C, Sapienza D, Meduri A, Ieni A, Gualniera P, Asmundo A, Mondello C. Fatal Outcome Due to Kounis Syndrome Following Fluorescein Retinal Angiography: A Case Report. Diagnostics (Basel) 2024; 14:1092. [PMID: 38893621 PMCID: PMC11171507 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics14111092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2024] [Revised: 05/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Kounis Syndrome (KS) is a clinical entity triggered by allergic or hypersensitivity reactions capable of inducing acute coronary events. Several causes can induce KS, including drugs and insect stings. Here, a rare case of post mortem assessment of fatal KS related to fluorescein retinal angiography has been reported. An 80-year-old man in follow-up for a retinal vein thrombosis underwent a retinal fluoroangiography. Approximately 30 min later, the patient complained of sweating and dizziness, and suddenly lost consciousness due to a cardiac arrest. Despite the immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation, he died. The autopsy revealed foamy yellowish edema in the respiratory tract and coronary atherosclerosis with eccentric plaques partially obstructing the lumen. The routine histology highlighted lung emphysema and myocyte break-up with foci of contraction band necrosis at the myocardial tissue. Biochemistry showed increased serum tryptase, troponin, and p-BNP. Activated and degranulated (tryptase) mast cells were detected, using immunohistochemistry, in the larynx, lungs, spleen, and heart. Acute myocardial ischemia due to allergic coronary vasospasm related to fluorescein hypersensitivity has been assessed as cause of death. KS-related deaths are considered rare events, and the post mortem assessment of KS quite difficult. The integration of several investigations (gross and microscopic examination, biochemistry, immunohistochemistry) can provide useful findings to support the diagnosis, helping to reduce the unrecognized cases as much as possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Cianci
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, Section of Legal Medicine, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98125 Messina, Italy; (C.P.); (D.S.); (P.G.); (C.M.)
| | - Claudia Pitrone
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, Section of Legal Medicine, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98125 Messina, Italy; (C.P.); (D.S.); (P.G.); (C.M.)
| | - Daniela Sapienza
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, Section of Legal Medicine, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98125 Messina, Italy; (C.P.); (D.S.); (P.G.); (C.M.)
| | - Alessandro Meduri
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, Section of Ophthalmology, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98125 Messina, Italy;
| | - Antonio Ieni
- Department of Human Pathology of Adult and Childhood “Gaetano Barresi”, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98125 Messina, Italy;
| | - Patrizia Gualniera
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, Section of Legal Medicine, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98125 Messina, Italy; (C.P.); (D.S.); (P.G.); (C.M.)
| | - Alessio Asmundo
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, Section of Legal Medicine, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98125 Messina, Italy; (C.P.); (D.S.); (P.G.); (C.M.)
| | - Cristina Mondello
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, Section of Legal Medicine, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98125 Messina, Italy; (C.P.); (D.S.); (P.G.); (C.M.)
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Ceasovschih A, Șorodoc V, Covantsev S, Balta A, Uzokov J, Kaiser SE, Almaghraby A, Lionte C, Stătescu C, Sascău RA, Onofrei V, Haliga RE, Stoica A, Bologa C, Ailoaei Ș, Şener YZ, Kounis NG, Șorodoc L. Electrocardiogram Features in Non-Cardiac Diseases: From Mechanisms to Practical Aspects. J Multidiscip Healthc 2024; 17:1695-1719. [PMID: 38659633 PMCID: PMC11041971 DOI: 10.2147/jmdh.s445549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite the noteworthy advancements and the introduction of new technologies in diagnostic tools for cardiovascular disorders, the electrocardiogram (ECG) remains a reliable, easily accessible, and affordable tool to use. In addition to its crucial role in cardiac emergencies, ECG can be considered a very useful ancillary tool for the diagnosis of many non-cardiac diseases as well. In this narrative review, we aimed to explore the potential contributions of ECG for the diagnosis of non-cardiac diseases such as stroke, migraine, pancreatitis, Kounis syndrome, hypothermia, esophageal disorders, pulmonary embolism, pulmonary diseases, electrolyte disturbances, anemia, coronavirus disease 2019, different intoxications and pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandr Ceasovschih
- Faculty of Medicine, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iasi, Romania
- 2nd Internal Medicine Department, “Sf. Spiridon” Clinical Emergency Hospital, Iasi, Romania
| | - Victorița Șorodoc
- Faculty of Medicine, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iasi, Romania
- 2nd Internal Medicine Department, “Sf. Spiridon” Clinical Emergency Hospital, Iasi, Romania
| | - Serghei Covantsev
- Department of Research and Clinical Development, Botkin Hospital, Moscow, Russia
| | - Anastasia Balta
- Faculty of Medicine, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iasi, Romania
- 2nd Internal Medicine Department, “Sf. Spiridon” Clinical Emergency Hospital, Iasi, Romania
| | - Jamol Uzokov
- Department of Cardiology, Republican Specialized Scientific Practical Medical Center of Therapy and Medical Rehabilitation, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
| | - Sergio E Kaiser
- Discipline of Clinical and Experimental Pathophysiology, Rio de Janeiro State University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Abdallah Almaghraby
- Department of Cardiology, Ibrahim Bin Hamad Obaidallah Hospital, Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Cătălina Lionte
- Faculty of Medicine, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iasi, Romania
- 2nd Internal Medicine Department, “Sf. Spiridon” Clinical Emergency Hospital, Iasi, Romania
| | - Cristian Stătescu
- Faculty of Medicine, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iasi, Romania
- Department of Cardiology, “Prof. Dr. George I.M. Georgescu” Cardiovascular Diseases Institute, Iasi, Romania
| | - Radu A Sascău
- Faculty of Medicine, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iasi, Romania
- Department of Cardiology, “Prof. Dr. George I.M. Georgescu” Cardiovascular Diseases Institute, Iasi, Romania
| | - Viviana Onofrei
- Faculty of Medicine, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iasi, Romania
- Department of Cardiology, “Sf. Spiridon” Clinical Emergency Hospital, Iasi, Romania
| | - Raluca Ecaterina Haliga
- Faculty of Medicine, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iasi, Romania
- 2nd Internal Medicine Department, “Sf. Spiridon” Clinical Emergency Hospital, Iasi, Romania
| | - Alexandra Stoica
- Faculty of Medicine, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iasi, Romania
- 2nd Internal Medicine Department, “Sf. Spiridon” Clinical Emergency Hospital, Iasi, Romania
| | - Cristina Bologa
- Faculty of Medicine, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iasi, Romania
- 2nd Internal Medicine Department, “Sf. Spiridon” Clinical Emergency Hospital, Iasi, Romania
| | - Ștefan Ailoaei
- Department of Cardiology, “Prof. Dr. George I.M. Georgescu” Cardiovascular Diseases Institute, Iasi, Romania
| | - Yusuf Ziya Şener
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkiye
| | - Nicholas G Kounis
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of Patras Medical School, Patras, Greece
| | - Laurențiu Șorodoc
- Faculty of Medicine, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iasi, Romania
- 2nd Internal Medicine Department, “Sf. Spiridon” Clinical Emergency Hospital, Iasi, Romania
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Cianci V, Forzese E, Sapienza D, Cianci A, Ieni A, Germanà A, Guerrera MC, Omero F, Speranza D, Cracò A, Asmundo A, Gualniera P, Mondello C. Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy Post-Mortem Assessment: A Systematic Review. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2467. [PMID: 38473714 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25052467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2024] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is a genetic disorder characterized by the progressive fibro-fatty replacement of the right ventricular myocardium, leading to myocardial atrophy. Although the structural changes usually affect the right ventricle, the pathology may also manifest with either isolated left ventricular myocardium or biventricular involvement. As ARVC shows an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance with variable penetrance, the clinical presentation of the disease is highly heterogeneous, with different degrees of severity and patterns of myocardial involvement even in patients of the same familiar group with the same gene mutation: the pathology spectrum ranges from the absence of symptoms to sudden cardiac death (SCD) sustained by ventricular arrhythmias, which may, in some cases, be the first manifestation of an otherwise silent pathology. An evidence-based systematic review of the literature was conducted to evaluate the state of the art of the diagnostic techniques for the correct post-mortem identification of ARVC. The research was performed using the electronic databases PubMed and Scopus. A methodological approach to reach a correct post-mortem diagnosis of ARVC was described, analyzing the main post-mortem peculiar macroscopic, microscopic and radiological alterations. In addition, the importance of performing post-mortem genetic tests has been underlined, which may lead to the correct identification and characterization of the disease, especially in those ARVC forms where anatomopathological investigation does not show evident morphostructural damage. Furthermore, the usefulness of genetic testing is not exclusively limited to the correct diagnosis of the pathology, but is essential for promoting targeted screening programs to the deceased's family members. Nowadays, the post-mortem diagnosis of ARVC performed by forensic pathologist remains very challenging: therefore, the identification of a clear methodological approach may lead to both a reduction in under-diagnoses and to the improvement of knowledge on the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Cianci
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, Section of Legal Medicine, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Elena Forzese
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, Section of Legal Medicine, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Daniela Sapienza
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, Section of Legal Medicine, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Alessio Cianci
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli-IRCCS, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Ieni
- Department of Human Pathology in Adult and Developmental Age "Gaetano Barresi", Section of Pathology, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Antonino Germanà
- Zebrafish Neuromorphology Lab, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Via Palatucci Snc, University of Messina, 98168 Messina, Italy
| | - Maria Cristina Guerrera
- Zebrafish Neuromorphology Lab, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Via Palatucci Snc, University of Messina, 98168 Messina, Italy
| | - Fausto Omero
- Medical Oncology Unit, Department of Human Pathology "G.Barresi", University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Desirèe Speranza
- Medical Oncology Unit, Department of Human Pathology "G.Barresi", University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Annalisa Cracò
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Morphological and Functional Imaging, Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Unit, University Hospital Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Alessio Asmundo
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, Section of Legal Medicine, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Patrizia Gualniera
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, Section of Legal Medicine, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Cristina Mondello
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, Section of Legal Medicine, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98125 Messina, Italy
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Cianci V, Forzese E, Sapienza D, Cardia L, Cianci A, Germanà A, Tornese L, Ieni A, Gualniera P, Asmundo A, Mondello C. Morphological and Genetic Aspects for Post-Mortem Diagnosis of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: A Systematic Review. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1275. [PMID: 38279275 PMCID: PMC10816624 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25021275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is one of the most common genetic cardiovascular diseases, and it shows an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance. HCM can be clinically silent, and sudden unexpected death due to malignant arrhythmias may be the first manifestation. Thus, the HCM diagnosis could be performed at a clinical and judicial autopsy and offer useful findings on morphological features; moreover, it could integrate the knowledge on the genetic aspect of the disease. This review aims to systematically analyze the literature on the main post-mortem investigations and the related findings of HCM to reach a well-characterized and stringent diagnosis; the review was performed using PubMed and Scopus databases. The articles on the post-mortem evaluation of HCM by gross and microscopic evaluation, imaging, and genetic test were selected; a total of 36 studies were included. HCM was described with a wide range of gross findings, and there were cases without morphological alterations. Myocyte hypertrophy, disarray, fibrosis, and small vessel disease were the main histological findings. The post-mortem genetic tests allowed the diagnosis to be reached in cases without morpho-structural abnormalities; clinical and forensic pathologists have a pivotal role in HCM diagnosis; they contribute to a better definition of the disease and also provide data on the genotype-phenotype correlation, which is useful for clinical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Cianci
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 1, 98125 Messina, Italy; (V.C.); (E.F.); (D.S.); (L.T.); (P.G.)
| | - Elena Forzese
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 1, 98125 Messina, Italy; (V.C.); (E.F.); (D.S.); (L.T.); (P.G.)
| | - Daniela Sapienza
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 1, 98125 Messina, Italy; (V.C.); (E.F.); (D.S.); (L.T.); (P.G.)
| | - Luigi Cardia
- Department of Human Pathology of Adult and Childhood “Gaetano Barresi”, University of Messina, Via C. Valeria 1, 98125 Messina, Italy; (L.C.); (A.I.)
| | - Alessio Cianci
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli-IRCCS, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy;
| | - Antonino Germanà
- Zebrafish Neuromorphology Laboratory, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Messina, Via Palatucci snc, 98168 Messina, Italy;
| | - Lorenzo Tornese
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 1, 98125 Messina, Italy; (V.C.); (E.F.); (D.S.); (L.T.); (P.G.)
| | - Antonio Ieni
- Department of Human Pathology of Adult and Childhood “Gaetano Barresi”, University of Messina, Via C. Valeria 1, 98125 Messina, Italy; (L.C.); (A.I.)
| | - Patrizia Gualniera
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 1, 98125 Messina, Italy; (V.C.); (E.F.); (D.S.); (L.T.); (P.G.)
| | - Alessio Asmundo
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 1, 98125 Messina, Italy; (V.C.); (E.F.); (D.S.); (L.T.); (P.G.)
| | - Cristina Mondello
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 1, 98125 Messina, Italy; (V.C.); (E.F.); (D.S.); (L.T.); (P.G.)
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