Complex left appendage morphology is associated with Embolic Stroke of Undetermined Source

INTRODUCTION

Variations in the left atrial appendage (LAA) morphology are associated with different embolic risk in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Data are scarce regarding the association between LAA morphology and Embolic stroke of undetermined source (ESUS).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Using cardiac computed tomography (CCT) scans, LAA morphology was categorized as either chicken wing (CW), cactus, windsock, or cauliflower. Furthermore, we examined the presence of large secondary lobes arising from the main lobe, considering their existence as indicative of a complex LAA morphology. LAA morphologies were compared between ESUS (n = 134) and AF patients (n = 120); and between ESUS patients with (n = 24) and without (n = 110) subsequent AF diagnosis during long-term follow-up.

RESULTS

ESUS patients had a significantly higher prevalence of cauliflower morphology compared to AF group (52% vs 34%, respectively, p = 0.01); however, no significant difference was found between the groups when categorizing LAA morphology to either CW or non-CW. ESUS patients had significantly higher prevalence of large secondary lobes compared with AF patients (50% vs 29%, respectively, p = 0.001). When comparing ESUS patients with and without AF diagnosis during follow-up (20-48 months of follow-up, median 31 months), there were no significant differences in the prevalence of the "classical" morphologies, but large secondary lobes were significantly more prevalent among those without subsequent AF diagnosis.

CONCLUSION

ESUS patients have a high prevalence of complex LAA morphology, which might be associated with an increased risk for thrombus formation even in the absence of AF.

Cardiologic Manifestations in Omicron-Type Versus Wild-Type COVID-19: A Systematic Echocardiographic Study

Background Information about the cardiac manifestations of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 is limited. We performed a systematic prospective echocardiographic evaluation of consecutive patients hospitalized with the Omicron variant of COVID-19 infection and compared them with similarly recruited patients were propensity matched with the wild-type variant. Methods and Results A total of 162 consecutive patients hospitalized with Omicron COVID-19 underwent complete echocardiographic evaluation within 24 hours of admission and were compared with propensity-matched patients with the wild-type variant (148 pairs). Echocardiography included left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic, right ventricular (RV), strain, and hemodynamic assessment. Echocardiographic parameters during acute infection were compared with historic exams in 62 patients with the Omicron variant and 19 patients with the wild-type variant who had a previous exam within 1 year. Of the patients, 85 (53%) had a normal echocardiogram. The most common cardiac pathology was RV dilatation and dysfunction (33%), followed by elevated LV filling pressure (E/e' ≥14, 29%) and LV systolic dysfunction (ejection fraction <50%, 10%). Compared with the matched wild-type cohort, patients with Omicron had smaller RV end-systolic areas (9.3±4 versus 12.3±4 cm²; P=0.0003), improved RV function (RV fractional-area change, 53.2%±10% versus 39.7%±13% [P<0.0001]; RV S', 12.0±3 versus 10.7±3 cm/s [P=0.001]), and higher stroke volume index (35.6 versus 32.5 mL/m²; P=0.004), all possibly related to lower mean pulmonary pressure (34.6±12 versus 41.1±14 mm Hg; P=0.0001) and the pulmonary vascular resistance index (P=0.0003). LV systolic or diastolic parameters were mostly similar to the wild-type variant-matched cohort apart from larger LV size. However, in patients who had a previous echocardiographic exam, these LV abnormalities were recorded before acute Omicron infection, but not in the wild-type cohort. Numerous echocardiographic parameters were associated with higher in-hospital mortality (LV ejection fraction, stroke volume index, E/e', RV S'). Conclusions In patients with Omicron, RV function is impaired to a lower extent compared with the wild-type variant, possibly related to the attenuated pulmonary parenchymal and/or vascular disease. LV systolic and diastolic abnormalities are as common as in the wild-type variant but were usually recorded before acute infection and probably reflect background cardiac morbidity. Numerous LV and RV abnormalities are associated with adverse outcome in patients with Omicron.

Systematic lung ultrasound in Omicron-type vs. wild-type COVID-19

AIMS

Preliminary data suggested that patients with Omicron-type-Coronavirus-disease-2019 (COVID-19) have less severe lung disease compared with the wild-type-variant. We aimed to compare lung ultrasound (LUS) parameters in Omicron vs. wild-type COVID-19 and evaluate their prognostic implications.

METHODS AND RESULTS

One hundred and sixty-two consecutive patients with Omicron-type-COVID-19 underwent LUS within 48 h of admission and were compared with propensity-matched wild-type patients (148 pairs). In the Omicron patients median, first and third quartiles of the LUS-score was 5 [2-12], and only 9% had normal LUS. The majority had either mild (≤5; 37%) or moderate (6-15; 39%), and 15% (≥15) had severe LUS-score. Thirty-six percent of patients had patchy pleural thickening (PPT). Factors associated with LUS-score in the Omicron patients included ischaemic-heart-disease, heart failure, renal-dysfunction, and C-reactive protein. Elevated left-filling pressure or right-sided pressures were associated with the LUS-score. Lung ultrasound-score was associated with mortality [odds ratio (OR): 1.09, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01-1.18; P = 0.03] and with the combined endpoint of mortality and respiratory failure (OR: 1.14, 95% CI: 1.07-1.22; P < 0.0001). Patients with the wild-type variant had worse LUS characteristics than the matched Omicron-type patients (PPT: 90 vs. 34%; P < 0.0001 and LUS-score: 8 [5, 12] vs. 5 [2, 10], P = 0.004), irrespective of disease severity. When matched only to the 31 non-vaccinated Omicron patients, these differences were attenuated.

CONCLUSION

Lung ultrasound-score is abnormal in the majority of hospitalized Omicron-type patients. Patchy pleural thickening is less common than in matched wild-type patients, but the difference is diminished in the non-vaccinated Omicron patients. Nevertheless, even in this milder form of the disease, the LUS-score is associated with poor in-hospital outcomes.

Resection of primary central nervous system lymphoma: impact of patient selection on overall survival

OBJECTIVE

Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is a rare CNS tumor with a poor prognosis. It is usually diagnosed by needle biopsy and treated mainly with high-dose chemotherapy. Resection is currently not considered a standard treatment option. A possible prolonged survival after resection of PCNSL lesions in selected patients has been suggested, but selection criteria for surgery, especially for solitary lesions, have never been established.

METHODS

The authors retrospectively searched their patient database for records of adult patients (≥ 18 years) who were diagnosed and treated for a solitary PCNSL between 2005 and 2019. Patients were divided into groups according to whether they underwent resection or needle biopsy. Statistical analyses were performed in an attempt to identify variables affecting outcome and possible survival advantage and to characterize subgroups of patients who would benefit from resection of their tumor compared with undergoing biopsy only.

RESULTS

A total of 113 patients with a solitary lesion of PCNSL were identified; 36 patients underwent resection, and 77 had a diagnostic stereotactic biopsy only. The statically significant preoperative risk factors included age ≥ 70 years (adjusted HR 9.61, 95% CI 2.42-38.11; p = 0.001), deep-seated lesions (adjusted HR 3.33, 95% CI 1.13-9.84; p = 0.030), and occipital location (adjusted HR 4.26, 95% CI 1.08-16.78; p = 0.039). Having a postoperative Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) score < 80 (adjusted HR 3.21, 95% CI 1.05-9.77; p = 0.040) and surgical site infection (adjusted HR 4.27, 95% CI 1.18-15.47; p = 0.027) were significant postoperative risk factors after the adjustment and selection by means of other possible risk factors. In a subgroup analysis, patients younger than 70 years who underwent resection had a nonsignificant trend toward longer survival than those who underwent needle biopsy (median survival 35.0 months vs 15.2 months, p = 0.149). However, patients with a superficial tumor who underwent resection had significantly longer survival times than those who underwent needle biopsy (median survival 34.3 months vs 8.9 months, p = 0.014). Patients younger than 70 years who had a superficial tumor and underwent resection had significantly prolonged survival, with a median survival of 35.0 months compared with 8.9 months in patients from the same group who underwent needle biopsy (p = 0.007).

CONCLUSIONS

Specific subgroups of patients with a solitary PCNSL lesion might gain a survival benefit from resection compared with undergoing only a diagnostic biopsy.