The Cardioprotective Potential of von Willebrand Disease in Ischemic Heart Disease

von Willebrand factor (vWF) aids coagulation at sites of vessel injury. Elevated vWF levels have been associated with an increased risk of ischemic heart disease (IHD); however, it is unclear whether vWF deficiency, seen in patients with von Willebrand disease (vWD), protects people against IHD. We determined and compared the prevalence and risk of IHD in patients with versus without vWD by using data from the National Inpatient Sample (2009-2014), excluding patients younger than 18 and older than 75 years. The primary outcome was the odds ratio (OR) of IHD in patients with versus without vWD. Secondary outcomes were major medical comorbidities and demographic characteristics in patients with vWD. Of 224,475,443 weighted hospital-discharge samples, we identified 82,809 patients with a vWD diagnosis. The odds of IHD were lower in patients with vWD than in those without (OR=0.54; 95% CI, 0.52-0.56). After multivariable logistic regression analysis and adjustment for age, sex, and typical IHD risk factors (hypertension, smoking, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, chronic kidney disease, obesity, and family history of IHD), the likelihood of IHD remained lower in patients with vWD than in patients without (OR=0.65; 95% CI, 0.63-0.67). Our study shows that vWF deficiency, as seen in patients with vWD, is associated with a decreased prevalence of IHD. Further investigation may confirm these findings.

Coronary Embolization from a Left Atrial Myxoma Containing Malignant Lymphoma Cells

Systemic embolization from a primary cardiac tumor is a relatively frequent presentation. However, an acute myocardial infarction due to coronary embolization is rarely seen. We offer an unusual case of a 50-year-old man who presented with severe angina and was diagnosed with an inferolateral ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction. Aside from otherwise healthy coronary arteries, his coronary angiogram revealed an acute occlusion of the first obtuse marginal branch, which was treated with balloon angioplasty. Because no residual plaque or dissection was found after the angioplasty, an embolic source was suspected. An echocardiogram then revealed a large mobile left atrial myxoma prolapsing into the left ventricle, so the patient underwent minimally invasive resection. Detailed pathologic examination of the myxoma revealed a concomitant high-grade B-cell lymphoma.

Brachial approach to NOGA-guided procedures: electromechanical mapping and transendocardial stem-cell injections

Several methods are available for delivering stem cells to the heart. Recent studies have highlighted the advantages of injecting the cells directly into the myocardium in order to increase myocardial retention of cells. A particular focus has been on percutaneous transendocardial injection, facilitated by electromechanical mapping.The NOGA XP Cardiac Navigation System has a multicomponent catheter that is designed to guide and deliver transendocardial injections via a transfemoral approach, without a guidewire. However, this method may not be feasible in some patients who have peripheral vascular disease. Herein, we describe the case of a 68-year-old man whose tortuous, sharply angled iliac arteries precluded a femoral approach to transendocardial injection. To overcome the anatomic and mechanical challenges, we used a brachial approach. We believe that this is the 1st report of using the brachial route for transendocardial injection, and that it can be a viable alternative to the transfemoral approach in selected patients.