P220 Behcet"s disease with right ventricular aneurysm

Funding Acknowledgements

Nil

Introduction

Behcet’s disease (BD) is a rare inflammatory disorder, which predominantly impacts people of Mediterranean and East Asian origin. While the aetiology is unknown, the prevailing disorder is vasculitis. Oral, skin and ocular lesions are common: cardiac involvement is rare.

Case description

A sixty-three year old male with Behcet’s disease (BD) presented for review. On clinical examination, atrial fibrillation, prominent V waves, mild pedal oedema and a ‘to and fro’ murmur were noted. Marked elevation of right ventricular (RV) end diastolic pressure was measured by cardiac catheter.

Echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed significant RV abnormalities. The mid and apical RV regions were heavily trabeculated, and an anterior aneurysm was identified (see 2D image in abstract picture). A prominent horizontal muscular ridge in the basal RV was noted, and the RV outflow tract was narrowed. While the tricuspid valve was not apically displaced, leaflet coaptation was absent with subsequent severe tricuspid regurgitation into a grossly enlarged right atrium (see colour image in abstract picture). Management included diuretics and continuing immunosuppressives.

Discussion

BD is a rare (chronic) inflammatory disorder, which mainly affects people of Mediterranean and East Asian origin, and is often first diagnosed (in the third or fourth decades of life) following recurrent oral ulcerations, skin and ocular lesions. With BD, the prevailing disorder is vasculitis. Blood vessels of all sizes, both arteries and veins, are impacted: true or false aneurysms can occur.

BD rarely affects the heart. If there is cardiac involvement, pericarditis is the most common lesion - others include myocarditis, mitral valve prolapse, intra-cardiac thrombus and myocardial infarction. We present a rare (and possibly unique) cardiac manifestation of BD, anterior RV aneurysm.

Conclusion

In this case report we present a rare cardiac manifestation of BD, anterior RV aneurysm.

Abstract P220 Figure. Echocardiography Images

Sudden cardiac death in adults with congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries

Background

Congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries (ccTGA) is a rare congenital heart disease. There have been only few reports of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in patients with ccTGA and reasonable ventricular function.

Methods

A retrospective review of the medical records of all patients attending our adult congenital heart centre, with known ccTGA.

Results

From a database of over 3500 adult patients with congenital heart disease, we identified 39 (∼1%) with ccTGA and ‘two-ventricle’ circulations. 65% were male. The mean age at diagnosis was 12.4±11.4 years and the mean age at last time of review was 34.3±11.3 years. 24 patients (56%) had a history of surgical intervention. 8 (19%) had had pacemaker implantation and 2 had had a defibrillator implanted for non-sustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT). In 544 years of patient follow-up, there had been five cases of SCD in our population; 1 death per 109 patient-years. Two of these patients had had previously documented supraventricular or NSVT. However, they were all classified as New York Heart Association (NYHA) class I or II, and systemic (right) ventricular function had been recorded as normal, mildly or mildly–moderately impaired, at most recent follow-up.

Conclusions

Our experience suggests the need for improved risk stratification and/or surveillance for malignant arrhythmia in adults with ccTGA, even in those with reasonable functional class on ventricular function.

Late outcomes in adults with coarctation of the aorta

AIMS

Previous cohort studies of patients with coarctation of the aorta (CoA) demonstrate reduced long-term survival. Improved surgical outcomes in children and evolution of adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) services have resulted in improved survival in patients with other CHDs. We hypothesise that for young adult patients with CoA long-term outcomes have improved in the contemporary era.

METHODS

151 patients (58% men) with simple CoA followed up at a tertiary ACHD service in Sydney, Australia, from 1993 to 2013 were included. We documented mortality and major morbidity such as the need for re-intervention for re-coarctation or aneurysms.

RESULTS

140 patients (mean age 35±15 years) underwent CoA repair at median age of 5 (IQR 0-10) years. Initial surgical strategy included end-to-end repair in 43, subclavian flap aortoplasty in 28 and patch aortoplasty in 31 patients (and was not documented in 28 cases). 6 patients had endovascular repair, 4 had interposition tube grafts and 11 were unrepaired. There were a total of seven deaths at a median age of 60 years. Actuarial survival was 98% at 40, 98% at 50 and 89% at 60 years of age. Re-coarctation occurred in 34% and descending aortic aneurysms were noted in 18%. Patients with end-to-end repair had lower rates of significant re-coarctation or descending aortic aneurysms (p=0.026 and <0.001, respectively). 66% had bicuspid aortic valve and 44% were hypertensive.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with CoA who reach adolescence demonstrate very good long-term survival up to age 60 years. Long-term morbidity is common, however, related largely to aortic complications and late hypertension.