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Improved Registration of 3D CT Angiography with X-ray Fluoroscopy for Image Fusion During Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation
Published on: June 3, 2018
Aortic valve infective endocarditis: could multi-detector CT scan be proposed for routine screening of concomitant
Salvatore Lentini1, Francesco Monaco, Fabrizio Tancredi
1Cardiac Surgery Unit, Policlinic Hospital, University of Messina, Messina, Italy. salvolentini@alice.it
Insights
Coronary artery studies in infective endocarditis patients pose risks. Multi-detector computed tomographic scans offer a safe, noninvasive alternative for assessing coronary disease in high-embolization risk patients.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Infective Endocarditis
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Coronary artery studies are often avoided in infective endocarditis due to embolization risks during cardiac catheterization.
- Preoperative invasive coronary angiography is frequently contraindicated in patients with infective valve endocarditis.
Observation:
- A 56-year-old patient with prosthetic valve endocarditis and vegetations presented with coronary disease risk factors.
- The patient underwent preoperative coronary screening using multi-detector computed tomographic (MDCT) scan imaging.
Findings:
- MDCT scan imaging provided noninvasive visualization of the coronary arteries.
- This imaging modality was successfully employed in a patient with high risk of vegetation embolization.
Implications:
- MDCT scan imaging may serve as a valuable noninvasive tool for coronary artery assessment in infective endocarditis patients.
- This approach could mitigate the risks associated with invasive procedures in this vulnerable patient population.
- Further research into MDCT's role in managing infective endocarditis with coronary artery disease is warranted.
Abstract:
Usefulness of the coronary artery study has been questioned in patients with infective valve endocarditis. Fatal events are reported in the literature due to embolization of endocarditic vegetations during cardiac catheterization. For this reason, many authors do not recommend preoperative invasive coronary studies in these patients. We report the case of a 56-year-old patient with prosthetic valve endocarditis with vegetations, and concomitant risk factors for coronary disease. We did preoperative coronary screening using multi-detector computed tomographic scan imaging, which may be useful for noninvasive imaging of the coronary arteries in these patients with high risk of embolization.
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