Background: Although acute myeloid leukemia (AML) occurs most commonly in adults ≥60 years, the treatment of AML in older patients remains a significant challenge due to both, more aggressive disease biology as well as patient-related risk factors that limit tolerance of intensive chemotherapy. Several studies demonstrated improved survival for older patients receiving intensive induction chemotherapy. Therefore intensive chemotherapy, as long as patient fitness allows, is aimed. Defining the subset of patients that is eligible or "fit" for intensive chemotherapy involves a great deal of subjectivity. Criteria yet have to be standardized across or within institutions. Aim: The aim of the present study was to investigate the power of three validation scores in assessing patient fitness at diagnosis in parallel to physician evaluation. Further patient outcome according the respective assessment was compared. Methods: A total of 130 clinically and molecularly well characterized consecutive elderly (≥60 years) patients with newly diagnosed AML were treated from 2012 to 2018 according to age, performance status and co-morbidities in a single hematology center. Initial haematologist evaluation followed by discussion of the patient case in an interdisciplinary board led to decision of therapy intensity of each patient. In parallel, independently from the medical board decision, three scores were performed: i) a local geriatric G8 screening tool, consisting of seven items from the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) questionnaire and age, ii) the Sorror Index used for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) evaluation as well as iii) the AML score proposed by the German Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cooperative Group, predicting the probability of complete remission (CR) and early death (ED). Therapy response was defined according to ELN criteria. Overall survival from diagnosis was compared between groups using the Cox model. Results: Median age was 71,2 (range: 60-86) years. A total of 75 (57,7%) patients were evaluated "fit" by the medical board and treated by intensive chemotherapy ("7+3" regimen), whereas 41 patients (31,5%) underwent semi-intensive therapy (based on hypomethylating agents or low-dose Cytarabine s.c.) and 14 patients (10,7%) received best supportive care. Fifty patients (38,5%) achieved a complete remission after induction chemotherapy, could follow consolidation chemotherapy and ten of them underwent allogeneic HSCT. Sixty-four (49,2%) were non responders and 16 patients (12,3%) died during the first cycle. Overall, the median survival time was 11,2 months (95% CI 7,9-17,8). Primary physician care evaluation was able to define a "fit" from an "unfit" patient in a statistically significantly way. Median survival time from the "fit" patients was 17,6 months (95%CI 9-28,9) compared to the "unfit" evaluated patients with 3,6 months (95%CI 1,8-8,8), p<0.001 with a HR (unfit vs. fit) of 3,04 (95% CI of 1,80-5,15). Even the distinction by the local G8 screening tool resulted significant distinguishing "fit" with median OS of 18,7 months from "unfit" patients with a median OS of 7,9 months, HR (unfit vs. fit) 2,1 (95% CI 1,23-3,58), p=0,007. The Sorror Index (HR 2,14 with a 95% CI of 1,27-3,59) as well as the AML score ED (HR 1,94 with 95%CI of 1,16-3,24) resulted also significant in their power of separating "fit" from "unfit" patients, p=0,004 and p=0,011, respectively. Although a certain degree of correlation is expected between scores, this was limited to levels below 0.35 according to the pairwise spearman correlation coefficient. Conclusion: In conclusion, the frailty scores G8, Sorror Index and the AML Score, that have been applied to elderly patients at AML diagnosis seem to discriminate patients quite well in terms of overall survival in this single centre patient cohort and may represent objective instruments for the haematologist in the validation of the fitness of the elderly AML patients for intensive chemotherpy. In order to validate the discrimination ability arising from the performed analysis, a multi-centre study is planned. Disclosures Vitolo: Gilead: Speakers Bureau; Roche: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Takeda: Speakers Bureau; Sandoz: Speakers Bureau.
Aims The distribution of coronary lesions in young patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is not known. Methods and results We included 82 consecutive young patients (≤45 years at presentation) with ACS and obstructive coronary artery disease referred from October 2013 until March 2021 to our clinic. Significant coronary lesions (>50%) at each segment during coronary angiography were evaluated. A total of 158 lesions have been evaluated. Multivessel disease was observed in 37% of patients. Lesions at proximal and mid left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery were the most common observation (Figure A). Roughly one in three lesions affected a proximal coronary segment (i.e. segment 1, 5, 6, or 11), and 45.1% of patients presented at least one lesion in these segments. Within each segment, lesions affected the ostium in 15.8%, proximal third in 26.8%, mid-third in 32.9%, and distal-third in 15.9% of cases. Among those presenting with ST-segment elevated myocardial infarction, culprit lesion distribution is presented in Figure B. Proximal segments were affected in 33.9%, while culprit lesion of the LAD, left circumflex, and right coronary artery was observed in 51.8%, 16.1%, and 32.1% respectively. Conclusions In conclusion, coronary artery disease in patients presenting with ACS occur more often in the LAD and in proximal coronary segments. A significant lesion in a proximal coronary segment affected roughly half of young patients presenting with ACS.
Background Spontaneous coronary intramural hematoma (SCIH) is a rare but underdiagnosed condition, with dynamic evolution. Clinical presentation A 45-year-old woman was admitted to the emergency department with chest pain and fever in the previous days. Markers of myocardial injury were elevated, white blood cell count and C-reactive protein were mildly elevated, whereas D-dimer, chest X-ray and ECG were normal. Transthoracic echocardiography showed inferior wall hypokinesia, so an urgent coronary angiogram was performed showing no evidence of obstructive coronary artery disease. Investigations Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) was performed two days later showing inferior wall ischemic pattern (Figure 1) and ECG showed changes in the inferior leads with T waves inversion. A second coronary angiogram with planned intravascular imaging was than performed and showed a critical stenosis of the mid-distal right coronary artery determining functional vessel occlusion (Figure 2). Coronary vasospasm was ruled-out after intracoronary nitrates infusion and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) showed diffuse intramural hematoma of the ostial, proximal and mid-segment of the right coronary artery with subocclusive stenosis at the mid segment with no evidence of atherosclerosis (Figure 3). Management Considering the clinical and radiological evidence of evolving myocardial injury, conservative management was excluded, and direct stenting of the lesion was performed with IVUS guided implantation of four overlapping drug-eluting stents. Conclusion Our case highlights the dynamic and treacherous nature of spontaneous coronary intramural hematoma, causing initial symptoms of myocardial ischemia without evident coronary obstruction, and then rapidly evolving in a severe and life-threatening coronary occlusion upon hematoma expansion. Higher level diagnostic testing such as CMR and intravascular imaging were instrumental for correct diagnosis and treatment in this complex scenario. Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3
Aims Early onset acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is associated with a more aggressive evolution and its consequences can be devastating to the quality of life (QOL), affecting the patient’s psychology, ability to work, and the socioeconomic burden. In the last decade, the incidence of ACS in young patients (≤45 years old) is increased but unfortunately, little is known about long-term follow-up and impact on quality of life. The aim of this study was to analyse the clinical evolutions and the QOL in this specific group of patients. Methods and results We included 91 consecutive young patients (≤45 years at the time of presentation) with ACS referred from October 2013 until March 2021 to our clinic. All enrolled patients underwent angiography. We analysed the clinical presentation, echocardiography, and therapy at the time of discharge. Furthermore, patients underwent telephone follow-up after 40 months: new hospitalizations, cardiovascular events, bleeding, and relevant changes in medical therapy were investigated. In addition, patients were also invited to participate to a survey to investigate QOL, sexual, and socioeconomic changes after ACS. QOL was explored through the EQ-5D scale using the time trade-off (TTO) and visual analogue scale (VAS) technique based on European values. Mean age was 40.6 ± 3.6 years and 17.6% were women. Most patients had obstructive coronary artery disease at angiography (90.1%) and 85.7% underwent PCI. At a median follow-up of 40 months, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) a composite of death, myocardial infarction, stroke and definite stent thrombosis, occurred in 12% of patients (Figure 1). Patient reported bleeding occurred in 29.8%, while bleeding requiring hospitalization in 3.6%. Univariate predictors of MACE were previous stroke, Killip class at presentation, current drug use, left ventricle ejection fraction, wall motion score index (WMSI), and haemoglobin at admission. Young patients showed reduced levels of QOL (TTO: 0.85 ± 0.17—VAD: 0.79 ± 0.17), with higher levels among individuals without obstructive coronary artery disease (Figure 2). Predictors of lower quality of life were WMSI, left anterior descending (LAD) stenting, left ventricular aneurysm and ventricular thrombus (Figure 3). After 12 months from the index event, 31.5% of patients were still on dual antiplatelet therapy, and the mean number of medications was 4.65 ± 2.3. Conclusions In conclusion, young patients have a high residual risk of ischaemic and bleeding events and impaired QOL. Optimization of medical therapy and better patient information is of upmost importance to mitigate residual risk of adverse events.
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