Azeem Latib1, Toru Naganuma2, Mohamed Abdel-Wahab2, Haim Danenberg2, Linda Cota2, Marco Barbanti2, Helmut Baumgartner2, Ariel Finkelstein2, Victor Legrand2, José Suárez de Lezo2, Joelle Kefer2, David Messika-Zeitoun2, Gert Richardt2, Eugenio Stabile2, Gerrit Kaleschke2, Alec Vahanian2, Jean-Claude Laborde2, Martin B Leon2, John G Webb2, Vasileios F Panoulas2, Francesco Maisano2, Ottavio Alfieri2, Antonio Colombo2. 1. From the Interventional Cardiology Unit, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy (A.L., T.N., V.F.P., A.C.); Interventional Cardiology Unit, EMO-GVM Centro Cuore Columbus, Milan, Italy (A.L., T.N., V.F.P., A.C.); Heart Center, Segeberger Kliniken GmbH, Bad Segeberg, Germany (M.A.-W., G.R.); Department of Cardiology, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel (H.D.); Division of Cardiology, Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories, Clinica Montevergine, Mercogliano, Italy (L.C., E.S.); Division of Cardiology, St. Paul's Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (M.B., J.G.W.); Division of Adult Congenital and Valvular Heart Disease, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany (H.B., G.K.); Interventional Cardiology, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel (A.F.); Department of Cardiology, CHU de Liege, Liege, Belgium (V.L.); Department of Cardiology, Reina Sofia University Hospital, Cordoba, Spain (J.S.d.L.); Division of Cardiology, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Universite´ Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium (J.K.); Department of Cardiology, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Bichat Hospital, Paris, France (D.M.-Z., A.V.); Deaprtment of Cardiology, St. George's Hospital, London, United Kingdom (J.-C.L.); Columbia University Medical Center and Cardiovascular Research Foundation, New York (M.B.L.); and Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy (F.M., O.A.). info@emocolumbus.it. 2. From the Interventional Cardiology Unit, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy (A.L., T.N., V.F.P., A.C.); Interventional Cardiology Unit, EMO-GVM Centro Cuore Columbus, Milan, Italy (A.L., T.N., V.F.P., A.C.); Heart Center, Segeberger Kliniken GmbH, Bad Segeberg, Germany (M.A.-W., G.R.); Department of Cardiology, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel (H.D.); Division of Cardiology, Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories, Clinica Montevergine, Mercogliano, Italy (L.C., E.S.); Division of Cardiology, St. Paul's Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (M.B., J.G.W.); Division of Adult Congenital and Valvular Heart Disease, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany (H.B., G.K.); Interventional Cardiology, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel (A.F.); Department of Cardiology, CHU de Liege, Liege, Belgium (V.L.); Department of Cardiology, Reina Sofia University Hospital, Cordoba, Spain (J.S.d.L.); Division of Cardiology, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Universite´ Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium (J.K.); Department of Cardiology, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Bichat Hospital, Paris, France (D.M.-Z., A.V.); Deaprtment of Cardiology, St. George's Hospital, London, United Kingdom (J.-C.L.); Columbia University Medical Center and Cardiovascular Research Foundation, New York (M.B.L.); and Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy (F.M., O.A.).
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Valve thrombosis has yet to be fully evaluated after transcatheter aortic valve implantation. This study aimed to report the prevalence, timing, and treatment of transcatheter heart valve (THV) thrombosis. METHODS AND RESULTS: THV thrombosis was defined as follows (1) THV dysfunction secondary to thrombosis diagnosed based on response to anticoagulation therapy, imaging modality or histopathology findings, or (2) mobile mass detected on THV suspicious of thrombus, irrespective of dysfunction and in absence of infection. Between January 2008 and September 2013, 26 (0.61%) THV thromboses were reported out of 4266 patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation in 12 centers. Of the 26 cases detected, 20 were detected in the Edwards Sapien/Sapien XT cohort and 6 in the Medtronic CoreValve cohort. In patients diagnosed with THV thrombosis, the median time to THV thrombosis post-transcatheter aortic valve implantation was 181 days (interquartile range, 45-313). The most common clinical presentation was exertional dyspnea (n=17; 65%), whereas 8 (31%) patients had no worsening symptoms. Echocardiographic findings included a markedly elevated mean aortic valve pressure gradient (40.5±14.0 mm Hg), presence of thickened leaflets or thrombotic apposition of leaflets in 20 (77%) and a thrombotic mass on the leaflets in the remaining 6 (23%) patients. In 23 (88%) patients, anticoagulation resulted in a significant decrease of the aortic valve pressure gradient within 2 months. CONCLUSIONS: THV thrombosis is a rare phenomenon that was detected within the first 2 years after transcatheter aortic valve implantation and usually presented with dyspnea and increased gradients. Anticoagulation seems to have been effective and should be considered even in patients without visible thrombus on echocardiography.
BACKGROUND:Valve thrombosis has yet to be fully evaluated after transcatheter aortic valve implantation. This study aimed to report the prevalence, timing, and treatment of transcatheter heart valve (THV) thrombosis. METHODS AND RESULTS:THVthrombosis was defined as follows (1) THV dysfunction secondary to thrombosis diagnosed based on response to anticoagulation therapy, imaging modality or histopathology findings, or (2) mobile mass detected on THV suspicious of thrombus, irrespective of dysfunction and in absence of infection. Between January 2008 and September 2013, 26 (0.61%) THV thromboses were reported out of 4266 patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation in 12 centers. Of the 26 cases detected, 20 were detected in the Edwards Sapien/Sapien XT cohort and 6 in the Medtronic CoreValve cohort. In patients diagnosed with THVthrombosis, the median time to THVthrombosis post-transcatheter aortic valve implantation was 181 days (interquartile range, 45-313). The most common clinical presentation was exertional dyspnea (n=17; 65%), whereas 8 (31%) patients had no worsening symptoms. Echocardiographic findings included a markedly elevated mean aortic valve pressure gradient (40.5±14.0 mm Hg), presence of thickened leaflets or thrombotic apposition of leaflets in 20 (77%) and a thrombotic mass on the leaflets in the remaining 6 (23%) patients. In 23 (88%) patients, anticoagulation resulted in a significant decrease of the aortic valve pressure gradient within 2 months. CONCLUSIONS:THVthrombosis is a rare phenomenon that was detected within the first 2 years after transcatheter aortic valve implantation and usually presented with dyspnea and increased gradients. Anticoagulation seems to have been effective and should be considered even in patients without visible thrombus on echocardiography.