Maya Guglin1, Hesham R Omar2, Gregory Ray3, Charles Wright4. 1. Division of Cardiovascular Disease, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky. 2. Internal Medicine Department, Mercy Medical Center, Clinton, Iowa. 3. CryoLife, Inc., Kennesaw, Georgia. 4. LifeLink of Florida, Tampa, Florida.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Exploration of pathologic changes in donor hearts and finding the association of pathologic findings with potentially reversible cardiac condition may result in allowing such hearts to recover and be used for transplantation. METHODS: We enrolled consecutive donors from one federally designated Organ Procurement Organization for one calendar year. Hearts rejected for transplantation underwent pathological examination. We studied the association of pathologic findings with the mechanism of death. RESULTS: A total of 81 hearts were rejected for transplantation. The most common pathologic findings were coagulation necrosis (CN) in 17.3% and contraction band necrosis (CBN) in 34.6%. Anoxic brain injury was present in 78.6% of the donors who had CN, and only in 29.9% of those without CN (P = 0.002). CBN was more commonly associated with subarachnoid hemorrhage (17.9% vs 1.9% of donors with and without CBN, P = 0.017). Only hearts with CBN had significantly lower LVEF (P = 0.017). CONCLUSION: Coagulation necrosis and CBN are the most common pathologic findings in the hearts rejected for transplantation. While CN is more prevalent in anoxic brain injury, CBN is more often present in subarachnoid hemorrhage. This may be clinically important because CBN is a pathologic hallmark of catecholamine-induced cardiomyopathy which is potentially reversible.
BACKGROUND: Exploration of pathologic changes in donor hearts and finding the association of pathologic findings with potentially reversible cardiac condition may result in allowing such hearts to recover and be used for transplantation. METHODS: We enrolled consecutive donors from one federally designated Organ Procurement Organization for one calendar year. Hearts rejected for transplantation underwent pathological examination. We studied the association of pathologic findings with the mechanism of death. RESULTS: A total of 81 hearts were rejected for transplantation. The most common pathologic findings were coagulation necrosis (CN) in 17.3% and contraction band necrosis (CBN) in 34.6%. Anoxic brain injury was present in 78.6% of the donors who had CN, and only in 29.9% of those without CN (P = 0.002). CBN was more commonly associated with subarachnoid hemorrhage (17.9% vs 1.9% of donors with and without CBN, P = 0.017). Only hearts with CBN had significantly lower LVEF (P = 0.017). CONCLUSION:Coagulation necrosis and CBN are the most common pathologic findings in the hearts rejected for transplantation. While CN is more prevalent in anoxic brain injury, CBN is more often present in subarachnoid hemorrhage. This may be clinically important because CBN is a pathologic hallmark of catecholamine-induced cardiomyopathy which is potentially reversible.
Authors: Benjamin B Kenigsberg; Christopher F Barnett; Jeffrey C Mai; Jason J Chang Journal: Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep Date: 2019-11-13 Impact factor: 5.081