Primary sarcomas of the great vessels (aorta, pulmonary artery, and inferior vena cava (IVC)) are exceedingly rare. We report a rare case of an undifferentiated intimal sarcoma of the IVC with extension to the right atrium, adrenal, and renal veins. The patient underwent extensive resection, reconstruction of the IVC, and subsequent adjuvant chemotherapy. Patient has tolerated chemotherapy and, at 17 months after resection, the patient remains free of tumor recurrence. Undifferentiated intimal sarcomas remain a rare entity with only five cases of venous undifferentiated intimal sarcomas reported in the literature, two of which occurred in the IVC. Intimal sarcomas tend to carry a poor prognosis with the limited literature available on treatment approaches. Our objective is to highlight this rare entity and possible treatment approach which we utilized. Primary sarcomas of IVC need to be included as part of a complete differential diagnosis in patients with atrial masses or recurrent pulmonary emboli.
Methemoglobinemia is a rare cause of tissue hypoxia that can quickly become fatal without immediate recognition and prompt treatment. It refers to an increase in methemoglobin in the red blood cells, which can be due to genetic deficiency of the enzymes responsible for reducing hemoglobin or can develop after exposure to oxidizing agents or xenobiotics. Local anesthetics, particularly benzocaine, have long been implicated in the formation of methemoglobin. Benzocaine is used for teething pain as well as before invasive procedures such as intubation and transesophageal echocardiogram. In this case report, we describe a patient with acute appendicitis who developed severe methemoglobinemia following use of benzocaine during an emergent intubation. Our objective is to increase awareness of this rare but potentially fatal complication associated with the use of this anesthetic.
Although the established long-term benefit of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) therapy has led to its proliferation as destination therapy (DT), few studies have evaluated LVAD outcomes at nontransplant centers. We undertook this study to better evaluate our experience in building a nontransplant, DT LVAD program.We conducted a retrospective review of all LVADs implanted from 2010 to 2021. Patient, operative, and outcome data were extracted from the electronic medical record. Secular trends were evaluated by organizing the data into eras of implant. Survival was assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models further evaluated outcomes.From 2010 to 2021, 100 primary LVAD implants were performed. Annual volume grew from 1 to 30 implants per year. The average age of our cohort was 65.7 years, most patients (80%) were male, 51% had an ischemic etiology, and 65 (65%) were INTERMACS profile 1 or 2. Our 1- and 2-year survival were 82% and 79%, respectively. Multivariable analysis of 1-year mortality demonstrated that decreasing renal function and increased cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time were associated with increased mortality while preoperative hemoglobin was protective. When stratified by era of implant, our most recent patients were more likely to be INTERMACS profile 1 or 2; had shorter CPB and aortic cross clamp times; required fewer reoperations for bleeding; and suffered less right ventricular failure requiring mechanical support.A single, nontransplant LVAD center can experience significant growth in volume in a high-acuity cohort while maintaining acceptable outcomes and quality of care.
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