Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has become the default therapy for obstructive coronary artery disease and invariably involves coronary stenting. Currently, stenting with a drug-eluting stent (DES) has become the default method for intervention, with few exceptions.1 The major drawback of this strategy is both acute and subacute stent thrombosis. The DES type, positioning, and lesion complexity may all contribute to stent thrombosis, the mechanisms of which are still under investigation.2 While there may be some debate as to the absolute occurrence of stent thrombosis, the complicatio

ABSTRACT: Objectives. The present study was designed to delineate and compare the clinical characteristics of patients with apical and non-apical takotsubo syndrome in a high-volume U.S. hospital. Background. A comparison between apical and non-apical variants of the “broken heart,” or takotsubo syndrome, has not been performed in the United States. Methods. From 2004 through 2007, patients with takotsubo syndrome were identified according to the following criteria: acute chest pain with electrocardiographic changes or elevation of cardiac enzymes, absence of significant coronary narrowing

There have been major advances in the field of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) since its introduction 30 years ago. The improved safety and outcomes can be attributed to increasing operator experience, advances in device technology and the pivotal role of adjunctive pharmacotherapy. Despite these advances, challenges remain that require further research and development. One such challenge is the treatment of thrombotic lesions. Coronary artery thrombus commonly develops following rupture of an atherosclerotic plaque and undergoes modifications in terms of size and composition over tim