Project description:BackgroundCoronary artery ectasia (CAE) is often an incidental finding on angiography, however, patients can present with acute coronary syndrome due to a large thrombus burden requiring treatment with percutaneous coronary intervention or with emergency surgery.Case summaryA 26-year-old Indigenous Australian male was admitted with anterior ST-elevation myocardial infarction associated with an out of hospital ventricular fibrillation arrest. Coronary angiography demonstrated thrombotic occlusion of the proximal left anterior descending (LAD) artery with heavy thrombus burden and prominent vascular ectasia of all three coronary arteries. He was managed with surgical thrombectomy and coronary artery bypass graft of his LAD.DiscussionThis is the first case of triple CAE in an Indigenous Australian. The case highlights the lack of consensus approach in the management of CAE due to paucity of prospective studies.
Project description:BackgroundFailed myocardial reperfusion is common and prognostically important after acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The purpose of this study was to investigate coronary flow reserve (CFR), a measure of vasodilator capacity, and the index of microvascular resistance (IMR; mmHg × s) in the culprit artery of STEMI survivors.MethodsIMR (n = 288) and CFR (n = 283; mean age [SD], 60 [12] years) were measured acutely using guide wire-based thermodilution. Cardiac MRI disclosed left ventricular pathology, function, and volumes at 2 days (n = 281) and 6 months after STEMI (n = 264). All-cause death or first heart failure hospitalization was independently adjudicated (median follow-up 845 days).ResultsMyocardial hemorrhage and microvascular obstruction occurred in 89 (42%) and 114 (54%) patients with evaluable T2*-MRI maps. IMR and CFR were associated with microvascular pathology (none vs. microvascular obstruction only vs. microvascular obstruction and myocardial hemorrhage) (median [interquartile range], IMR: 17 [12.0-33.0] vs. 17 [13.0-39.0] vs. 37 [21.0-63.0], P < 0.001; CFR: 1.7 [1.4-2.5] vs. 1.5 [1.1-1.8] vs. 1.4 [1.0-1.8], P < 0.001), whereas thrombolysis in myocardial infarction blush grade was not. IMR was a multivariable associate of changes in left ventricular end-diastolic volume (regression coefficient [95% CI] 0.13 [0.01, 0.24]; P = 0.036), whereas CFR was not (P = 0.160). IMR (5 units) was a multivariable associate of all-cause death or heart failure hospitalization (n = 30 events; hazard ratio [95% CI], 1.09 [1.04, 1.14]; P < 0.001), whereas CFR (P = 0.124) and thrombolysis in myocardial infarction blush grade (P = 0.613) were not. IMR had similar prognostic value for these outcomes as <50% ST-segment resolution on the ECG.ConclusionsIMR is more closely associated with microvascular pathology, left ventricular remodeling, and health outcomes than the angiogram or CFR.Trial registrationNCT02072850.FundingA British Heart Foundation Project Grant (PG/11/2/28474), the National Health Service, the Chief Scientist Office, a Scottish Funding Council Senior Fellowship, a British Heart Foundation Intermediate Fellowship (FS/12/62/29889), and a nonfinancial research agreement with Siemens Healthcare.
Project description:BackgroundCoronary artery embolism is an infrequent cause of type 2 myocardial infarction which can be due to arterial thromboembolism or septic embolism. While systemic embolization is one of the most acknowledged and threatened complications of infective endocarditis, coronary localization of the emboli causing acute myocardial infarction is exceedingly rare occurring in <1% of cases.Case summaryA 52-year-old man with a history of Bentall procedure and redo aortic valve replacement due to prosthetic degeneration (11 years prior to the current presentation) presented to the emergency department with high-grade fever and myalgias. Shortly after his arrival, he experienced typical chest pain and an electrocardiogram demonstrated signs of inferior ST-elevation myocardial infarction: coronary angiography showed a lesion of presumed embolic origin at the level of the mid-distal circumflex coronary artery which was treated with embolectomy. Transthoracic and transoesophageal echocardiography highlighted the presence of a periaortic abscess. The final diagnosis of infective endocarditis as the cause of septic coronary artery embolization was confirmed with a Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomography (PET-CT) exam and by the growth of Staphylococcus lugdunensis on repeated blood cultures. The patient underwent successful redo Bentall surgery the good outcome was confirmed at 1-month follow-up.DiscussionType 2 myocardial infarction caused by coronary embolism is a rare presentation of infective endocarditis and requires a high level of suspicion for its diagnosis. Prosthetic heart valves are a predisposing factor for infective endocarditis: aortic root abscess requires surgery as it rarely regresses with antibiotic therapy.
Project description:We report a patient with angina and no flow-limiting epicardial coronary artery disease who presented with recurrent spontaneous coronary artery dissection resulting in an acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction and evidence of coronary microvascular dysfunction on coronary angiography. We review each condition's pathophysiology and provide a review of the literature for reported associations between these disease processes. <Learning objective: Readers will recognize the considerable overlap of risk factors between patients with spontaneous coronary artery dissection and coronary microvascular dysfunction. Our patient had both conditions underlying her heart disease. We provide a review of the literature regarding the underlying pathophysiology for each condition and underscore possible associations between these disease processes. Further studies are needed to determine a definitive link.>.
Project description:ST segment elevation myocardial infarction remains a significant contributor to morbidity and mortality worldwide, despite a declining incidence and better survival rates. It usually results from thrombotic occlusion of a coronary artery at the site of a ruptured or eroded plaque. Diagnosis is based on characteristic symptoms and electrocardiogram changes, and confirmed subsequently by raised cardiac enzymes. Prognosis is dependent on the size of the infarct, presence of collaterals and speed with which the occluded artery is reopened. Mechanical reperfusion by primary percutaneous coronary intervention is superior to fibrinolytic therapy if delivered by an experienced team in a timely fashion. Post-reperfusion care includes monitoring for complications, evaluation of left ventricular function, secondary preventive therapy and cardiac rehabilitation.
Project description:Congenital anomalous origin of coronary arteries is rare and occurs in 0.2%-2% of patients undergoing coronary angiography (CAG). Most of the cases are benign but may present with life-threatening symptoms such as myocardial ischemia or sudden cardiac death. The prognosis depends on the site of origin of the anomalous artery, intramyocardial course, and relation to other great vessel and cardiac structures. Increased awareness and easy availability of noninvasive methods like computed tomography CAG have led to more reporting of such cases. Here, we report the case a 52-year-old male with a double right coronary artery having anomalous origin from a noncoronary aortic cusp detected during CAG which has not been reported in the literature before.
Project description:BackgroundMyocardial infarction (MI) with non-obstructive coronary arteries presenting with ST-segment elevation can be challenging. Understanding the cardiac and non-cardiac causes aid in identifying the underlying diagnosis and deciding on the management. Neurological insult resulting in a mismatch of oxygen supply or demand to cardiomyocytes can lead to type 2 MI. Acute brain injury, such as intracranial haemorrhage, can induce cardiac dysfunction secondary to brain-heart interaction via hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and catecholamine surge.Case summaryA 50-year-old Caucasian male who vaped cannabis presented with epileptic seizures. A Glasgow coma scale of 7/15 necessitated urgent intubation. Electrocardiogram showed ST-segment elevation in inferior leads. Computed tomography of the head suggested intracerebral haemorrhage. He was stabilized in the intensive care unit (ICU). Subsequent imaging confirmed anterior communicating cerebral artery aneurysm and haematoma. Echocardiogram showed severe left ventricular dysfunction and hypokinesia in the left circumflex (LCx) territory. After step down from ICU, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging revealed transmural MI and myocardial oedema at LCx territory. Coronary angiogram was normal. Patient was treated with Levetiracetam and heart failure regimen. A cardiac defibrillator was implanted for secondary prevention and he was scheduled for elective neurosurgical intervention. A follow-up outpatient echocardiogram was normal.DiscussionMyocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries is uncommon. Though the majority is due to either plaque disruption or myocarditis, non-cardiac causes, such as acute neurological insults and substance use, should be considered. Scrutinizing the clinical presentation and using a meticulous approach with appropriate investigations are required to reach the correct diagnosis and appropriate management.