Management of stable angina is still a matter of debate. Whether a conservative or invasive approach is better remains unclear. Even though recent large-scale randomized trials depict the conservative strategy as safe and efficient. In this report, we present a case of a 53-year-old male patient with cardiovascular risk factors of hypertension and hypercholesterolemia. He complained about typical chest pain at exertion. The coronary angiogram (CA) revealed severe stenosis of the proximal left anterior descending artery (LAD) ostium. After heart team discussion, coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) was advocated. However, due to a lack of means, the CABG was postponed. Meanwhile, he was managed with guideline-based medical therapy. In addition, he exercised regularly and adopted a healthy diet. Evolution was favorable with excellent symptoms control. A regular follow-up was organized with his cardiologist. A new CA before an eventual CABG six years later showed a significant plaque volume regression of the proximal LAD. We decided to continue conservative management. The stress echocardiogram to assess symptoms and exercise tolerance was normal. Our patient was sent to surgery on top of optimal medical therapy even though angioplasty was a good indication and was feasible. However, while he was struggling to afford the CABG procedure, he adopted a very healthy lifestyle along with medical therapy. Six years later, the result of that approach was without appeal, suggesting and reinforcing the conservative management of stable heart disease over invasive strategy. The recent ISCHEMIA trial is a major argument supporting that approach.
Patient: Female, 34-year-old Final Diagnosis: Spontaneous coronary artery dissection Symptoms: Chest discomfort Medication:— Clinical Procedure: — Specialty: Cardiology Objective: Unusual clinical course Background: Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is a well-known cause of acute coronary syndrome. ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is the most common presentation of SCAD, which can be complicated by sudden cardiac death (SCD). Conservative management is the cornerstone of treatment except in case of ongoing ischemia or large myocardial compromise. Case Report: A 34-year-old woman presented with an anterior STEMI, diagnosed by the Emergency Medical Service (EMS) team, which performed fibrinolysis. SCD resulting from ventricular fibrillation occurred soon after thrombolysis was started. Her pulsed was palpable following defibrillation, and she was immediately intubated. A coronary angiogram (CA) showed total occlusion with dye staining contrast of the proximal left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery. Echocardiogram showed a severe drop in the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF 20%). She was treated with dobutamine and intra-aortic balloon pump implantation because of her poor hemodynamic status. Rescue angioplasty was performed with a drug-eluting stent implanted from the left main stem toward the proximal LAD. However, she developed hemorrhagic shock due to active liver bleeding that was surgically treated. At 3 months, she was asymptomatic, her LVEF had improved (45%), and elective CA showed quite normal coronary arteries. Optical coherence tomography showed residual hematoma as “lunar crescent” and stent under-expansion. The latter was fixed by post-dilatations. Conclusions: Our case adds to the evidence that thrombolysis leads to poor outcomes in patients with SCAD, as reported in numerous reports. OCT was used to confirm, a posteriori, the diagnosis of SCAD. Rescue angioplasty was necessary in our patient due to poor hemodynamic status following unsuccessful fibrinolysis.
WOLFF PARKINSON and WHITE (WPW) syndrome is the most common form of pre-excitation. It is associated in some cases with atrial fibrillation with a high risk of sudden death. We report the case of a 64-year-old hypertensive woman with a history of ischemic stroke. She presented with hyperkinetic palpitations without hemodynamics instability on admission. The electrocardiogram recorded a complete tachyarrhythmia by pre-excitation atrial fibrillation, with a mean rate of 300 beats per minute. Electrophysiological investigation revealed an accessory pathway located at the ostium of the coronary sinus, which was successfully ablated by radiofrequency. A drug treatment based on flecaine 100 mg was introduced. The patient was asymptomatic after one month of outpatient follow-up.
Coronary artery vasospasm is an infrequent cause of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). A 50-year-old female developed persistent chest discomfort related to anterior STEMI. After an unsuccessful thrombolysis attempt, due to delay concern, the patient was then sent to the catheterization laboratory for rescue PCI. The coronary angiogram revealed a TIMI 3 flow proximal LAD significant stenosis with spastic appearance of the coronary arteries which has improved after intracoronary nitrates administration. Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) excluded coronary artery dissection and haematoma also revealed thrombus on moderate atherosclerotic plaque. The patient was then pain-free; she was managed medically and discharged after few days of monitoring. Three weeks later, she developed transient chest pain with ST segment elevation while cycling during rehabilitation program. Provocation test by Ergonovine was positive with complete occlusion of proximal RCA (right coronary artery) complicated by transient complete heart block and shock. She was stabilized with 7 mg of intracoronary nitrates injection. She was discharged after close monitoring with calcium channel blocker and tobacco cessation. ACS may complicate prolonged coronary artery vasospasm making the diagnosis challenging. OCT may help understand ACS mechanism and exclude spontaneous coronary artery dissection. Provocation test is crucial for confirmation.
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