Abstract 17085: An Anomalous Outcome Of Renal Transplant

Abstract

Case Presentation: A 65 year old man with diabetic renal disease developed acute dyspnea at rest on the first post-operative day after an uncomplicated deceased donor renal transplant. He was hypertensive, tachycardic, and hypoxemic. His electrocardiogram showed anterior ST elevations with reciprocal inferior ST depressions and his chest x-ray revealed pulmonary edema. He was given anti-platelet therapy, nitroglycerin, beta blocker and taken emergently for angiography. He had a thrombotic occlusion of a co-dominant anomalous left circumflex artery arising from the ostium of a moderate caliber right coronary artery. He underwent successful percutaneous coronary intervention. His post-revascularization echocardiogram showed a hypokinetic to akinetic inferior wall with preserved global left ventricular systolic function. Coronary CT for further assessment of the course of the anomalous artery was not pursued given minimal benefit and the risk of worsening graft function. He was discharged on dual anti-platelet therapy, beta blocker and a statin. Discussion: There is no consensus about risk stratification before renal transplant. Our patient’s pre-operative exercise treadmill test (ETT) showed reduced functional capacity at 5.6 metabolic equivalents, failure to reach target heart rate, with 1.0 mm down sloping ST depression in infero-lateral leads with no ischemic symptoms. While our patient had an equivocal ETT, his lack of angina argued against further work-up. Post-operatively, a pro-inflammatory state, increased shear stress, acquired thrombophilia and immunosuppressive medications can all contribute to plaque rupture with thrombus formation. Atherosclerosis due to diabetes and renal disease coupled with mechanical factors such as passive compression at the intraarterial course, acute angle take-off or valve-like closure of the slit orifice may have subjected our patient with an anomalous left circumflex artery to an acute ST-elevation MI.