Multifocal coronary artery myocardial bridging involving the right coronary and left anterior descending arteries detected by ECG-gated 64 slice multidetector CT coronary angiography

Myocardial bridging is a congenital condition in which a segment of a major epicardial coronary artery has an intramyocardial course. Myocardial bridging is usually confined to a single vessel (typically the mid segment of the left anterior descending artery) and is usually asymptomatic, however, bridging may be associated with chest pain, myocardial infarction, or sudden cardiac death. While more commonly identified at autopsy, myocardial bridging is occasionally diagnosed by coronary angiography with identification of concomitant myocardial bridging involving both the left and right coronary arteries appearing to be uncommon. We present three patients presenting with atypical chest pain symptoms in whom concomitant right coronary artery and left anterior descending artery myocardial bridging was identified by ECG gated multidetector computed tomography (MDCT).     

Posttraumatic myocardial infarction with severe coronary intimal dissection documented by intravascular ultrasound

We present a case of posttraumatic myocardial infarction after blunt chest trauma in a previously healthy man. Coronary angiography showed an eccentric occlusion in the midportion of the left anterior descending artery. Subsequent intracoronary ultrasound imaging revealed a severe intimal dissection. The outcome after intracoronary stent placement was excellent. This rare but potentially harmful complication of blunt chest trauma should be kept in mind and coronary angiography performed immediately when coronary occlusion is suspected. Intravascular ultrasound imaging is a helpful tool in the assessment of coronary artery occlusion caused by intimal dissection.     

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection causing acute coronary syndrome: an early diagnosis implies a good prognosis

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection is an unusual cause of acute coronary syndrome. We describe a series of cases that with an early diagnosis and aggressive treatment, which includes percutaneous angioplasty with stent implantation and cardiac surgery, had a good outcome. The objective was to study the demographic characteristics, clinical settings, treatments, and inhospital course of patients with spontaneous coronary artery dissection. We studied a retrospective case series in 3 coronary care units in third-level university hospitals. The spontaneous coronary artery dissection diagnosis was made by coronary angiography. Seven cases of spontaneous coronary artery dissections were recorded. They were 5 women and 2 men. The age range was 28 to 64 years. Two of them took oral contraceptives and one case occurred in the postpartum period. An acute anterior wall myocardial infarction was the most frequent clinical presentation, occurring in 4 of the 7 cases. In fact, the left anterior descending artery was involved in 6 cases. An urgent coronary angiogram was performed in all cases. Definitive treatment included percutaneous angioplasty and stent implantation in 3 cases, coronary artery bypass surgery in 2 case, and cardiac transplantation in another case. One patient was treated medically. None of the patients died in the hospital. Spontaneous coronary artery dissection remains an unusual cause of acute coronary syndrome. It should be included in the differential diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction, especially when it affects young, healthy females. An early clinical suspicion and diagnosis with urgent coronary angiography and aggressive treatment that includes percutaneous angioplasty with stent implantation and cardiac surgery could improve the prognosis of these patients.     

青年女性自发冠状动脉夹层导致急性心肌梗死1例并文献复习

目的 探讨自发性冠状动脉夹层的临床特点,以期提高对该病的诊治与认识。方法 回顾性分析1例青年女性自发性冠状动脉夹层导致急性心肌梗死患者的临床资料,并以“自发性冠状动脉夹层”、“急性心肌梗死”以及“青年女性”等关键词,通过检索中国知网、PubMed及万方数据库,筛选公开发表的相关中英文文献,以分析自发性冠状动脉夹层的临床特点。结果 本例为青年女性,35岁,因间断胸痛就诊,心电图检查提示I、aVL及V2-V5导联ST段抬高,肌钙蛋白T升高(>2 000 ng/L),冠状动脉造影结果示左主干(LM)自开口可见夹层,延伸至左前降支(LAD)远段及回旋支(LCX)中段,管腔全程受压,近段血管部分不能显影,经血管内超声(intravenous ultrasound, IVUS)指导下行经皮冠状动脉介入(percutaneous coronary intervention, PCI)治疗,随访1个月并复查冠状动脉造影(coronary angiography, CAG)患者治疗效果良好。结论 自发性冠状动脉夹层是导致急性冠脉综合征的罕见病因,其疾病特点及治疗方法与冠状动脉粥样硬化不同,诊断具有...     

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection

A 45-year-old female athlete with no history of cardiovascular disease or coronary risk factors presented with a non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction due to spontaneous right coronary artery dissection. She was treated medically with resolution of her symptoms. Repeat angiography due to recurrent exertional chest discomfort showed TIMI-3 flow and no evidence of dissection. Intravascular ultrasound documented discrete areas of resolving hematoma, but no dissection flap or impingement of the lumen >30%. A coronary computed tomography 6 months later revealed absence of any vascular abnormalities. This rare but potentially lethal condition should be considered in the differential diagnosis of young patients with chest pain, myocardial infarction, or sudden cardiac death, especially if it involves women either in the peripartum period or those using oral contraceptives, or patients without evidence of coronary atherosclerosis or traditional cardiovascular risk factors.     

Long-term follow-up of coronary artery dissection due to blunt chest trauma with spontaneous healing in a young woman

We report a previously healthy 17-year-old woman who experienced coronary artery dissection with an acute transmural anterior myocardial infarction and myocardial contusion following blunt chest trauma in a motorcycle accident. A chest roentgenogram on admission was normal, and an electrocardiogram showed an acute transmural anterior myocardial infarction with complete right-bundle-branch block. A 2D echocardiogram revealed an akinesis of the anterior wall and a hypokinesis of the posterior wall in the left ventricle. Initial coronary angiography demonstrated severe stenosis with delayed antegrade filling in the proximal left anterior descending artery. Technetium-99m pyrophosphate myocardial scintigraphy demonstrated diffuse tracer uptake in the left ventricular wall. Follow-up coronary angiography performed 1 year after the accident showed a minor stenosis without any filling defects. We describe long-term follow-up of the coronary artery dissection following blunt chest trauma with spontaneous healing.     

急性下壁心肌梗死累及右心室的冠状动脉特点及近期预后

目的：研究急性下壁心肌梗死累及右心室者的冠状动脉闭塞部位及近期预后。方法：观察急诊及住院的96例急性下壁心肌梗死患者，其中右心室梗死43例（A组），单纯下壁梗死53例（B组）。结果：A组冠状动脉造影30例，全部为右冠闭塞，近中端闭塞23例，远端7例；B组造影38例，右冠闭塞19例，近中端10例，远端9例，回旋支闭塞19例。A组合并的其它血管病变比B组更严重。A组肌酸磷酸肌酶峰值高于B组，P〈0.01；A组心源性休克发生率20．9％，病死率16．2％，B组均为0例，均P〈0．01。结论：右冠近、中、远端闭塞均可发生右心室梗死；合并右心室梗死者近期预后较单纯下壁梗死者差，其发生心源性休克且常常不可逆的原因为右冠近中端完全闭塞同时还合并有多支血管的严重病变。     

组织谐波成像在急性心肌梗死诊断中的应用--与冠状动脉造影对照研究

目的 探讨组织谐波成像(THI)技术在急性心肌梗死诊断中的应用价值。方法 分析经THI及冠状动脉造影检查的101例急性心肌梗死患者的临床资料。结果 图像满意和较满意率达96．0％。THI对急性心肌梗死检出率为91．1％。THI与心电图估测心肌梗死部位及范围基本一致。THI估测心肌梗死部位与冠状动脉造影所示梗死相关动脉供血区域基本相符(准确率87．1％)，其中以检出左前降支病变所致心肌梗死的准确率最高(96．8％)；下壁、后壁或右室梗死常合并其他部位心肌梗死，较易漏诊。结论 THI是检测急性心肌梗死敏感而准确的方法，可与心电图相互印证、相互补充。检查中应特别注意有无合并下壁、后壁或右室梗死，以免漏诊。     

The function of the collateral bed in patients with ischemic heart disease and isolated occlusion of the anterior descending branch of the left coronary artery]

To study the collateral bed, 39 coronary heart disease patients with isolated occlusion of the anterior descending artery without a history of large-focal myocardial infarction were examined. All the patients were subjected to coronary angiography and left ventriculography. Based on an analysis of left ventricular myocardial contractility, the patients were distributed into 2 groups. The first group included 16 patients without disorders of local contractility of the left ventricular myocardium, the second one 23 patients with derangement of local contractility of the left ventricular myocardium. The conclusion is made that in patients suffering from stable angina pectoris with isolated occlusion of the anterior descending artery without a history of large-focal myocardial infarction, exclusively intersystemic collateralization of the vessel via the conal artery (or the conal branch of the right coronary artery) is most favourable from the standpoint of the maintenance of myocardial contractility.     

Single coronary artery with anomalous origin from the right sinus Valsalva

Summary A single coronary artery is a rare congenital anomaly with an incidence of 0.02–0.04%. We report on a 65–year–old male presenting with atypical chest pain and a history of hypertension and hypercholesterinemia, having diagnosed a very rare variant of a single coronary artery arising from the right sinus of Valsalva continuing as circumflex coronary artery (LCX) and thereafter as left anterior descending artery (LAD). Because the patient was asymptomatic on antiischemic medication and had a proposed relative benign course, we recommended medical treatment without coronary artery bypass surgery, and the patient has been in fine condition up to now (11 months after angiography). No financial support was received for the present study     

Rupture of the coronary artery after blunt nonpenetrating chest wall trauma detected by color Doppler echocardiography: a case report.

We report a rare case of a ruptured papillary muscle of the anterior leaflet of the tricuspid valve and the rupture of the septal branch of the left anterior descending coronary artery with drainage into the right ventricle after blunt nonpenetrating chest wall trauma. Both abnormalities were detected by transthoracic 2-dimensional and color Doppler echocardiography, and the septal branch rupture was confirmed by coronary angiography. The leading echocardiographic sign of the rupture of the coronary artery was intramyocardial mosaic-colored flow, representing the turbulent high-velocity flow in the ruptured coronary artery. Hypokinesis of the anteroseptal myocardial segments and the presence of Q waves in leads V1 through 4 on the electro-cardiogram were suggestive of anteroseptal myocardial infarction. We conclude that the history of chest trauma, the electrocardiographic changes, and wall motion abnormalities should be stimuli for a careful color Doppler flow "mapping" of the myocardium for possible identification of a coronary artery rupture.     

A Case of Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection: It is Not Always Plaque Rupture

Background

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is an extremely rare cause of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Patients may present with a broad spectrum of clinical scenarios, ranging from angina pectoris to myocardial infarction, cardiogenic shock, and sudden death. Standard therapy has not been established; current treatments range from conservative management to percutaneous revascularization or coronary artery bypass surgery.

Objective

SCAD greatly mimics ACS, and this diagnosis should be considered when evaluating young patients who present with ACS with or without classical risk factors for coronary artery disease.

Case Report

We report a case of a 45-year old man who presented with chest pain typical of ACS. He had no risk factors except for a smoking history of 2.5 pack-years. Once the clinical findings suggested acute inferolateral myocardial infarction, the patient underwent emergent cardiac catheterization, which revealed left anterior descending coronary artery dissection. This in itself is not a common cause of inferolateral ST elevation changes on electrocardiogram.

Conclusion

This case highlights the fact that although SCAD is a rare entity, it is increasingly being recognized as a significant cause of ACS. Urgent angiography should be considered if SCAD is suspected, because early diagnosis and appropriate management significantly improve the outcome in these patients.     

Anomalous origin of the three coronary arteries from the right aortic sinus Valsalva: Role of MDCT coronary angiography

Background Monocuspal origin of all three coronary arteries through separate ostia from the right aortic sinus (RCS) is a rare occurrence. To date, the use of multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) for imaging of congenitally abnormal coronary arteries has been discussed only in few individual case reports.Objective To describe the role of MDCT coronary angiography in the evaluation of two rare cases of monocuspal origin of all three coronary from RCS.Patients and methods We had a retrospective review of clinical information and imaging studies for two patients presented with chest pain. Both patients underwent conventional coronary angiography followed by noninvasive imaging with MDCT.Results Both patients had anomalous origin of the all three coronary arteries from the RCS. In one case the LAD took an intramural course in between the aorta and the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) while it passed anterior to the RVOT in the other patient. In the first patient, there was also associated coronary fistula to the right ventricle along with right coronary artery (RCA) and left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) narrowing. Both the stenosed segments were successfully stented and were demonstrated to be patent in the subsequent MDCT.Conclusion Monocuspal origin of all three coronary artery from the RCS is a rare anomaly, can be reliably diagnosed by MDCT. CT angiogram is a convenient complementary tool for the coronary arteriography     

Acute myocardial infarction associated with myocardial bridge and coronary artery vasospasm

A 65-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with acute myocardial infarction (MI). Emergency coronary angiography showed no significant organic lesions, but a myocardial bridge was found at the mid-left anterior descending artery An acetylcholine provocation test revealed 90% spastic stenosis just proximal to the myocardial bridge. His acute MI could have been caused by both a coronary spasm and the myocardial bridge.     

Near simultaneous atherothrombotic occlusion of two coronary arteries challenges the theory of the single vulnerable plaque

BACKGROUND: It is unlikely that mechanical stress altering a single vulnerable plaque leads to myocardial infarction from almost simultaneous proximal atherothrombotic closure of the right coronary artery and the left anterior descending coronary artery. ACUTE MANAGEMENT: Immediate catheter diagnosis and revascularization including stent deployment restored TIMI III flow in both coronary arteries. After an initial bolus, abciximab was continuously infused to optimize myocardial perfusion. LABORATORY TESTS ON ADMISSION: The patient's white blood cell count was markedly elevated and the level of C-reactive protein slightly so. After interventional recanalization, C-reactive protein rose steeply before falling again after two days. FOLLOW-UP: Thirty days after acute myocardial infarction, the patient was fully recovered and asymptomatic. Echocardiography revealed only mild-to-moderate global left ventricular hypokinesia. CONCLUSION: Widespread inflammation associated with multifocal plaque rupture and subsequent two-vessel acute myocardial infarction is a rare phenomenon, usually associated with sudden cardiac death. Widespread inflammation is one of the reasons why the widely accepted theory of the single vulnerable plaque for such events can be contradicted.     

Acute coronary artery stent thrombosis caused by a spasm: A case report

BACKGROUNDAcute stent thrombosis (AST) is a serious complication of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The causes of AST include the use of stents of inappropriate diameters, multiple overlapping stents, or excessively long stents; incomplete stent expansion; poor stent adhesion; incomplete coverage of dissection; formation of thrombosis or intramural hematomas; vascular injury secondary to intraoperative mechanical manipulation; insufficient dose administration of postoperative antiplatelet medications; and resistance to antiplatelet drugs. Cases of AST secondary to coronary artery spasms are rare, with only a few reports in the literature.CASE SUMMARYA 55-year-old man was admitted to the hospital with a chief complaint of back pain for 2 d. He was diagnosed with coronary heart disease and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) based on electrocardiography results and creatinine kinase myocardial band, troponin I, and troponin T levels. A 2.5 mm × 33.0 mm drug-eluting stent was inserted into the occluded portion of the right coronary artery. Aspirin, clopidogrel, and atorvastatin were started. Six days later, the patient developed AST after taking a bath in the morning. Repeat coronary angiography showed occlusion of the proximal stent, and intravascular ultrasound showed severe coronary artery spasms. The patient’s AST was thought to be caused by coronary artery spasms and treated with percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. Postoperatively, he was administered diltiazem to inhibit coronary artery spasms and prevent future episodes of AST. He survived and reported no discomfort at the 2-mo follow-up after the operation and initiation of drug treatment. CONCLUSIONCoronary spasms can cause both AMI and AST. For patients who exhibit coronary spasms during PCI, diltiazem administration could reduce spasms and prevent future AST.     

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection: a rare threat to young women

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection not associated with underlying coronary artery disease is rare. When the dissection does occur, it most often is manifested as an acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction in young women. Although the condition can occur in men, most often it involves women who are in their third trimester of pregnancy or the early postpartum period or are engaging in vigorous exercise. Because little is known about spontaneous coronary artery dissection in this population of women, recommendations for treatment are the same as for treatment of acute myocardial infarction associated with atherosclerotic coronary disease.     

Anomalous coronary artery, aortic dissection, and acute myocardial infarction.

The combination of acute coronary occlusion and aortic dissection because of involvement of one or other coronary vessels in the dissection flap is uncommon. Furthermore, the occurrence of an anomalous coronary artery and its involvement in acute myocardial infarction is even more uncommon. We describe a patient with acute myocardial infarction in whom an acute aortic dissection involved the ostium of an anomalous circumflex artery.     

Unruptured giant left ventricular pseudoaneurysm complicating silent myocardial infarction in a diabetic young adult

We report a very rare case of a 36-year-old diabetic man who had a silent myocardial infarction, a ruptured myocardial wall, and an unruptured left ventricular pseudoaneurysm. The patient admitted with a 3-month history of dyspnea on exertion, without evidence of acute coronary syndrome. Coronary angiography showed severe stenosis of the right coronary artery. Echocardiography, multiple gated acquisition radionuclide scan (MUGA) and left ventricular angiography revealed giant left ventricular posterolateral pseudoaneurysm next to the left ventricle. Patient underwent to surgery with excellent results. We present this case because rarity and high clinical index of suspicion is needed to avoid missing the diagnosis in such an unusual sequence of silent myocardial infarction in diabetic patient. The clinical picture of dyspnea in a diabetic patient in presence of a diagnostic echocardiographic finding warrants coronary angiography to document the ischemic etiology of the pseudoaneurysm in view of prompt surgical correction.     

Myocardial infarction and pregnancy: a case report

Coronary artery dissection is a rare, sometimes fatal traumatic condition, with 80% of cases affecting women. The coronary artery develops a tear, causing blood to flow between the layers, which force them apart. We describe the case of a 35-year-old multiparous woman with acute myocardial infarction secondary to right coronary artery dissection at 32 weeks' gestation. The patient underwent successful primary percutaneous coronary intervention with the placement of 4 coronary stents. She subsequently experienced preterm labor and preeclampsia 11 days following the procedure. Elective cesarean delivery under general anesthesia was performed uneventfully at 35 weeks' gestation.