Key result
Intracoronary nitrates led to complete resolution of severe coronary artery stenosis in a patient with recurrent STEMI caused by coronary vasospasm, avoiding unnecessary stenting.
Why the study?
Recurrent coronary vasospasm presenting as STEMI poses acute diagnostic and management challenges, especially when misidentified as plaque rupture across different centres.
Case Report (n=1)
No
Coronary artery vasospasm can mimic acute STEMI and lead to unnecessary stenting; accurate diagnosis is crucial as management differs significantly, including the potential harm of aspirin in eosinophilia-associated spasm.
Recurrent vasospasm mimicking STEMI warrants cross-center history review; leaves open standardized acute management strategies.
Coronary artery spasm is a relatively uncommon cause of ST segment elevation myocardial infarction. However, the clinical presentation and electrocardiographic findings are remarkably similar to STEMI secondary to plaque rupture. Recurrent presentation with coronary vasospasm as STEMI presents a unique clinical dilemma especially if they present to different centers where the previous history is not well known. Management in the acute settings continue to pose significant challenges in these acutely unwell patients. We describe and explore a similar clinical situation in which a patient with severe recurrent STEMI presentations was found to have coronary artery vasospasms. The case was twice misinterpreted as having plaque rupture STEMI leading to percutaneous coronary intervention and then further difficulties in long term management in view of need for long term antiplatelet and suspected association of eosinophilia with coronary vasospasm which in turn can be caused by Aspirin.
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Ullah et al. (2022) conducted a case report in Recurrent coronary spasm presenting as acute STEMI (n=1). Intracoronary nitrates was evaluated on Resolution of coronary stenosis. Intracoronary nitrates led to complete resolution of severe coronary artery stenosis in a patient with recurrent STEMI caused by coronary vasospasm, avoiding unnecessary stenting.
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