Key result
A 49-year-old man with critical cardiac ischemia presenting with predominant cervical pain became symptom-free 12 months after successful coronary bypass grafting.
Case Report (n=1)
Critical cardiac ischemia can present atypically with predominant cervical complaints, mimicking spinal pathology.
Atypical cervical pain may signal cardiac ischemia; this Level 5 case leaves open whether revascularization reliably resolves such symptoms.
Lipetz JS, Ledon J, Silber J: Severe coronary artery disease presenting with a chief complaint of cervical pain. Am J Phys Med Rehabil 2003;82:716–720. We present the case of a 49-yr-old man with cervical pain of 14 wk of duration. Physical examination and magnetic resonance imaging of the cervical spine demonstrated no neurologic abnormality or corroborative pathology. Cardiac catheterization demonstrated advanced multivessel disease. The patient underwent successful coronary bypass grafting and was symptom free 12 mo later. Spine practitioners are often consulted by the medical community to determine if a patient’s limb or chest complaints might be caused by a spinal pain generator. This atypical case reminds us of the overlap between cardiac and cervical symptom referral. A patient with critical cardiac ischemia can present with predominant cervical complaints.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Lipetz et al. (2003) conducted a case report in Severe coronary artery disease (n=1). Coronary bypass grafting was evaluated on Symptom resolution. A 49-year-old man with critical cardiac ischemia presenting with predominant cervical pain became symptom-free 12 months after successful coronary bypass grafting.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: