A 24-year-old pregnant woman with atypical chest pain was found to have falsely positive troponin levels caused by cross-reacting heterophil antibodies.
Case Report (n=1)
Heterophil antibodies can cause false positive troponin test results, which should be suspected in patients presenting with elevated troponin but lacking clinical signs of myocardial injury.
Positive troponin test results in peripheral blood can be detected either during myocardial injury or from falsely positive test results. In this report, we present the positive results of a troponin test in a 24-year-old pregnant woman referred to the emergency department with atypical chest pain, and the clinical algorithm that we used to make the correct diagnosis. This patient presented with the same complaint of chest pain at different times while positive troponin levels were detected. In the absence of signs of myocardial injury, we suspected that heterophil antibodies were playing a major role. Further examinations revealed heterophil antibodies that could cross react with the troponin tests in peripheral blood.
Kaplan et al. (Wed,) conducted a case report in False positive troponin (n=1). Heterophil antibodies was evaluated on Diagnosis of false positive troponin. A 24-year-old pregnant woman with atypical chest pain was found to have falsely positive troponin levels caused by cross-reacting heterophil antibodies.