Article

An Atypical Presentation of Acute Coronary Syndrome

Register or Login to View PDF Permissions
Permissions× For commercial reprint enquiries please contact Springer Healthcare: ReprintsWarehouse@springernature.com.

For permissions and non-commercial reprint enquiries, please visit Copyright.com to start a request.

For author reprints, please email rob.barclay@radcliffe-group.com.
Average (ratings)
No ratings
Your rating

Abstract

A 61-year-old man was admitted to hospital with severe occipital headache and weakness and numbness of the left arm. His electrocardiograms showed changes hinting at acute coronary syndrome (ACS). However, in view of his clinical presentation, he underwent tests for likely subarachnoid haemorrhage, but this was ruled out. The next day, he was referred to cardiology. A transthoracic echocardiogram showed reduced left ventricular systolic function along with regional wall motion abnormalities involving inferoposterior walls. The patient was treated as per the protocol for ACS. A dobutamine stress echocardiogram confirmed inferior myocardial infarction with evidence of myocardial viability in the affected left ventricular segments. Subsequent investigations confirmed three-vessel coronary artery disease and reduced left ventricular systolic function. The patient underwent successful coronary artery bypass grafting.

Disclosure:The author has no conflicts of interest to declare.

Received:

Accepted:

Correspondence Details:Syed Khurram Mushtaq Gardezi, Department of Cardiovascular Research, Lancashire Cardiac Centre, Blackpool Victoria Hospital, Blackpool, FY3 8NR, UK. E: drskmgardezi@gmail.com

Copyright Statement:

The copyright in this work belongs to Radcliffe Medical Media. Only articles clearly marked with the CC BY-NC logo are published with the Creative Commons by Attribution Licence. The CC BY-NC option was not available for Radcliffe journals before 1 January 2019. Articles marked ‘Open Access’ but not marked ‘CC BY-NC’ are made freely accessible at the time of publication but are subject to standard copyright law regarding reproduction and distribution. Permission is required for reuse of this content.

Today, in cardiology, acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is one of the most common presentations in hospitals. Usually, the history and presenting features of ACS are very typical. However, some patients have an atypical presentation, which can pose a problem for prompt diagnosis and management, leading to an overall increase in morbidity and mortality in such patients.

Case Presentation
A 61-year-old man with no previous medical history of, or risk factors for, coronary artery disease was admitted to hospital via the accident and emergency department with a one-day history of severe occipital headache along with weakness and numbness of the left arm. On admission, his electrocardiograms (ECGs) showed significant ST segment elevation in inferior leads along with reciprocal ST segment depression in lateral leads, developing Q waves afterwards. In view of the clinical presentation, these ECG changes were ignored and the patient underwent investigations as a likely case of subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) under the care of the on call physician. He underwent an urgent computed tomography (CT) brain scan followed by lumbar puncture, both of which were negative for SAH.

The next day, the patient was referred to cardiology for investigation of his ECG changes. By that time, his ECGs had developed deep Q waves in inferior leads and the ST segments were starting to settle (see Figure 1). He also had a significant rise in troponin levels (high sensitive troponin T greater than 2,000 pg/ml). In view of his atypical presentation, he underwent, on the same day, a CT angiogram of the head and neck, which did not show any evidence of dissection of the aorta or of any head and neck vessels. An urgent transthoracic echocardiogram carried out the same day confirmed a reduced left ventricular systolic function along with extensive inferior wall akinesia as well as septal and posterior wall hypokinesia.

The patient was treated, as per the protocol for acute coronary syndrome (ACS), with fractionated heparin, dual antiplatelets, beta-blocker, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, statin and eplerenone (a potassium-sparing diuretic). His cardiac catheterisation was delayed, as he developed post-myocardial infarction (MI) Dressler’s syndrome, which was treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. A dobutamine stress echocardiogram performed in the interim confirmed inferior infarction with evidence of myocardial viability and reversible myocardial ischaemia in the inferior, septal, posterior and lateral walls of the left ventricle. Left heart catheterisation confirmed three-vessel coronary artery disease with proximally occluded dominant right coronary artery (see Figure 2), along with severe ostial disease in the left anterior descending, diagonal and left circumflex branches (see Figures 3 and 4). A left ventricular angiogram showed significant inferior wall akinesia along with moderate impairment of the left ventricular systolic function (see Figure 5). The patient subsequently underwent inpatient coronary artery bypass grafting, with grafts to the right, left anterior descending, left circumflex and marginal coronary arteries. Post-operative recovery was uneventful and the patient successfully underwent cardiac rehabilitation.

Discussion
In this case of ACS, the potential differential diagnoses were:

  • acute SAH;
  • Takotsubo cardiomyopathy; and
  • left ventricular non-compaction cardiomyopathy.

SAH patients have often been misdiagnosed as having cardiac abnormalities based on their ECGs when, in many instances, the ECG changes were the result of the SAH itself. This has led to unnecessary and wasteful investigations and therapies on many occasions.1 Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is reported to present with features mimicking stroke. One of the published case reports mentions the case of a 74-year-old woman with minor stroke as the main clinical presentation of a Takotsubo-like syndrome, due to transient thrombus formation in the left ventricular cavity.2 Left ventricular non-compaction is associated with dysrhythmias, thromboembolic events, chest pain and left ventricular dysfunction.3 Stroke itself can sometimes be the presenting feature of left ventricular non-compaction cardiomyopathy.

Conclusion
In patients who could possibly be suffering from ACS, careful interpretation of the ECGs is of utmost importance. A multidisciplinary approach to complicated medical cases should be sought at the earliest opportunity.

References

  1. Chatterjee S, ECG changes in subarachnoid haemorrhage: a synopsis, Neth Heart J, 2011;19(1):31–4.
    Crossref | PubMed
  2. De Gregorio C, Cento D, Di Bella G, Coglitore S, Minor stroke in a Takotsubo-like syndrome: a rare clinical presentation due to transient left ventricular thrombus, Int J Cardiol, 2008;130(2):e78–80.
    Crossref | PubMed
  3. Yousef ZR, Foley PW, Khadjooi K, et al., Left ventricular noncompaction: clinical features and cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging, BMC Cardiovasc Disord, 2009;9:37.
    Crossref | PubMed