Case Report
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World J Cardiol. Sep 26, 2014; 6(9): 1045-1048
Published online Sep 26, 2014. doi: 10.4330/wjc.v6.i9.1045
Acute myocarditis triggering coronary spasm and mimicking acute myocardial infarction
Andreas Kumar, Rodrigo Bagur, Patrick Béliveau, Jean-Michel Potvin, Pierre Levesque, Nancy Fillion, Benoit Tremblay, Éric Larose, Valérie Gaudreault
Andreas Kumar, Rodrigo Bagur, Patrick Béliveau, Jean-Michel Potvin, Pierre Levesque, Nancy Fillion, Benoit Tremblay, Valérie Gaudreault, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Quebec University Hospital Centre, Quebec, G1R 2J6, Canada
Andreas Kumar, Rodrigo Bagur, Patrick Béliveau, Jean-Michel Potvin, Pierre Levesque, Nancy Fillion, Benoit Tremblay, Valérie Gaudreault, Department of Medicine, Laval University, Quebec City, Quebec, G1R 2J6, Canada
Éric Larose, Quebec Heart and Lung Institute, Laval University, Quebec City, Quebec, G1V 4G5, Canada
Author contributions: Kumar A, Bagur R and Levesque P directly participated in the case, conception, design of study, acquisition of data and drafting the article; Kumar A, Bagur R, Béliveau P, Potvin JM, Levesque P, Fillion N, Tremblay B, Larose É and Gaudreault V contributed to manuscript writing, including revising it critically for important intellectual content; Kumar A and Bagur R contributed to supportive work, including technology and materials support; all authors approved the final version of the manuscript to be published and report no financial relationships or conflicts of interest regarding the content herein.
Correspondence to: Rodrigo Bagur, MD, PhD, FAHA, Attending Cardiologist, Interventional Cardiologist, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Quebec University Hospital Centre, 11 côte du Palais, L’Hotel-Dieu de Québec, Quebec City, Quebec, G1R 2J6, Canada. rodrigo.bagur@fmed.ulaval.ca
Telephone: +1-418-6915750 Fax: +1-418-6915415
Received: February 25, 2014
Revised: April 14, 2014
Accepted: July 17, 2014
Published online: September 26, 2014
Abstract

A 24-year-old healthy man consulted to our center because of typical on-and-off chest-pain and an electrocardiogram showing ST-segment elevation in inferior leads. An urgent coronary angiography showed angiographically normal coronary arteries. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging confirmed acute myocarditis. Although acute myocarditis triggering coronary spasm is an uncommon association, it is important to recognize it, particularly for the management for those patients presenting with ST-segment elevation and suspect myocardial infarction and angiographically normal coronary arteries. The present report highlights the role of cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging to identify acute myocarditis as the underlying cause.

Keywords: Myocarditis, Acute coronary syndrome, Coronary spasm, Myocardial infarction

Core tip: The present report highlights the role of cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging to identify acute myocarditis as the underlying cause of coronary spasm presenting with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction in a young healthy man.