Xu GZ, Wang G. Acute myocardial infarction due to Kounis syndrome: A case report. World J Clin Cases 2022; 10(31): 11555-11560 [PMID: 36387783 DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v10.i31.11555]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Gang Wang, MD, Chief Physician, Heart Center, The Third Central Hospital of Tianjin, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Extracorporeal Life Support for Critical Diseases, Artificial Cell Engineering Technology Research Center, Tianjin Institute of Hepatobiliary Disease, No. 83 Jintang Road, Hedong District, Tianjin 300170, China. 15103172288@163.com
Research Domain of This Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Article-Type of This Article
Case Report
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Clin Cases. Nov 6, 2022; 10(31): 11555-11560 Published online Nov 6, 2022. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v10.i31.11555
Acute myocardial infarction due to Kounis syndrome: A case report
Guang-Zhi Xu, Gang Wang
Guang-Zhi Xu, Gang Wang, Heart Centre, The Third Central Hospital of Tianjin, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Extracorporeal Life Support for Critical Diseases, Artificial Cell Engineering Technology Research Center, Tianjin Institute of Hepatobiliary Disease, Tianjin 300170, China
Author contributions: Xu GZ and Wang G contributed to manuscript writing, editing and data collection; All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Informed consent statement: Informed written consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this report and any accompanying images.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
CARE Checklist (2016) statement: The authors have read the CARE Checklist (2016), and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the CARE Checklist (2016).
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Gang Wang, MD, Chief Physician, Heart Center, The Third Central Hospital of Tianjin, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Extracorporeal Life Support for Critical Diseases, Artificial Cell Engineering Technology Research Center, Tianjin Institute of Hepatobiliary Disease, No. 83 Jintang Road, Hedong District, Tianjin 300170, China. 15103172288@163.com
Received: June 5, 2022 Peer-review started: June 5, 2022 First decision: August 21, 2022 Revised: September 3, 2022 Accepted: September 27, 2022 Article in press: September 27, 2022 Published online: November 6, 2022
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) can be induced by several factors. However, AMI induced by Kounis syndrome (an allergic reaction) is extremely rare and is highly susceptible to misdiagnosis.
CASE SUMMARY
A 70-year-old man presented after suffering an allergic reaction that caused chest pain triggered upon eating ice cream. Troponin I was found to be elevated, and an electrocardiogram showed ST-segment elevation. The diagnosis was AMI. He underwent two coronary angiographies, with one intravascular ultrasound during hospitalization showing no evidence of atherosclerotic coronary artery disease. The final diagnosis was vasospastic myocardial infarction due to Kounis syndrome. The patient was then treated with hydrocortisone and intravenous antihistamines, and his chest pain symptoms resolved.
CONCLUSION
Allergic reactions (such as Kounis syndrome) can cause serious damage to the heart. Physicians should be alert to the consequences and avoid misdiagnosis.
Core Tip: Kounis syndrome is an acute coronary syndrome caused by an allergic reaction. However, Kounis syndrome is a rare cause of acute myocardial infarction. We describe one of these rare cases in which the patient’s troponin I levels were elevated and electrocardiogram showed ST-segment elevation. After a course of hydrocortisone and antihistamines, the patient’s chest pain was resolved.
