Heart failure with silent coronary artery spasm exhibiting microscopic focal myocardial necrosis and amyloid-deposition

Intern Med. 2004 Mar;43(3):199-203. doi: 10.2169/internalmedicine.43.199.

Abstract

We report a 67-year-old Japanese man who presented with worsening heart failure with asymptomatically transient ischemic ST-segment depression. Left ventriculography showed diffuse hypokinesis; asymptomatic coronary artery spasm was evoked by the acetylcholine provocation test. Endomyocardial biopsy exhibited hypertrophic cardiomyocytes and scattered microscopic focal myocardial necrosis with amyloid-deposition. Transient ST-segment depression improved after treatment with a calcium antagonist, but cardiac contraction was still impaired. We hypothesize that asymptomatic coronary spasm may cause irreversible cardiac damage and heart failure with amyloid-deposition; the presence or absence of coronary spasm in heart failure patients should be clarified in order to determine therapeutic strategy.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acetylcholine
  • Aged
  • Amyloid / metabolism*
  • Cardiac Output, Low / complications*
  • Cardiac Output, Low / pathology
  • Coronary Vasospasm / complications*
  • Coronary Vasospasm / metabolism
  • Coronary Vasospasm / pathology*
  • Electrocardiography, Ambulatory
  • Exercise Test
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Myocardial Ischemia / etiology
  • Myocardium / pathology*
  • Necrosis
  • Vasodilator Agents
  • Ventricular Dysfunction, Left

Substances

  • Amyloid
  • Vasodilator Agents
  • Acetylcholine