ST-segment elevation in non-atherosclerotic coronaries: a brief overview

Intern Emerg Med. 2011 Apr;6(2):129-39. doi: 10.1007/s11739-010-0491-5. Epub 2010 Dec 11.

Abstract

The most common, clinically significant cause of ST elevation is an angiographically demonstrable occlusive disease due to atherosclerotic changes in coronary artery. Often, a patient presenting with non-specific complaints and ST-segment elevation on the electrocardiogram, is sent for a cardiac catheterization only to see no luminal stenosis on the angiogram. This clinical review is intended to inform emergency medicine physicians and internists about the conditions in which ST-segment elevation is accompanied with no atherosclerotic lesion on coronary angiography. These situations make a diverse array of conditions ranging from anomalous coronaries to anatomically normal coronaries with varied degrees of myocardial injury. These conditions are briefly reviewed in this article.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Arrhythmias, Cardiac / diagnosis
  • Arrhythmias, Cardiac / pathology*
  • Cardiac Catheterization
  • Coronary Angiography
  • Coronary Vessels / pathology*
  • Coronary Vessels / physiology
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Electric Countershock
  • Electrocardiography
  • Hemodynamics
  • Humans
  • Myocardial Bridging
  • Myocardial Infarction / diagnosis
  • Myocardial Infarction / pathology
  • Myocardial Ischemia / diagnosis
  • Myocardial Ischemia / pathology
  • Myocardium / pathology