Acute right ventricular myocardial injury and sudden cardiac arrest in a patient with persistent spontaneous coronary vasospasm

Chin Med J (Engl). 2011 Apr;124(8):1275-7.

Abstract

Coronary vasospasm is a rare diagnosis resulting in sudden arrhythmic cardiac arrest. We report a case of a healthy, non-smoking elderly woman resuscitated from arrhythmic cardiac arrest. She had persistent spontaneous coronary vasospasm, leading to right ventricular myocardial injury and failure, and shock. She responded quickly to intravenous normal saline bolus infusion, but had irreversible neurological sequelae. Additionally, she had atrial fibrillation preceding ischemic ventricular fibrillation, a rare finding in coronary vasospasm-related cardiac arrest. We suggest immediate coronary angiography of patients in sudden arrhythmic cardiac arrest with acute right ventricular failure for a prompt, accurate diagnosis and appropriate management of the coronary vasospasm.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Coronary Angiography
  • Coronary Vasospasm / diagnosis*
  • Coronary Vasospasm / diagnostic imaging
  • Death, Sudden, Cardiac / pathology*
  • Electrocardiography
  • Female
  • Humans