While the role of cardiovascular computed tomography angiography (CCTA) is evolving in low-intermediate risk patients with myocardial injury due to equivocal causes, this report highlights the added value of CCTA in evaluating the mechanism of acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction in a patient with aortic dissection and mechanical aortic valve replacement. CCTA provided accurate diagnosis and guided therapy without delay. A 51-year-old man with mechanical aortic valve replacement was admitted for severe chest pain. CCTA showed type A aortic dissection with an entry tear at the ostial left main coronary artery. Given the high surgical risk, he underwent fenestration of the false lumen. Twelve days postoperatively, he had chest pain with anterior STEMI. Urgent CCTA showed two left coronary thrombi with transmural extensive ischemia. Urgent thrombus aspiration and percutaneous coronary intervention were performed. A drug-eluting stent was placed on the proximal LAD. CCTA was crucial prior to PCI in order to define the etiology of STEMI and evaluate the vascular access.
Keywords: Aortic dissection; Cardiovascular computed tomography angiography; ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.
© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.