[Recurrent ventricular fibrillation in acute myocardial infarct treated successfully by coronary angioplasty: a clinical case in favor of the hypothesis of the arrhythmogenicity of the coronary thrombus?]

Cardiologia. 1998 Oct;43(10):1095-9.
[Article in Italian]

Abstract

We describe a patient with acute myocardial infarction due to thrombotic occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery. Following thrombolytic therapy, five episodes of ventricular fibrillation recurred despite the absence of profibrillatory factors other than myocardial ischemia. Because of thrombolysis failure, rescue angioplasty associated with coronary stent implantation was performed. After successful mechanical artery recanalization, no recurrences of the malignant arrhythmia were observed. This case supports the concept, recently demonstrated in animals, that the process of intracoronary thrombosis itself may have arrhythmogenic effects above and beyond the impact of myocardial ischemia induced by coronary occlusion per se.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • English Abstract
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary*
  • Coronary Angiography
  • Coronary Thrombosis / complications*
  • Coronary Thrombosis / diagnosis
  • Coronary Thrombosis / therapy*
  • Electrocardiography
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Myocardial Infarction / complications*
  • Myocardial Infarction / diagnosis
  • Myocardial Infarction / etiology
  • Myocardial Infarction / therapy*
  • Recurrence
  • Stents
  • Ventricular Fibrillation / diagnosis
  • Ventricular Fibrillation / etiology*