Coronary artery ectasia (CAE) is localized or diffuse dilatation of the coronary artery lumen exceeding the diameter of adjacent healthy reference segments by 1.5 times. It is a rare phenomenon and incidence ranges from 1 to 5% in patients undergoing angiography. We report a case of a 58-year-old man with atherosclerotic CAE who experienced ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) despite prophylactic antiplatelet therapy. He was successfully treated with IV eptifibatide and aspiration thrombectomy. We reviewed the literature of CAE presentation, etiology and treatment and discussed the most appropriate antithrombotic therapy to prevent STEMIs in patients with CAE. While the current literature appears to favour prophylactic antiplatelet and anticoagulant in these patients, more studies are needed to determine the optimal form and duration of antithrombotic therapy. Currently, there is no gold standard treatment for CAE and further prospective and randomized-controlled studies are needed to guide recommendations.
Keywords: STEMI; atherosclerosis; case report; coronary artery ectasia.