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Traumatic total occlusion of left main coronary artery caused by blunt chest trauma
Omer Goktekin1, Ahmet Unalir, Bulent Gorenek
1Osmangazi Univeritesi Tip Fakültesi, Kardiyologi Anabilim Dali, Eskisehir, Turkey. goktekin@hotmail.com
Insights
Blunt chest trauma can rarely cause myocardial infarction. This case details a fatal heart attack from a car accident, highlighting a unique complete blockage of the left main coronary artery.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Trauma Medicine
- Forensic Pathology
Background:
- Myocardial infarction (MI) is a serious cardiac event, typically associated with atherosclerosis.
- Blunt chest trauma is an uncommon cause of MI, often involving coronary artery injury.
Observation:
- A 36-year-old male sustained a nonpenetrating chest injury in a motor vehicle accident.
- The patient subsequently experienced a fatal anterolateral myocardial infarction.
Findings:
- Coronary artery injuries from blunt chest trauma most frequently involve the left anterior descending artery.
- This report documents the first-ever case of complete traumatic occlusion of the left main coronary artery (LMCA) confirmed by coronary angiography.
Implications:
- This case expands the understanding of potential cardiac complications following blunt chest trauma.
- It underscores the importance of considering coronary artery injury, including LMCA occlusion, in patients with chest trauma and cardiac symptoms.
- Forensic and clinical investigations should be aware of this rare but devastating injury pattern.
Abstract:
Myocardial infarction is a rare complication that can occur immediately after a blunt chest trauma. We report a 36-year-old male who experienced a fatal anterolateral myocardial infarction after a nonpenetrating chest injury sustained in a car accident. Injuries of the coronary arteries associated with blunt chest trauma predominantly affect the left anterior descending artery. This is the first case of traumatic complete occlusion of the left main coronary artery (LMCA) demonstrated by coronary angiography.