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Published on: August 18, 2016
Severe coronary artery disease presenting with a chief complaint of cervical pain
Jason S Lipetz1, Juan Ledon, Jeff Silber
1Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, New York, USA.
Insights
A 49-year-old man experienced prolonged cervical pain, but diagnostic tests revealed no spinal issues. His symptoms resolved after coronary artery bypass grafting, highlighting the link between cardiac ischemia and cervical pain.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Neurology
- Pain Medicine
Background:
- Cervical pain can be misattributed to spinal issues.
- Cardiac conditions can present with atypical symptoms.
Observation:
- A 49-year-old male presented with 14 weeks of cervical pain.
- Cervical spine imaging and examination revealed no abnormalities.
- Cardiac catheterization showed advanced multivessel disease.
Findings:
- The patient's cervical pain resolved after coronary artery bypass grafting.
- This case demonstrates a potential overlap in symptom referral between cardiac and cervical origins.
Implications:
- Physicians should consider cardiac ischemia in patients with unexplained cervical pain.
- This atypical presentation underscores the importance of a comprehensive differential diagnosis.
Abstract:
We present the case of a 49-yr-old man with cervical pain of 14 wk of duration. Physical examination and magnetic resonance imaging of the cervical spine demonstrated no neurologic abnormality or corroborative pathology. Cardiac catheterization demonstrated advanced multivessel disease. The patient underwent successful coronary bypass grafting and was symptom free 12 mo later. Spine practitioners are often consulted by the medical community to determine if a patient's limb or chest complaints might be caused by a spinal pain generator. This atypical case reminds us of the overlap between cardiac and cervical symptom referral. A patient with critical cardiac ischemia can present with predominant cervical complaints.
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