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Electrocardiographic changes after head trauma

Xavier Wittebole1, Philippe Hantson, Pierre-François Laterre

  • 1Department of Intensive Care, University Hosital Saint-Luc, Catholic University of Louvain, Brussels 1200, Belgium.

Journal of Electrocardiology
|January 22, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Traumatic brain injury can cause electrocardiogram changes that look like a heart attack, but without actual heart damage. These changes resolve as the brain injury improves.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Cardiology
  • Medical Imaging

Background:

  • Head injuries can lead to complex systemic effects.
  • Electrocardiographic (ECG) changes are typically associated with cardiac events.

Observation:

  • A patient developed significant ECG abnormalities mimicking acute coronary syndrome days after a closed head injury.
  • These ECG changes were transient and correlated with neurological recovery.

Findings:

  • Neuroimaging revealed diffuse axonal injury (DAI) via susceptibility-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (SWI).
  • No evidence of subarachnoid hemorrhage or mass-occupying hematoma was found.
  • Cardiac damage was ruled out, indicating a pseudo-acute myocardial ischemic syndrome.

Implications:

  • Diffuse axonal injury following traumatic brain injury may precipitate pseudo-acute myocardial ischemic syndrome.
  • This highlights the intricate relationship between neurological and cardiovascular systems.
  • Clinicians should consider TBI as a potential cause of unexplained ECG changes in affected patients.

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