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Thrombotic occlusion of all left coronary branches in a young woman with severe ulcerative colitis

Carl Gunnar Gustavsson1, Peter J Svensson, Erik Hertervig

  • 1Department of Cardiology, Skane University Hospital Malmoe, 20502 Malmoe, Sweden.

ISRN Cardiology
|February 21, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Active ulcerative colitis patients face higher thrombosis risk, potentially affecting coronary arteries. This case highlights myocardial infarction in a young woman with normal coronary arteries due to extensive coronary thrombosis.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Gastroenterology
  • Hematology

Background:

  • Patients with active ulcerative colitis (UC) have an elevated risk of thrombosis.
  • Thrombotic events in UC predominantly involve cerebrovascular territories but can affect other vessels.

Observation:

  • A 37-year-old woman with severe UC experienced occlusion of all left coronary artery branches.
  • Serial angiographies revealed progressive recanalization of coronary arteries during anticoagulation, with no evidence of atherosclerotic stenosis.

Findings:

  • The myocardial infarction was attributed to extensive coronary thrombosis, as no procoagulant abnormalities were identified.
  • This represents a rare case of myocardial infarction in a young UC patient with angiographically normal coronary arteries.

Implications:

  • Accumulating evidence suggests that coronary arteries are a potential site for thrombosis in UC patients, including younger individuals.
  • The extensive myocardial involvement in this case underscores the severe potential complications of UC-associated thrombosis.

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