Right coronary artery dissection following blunt chest trauma

Chest trauma is a major health problem with a high mortality. Myocardial infarction secondary to coronary dissection following blunt chest trauma is a rare entity. We describe the case of an inferior MI following blunt chest trauma. A 61-year-old male without any relevant medical history was transported to a hospital after a low-velocity motorcycle accident. The patient was asymptomatic before the accident. The patient developed severe chest pain and an ECG revealed inferior ST segment elevation. After ruling out aortic dissection with angio-CT, a coronary angiograph depicted a proximal occlusion of the right coronary artery. After thrombectomy, a typical image of coronary artery dissection was observed; the image persisted after several runs of thrombectomy and for that reason a bare metal stent was implanted with a good final angiographic result. Five days after admission the patient was discharged home. Cardiac contusion is not uncommon; however acute myocardial infarction is a rare complication of blunt chest trauma. Thorough evaluation with clinical suspicion can lead to optimal medical care.