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Updated: Mar 31, 2026

Ultrasound-Guided Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocyte Implantation in Myocardial Infarcted Mice
Published on: March 30, 2022
[Painless anterior acute myocardial infarction in a transplanted heart]
R Poyet1, E Capilla1, A V Tortat1
1Service de cardiologie, hôpital d'instruction des armées Sainte-Anne, boulevard Sainte-Anne, 83000 Toulon, France.
Insights
Cardiac allograft vasculopathy, a rare cause of acute coronary syndrome after heart transplant, can present as myocardial infarction. Early intervention with percutaneous coronary intervention and drug-eluting stents can be effective.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Transplantation Immunology
Background:
- Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) significantly impacts long-term survival post-heart transplantation.
- Common clinical manifestations include heart failure, arrhythmias, and sudden cardiac death.
Observation:
- Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is an uncommon presentation of CAV, often linked to myocardial denervation.
- A 31-year-old patient, 6 months post-heart transplant, presented with syncope due to an anterior myocardial infarction.
Findings:
- The patient experienced a painless myocardial infarction, a rare presentation of CAV.
- Successful treatment was achieved through percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stent implantation.
Implications:
- This case highlights the importance of considering rare presentations of CAV in heart transplant recipients.
- Timely PCI with drug-eluting stents offers a viable treatment option for myocardial infarction in this population.
Abstract:
Cardiac allograft vasculopathy is the major determinant of long-term survival in patients after heart transplantation. Clinical presentations are congestive heart failure, ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. Acute coronary syndrome is a rare presentation of cardiac allograft vasculopathy due to myocardial denervation. We present the case of a 31-year-old patient, who had undergone heart transplantation 6 months earlier and who developed a painless anterior myocardial infarction revealed by syncope. He was successfully treated by percutaneous coronary intervention with drug eluting stent implantation.

