Break into left anterior descending coronary artery suggest myocardial bridging

Carmine Siniscalchi1, Manuela Basaglia, Nicola Gaibazzi

  • 1Parma University Hospital. carmines84@yahoo.it.

Insights

A 67-year-old woman with stable angina had inconclusive ECG results. Dipyridamole contrast-echocardiography revealed turbulent flow in the left anterior descending coronary artery during diastole, suggesting potential coronary artery disease.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Diagnostic Imaging

Background:

  • Stable effort angina is a common presentation of coronary artery disease.
  • Resting electrocardiograms (ECG) can be inconclusive in diagnosing coronary artery disease.

Observation:

  • A 67-year-old woman with stable angina underwent high-dose dipyridamole contrast-echocardiography.
  • Resting ECG was inconclusive for diagnosing her condition.

Findings:

  • Contrast-echocardiography showed normal left ventricular wall motion post-dipyridamole administration.
  • Turbulent flow, indicated by color aliasing, was observed in the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) territory during diastole.

Implications:

  • This finding suggests potential non-obstructive or early-stage coronary artery disease not detected by resting ECG.
  • Dipyridamole contrast-echocardiography may be a valuable tool for evaluating patients with inconclusive ECGs and suspected coronary artery disease.

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