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Coronary Artery Embolism: Two Case Reports and a Review of the Literature
Philip S Vendittelli1, Bassent Botros1, Howard S Rosman2
1Department of Internal Medicine, Ascension Health, Saint John Hospital and Medical Center, Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan.
Insights
Coronary embolism (CE) is a rare cause of heart attack, often presenting with chest pain. This condition has a high mortality rate, necessitating increased awareness and further research for better management.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Vascular Medicine
Background:
- Coronary embolism (CE) is an infrequent cause of acute myocardial infarction (AMI).
- Understanding the characteristics and outcomes of CE is crucial for improving patient care.
Observation:
- This review analyzed 216 cases of CE, including 2 new cases.
- The average patient age was 52.5 years, with 62% males.
- The left anterior descending artery was most frequently affected.
Findings:
- Common symptoms included chest pain and dyspnea.
- Primary causes were atrial fibrillation, septic emboli, and iatrogenic factors.
- Thrombus aspiration was used in 30% of treatments.
- In-hospital mortality was 36%, with 13% experiencing cerebrovascular accidents.
Implications:
- CE requires a high index of suspicion due to potentially misleading symptoms.
- Improved recognition and management strategies are needed to reduce high mortality rates.
- Further research is essential to enhance diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for coronary embolism.
Abstract:
Coronary embolism (CE) is an uncommon and unique cause of acute myocardial infarction. In this report, we review 216 cases of CE including 2 new cases from our institution. The mean patient age was 52.5 years and 62% of the patients were males. Chest pain was the most common presenting symptom followed by dyspnea, and the most commonly affected vessel was the left anterior descending artery. Leading etiologies of the embolus were atrial fibrillation, septic emboli, and iatrogenic causes. Treatment approaches varied with thrombus aspiration being used in 30% of cases. In-hospital mortality rate was 36% and 13% of the cases were complicated by cerebrovascular accident. CE is a unique pathology that leads to acute myocardial infarction. It portends a high mortality rate and requires a high level of suspicion as symptoms may be misleading. Further research is needed in order to improve recognition and management and to lower associated mortality.
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