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The heart remembers what the mind forgets
Arne Ballet1, Ritchie Mulleman1, Michel Vandermotte2
1Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
Acta Clinica Belgica
|January 31, 2020
Summary
Cardiac memory, a benign condition causing T-wave inversions, occurs after abnormal heart activation. Recognizing this phenomenon prevents unnecessary cardiac investigations.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Electrophysiology
Background:
- Cardiac memory, or Chatterjee phenomenon, is an under-recognized cause of T-wave inversions.
- It results from the heart 'remembering' prior abnormal ventricular activation patterns.
Observation:
- An elderly male presented with chest pain and shortness of breath, showing T-wave inversions on ECG.
- Cardiac biomarkers and D-dimer were negative, ruling out acute myocardial infarction or pulmonary embolism.
Findings:
- The patient was diagnosed with cardiac memory after reviewing prior ECGs and medical history.
- This diagnosis explained the T-wave changes without active cardiac pathology.
Implications:
- Cardiac memory should be considered in patients with pacemakers presenting with T-wave changes.
- Identifying cardiac memory can avoid unnecessary hospital admissions and invasive procedures.
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