Hypoplastic Coronary Artery Disease Presenting with Ventricular Fibrillation Cardiac Arrest
Abra Guo1, Hooman Bakhshi2, James O'Hara2,3
1Department of Internal Medicine, Medstar Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC, USA.
Insights
Hypoplastic coronary artery disease, a rare congenital condition, can cause sudden cardiac arrest in young adults. Early suspicion and implantable cardioverter-defibrillator implantation are crucial for secondary prevention.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Congenital Anomalies
- Cardiac Electrophysiology
Background:
- Hypoplastic coronary artery disease (HCAD) is a rare congenital anomaly.
- It can manifest as ischemic heart disease, heart failure, or sudden cardiac death (SCD).
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe a case of cardiac arrest in a young adult attributed to HCAD.
- To highlight the importance of considering HCAD in unexplained SCD in young individuals.
Main Methods:
- Case report of a healthy young man experiencing cardiac arrest.
- Diagnostic work-up revealed a hypoplastic left anterior descending artery.
- Management involved implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) implantation.
Main Results:
- The patient presented with cardiac arrest due to a hypoplastic left anterior descending artery.
- ICD implantation was performed for secondary prevention of ventricular fibrillation.
Conclusions:
- HCAD is a rare but significant cause of cardiac arrest and SCD in young adults.
- The precise mechanism of ventricular fibrillation in HCAD requires further investigation.
- ICD implantation is recommended for secondary prevention in such cases.
Abstract:
Hypoplastic coronary artery disease is a rare congenital anomaly that may present with ischaemic heart disease, heart failure or sudden cardiac death (SCD). We describe a case of cardiac arrest in a healthy young man. Work-up revealed a hypoplastic left anterior descending artery. The patient underwent cardioverter-defibrillator implantation for secondary prevention.
Learning Points:
Hypoplastic coronary artery disease (HCAD) is a rare cause of cardiac arrest and should be suspected in cases of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in young adults.The mechanism in HCAD leading to ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest is not well understood.Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) implantation is recommended for secondary prevention of ventricular fibrillation.
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