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.

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