The Cardiac Mirage: A Case of Ambiguous Chest Pain
Nadim Jaafar1, Danya Waqfi1, Azfar K Niazi1
1Internal Medicine, Greater Baltimore Medical Center, Towson, MD, USA.
Background:
Coronary artery disease (CAD) can masquerade as other illnesses due to its varied presentations, the co-existence of other chest pain etiologies, and the limitations of diagnostic modalities.
Case Report:
We present a case of ambiguous chest pain due to multiple possible etiologies, including acute coronary syndrome (ACS), where initial cardiological testing yielded negative results. This led to a delay of 112 days in establishing the diagnosis and initiating appropriate treatment.
Conclusion:
This case emphasizes the crucial role of clinical context and risk stratification in chest pain evaluation. It is imperative to interpret cardiovascular test results carefully, taking into account the sensitivities, specificities, scope, and limitations of the utilized modalities.
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