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Cephalalgia-A "Tricky" Symptom for the Cardiologist: Acute Coronary Syndrome Presenting as Headache
Alexandros Vassiliades1, Varnavas Dimitriades1, Vasiliki Vanesa Stylianou1
1Department of Cardiology Larnaca General Hospital, State Health Services Organization Larnaca Cyprus.
Insights
Headache can be a rare, primary symptom of acute myocardial ischemia. Prompt diagnosis using electrocardiograms and cardiac biomarkers is crucial for timely treatment.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Neurology
Background:
- Acute myocardial ischemia typically presents with chest pain.
- Atypical presentations of myocardial ischemia are less common but clinically significant.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight headache as a potential sole presenting symptom of acute myocardial ischemia.
- To emphasize the importance of recognizing atypical myocardial ischemia presentations.
Main Methods:
- Case review and literature synthesis on myocardial ischemia presentations.
- Analysis of diagnostic criteria for acute myocardial ischemia.
Main Results:
- Headache was identified as the primary or sole symptom in rare cases of acute myocardial ischemia.
- Delayed diagnosis can occur when headache is the only presenting symptom.
Conclusions:
- Clinicians must consider acute myocardial ischemia in patients presenting with unexplained headache.
- Electrocardiograms and cardiac biomarkers are essential for diagnosing myocardial ischemia, even with atypical symptoms.
Abstract:
Rarely, headache may be the primary or sole symptom of acute myocardial ischemia; clinicians should recognize such atypical presentations and obtain an electrocardiogram and cardiac biomarkers to establish the diagnosis and guide urgent treatment.
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