Related Experiment Videos
Coronary spasm as a cause of coronary thrombosis and myocardial infarction
M Horimoto1, T Takenaka, K Igarashi
1Division of Cardiology, Sapporo National Hospital, Japan.
Insights
Coronary artery spasm, not just atherosclerosis, may cause blood clots leading to myocardial infarction. This finding suggests a dual mechanism for heart attacks in some patients.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Vascular Biology
- Pathophysiology
Background:
- Acute myocardial infarction is a leading cause of mortality worldwide.
- Atherosclerosis is the primary known cause of coronary artery disease.
- The role of coronary artery spasm in acute myocardial infarction is debated.
Abstract:
A 63-year-old man with an acute anterior myocardial infarction demonstrated an intracoronary nonocclusive thrombus distal to the organic stenosis of the left anterior descending coronary artery. One month after the infarction the thrombus was completely dissolved, and spontaneous and provoked spasm occurred overlying the organic stenosis of the coronary artery. Thus coronary spasm superimposed on the atherosclerotic stenosis was suggested as a cause of the thrombus formation that led to myocardial infarction.