Severe diffuse coronary artery spasm in the early phase of cardiogenic shock

Malignant multivessel coronary spasm complicated by myocardial infarction, transient complete heart block, ventricular fibrillation, cardiogenic shock and ischemic stroke

Multivessel coronary spasm resulting to cardiogenic shock and malignant ventricular arrhythmias though rare has been reported in the literature. The disease seems to be more prevalent in Asians. There have been isolated reports of coronary spasm in patients with reactive airway disease. We report the first case of spontaneous multivessel spasm in a male patient with bronchial asthma of Arab ethnicity resulting in acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock, recurrent ventricular arrhythmias, and transient complete heart block. Literature review of similar cases suggests a strong association with bronchial asthma and a more malignant course in patients with reactive airway disease. The role of intracoronary nitroglycerin in proving the diagnosis even in patients in shock on maximal inotropic supports and intra-aortic balloon pump is highlighted and the importance of considering multivessel coronary spasm as a cause for acute coronary syndrome even in patients with conventional risk factors for atherosclerotic coronary artery disease is reinforced in the discussion of this case.

Cardiogenic Shock in Women

Cardiogenic shock (CS) describes the physiologic state in which reduced cardiac output and resultant tissue hypoxia occur in the presence of adequate intravascular volume. Among patients hospitalized with myocardial infarction (MI), CS is the foremost cause of death. Women are more susceptible to CS than men in the setting of ST segment increase MI. Introduction of early revascularization strategies and mechanical ventricular support have seen a decrease in short-term mortality from CS. However, the prognosis following CS remains poor. This article examines the prevalence, causes, pathophysiology, and therapeutic options for CS among women.

Clinical and angiographic outcomes after bare metal stents implantation for the patients with acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction: insights from multicenter trials

The general restenosis rate after emergent coronary stent implantation for ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients in Japan has yet to be fully established. Totally 696 STEMI patients without left main disease were enrolled for either ASPARAGUS (22 centers) or VAMPIRE (23 centers) trial. Out of these, 202 lesions in 202 patients with baseline and 6-month follow-up quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) data after emergent bare metal stent (BMS) implantation without either aspiration or distal protection devices were enrolled for this study. QCA was performed at an independent core laboratory. Minimal lumen diameter (MLD), reference diameter (RD) and diameter stenosis (DS) were estimated at pre, post and follow-up phase. Left ventricular ejection fraction was evaluated by quantitative left ventriculography. Six-month binary restenosis (DS >50%) rate and target lesion revascularization (TLR) were investigated. Six-month binary restenosis and TLR was found in 39 (19.3%) and 32 (18.6%), respectively. In the patients with binary restenosis, smaller pre-RD (2.46 ± 0.54 vs. 2.68 ± 0.73 mm, p = 0.03), post-MLD (2.08 ± 0.54 vs. 2.34 ± 0.52 mm, p = 0.009), acute gain (1.90 ± 0.49 vs. 2.13 ± 0.61 mm, p = 0.001) and follow-up RD (2.44 ± 0.67 vs. 2.71 ± 0.63 mm, p = 0.03) were observed. When the lesions are divided into quartiles of pre-RD (≤2.16, 2.18-2.61, 2.62-3.11, ≥3.12 mm), the binary restenosis rates were 26, 25.5, 16 and 10%, and TLR rate were 19.5, 29.6, 13.6 and 12%, respectively. RD was smaller at pre and follow-up than post phase (pre: 2.64 ± 0.71 mm; post: 2.89 ± 0.57 mm; follow-up: 2.66 ± 0.64 mm; pre vs. post: p < 0.001; post vs. follow-up: p = 0.001; pre vs. follow-up: p = 1.00). In this study cohort, the binary restenosis and TLR rate were considerable in patients with BMS for STEMI. The decrement of RD at follow-up period was common and it indicates that vessel shrinkage post PCI for acute myocardial infarction may be a myth. TLR rate was more than the binary restenosis rate in two quartiles of pre-RD. Robust guideline regarding stent type and revascularization for STEMI patients should be established.