title: Myocardial infarction in young patients with Hodgkin's disease--potential pathogenic role of radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and splenectomy.
abstract: Among a total of 2147 patients admitted to our hospital for acute myocardial infarction between 1978 and 1987, three young patients aged 24, 29, and 39 years had previously been treated for Hodgkin's disease. Staging laparotomy, including splenectomy, had been performed in all three patients. Two patients had both mediastinal irradiation (21 and 27 months before infarction) and chemotherapy. In the first patient, postmortem histologic examination of the coronary arteries revealed fibrotic changes, which were probably induced by radiotherapy. In our second patient, myocardial infarction developed 5 days after vinblastine treatment; early angiography showed thrombotic occlusion of the proximal right coronary artery, which was recanalized using the diagnostic Sones catheter. Subsequent angiography revealed normal coronary arteries. This is, to our knowledge, the first case of documented coronary artery thrombosis after treatment with vinca-alkaloids. In our third patient, neither mediastinal irradiation nor chemotherapy had been performed prior to myocardial infarction. However, a marked increase in platelet counts following splenectomy was observed in this patient. The role of radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and splenectomy with consecutive thrombocytosis as a third possible pathogenic factor for subsequent development of myocardial infarction is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung Kardiologie und Pulmonologie, Georg-August Universität Göttingen.
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Scholz
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Herrmann
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Tebbe
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Chemnitius
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Helmchen
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kreuzer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000528:radiation effects; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D003606:Dacarbazine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000209:etiology*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011241:Prednisone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D011344:Procarbazine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000209:etiology*; D011867:Radioisotope Teletherapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013156:Splenectomy; D013922:Thrombocytosis / Q000150:complications; D014747:Vinblastine; D014750:Vincristine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D001761:Bleomycin; D011344:Procarbazine; D014750:Vincristine; D014747:Vinblastine; D003606:Dacarbazine; D004317:Doxorubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D011241:Prednisone