Postcardiac surgery mediastinitis mimicking acute inferior myocardial infarction.
Both inflammation and infarction may produce a similar clinical picture, including ST-segment elevation on the electrocardiogram. Typically, inflammation affects the whole myocardium, resulting in characteristic electrocardiographic changes in all epicardial leads. We describe a case of poststernotomy mediastinitis which produced electrocardiographic changes mimicking an acute inferior myocardial infarction.
Catarino
P A
PA
Department of Cardiac Surgery, Oxford Heart Centre, John Radcliffe Hospital, England. catarino@doctors.org.uk
Westaby
S
S
D000368:Aged; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008480:Mediastinitis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D013249:Sternum / Q000601:surgery