Acute coronary embolism: angiographic diagnosis and treatment with primary angioplasty.
Acute coronary embolism is rarely diagnosed and it may explain why normal coronary arteries are found after or even before an acute coronary event in patients with thromboembolic risk factors. Emergency coronary angiography was performed in three patients with prior normal coronary arteries and an acute myocardial infarction, followed by primary angioplasty with low-pressure balloon inflations plus stenting and combined antiaggregation with aspirin, clopidogrel, and abciximab to disrupt the thrombi and protect distal circulation from microemboli. Angiographic success was achieved in 100%, and 6-month follow-up has been uneventful on oral anticoagulation and antiaggregation.
Hernández
Felipe
F
Department of Cardiology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain. fhernandezh@medynet.com
Pombo
Marta
M
Dalmau
Regina
R
Andreu
Javier
J
Alonso
Manuel
M
Albarrán
Agustín
A
Velázquez
María T
MT
Tascón
Juan C
JC
D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy*; D004617:Embolism / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000209:etiology*