title: Acute coronary embolism: angiographic diagnosis and treatment with primary angioplasty.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain. fhernandezh@medynet.com
authors.forename: Felipe
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hernández
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pombo
authors.forename: Regina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dalmau
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Andreu
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alonso
authors.forename: Agustín
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Albarrán
authors.forename: María T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Velázquez
authors.forename: Juan C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Tascón
mesh_terms: 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*