title: Elevated troponins and the Churg-Strauss syndrome: a case report.
abstract: In a patient with persistently elevated troponin levels but normal ischemic work-up, a diagnostic dilemma can ensue. This is the case of a 65-year-old woman whose only cardiac risk factor was age. She presented repeatedly with chest pain, elevated troponins, and consistently elevated eosinophil levels until the fourth admission when she presented with multi-organ abnormalities including asthma and vasculitis that led to the diagnosis of Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS). Initiation of corticosteroids immediately resolved all of her presenting symptoms; troponin and eosinophil levels quickly normalized. Eosinophilia from CSS can lead to multi-organ damage including the heart. Therefore, one must consider CSS in the differential of eosinophilia as early detection and treatment may be critical in decreasing morbidity and mortality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Sylmar, California 91342-1495, USA.
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zaky
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Caraang
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Adel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: El-Bialy
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015267:Churg-Strauss Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019210:Troponin I / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D019210:Troponin I