Symptomatic acute myocardial infarction in a cardiac transplant recipient successfully treated with primary coronary angioplasty: evidence of prognostic importance of chest pain after cardiac transplantation.
Accelerated coronary artery disease remains the limiting factor in the long-term survival of heart transplant (HT) recipients and occurs in approximately 50% of patients by 5 years after transplantation. Sequelae of graft arteriosclerosis include congestive heart failure (due to acute or chronic ischemia), graft loss, and death. Unfortunately, as a consequence of cardiac denervation, symptoms are often atypical or completely absent, and thus presentation with an acute coronary syndrome is extremely uncommon. We describe the case of an HT recipient with a typical clinical picture of an acute myocardial infarction (MI), who presented to our hospital 2 hours after the onset of symptoms and was successfully treated with primary percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA).
Di Cori
Andrea
A
Cardiac and Thoracic Department, University of Pisa, Italy. a.dicori@virgilio.it
Petronio
Anna Sonia
AS
Gemignani
Cristina
C
Zucchelli
Giulio
G
Di Bello
Vitantonio
V
Mariani
Mario
M
D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000379:methods*; D002637:Chest Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014654:Vascular Patency