title: Acute left main coronary artery thrombosis due to cocaine use.
abstract: It is common knowledge that cocaine has been linked to the development of various acute and chronic cardiovascular complications including acute coronary syndromes. We present a young, male patient, drug abuser who underwent CABG due to anterolateral myocardial infarction. Our presentation is one of the very rare cases reported in literature regarding acute thrombosis of left main coronary artery related to cocaine use, in a patient with normal coronary arteries, successfully operated. Drug-abusers seem to have increased mortality and morbidity after surgery and high possibility for stent thrombosis after percutaneous coronary interventions, because of their usually terrible medical compliance and coexistent several problems of general health. There are no specific guidelines about treatment of thrombus formation in coronary arteries, as a consequence of cocaine use. So, any decision making concerning the final treatment of these patient is a unique and individualized approach. We strongly recommend that all these patients should be treated surgically, especially patients with thrombus into the left main artery.
authors: Cardiothoracic surgery Department, Patras University School of Medicine, University Hospital, Patras Greece.
authors: Efstratios
authors: E
authors: Apostolakis
authors: Grigorios
authors: G
authors: Tsigkas
authors: Nikolaos G
authors: NG
authors: Baikoussis
authors: Ioanna
authors: I
authors: Koniari
authors: Dimitrios
authors: D
authors: Alexopoulos
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D003042:Cocaine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D003328:Coronary Thrombosis / Q000139:chemically induced*; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*
chemical_list: D013287:Illicit Drugs; D003042:Cocaine