title: Intraoperative coronary artery vasospasm: a twist in the tale!
abstract: The cause of variant angina is localized hyperresponsiveness of the vascular smooth muscle cells caused by non-specific stimuli of vasoconstriction. Autonomic imbalance can be one of the mechanisms of spontaneous vasospasm, and sympathetic or parasympathetic stimulation can induce Coronary Artery Spasm (CAS). Although various reports of CAS events have been described, episodes associated with untwisting or manipulation of a visceral structure remains unique. We report one such case of CAS in association with intraoperative untwisting of a torted ovarian cyst treated with intracoronary nitroglycerine in the catheterization laboratory. Vasospastic or variant angina is a well known clinical condition first described by prinzmetal and colleagues, characterized by CAS in normal and diseased coronary arteries. General anesthesia can be a triggering event. This case demonstrates unique etiology in that spasm was provoked by surgical manipulation of a torted ovarian cyst. CAS has been implicated as a cause of sudden, unexpected circulatory collapse and death during surgery, cardiopulmonary bypass, and other non-cardiac surgical procedures. There are few reports of coronary vasospasm during regional anesthesia and neuroaxial block. Many factors are involved in the occurrences of perioperative CAS including activated sympathetic activity, activated parasympathetic activity, cocaine, alkalosis, hypercalcemia, magnesium deficiency, succinylcholine, vasopressors, essential hypertension, Hyperthyroidism, epidural anesthesia, spinal anesthesia, smoking, lipid metabolic disorder, coronary artery aneurysm, commercial weight loss products. We describe a rare case of CAS during general anesthesia, in a patient with no past history of coronary artery disease, possibly provoked by surgical manipulation ofa torted ovarian cyst, which was diagnosed and treated promptly via cardiac catheterization. Intraoperative coronary artery vasospasm: a twist in the tale!
authors.affiliation: Drexel University College of Medicine, Hahnemann University Hospital, Department of Anesthesiology, New College Building, Room 7502, 245 North 15th Street, Mail Stop 310, Philadelphia, PA 19102, USA. Michael.Green@Drexelmed.edu
authors.forename: Michael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: Sheldon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gomes
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003329:Coronary Vasospasm / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology*; D010048:Ovarian Cysts / Q000601:surgery*; D014102:Torsion Abnormality / Q000601:surgery*