title: Wellens Syndrome with Syncope but Not Chest Pain.
abstract: We report the case of a woman in her 70s presenting to the emergency department with syncope, troponemia, and an electrocardiogram with deep symmetric T-wave inversions in V2 and V3 and prolonged QTc. Her presentation was concerning for acute coronary syndrome, Wellens syndrome in particular, given the elevated troponin levels, lack of ST segment changes, and characteristic T-wave findings. The diagnosis was confirmed with angiography that showed a critical left anterior descending (LAD) artery occlusion. Since myocardial infarction does not typically present with syncope, we explored the differential diagnoses for T-wave inversions, which include electrolyte abnormalities, medications, intracranial hemorrhage, pulmonary embolism, and other cardiac diseases that were ruled out in our patient. We also explored the pathophysiology leading to syncope in the setting of acute myocardial infarction including arrhythmias and exaggerated neurally mediated response. Our patient received two drug-eluting stents to the LAD artery and was started on dual antiplatelet therapy, beta-blockers, and an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Omar Z
authors.initials: OZ
authors.lastname: Yasin
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rubio-Tapia
authors.forename: Maurice E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Sarano
mesh_terms: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000368:Aged; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002637:Chest Pain; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D023921:Coronary Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D054855:Drug-Eluting Stents; D004562:Electrocardiography; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013575:Syncope / Q000209:etiology*; D014336:Troponin / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D014336:Troponin