TY - JOUR
T1 - Wellens Syndrome with Syncope but Not Chest Pain
AU - Yasin, Omar Z.
AU - Rubio Tapia, Alberto
AU - Sarano, Maurice E.
PY - 2016/12/13
Y1 - 2016/12/13
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
KW - Acute coronary syndromes
KW - Acute myocardial infarction
KW - Electrocardiogram
KW - Syncope
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U2 - 10.1159/000452707
DO - 10.1159/000452707
M3 - Article
C2 - 27951539
AN - SCOPUS:85006262134
SN - 1558-2027
SP - 9
EP - 13
JO - Bollettino della Societa italiana di cardiologia
JF - Bollettino della Societa italiana di cardiologia
ER -