Coronary plaque instability in severe acute respiratory syndrome

Int J Cardiol. 2005 Mar 30;99(3):471-2. doi: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2003.11.052.

Abstract

In his second week of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) illness, a patient developed an unusually complicated course of acute coronary syndrome. One day after initial stabilization of a non-ST-elevated anterior myocardial infarction (MI), he sustained an ST-elevated anterior MI. Eight hours after emergency coronary intervention to the culprit lesion, he developed another ST-elevated MI in the inferior territory. Acute inflammation and cytokine storm in the immunopathological phase of SARS may play a role in coronary plaque instability. Physicians should be alert to this potentially fatal complication and adopt appropriate vigilant and aggressive management strategies.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Letter

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Coronary Angiography
  • Fatal Outcome
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Myocardial Infarction / diagnostic imaging
  • Myocardial Infarction / etiology*
  • Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / complications*
  • Syndrome