A Left Main Coronary Artery Thrombus Presenting as a Non St Elevation MI

U Ezema; D Daberkow; T Delord; L Guidry; N R Sells

A Left Main Coronary Artery Thrombus Presenting as a Non St Elevation MI

J La State Med Soc. 2017 Mar-Apr;169(2):55. Epub 2017 Apr 15.

Authors

U Ezema¹, D Daberkow¹, T Delord¹, L Guidry¹, N R Sells¹

Affiliation

¹ Department of Medicine, Leonard J. Chabert Medical Center, Houma, LA.

PMID: 28414682

Abstract

Introduction: Left main coronary artery (LMCA); thrombus with an acute myocardial infarction identified with coronary angiography is a clinically rare condition with an extremely high mortality rate. We present a case of LMCA thrombus that presented as a non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI);.

Case: A 45-year-old woman with a history of tobacco use and hyperlipidemia presented with a complaint of 10/10 "hard pain" across her chest radiating to her left shoulder and breast which woke her from sleep. The pain was constant and severe, with no alleviation with rest. She had not experienced anything like this before. Workup revealed an upward trending troponin (1.98.989.79);, and an EKG with some tachycardia but no ST elevation or T wave changes. Her CBC, CMP and coagulation studies were unremarkable. A toxicology screen was positive for opiates and benzodiazepines, medications she was on for pain and anxiety respectively. ACS protocol was started with DAPT, LMWH, Statin, ACEi, and Beta-blocker. An angiogram revealed a large thrombus in the LM coronary artery extending into the aorta with concomitant 99 percent stenosis of distal LAD. 2D Echo w/ bubble contrast was significant for PFO, akinetic apical inferior and anterior wall. The mid antero-septum and apical lateral wall were hypokinetic. Interventional Cardiology and CTS recommended conservative management with medical optimization (Continue DAPT, heparin);, watchful waiting for the thrombus to resorb.

Discussion: Left main coronary artery thrombosis (LMCAT); identified during coronary angiography is a rare and challenging condition. It is a life threatening condition with an approximate incidence rate of 0.8 percent . It is thought to be secondary to plaque rupture with subsequent thrombus formation that is associated with persistent hypercoagulable state, cocaine induced plaque rupture or coronary vasospasm, post-partum state and embolization of intra-cardiac masses. The patient presentation can vary from sudden cardiac death to STEMI, NSTEMI, unstable angina and cardiogenic shock. Standardized therapy has not been developed due to the small number of reported cases.