Pericarditis as a trigger for Prinzmetal angina - a case report

• Published in: Journal of medicine and life Vol. 14; no. 6; pp. 853 - 861
• Main Authors: Sheibani, Hossein, Javedani Masroor, Mojgan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Romania Carol Daila University Foundation 01.12.2021; Carol Davila University Press
• Subjects: Adult; Angina; Angina Pectoris, Variant - diagnostic imaging; Angina Pectoris, Variant - drug therapy; Case Report; Case reports; Chest Pain - diagnosis; Chest Pain - etiology; Electrocardiography; Emergency medical care; Humans; Male; Medical imaging; Myocardial Infarction; Pericarditis; Pericarditis - diagnostic imaging; Pericarditis - drug therapy; Veins & arteries; Pericarditis; TNG – Trinitroglycerin; RV – Right Ventricle; CCU – Critical Cardiac Unit; MI – Myocardial Infarction; NSAID – Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs; ECG – Electrocardiogram; prinzmetal angina
• ISSN: 1844-122X; 1844-3117
• DOI: 10.25122/jml-2021-0061

Prinzmetal angina is one of the causes of acute coronary syndromes, the exact etiology of which is still unknown. Here we introduce a 27-year-old man with no history of cardiovascular disease, with a history of hospitalization due to acute pericarditis in the previous month, who was discharged with a good response to ibuprofen treatment but had clinical and electrocardiographically recurrence of pericarditis with compressive retrosternal chest pain and electrocardiogram (ECG) changes in favor of acute infero-postero-right ventricular (RV) myocardial infarction (MI). Treatment with vasodilator improved compressive retrosternal chest pain and reversed acute myocardial infarction changes completely and left pleuritic chest pain and pericarditis changes in the ECG. Due to the typical chest pain, he was admitted to the emergency room; ECG revealed generalized ST-segment elevation with acute pericarditis pattern again. Acute infero-posterior and right ventricular acute myocardial infarction pattern was also evident. After treatment with nitroglycerin in the Critical Cardiac Unit (CCU), all ECG ischemic changes returned to baseline, and pericarditis remained in all leads. The patient was discharged with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), calcium channel blockers, and a good general condition.