Although rare, usually asymptomatic, and without concurrent disease, dual left anterior descending arteries (LAD) poses great challenges. We describe a 55-year-old male with no history of coronary disease, who presented with worsening substernal chest pain with exertion, and was ruled out for myocardial infarction. On left heart catheterization and subsequent computed tomography angiogram, he was determined to have a dual LAD with a long LAD emerging from the right coronary artery.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTakotsubo cardiomyopathy is characterized by transient loss of systolic function in the absence of coronary artery disease. It is significantly more common in post-menopausal women and is typically brought on by intense emotional stress. Pathophysiology is not completely elucidated, but it appears to be related, in part, to excess catecholamine; this results in coronary artery vasospasm, ischemia and eventual ventricular dysfunction.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Investig Med High Impact Case Rep
February 2018
This report illustrates a case of a 42-year-old male with a history of intravenous drug abuse who presented with septic shock. Diagnostic studies, including a transthoracic echocardiogram, chest computed tomography angiography, transesophageal echocardiogram, and blood cultures ultimately revealed pulmonic valve infective endocarditis that was treated with intravenous antibiotics. In addition to the rare form of endocarditis and bacterium involved, this case brings into awareness the dynamic nature of the hospital course that requires vigilance in responding to hypotensive episodes for consideration of pulmonary embolism.
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