Exercise-induced vasospastic angina with prominent ST elevation: a case report

BACKGROUND: Exercise-induced vasospastic angina (VSA) is a relatively uncommon clinical scenario but may be fatal if not appropriately managed. CASE SUMMARY: A 56-year-old male patient presented to our hospital for chest oppression on exertion for a 2-week duration. The symptom arose while he was riding a bicycle in the morning but did not arise at rest or on exertion in the afternoon. He was an ex-smoker with a history of hypertension and a family history of sudden death. A resting electrocardiogram (ECG) was normal, and echocardiogram revealed no wall motion abnormalities. Coronary computed tomography angiography indicated a possible stenotic lesion in the circumflex branch. Thus, hospitalization was arranged, and transcatheter coronary angiography (CAG) was performed. In CAG, there was only mild stenosis with small perfusion area in the obtuse marginal branch. A treadmill exercise test was performed the following day to assess the contribution of cardiac ischaemia to his chest symptom on exertion. At 10 metabolic equivalents, he suddenly developed chest pain and prominent ST elevation in leads II, III, aVF, and V2–5 was noted on ECG. The test was immediately terminated, and nitrates were administered. The symptom disappeared, and the patient’s ECG normalized, confirming the diagnosis of exercise-induced VSA. Another treadmill exercise test was performed 6 days after vasodilators were started. Even at maximum exercise intensity, neither chest symptoms nor ischaemic changes occurred. The patient was discharged, and the chest symptoms have not returned. DISCUSSION: This case highlights the importance of appropriate diagnosis and management of exercise-induced VSA.